Awards Rules of Entry - Dutch Game Awards

General Submission Rules

Only submissions through dedicated Dutch Game Awards Stager are accepted.
The submission period remains open until July 31 2026 midnight.
The submitted work needs to have a clear link with The Netherlands, for example:
- The development of the game was done in The Netherlands
- The entity developing the game has a registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce
- The majority of team members are residents of The Netherlands
The organization of the Dutch Game Awards is allowed to request proof to verify whether there is a clear link with the Netherlands. The organization of the Dutch Game Awards has the right to reject the submission at their discretion, resulting in a refund.
The submitting party needs to be the original creator of the Game and supporting visual materials or have explicit written consent to submit the Game. By submitting the work the creator agrees their materials may be used in PR and communication by the Dutch Game Awards.
The submitted work needs to be a digital product, or have a significant amount of interactive digital content to be considered a “Game”.

Each company can submit a maximum of 4 games. Every game needs to be submitted using a separate form.
The entry fee per game is € 99,00 (ex. BTW and fees), with the exception of the Student category which costs € 2,00 (ex. BTW and fees).
Each game can be submitted for a maximum of 4 award categories.
Every game is automatically entered for the Best Game category. The submitting party may select 3 additional categories of choice.
If the submitting party selects more than 3 categories (in addition to the automatically selected Best Game category) it is up to the discretion of the Dutch Game Awards organisation to narrow down the selection.

The game needs to be released between September 1 2025 and July 31 2026 and publicly available in the Netherlands during the game submission period. (Open) Beta access is accepted as well.
If your game was originally released before September 1 2025, but has been released as a new game on additional platforms in the past year, it is up to the jury’s discretion to decide if the new release is unique enough to consider a New Game.
Example 1: The PC version of your game has been first released on Steam in 2024. In 2026 you publish a Mobile version of the game with adjusted Free 2 Play economy, new content and a fully adapted control scheme. This game can be considered a new and unique game.

Example 2: The Xbox version of your game has been first released in 2024. In 2026 you publish the game on Switch with an adapted control scheme. This game version will not be considered unique enough for qualification.
If your game was originally released before September 1 2025 but has been updated/expanded so significantly that it brings the game to a whole new level, this can also be considered a New Game. For example a new game mode, chapter or total overhaul of the player's experience.

We do not accept submissions that include content that could be considered racist, sexist, misogynistic, discriminatory, demeaning, hateful, inappropriate, offensive, or in any other way, shape or form hurtful.
Any submission may be withdrawn from the competition by the rightful owner or publisher by written request to [email protected], containing adequate proof of ownership.
If there is a dispute in ownership the Dutch Game Awards has the right to withdraw the submission until the dispute has been resolved.

The jury will select three nominees per award but reserves the right to select four nominees in exceptional cases.
Although a game can be entered in up to four categories, each game can win a maximum of three awards per edition of the Dutch Game Awards.
All nominees will be notified by email in mid-October 2026. A list of nominees will also be published on www.dutchgameawards.nl.
The winners will be announced during the Dutch Game Awards ceremony.
All nominees are encouraged to attend the ceremony in person. One additional complimentary ticket to the ceremony is included with each nomination.
The jury’s decisions regarding nominations and winners in each category are final. The jury will not enter into correspondence about its decisions.