Indies

Activities > Indies

The Game Awards are open to any indie game AA and smaller on Steam that is released within the eligible timeframe. Please see later page for additional requirements and rules.

The DreamHack Beyond
Gaming Awards

The DreamHack Beyond Gaming Awards at its core is an event to celebrate the best game from independent AA and smaller games released on Steam in 2023 and planned for release in 2024. We also will celebrate the work of all studios in the Dreamhack community whether onsite at DreamHack ATL or on Steam.

Games will be viewed and considered on a rolling basis. As games come in, they will be tested by a screening group and rated. The best rated games will then be sent to our judges for each category for review.

Games may be submitted under only one category for consideration.
Game of the Year Awards takes into consideration all aspects of the game and include, but are not limited to the other awards categories
Studios may submit more than one game
The winner of each category must agree to take part in an online interview.
Submitted games must provide at least 20 codes to their game for judges to use.
Submitted games must provide a trailer for their game that can be shown at DreamHack ATL.

All games must be eligible in order to be considered by DreamHack for this event.

General Steam Event

Game must be on Steam
Game must be created by an independent game studio

Game Awards (For 2023 Releases)

Games must have been released between Dec. 1st 2022 and Dec. 1st 2023
Game must be on Steam
Game must be created by an independent game studio
Game must be AA or smaller

Game Awards (For 2024 Releases)

Games must be scheduled to be released between Dec. 1st 2023 and Dec. 1st 2024
Game must be on Steam
Game must be created by an independent game studio
Game must be AA or smaller
Much have a playable demo that includes enough of the game the a judge could reasonably make a decision about the overall game.

Award Categories

Game of the Year

Best Graphics

Most Anticipated Game

Best Music Composition

Best Gameplay Design

Best Story

WINNERS

Nominees

Indiegames_nominees_BestMusicComposition

Schedule

Date
Dec. 15th-21st	Steam Event Dates
Nov. 21st	Registration opens
Dec. 8th	Registration closes
Dec. 14th	Winners Announced
Dec. 15th-17th	DreamHack ATLANTA

Prizing

Category	Prize
Game of the Year	$8,000
Most Anticipated Game	$3,000
Best Graphics	$1,000
Best Music Composition	$1,000
Best Gameplay Design	$1,000
Best Story	$1,000

Game Awards FAQ

Can we have a preview of the steam page?

Yes, we will send out a preview of the event a week before launch.

Is there a specific order that games show up within their category? Does it update every day?

Games are ordered randomly by Steam to ensure equal placement in each category. This randomization refreshes whenever the page is loaded.

If we change any of our tags or demos, do we have to let you know?

No, we refresh the tags for all games daily, so any changes you make will be seen within 24 hours.

Can we add another game if we were already accepted?

You can submit more games regardless of the status of your other games up until the registration deadline.

When is the official start and end time and date?

The event will start on Dec. 15th and end Dec. 21st

How do I know which of my games were accepted?

We will email you with a list of games that were accepted. There can be cases where we may reach out additionally if you submitted a large number of games.

Is there any flexibility regarding the qualifications for the categories?

If you feel that your game is not in a category that it should be you may ask for it to be added and we’ll do our best to support you, but not all requests can be granted.

Will we need to set up the discounts manually in steam or will there be a pre-set option?

There will be a pre-set option available for the event.

When are we allowed to start announcing that we’ll be participating?

You may announce your participation as soon as you have confirmation of your acceptance from DreamHack.

Do accounts need to be whitelisted in order to stream?

All accounts can stream, though priority in listing will be given to games in featured categories.

What’s the hashtag for the event?

#DHBGameAwards

Why can’t I find my game?

If you are not able to see your game anywhere on the Steam page, it is possible there is an error on our end with the app ID. Please reach out to e.levendusky@ext.efg.gg.

My game isn’t in the right categories, why?

With the number of games, it is easy to miss your game while strolling through, and we encourage a thorough look before reaching out.
If you have changed your game’s tags in the last 24 hours, they may not have updated yet.
Double check your game’s tags. It is possible they are incorrect for the category you are looking in.
If you have checked the above and still aren’t seeing your game in the correct category, please reach out to e.levendusky@ext.efg.gg for assistance.

Are there any youtube activities?

We do not have any plans currently to use YouTube content as a part of this activision.

What are the qualifications for each section?

Please reference the event info on the main page.

Will my game automatically appear in the discounted section once the discount goes live?

Yes, discounts on games are treated like tags and will be updated in the event every 24 hours by our team.

Do we need to tell you which categories our game will appear in, or will they automatically be entered in those sections?

You do not need to tell us which categories your game needs to be added to. Categories will be automatically populated based on the tags on your game. Please reference the event info on the main page for a list of categories and tags used for each one.

Can my game still appear in the discounted section even if it’s only there for part of the time?

Yes, games do not need to be discounted the whole event to be in the discounted category. Games will appear on the discounted section as long as they have the discount tag.