Call for Submissions
On March 14th, the Tabletop Gaming Alliance of Washington State will be hosting its Annual Summit at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW 2nd Floor, Olympia, WA 98501 and we are excited to announce the inaugural year of our New Designer Showcase and Mentorship Program. At the summit, we will have tables available for a new designer showcase, as a way for new game designers, writers, and artists to show off their work in a space with a lot of industry professionals. Furthermore, one new designer and one new artist will be chosen for a six month mentorship program. The gaming industry can be difficult to break into and we want to support new designers and artists in innovative, bold design.
About the Showcase
The Future of Games Showcase is designed to give opportunities to new games designers and artists in an industry that historically has been difficult to break into. Up to twenty new designers will be chosen from the pool of applicants at the Future. They will be given the opportunity to showcase their work at the TGA’s Future of Games Summit on March 14th 2026, which will be attended by many members of the gaming industry. Each new designer will be given half a table and can present a portfolio of their work. The winners will also be announced with their bios on the Tabletop Gaming Alliance social media pages and website. When submitting for the showcase, you may also submit your work for consideration for the TGA Mentorship Program. Submissions will be open Feb 1-Feb 15th or until we hit the cap of 100 submissions. Winners will be judged and announced at the beginning of March.
About the Mentorship Program
Two applicants will be chosen for the TGA New Designer Mentorship Program; one for the game design mentorship, one for an art mentorship. The mentorship will last for six months starting at the beginning of May. The mentees will turn in their work to their mentors once a month and attend a feedback meeting where their mentor will give them artistic and professional feedback, helping them develop a versatile portfolio that they can use to apply for jobs in the industry. Winners will be judged and announced at the beginning of March.
Notably, being chosen for the TGA Showcase or Mentorship Program does not constitute a commitment from the TGA, the judges, or the mentors to publish the work, financially support it, or deliver on any promises outside of what is explicitly outlined here. If chosen, you will be asked to become a TGA member or to pay an admission fee of $60, though equity discounts are available for 50%.*Self publishing with a yearly average revenue below $150 not included.
What to Submit
To submit, submit a portfolio of your work. This might include but is not limited to: full-length original games, supplemental materials (adventures, bestiaries, etc), and artwork/illustrations. Notably, this does not need to be a professional portfolio, but just a collection of your work, or a single long piece. There is no maximum amount of work, but keep in mind respect for our judges, and that these applications are about quality, not quantity. An innovative one page game stands a better chance then ten half-thought out pieces.
All submissions must be turned in by Feb 15th 11:59PM.
Please keep in mind, this year’s slots are limited, and an application does not guarantee a mentorship or spot in the showcase.
We are looking for the following:
- Full-length games (tabletop roleplaying games, board games, card games)
- Supplemental materials
- Illustration
Eligibility:
- Current resident of WA state
- No previous history of publication within the gaming industry*
- No personal relationship with the judges or mentors: Jim Witcher, Andi Licht, Chris Marshall, James Mendez Hodes, Jabari Weathers
- Able to attend the TGA Summit on March 14th, 2026
No material condoning racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, or other bigotry will be permitted. Content and language, and mechanics must be your own. Absolutely no AI generated content. Any usage of AI whatsoever must be clearly demarcated and have a note explaining its usage.
How we Judge
Primary criteria: Innovation. We are looking to support work that is bold, fresh, and interesting, that pushes boundaries and takes artistic risks.
Secondary criteria: Well thought-out. This does not mean that the work needs to be polished, illustrated, formatted. However, we are looking to see if the work feels well-thought out. No half-finished sentences or slap-dash design.
Secondary criteria: Need. While not required for applying, we are especially looking to support new designers that have been barred from opportunities in the gaming industry, whether through financial concerns, belonging to a historically marginalized background, or otherwise.
Winners will be announced at the beginning of March.
Disclaimers
Applicants and winners retain rights to all materials submitted.
The TGA judges maintain the right to select as many showcase winners as they see fit, up to 20. Being selected as a showcase or mentorship winner does not entail any further professional relationship between the winner and the TGA, the judges, or the mentors.Professional behavior is expected from all winners and mentors over the duration of their showcase and/or mentorship. Selection can be revoked in case of racism, sexism, homophobia, or other discriminatory behavior.
Meet Our Mentors
Game Design Mentor: James Mendez Hodes
James Mendez Hodes (he/him) is a cultural consultant, game designer, and writer. You might know his cultural consulting from Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, or the Jackbox Party Packs; his design work from the Avatar Legends RPG, Thousand Arrows, or the upcoming Streets of Jade: the Green Bone Saga RPG; or his writing from some articles complaining about orcs and racism. He has received ENnie Awards for his work on 7th Sea, Thousand Year Old Vampire; Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall; Eat the Reich; Avatar; If I Were a Lich, Man; and Land of Eem.
Mendez grew up in, and still inhabits, the greater New York metropolitan area. He graduated Swarthmore College with a major in Religion, and minors in Dance and in English Literature. He also received a master’s degree in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College. His academic foci have included West African and Afro-Atlantic religion, expressions of religion in comic books, comparative martial arts, and epic poetry. His extracurricular interests include hip hop, martial arts, and weird invertebrates, but they keep finding their way into his studies and work. He has mentored writers, designers, and consultants through the Indie Game Developer Network and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.
If Mendez were a fantasy RPG character he would probably be an orc with levels in bard and monk. If he were a romanceable NPC in a video game, you would have to find him at an aquarium and/or engage him in hand-to-hand combat. Find him on the Internet at jamesmendezhodes.com, or on Bluesky @LulaVampiro.
Art Mentor: Jabari Weathers
Jabari Weathers is an illustrator, writer, and game designer based in and from Baltimore, Maryland. They’ve worked with Paizo, Wizards of the Coast, and many others through both words and images.
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