Greetings everyone! As we launch into 2018, we’re excited to announced the monthly Level-Up Awards.

What are the Level-Up Awards?

The Level-Up Awards are intended to represent an individual’s ongoing commitment to game development. They apply to any and every aspect of game development, be it programming, art, music, writing, or design. They also encompass a wide range of projects, from digital video games to table-top games.

Each applicant should apply to these awards as an individual. Individuals working on teams can still apply for an award accomplished by the team so long as they participated in the listed task. For most awards, applicants must provide some small measure of proof (such as a photo/screenshot) of their achievement.

There are six possible monthly awards within three advancing levels of accomplishment. Clarification on each award is provided below. The posted rules for an award are merely guidelines; applicants may submit explanations on the merit of receiving an award even if they did not meet the letter of the description.

— Tier 3 —

Steady Worker Award: Spend at least 15 hours on game-dev related tasks over the course of a month.

• To travel a long distance, one must take hundreds of small steps! The idea of this award is to dedicate time and energy a project, no matter what the result. We’re using the honor system for this award. The only one you’re fooling is yourself!

Artisan: Improve your skills or learn a new technique and apply it to a game project.

• If you’ve been working hard, then you probably improved your ability to get the work done. Examples include:
  • Getting faster at creating content
  • Improving your ability to create something, even if it’s just through practice and repetition. In other words, you got better at something (be it drawing, programming, etc.) over the course of a month
  • Finding methods or tools to improve your work-flow
  • Learning a completely new skill
    

    — Tier 2 —

Hype Maker: Grow your audience and build hype for your game!

• There are many ways to spread awareness of your game. Applicants should demonstrate a significant attempt to market their game or studio brand within that month. Examples include:
  • Post frequently on social media to promote your game or studio
  • Post about your game on a public blog or forum
  • Receive press coverage
  • Participate in game festivals or conventions

Active Listener: Play-test your game, receive feedback, and use that feedback to improve the gaming experience.

• There are many forms of play-testing one’s game: public demos, online beta-testing, etc. The primary stipulation here is that you share the game with an outsider (someone not involved in the game’s development) and listen to their feedback.
• You must use the feedback you have received to improve or alter your game in some fashion. These changes can be very minor, so long as you demonstrate an ability to utilize feedback in a meaningful way.

— Tier 1 —

Mentor: Help someone else grow as a game developer.

• Examples of mentorship include:
  • Providing online tutorials to the public
  • Writing an informative article about your game dev experiences in a way that will help your readers
  • Personally advising another individual in a way that helps them advance
  • Teaching a class related to game development

Dev Guru: Add at least 10 minutes of new gameplay content to a new or ongoing project.

• The definition of “10 minutes of gameplay” is open to interpretation depending on the game’s format. If the game in question relies on repetition–such as an endless runner or short card game–consider whether the recent content has added 10 minutes-worth of new, playable experiences.
• The spirit of this award is to represent significant progress towards the completion of a large project.

So… What do you get out of it?

The primary reward for achieving a Level-Up Award is recognition and esteem for your ongoing hard work. But awardees will also receive the following:

• A sticker for each award received
• A yearly Level-Up “passport” in which to keep the award stickers
• A mention at the Drink-Ups/Meetups where the awards will be handed out
• A mention in a monthly blog post here on the Co-Op site about the award recipients

How to apply?

At the beginning of each month, any co-op member can apply for Level-Up Awards via the Co-op website.  Members can apply for as many awards each month as felt applicable. For each award, proof will need to be submitted, like a screenshot, article, or the game itself.

We will open up applications at the beginning of February 2018. The rewards handed out in February will be based on the work you did in January. So get to work now, game developers!