BIG Festival Rules

The BIG Festival – Brazil’s Independent Games Festival (“Festival”) is carried out by Gamescom Latam Ltda. (“Production Company”), thanks to the sponsorship and support of the companies listed on the Website. The Festival is a cultural competition that will award the best Games (as defined below) selected by the invited jury (“Guest Jury”) and by the selection committee (“Selection Committee”), subject to the rules and conditions provided for in these Rules.

 

All Festival information will be available through the website https://latam.gamescom.global/en/big-festival-en/ or other related websites, such as gamescom.com.br or latam.gamescom.global (“Website”). The Website will also centralize all Festival information and communications, including Festival entries, period of participation, dates of activities, list of finalists, access to information on selected games and entries for the Festival.

All those who submit Games (as defined below) to participate in the Festival (“Competitor(s)”) declare to know and accept these Rules and the Terms of Use of this Website (“Terms of Use”).

 

1. Who can participate?

 

1.1. Any person or legal representative of companies of any nationality who submit Games to compete for the Awards offered can participate in the Festival.

 

1.2. Competitors who are underage must be authorized by their legal guardians to participate in the Festival, by signing a specific term.

 

1.3. It is prohibited the participation of collaborators, employees and contractors in any capacity of the Production Company or of the companies sponsoring the Festival, as well as their respective relatives up to the 2nd degree, spouses and any persons directly involved in the execution of the Festival.

 

2. Which games are eligible to participate?

 

2.1. All types of digital games will be accepted for any platform, console or media, provided that (i) they are owned by the Competitor and/or the Competitor has obtained express written authorization from the Game owner for the Game to participate in the Festival and (ii) they can be played and evaluated by the Selection Committee (“Game”).

 

2.2. If the Game is owned by third parties, the authorization mentioned in item ii above must be proven when completing the Game registration form.

 

2.3. If the Game has been commercially released, the release must have taken place within 2 (two) years before the Festival date.

 

2.4. Games that have previously been finalists in any category of the competitive exhibition from other editions of the Festival will not be selected.

 

2.5. Games that have previously received any type of support outside of the competition (see item 10.1) may be selected for the BIG Festival Competitive Showcase, but will not be eligible to receive support or be invited again to non-competitive showcases.

 

3. How to participate?

 

3.1. The Competitor’s registration for participation in the Festival is free.

 

3.2. To participate, the Competitor must access the Festival Website, follow the instructions contained in the registration form, fill in the required fields correctly, and submit the form.

 

3.2.1. The form can be accessed through the Website or through the following link: http://festival.bigfestival.com.br/ 

 

3.2.2. The Competitor must submit 1 (one) form for each Participating Game.  

 

3.3. The Competitor may submit the Game for evaluation by the Selection Committee in the following ways:

 

– Submit a download link for the Game’s executable file;

– Send a link where the Game can be played directly;

– Provide access keys for the Game (see item 3.6).

 

3.3.1. The chosen submission method and the Game must function properly when accessed by the Selection Committee and by the Guest Jury from Brazilian territory or the territory they happen to be based in during the evaluation process.

 

3.3.2. Only Games submitted via one of the above methods will be accepted.

 

3.4 The Competitor must submit a game trailer, hosted on YouTube or Vimeo, that showcases significant elements of the gameplay, art direction, and/or narrative. The trailer may be used for curation, promotion, and exhibition purposes, when applicable.

 

3.5. Multiplayer games that run locally will be accepted with no limitation. In the case of multiplayer Games that need a server, only online servers will be accepted.

 

3.5.1. In the case of Games that use an online server, the responsibility for the proper functioning of the server is exclusive to the Competitor. The Festival will not inform when the Game will be evaluated. In addition, the Game must have a sufficient number of players and be accessible at any time while it is being evaluated and during the Festival, if the Game is selected.

 

3.6. The Selection Committee and the Guest Jury will not cover any costs to acquire or play the Game during the Festival. If payment is required to access the Game, the Competitor must provide fifteen (15) keys, coupons, or access codes for free access to the Game, which must be submitted at the time of application through the form, for evaluation by the Selection Committee.

 

3.6.1. If the Game is selected, the Competitor must provide an additional twenty (20) keys, coupons, or access codes for free access to the Game, intended for evaluation by the Guest Jury for the purpose of determining the winners.

 

3.7. The data required on the form or otherwise requested by the Production Company are necessary for the identification and location of the Competitor, as well as to determine their eligibility to participate in the Festival, which is why the Competitor is fully responsible for the veracity and accuracy of the information provided.

 

3.8. The Production Company reserves the right to verify, at any time, the veracity of the data provided by the Competitor at the time of registration.

 

4. Period of submissions

 

4.1. The period of submissions will be described on the Festival website. Thus, only Games submitted by Competitors during this period will be valid for the purposes of determining the selected Games and the winners of the Festival.

 

4.2. The Competitor may update the game build, provided that the Curatorship is formally informed of the new version submitted before the end of the evaluation period, ensuring that the Curatorship has access to the update within the allowed timeframe.

However, there is no guarantee that the Selection Committee will consider or evaluate updated versions submitted after the initial version provided at the time of application.

 

5. Disqualification criteria

 

5.1. Individuals who participate in this event without meeting all the criteria set forth in these Rules may be disqualified, at any time, by the Production Company, and will not receive the Award under any circumstances.

 

5.2. Falsehood, incompleteness or inaccuracy of the information provided at the time of registration, as well as any fraudulent action related to the Competitor during the Festival, suspicion or indication of irregular, unfair practices or that violate the objectives of the Festival may culminate in disqualification and exclusion of the Festival Competitor, at any time.

 

5.3. If the Competitor is disqualified, at any time during the Festival, the Competitor will not be selected or receive Awards. The selected Games or Awards will be transferred to the next place within the valid conditions for participation.

 

6. Method for Selecting the Games

 

6.1. The selection process for the Festival’s Games will be carried out in four distinct stages.

 

6.1.1. First stage: in this stage, entries will be received and there will be the initial screening of the Games, which verifies the eligibility of entries in accordance with items 1, 2 and 3 of these Rules.

 

6.1.2. Second stage: in this stage, the Selection Committee will play all Games approved by the initial screening and will carry out a qualitative assessment in relation to the following items: Art, Narrative, Sound, Gameplay and Innovation, by at least 3 (three) different members of the Selection Committee.

 

6.1.3. Third stage: in this stage the best evaluated Games are highlighted and reviewed again by the entire Selection Committee in order to select the best finalist Games in each category.

 

6.2. Fourth stage: The best Games of all categories of the festival will be selected by analyzing the requirements provided for in clause 6.1.2. described above, respecting the specifics of each category: Best Gameplay, Best Narrative, Best Art, Best Sound, Innovation, Best Mobile Game, Best XR/VR, Best Multiplayer, BIG Impact, Best Casual Game, Best Game for Kids, Best Student Game, Best Game: Brazil, Best Game: Latin American, Best Game.

 

6.2.1. The determination of which Games will be nominated for each category will be at the discretion of the Selection Committee.

 

6.3. If it is not possible to select at least 3 (three) Games for a category, the Selection Committee may, at its discretion, abolish the category.

 

6.4. A Game may be selected for more than one category. The Selection Committee may create new categories at its discretion.

 

6.5. The President of the Selection Committee will have the final decision in the event of a tie or indecision in the nomination of the Games.

 

6.6. BIG Festival will not disclose the reasons why a game was not selected as a finalist.

 

7. Selected Games Disclosure

 

7.1. The list of the Festival’s selected Games will be published on the Website.

 

7.2. The selected Games from each category will be displayed to the public during the Festival as part of the Games showcase.

 

7.3. In addition to the Games in the competitive shows described above, there may be selected by the Festival Games for non-competitive or parallel shows.

 

8. Awards

 

8.1. Selected Games will compete for awards described in specific sections of the Festival Website.

 

8.2. The Games that will receive Awards will be chosen by a Guest Jury. The Guest Jury is composed of game industry professionals invited by the Festival to play, evaluate and choose the Awarded Games.

 

8.3. Different Guest Juries may be invited to select Awards from different Festival categories. For example, there may be a specific Guest Jury for Best XR/VR Game, Best Multiplayer, BIG Impact, Best Game for Kids, and Best Student Game, among other categories.

 

8.4. The Guest Jury may, at its discretion, create honorable mentions not originally provided for in the announced award lists.

 

8.5. Awards can be cumulative for the same Game.

 

8.6. Prize amounts, if any, are gross amounts and the due taxes must be collected by the winning Competitors.

 

8.7. The Guest Juries are sovereign to choose the awarded Games and their decisions cannot be questioned under any circumstances.

 

9. Selected Games

 

9.1. Each Competitor who owns a selected Game agrees to assign to the Festival, free of charge and for worldwide territory, all rights to use and distribute their Game’s promotional material, including images, texts and sounds, for dissemination and marketing in any format and in any media, including the Festival’s venues and Website. Included in this assignment are explanatory and illustrative materials for the Game, videos, photos, texts, interviews with the developers of the selected Games and other materials and information about the Games.

 

9.2. Each Competitor who owns a selected Game authorizes the Festival to display and execute their Game at the Festival venues and Website, allowing anyone to play the selected Game without any charge, payment or limitation of any kind to the Festival or its participants and visitors.

 

9.3. In case the selected Games are made available online to the public, the Competitor will allow the Game to be adapted to a demo or reduced version, at the discretion of each Competitor.

 

9.4. The assignments of rights described above will also be valid for any activities, presentations or replications of the Festival in other venues, other internet websites, other cities, on other dates or in partnership with other events, both online and in person.

 

10. Scholarships and Other Festival Sections

 

10.1. At the discretion of the BIG Festival, up to 15 support scholarships may be offered to outstanding Brazilian games that were not selected for the BIG Festival competition. The scholarship consists of the free provision of a space within the gamescom latam indie area, a space that is otherwise commercially available to other companies. Additional forms of support may also be defined, depending on negotiations with the representatives of each invited game. Since these games are not part of the competitive showcase, they will not be evaluated by the Guest Jury.

 

10.2. Games selected for the scholarship described above will also be promoted on the Festival’s website. The number of games selected may vary depending on the Festival edition and, in some cases, no games may be selected.

 

10.3. Other sections of the Festival may occasionally take place at different times and under different circumstances, such as Guest Games, Game Jams, and specific calls developed in partnership with collaborators. In all cases, the games submitted and selected will be subject to this General Regulation, as well as to the specific rules described and established in each specific call, such as:

 

1. a) Guest Games: A non-competitive selection of new games released by Publishers, with specific curation and without an open call to the general public;
2. b) Game Jams: New game development challenges held over a determined period, in which selected studios and/or projects compete for Prizes or support;
3. c) Specific calls in partnership with collaborators: Calls that may occur throughout the year focusing on specific games that are not necessarily selected for exhibition at the Festival, but may still compete for prizes or other forms of support. In these specific cases, some rules such as the game release date and the Festival’s selection categories do not apply. Please refer to the guidelines in each specific call.

 

11. Competitor’s Guarantees

 

11.1. By submitting a Game to the Festival, the Competitor expressly declares and warrants to be the owner or possessor of all rights and licenses necessary for the use and/or public performance of all submitted materials (games, videos, photos, texts and others submitted materials), including, but not limited to:

 

1. a) All rights to the Game’s source code;
2. b) Licenses for the technologies and software used to develop and run the Game;
3. c) Rights to music used as a soundtrack or incidentals in the Game and other submitted materials;
4. d) Right to texts appearing in the Game and in other materials sent;
5. e) Right to script or texts that have served as inspiration for the Game and other materials sent;
6. f) Right to archive or third-party images appearing in the Game and in other submitted materials;
7. g) Patent rights or license to use third-party information in the Game and other submitted materials;
8. h) Or any other copyright that may prevent the execution or commercial or non-commercial placement of the Game and other materials sent.

 

11.2. The Competitor also undertakes to:

 

1. a) Not send any material containing vulgar, defamatory, prejudiced images or sounds or that violate the Brazilian Penal Code and applicable legislation;
2. b) Not violate the privacy of third parties or disrespect third parties racially, ethically, professionally or in any other way.
3. c) Not violate any copyright or any other law by sending the Game and other materials and information to the Festival.
4. d) Make their Game available, as well as the right to use the images, sounds and information of the Game and its representatives and developers, for public display at the Festival, on the Festival Website, in promotional materials and materials related to participation in the Festival, replications or presentations of the Festival in other locations, other internet sites, other cities, on other dates or in partnership with other events, both online and in person.
5. e) Disclose at the time of registration the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools at any stage of the Game development process, such as in the creation of art, script, audio, programming, or design. Mentioning the use of AI does not disqualify the Game but may be taken into account during the evaluation process, particularly regarding authorship, originality, and the creative contribution of the human team involved.

 

12. Curatorship and omitted cases

 

12.1. All decisions of the Festival are the sole responsibility of the Production Company or of the people, companies or partners to whom these decisions are delegated, and cannot be questioned under any circumstances.

 

12.2. Cases not covered or not provided for in these Rules will be resolved by the Festival’s organizing committee.

 

13. Liability

 

13.1. The Competitor shall hold harmless or indemnify the Production Company and third parties involved in the Festival, as well as its partners, customers and sponsors, for all losses and damages of any nature arising from or related to (i) the non-compliance by the Competitor with obligations foreseen or related to these Rules and (ii) the legal violation generated by the Game(s) or other materials sent, (iii) any fraud arising from the unauthorized use of third-party personal information for the purposes of registration at the Festival.

 

13.2. The Production Company and/or the sponsors will not be liable, in any event, for any damages, material or moral, suffered and/or caused to the Competitors.

 

13.3. Competitors are aware, from now on, that they will be liable in court for any and all damages caused by the practice of unlawful acts or non-compliance with these Rules, without prejudice to the right of recourse by the Production Company, as appropriate.

 

14. General Provisions

 

14.1. Tolerance in relation to the provisions of the Festival Rules and Terms of Use of the Website shall not constitute a precedent for disregarding what is hereby agreed.

 

14.2. Questions regarding the Festival can be resolved at our help and contact page.

 

14.3. The Production Company may change the terms of these Rules, in case the originally planned conduct of the Festival is compromised, upon prior notice to the Competitors.

 

14.4. The Festival does not fit in the modalities of free distribution of prizes or awards disposed by Law 5,768 / 1971 and Decree 70.951 Ordinance 41/2008, not being therefore subject to its terms, including as regards the needobtençtoof authorizatioņtoprovided.

 

15. Forum

 

15.1. The Festival Rules are governed by the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

 

15.2. The parties elect the Court of the Judicial District of the State of São Paulo, Capital, to settle any differences arising from these Rules, with express waiver of any other, however privileged it may be.