Monthly Champion! Competition - Official Rules & Guidelines

The Monthly Champion competition highlights the most exciting early-stage board game prototypes on NestiFyz.
Each month, five standout prototypes are nominated,
Out of the five nominees, one will be picked by industry experts, and another one ( or maybe the same? ) by the community with public votes.
The winners’ physical prototype will be displayed at Essen SPIEL 2025 at the official NestiFyz booth, offering real-world visibility to publishers, reviewers, and fans.Upload your prototype once and manage everything from one place. Add images, rules, digital play links, and sell sheets.

Track and visualize your designer journey to showcase your work to publishers.

• The prototype must be listed on NestiFyz.com.
• The game must be in the “Looking for Publisher” state.
• The prototype must be publicly visible, so that other users and the external judge can view its details, but rules should not be shared.
• The designer must have or be able to produce a physical prototype if selected as a winner.
• There is no entry fee, and no separate application is required.

• NestiFyz selects 5 prototypes each month based on:
  • Originality of concept
  • Quality of presentation (photos, game description, rules, etc.)
  • Potential for future development
• Playtesting results or gameplay balance are not evaluated, as most games are still in development.

2.A Public Voting

• Anyone with a valid email address can vote — no account registration required.
• Voters will receive a secure, one-time email verification link to cast their vote.
• Each verified email may vote once per monthly cycle.
• Voting is open for 7 days after the nominees are announced.

• A rotating external partners (e.g. publisher, reviewer, experienced designer, board game tester) review the 5 nominees.
• The judges stack-rank the prototypes, assigning points to them. The prototype with the most points will make it as the Prototype of the Month
• Tie-Breakers are decided by the NestiFyz team
• The selection is based on overall promise, clarity of vision, and creativity.

• The winner’s physical prototype will be displayed at the NestiFyz booth at Essen SPIEL 2025.
• Additional recognition includes:
  • Your game will be featured in a promoted(paid) Facebook/Instagram post
  • “Prototype of the Month” badge on the desinger profile 
  • Special highlight in the newsletter sent to publishers
  • Dedicated introductory blog post on the Nestifyz website and in our social media
  • We host your game demo livestream event on our social media

• Winners must be able to send a physical prototype [or at least the box] to NestiFyz (rough or refined).
• Shipping guidance will be provided upon selection.
• If a winner cannot deliver a prototype, another nominee may be chosen to represent at Essen Spiel 2025.

• Nominees Announced: ~10th each month
• Winner Announced: ~25th of each month
• Final Competition Cycle: October 2025 (before Essen SPIEL)

• Participation grants NestiFyz permission to publicly promote the nominated and winning prototypes.
• Designers retain full ownership and IP rights to their games.
• NestiFyz may postpone a round or adjust the competition timeline if needed.
• Judges’ decisions are final.