Calling all Game Developers – Microsoft Dev Center Contest

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Bring your best games to the Windows and Windows Phone Store and you could win* up to $10,000. Build a creative new game, or port one you’ve already made and you could win these prizes:

First Prize: $10,000 USD
Second Prize: $5,000 USD
Third Prize: $3,000 USD
10 Honourable Mention Prizes: $1,000 USD each

The winners

Contest winners will be announced on or before May 11, 2015. Winners will be contacted directly with details on how to collect their prizes.

Entries can be submitted between 12:01 a.m. PT on January 21, 2015 – 11:59 p.m. PT on March 20, 2015.

Who can enter?

Developers can submit games made with any technology. You can submit original games or port existing published games (from an alternative platform like Android, iOS, Amazon Kindle, Blackberry, etc.) to the Windows or Windows Phone platform in the Windows Store during the Entry Period.

What will your game be judged on?

Submissions will be judged by a Microsoft panel on the following criteria:

  • Quality of Submission (50%) : How visually appealing is your game? How well do you use special effects to develop immersive gameplay? How intuitive is your user experience?
  • Creativity (30%) How original is your game design idea?
  • Technical Excellence (20%) : Is your game performance fast and fluid? Did you leverage Windows platform features such as contracts, touch, game hubs, live tiles, notifications, sensors or speech as applicable, to create engaging interactions?

How to enter

Step 1

Create or port your game to Windows Store or Windows Phone or both.

Step 2

Submit your game to Windows Store or Windows Phone Store. You will first need to create a developer account on Windows Dev Center, and register for a free account that you can use to publish to the windows stores. Allow sufficient time for certification and to get your game published to the store.

Step 3

Apply to the DVLUP challenge with your published game link, between January 21 - March 20, 2015.

*Complete rules

Contest is open to Windows Developer Center account holders 18+. Other eligibility restrictions apply. Games must be published in a Windows Store after 12:01 a.m. PT January 1, 2015 and before 11:59 p.m. PT March 20th 2015 to be eligible.

For complete details, see Official Rules

For frequently asked questions, see FAQ

For more information, see the DVLUP challenge