The Internet Development Institute (IDI) has announced a new initiative. They launched a competition specifically for indie developers to submit the best ideas for game prototypes.
Both legal entities and individuals are eligible to participate in the IDI competition. There are specific requirements for the latter: first, individual developers must be over 18 years old; second, if they win, they will have to establish a sole proprietorship.
Another important requirement set by IDI pertains to team leads and game designers—they must be experienced specialists with relevant education.
According to the contest rules, developers must present IDI with original game ideas, based on which they will then create either a demo version or a vertical slice.
There appear to be no genre or platform restrictions in the competition, but there are thematic ones. In total, seven themes are proposed for games, which are the same as those in the “National Content” competition:
1. "protection of national interests and public values";
2. "heroes of our time and reasons for pride";
3. "quality changes in life in Russia";
4. "multinationality: unity in diversity";
5. "spiritual and moral guidelines";
6. "family values, upbringing of children and teenagers";
7. "vision of the future".
Applications can be submitted until the evening of May 30. Winners will be announced no later than October 10.
IDI promises the winners up to 7.5 million rubles for creating a vertical slice and up to 15 million rubles for developing a demo version. Either must be developed in just under a year — the deadline is October 6, 2026.
More details about the contest rules can be found on the IDI website.