The 2025 IndieCraft Organizing Committee (co-chaired by Lee Eui-jun, President of Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency, and Hwang Sung-ik, President of the Korea Mobile Game Association) announced that a total of 292 indie game developers applied to participate in this year’s event, which closed submissions on May 31. The submissions include 191 developers in the Community Division and 101 in the University Challenger Division.
Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty and increasing polarization within Korea’s game industry, a large number of promising indie developers participated this year, highlighting the significance of the event. The organizing office commented, “Compared to previous years, this year’s submissions showed higher overall quality and more practical engagement from developers.”
Upcoming Schedule
By the end of May, a round of document and presentation evaluations will determine the TOP 50 in the Community Division and TOP 20 in the Challenger Division, which will be announced via the official website:
🔗 https://www.snip.or.kr/indiecraft
The TOP 9 winners, who will receive a combined prize pool of 40 million KRW, will be selected at the second showcase event in early August. Additionally, selected developers may be eligible for further commercialization support to help them grow into leading indie studios.
In June, the selected teams will also be invited to “IndieCraft Networking Day,” which includes information sessions on support programs and a mini-conference featuring industry experts.
Global Pitching & Exhibition Opportunities
An “IR Demo Day” will offer training on creating pitch decks and direct pitching opportunities to domestic and international investors and publishers. Notably, in early October, a global IR acceleration program will be held in partnership with global game solutions provider Xsolla, providing participating teams a chance to directly engage with international stakeholders.
In September, IndieCraft will host an offline exhibition in collaboration with GXG 2025, Korea’s major gaming culture festival. With over 30,000 visitors in attendance last year, this event is expected to once again draw strong interest from gamers eager to discover new and exciting indie titles.
Statements from the Organizers
Lee Eui-jun, President of Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency, stated:
“The strong turnout for 2025 IndieCraft reflects the passion and determination of Korea’s indie developers. The fact that 292 teams submitted games despite economic headwinds shows the resilience and growth potential of the indie game industry. We will continue to support promising developers through technical advancement and publishing opportunities, ensuring they find success on the global stage.”
Co-chair Hwang Sung-ik added:
“We are grateful to all the indie developers preparing for global expansion who’ve made this year’s IndieCraft shine. We will select games with strong potential and help them become flagship titles representing K-Indie worldwide. We ask for your continued interest and support for the upcoming IndieCraft events.”
The final list of selected developers will be announced in early June on the official IndieCraft website. For sponsorship or event inquiries, please contact the Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency or the Korea Mobile Game Association.
