FAQ

This page covers many commonly asked questions about Tokyo Indies. If something isn’t clear, feel free to get in touch.

What is the event like?

The event is mainly indie devs casually hanging out in a bar. Anyone is welcome to set up a demo of their game at an empty table, so it’s a good opportunity to see what’s in development or get feedback on a prototype. Starting from 8:30 for roughly one hour, there will be presentations by a few developers in the basement club space.

How do I participate?

On the day of the event, come to the venue at any time after opening and pay at the door. Admission is cash only and includes one drink ticket. There is no preregistration (except for presenters), and it’s fine to come and leave at any time - many regulars don’t arrive until an hour after opening.

If you would like to do a presentation please register via the presenter form. For presenters, the admission fee will be waived.

Can I demo my game at the event?

Yes! Normally you can set up a demo using your own equipment in any open space on a first-come first-served basis.

Do I need to make games to attend?

You’ll get more out of the event if you’re interested in making games, but there is no requirement for attendance.

What payment methods do you accept?

Entry is cash only, but the bar accepts IC cards and other payment methods.

Is it possible to leave and re-enter the event?

If you leave and re-enter the venue, you will be charged for entry again. That said, it is no problem to enter or leave at any point during the event.

Is food available at the venue?

The venue usually doesn’t serve any food, so it’s recommended you eat before coming.

Can I upload photos of the event?

Photos taken at Tokyo Indies are generally OK to share online, but if other people or other people’s games are shown in the photo, please ask for permission from them first or add a blur/mosaic effect to hide them.

Please note that while we do our best to enforce this policy, many participants come to our event, and we cannot ensure that attendees of the event will not be photographed.

The following questions are related to giving presentations.

How can I present?

Please use the presenter form to apply. Any game is eligible for a presentation, but we need applications to avoid having too many presentations on one day.

If presenting, be sure to tell reception that you’re a presenter when entering the event, and come to the DJ booth in the basement to check in with staff after arriving.

How do presentations work?

Presentations should introduce your game and be roughly five minutes long. Please do a practice run of your presentation and time it! A typical presentation will introduce a game you’re working on and discuss what development is like. Remember that you’re presenting mainly to developers, not just players.

Do I need to bring a PC to present?

Presentations can be made from your own PC or from a PC we provide. While either is OK, we recommend sending us slides and using our PC to avoid technical issues. For connecting your own PC or Mac, we have dongles and converters for standard ports, but it’s best to bring your own just in case.

What slide formats are OK?

Google Slides is the recommended way to make and share a presentation. Powerpoint (PPTX) or PDF slides are also fine. In either case, it’s recommended you send us slides in advance so we can check them for obvious issues.

With Google Slides, make sure that any embedded media (mainly videos) have permissions set so they are accessible.

With a PPTX or other file, make sure fonts are embedded and that the file works on a computer different from the one you created it on.

When should we arrive at the venue?

Presenters should arrive by 8PM, before presentations begin at 8:30. If using your own machine to present, arriving as soon as possible after 7PM to do an equipment test is recommended. If you will be late, please contact the organizers and we can support you.

Do I need to translate my presentation?

Please present in English or Japanese, whichever you are more comfortable with. If you present in English we can interpret into Japanese for you. Please DO NOT use machine translation for slides, as the results are often incomprehensible.