Game Republic has opened applications for Indie Stars, a new curated showcase for unpublished games at its New Horizons conference in Middlesbrough, England. Up to ten projects will be selected to exhibit at Riverside Stadium on October 15. Applications close at midnight on September 13, and finalists are due to be notified on September 21, leaving successful teams a little over three weeks to prepare for the event.
The opportunity is unusually broad in platform terms and unusually specific about attendance. Game Republic says developers can apply from the United Kingdom or elsewhere with a playable, unpublished game for PC, console, mobile, web, or virtual reality, but finalists must demonstrate it in person. A media panel will choose the shortlist, then conference attendees will vote for a winner during the showcase.
Free exhibition space lowers one cost, not every cost
Selected developers receive a free showcase place rather than buying an exhibitor package. Game Republic says the venue will supply a PC, power, and monitor. PocketGamer.biz additionally reports that each selected project receives two event places, a table, and a technology kit. Teams should still budget for travel to Middlesbrough, accommodation, meals, transport for any specialist controller or device, and the time required to staff the demonstration.
The winner will be announced on the conference’s main stage and receive a cash prize; the amount is not stated in either inspected source. PocketGamer.biz also reports that the winning game receives 12 months of Game Republic membership. Applicants should therefore evaluate the showcase primarily as a chance to test and present a game, not build a financial plan around an unspecified prize.
There is another practical boundary: this is for unpublished work that is already playable. An idea deck or trailer alone does not meet the announced requirement. Conversely, the game does not need to target one favored store or hardware family. The accepted formats make the competition relevant to teams working well beyond conventional desktop releases.
The audience is part of the proposition
New Horizons runs from October 14 through October 16, with Indie Stars scheduled for the middle day. Game Republic says the wider event is expected to bring together more than 300 delegates and names publishers, investors, platform holders, public funders, and other games-industry leaders among the audience. The program also includes an Investor Zone, meetings arranged through MeetToMatch, masterclasses, and technology sessions.
That setting changes what makes an effective demo. The audience vote rewards an experience that strangers can understand and enjoy on the exhibition floor, while conversations with commercial and funding organizations require a concise explanation of the project’s scope, target players, production status, and next milestone. Those are editorial recommendations, not selection criteria published by Game Republic.
A team applying from outside the region should also separate access from opportunity. A free table creates exposure, but it does not guarantee investment, publishing, press coverage, or a future storefront placement. Neither source publishes judging weights, a guaranteed meeting schedule for finalists, or a list of services attached to the technology kit. Applicants should avoid assuming benefits that have not been specified.
A short preparation checklist for applicants
With the application window closing soon, developers should verify three basics before submitting: the project is unpublished, a playable build can be shown, and at least one team member can attend in person on October 15. The submission should describe the game that exists now rather than promising features that cannot be demonstrated. Teams selected on September 21 can then freeze a stable showcase build early and keep active development separate from the event version.
A robust floor build should start quickly, recover cleanly after a failed run, and make save data or account requirements easy to reset. Teams should bring local backups even when venue hardware is supplied, test their own input devices and adapters, and prepare a short accessible play path for visitors with limited time. These are general exhibition practices, not equipment guarantees from the organizer.
Indie Stars is a concrete, deadline-driven route for a small number of unreleased projects to appear before both players and industry attendees without an exhibition fee. Its confirmed value is the combination of a playable public test, two-way audience voting, and proximity to professional meetings. Developers who can satisfy the travel requirement have until September 13 to decide whether that combination matches their current production needs.