February 14, 2025

Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology

Literature as a game. Gaming as literature.
How are writers interacting with games,
gaming, and notions of play?

Calling all creators! Difference Engine invites you to submit pitches for our upcoming anthology Free to Play, which will be published in 2026. Spearheaded by a dynamic team of avid gamers and multidisciplinary writers — Adan Jimenez, Daryl Lim Wei Jie, Joses Ho, and Natalie Wang — this print publication spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, visual art pieces, and multimedia works will be an exciting collection that celebrates games, gaming, and play.

We’re looking for pieces that:

Celebrate video games and the culture around them
Offer critical or reflective perspectives on games and gaming culture
Employ gaming approaches in the process of their creation, or
Surprise us with a fresh take on video games and gameplay

Submissions should be:

Previously unpublished original works of any genre
Written in the English language, or translated into the English language

Submissions may be in any of the following mediums:

Fiction
Creative non-fiction
Poetry
Comics
Multimedia work (comprising both print and digital elements)

Click the links to find the respective submission guidelines for each medium.

We are not accepting:

Submissions that are fanfiction. Submissions must be able to stand alone as a piece of original work without relying on existing video games as the only world or setting in which your story takes place. (e.g. we will accept pitches for stories about people playing Horizon Zero Dawn but not for a story set in Horizon Zero Dawn).
Pitches for works that are about tabletop RPGs (TTRPG), since this anthology is focused on video games. With that being said, there are many video games based on TTRPGs, so if your submission is about the video game element/adaptation of the TTRPG, it would still be eligible.

Who can contribute?

Contributors from all over the world are welcome. Being from Southeast Asia ourselves, we’d especially love to hear from our fellow gamers and gaming enthusiasts in the region!
Contributors must be aged 18 and above upon submission.

Works selected for publication will receive the following rates:

Prose (Fiction and creative non-fiction): US$0.07/word
Poetry: US$50.00/piece
Comics: US$25.00/page
Multimedia work: US$200.00/work

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All submissions:

Submissions will be open from 14 February 2025 to 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.
All submissions should be typed in Arial, font size 11.
All submissions must be in soft copy. Difference Engine will not accept any hard copy submissions.

Fiction submissions must include:

A prose story of 2000–3000 words.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Creative non-fiction submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of 2000–3000 words. The pitch should include the author/s’ interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Non-fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Creative non-fiction pitches selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of development, feedback, and revisions with the editors.

Poetry submissions must include:

A maximum of 3 poems per submission, not exceeding 5 pages in total.
A short biography of the poet/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the work(s).
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Poetry Submission: [title of the work]”.
Poetry submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Poet/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Fiction comics submissions must include:

A full comic script with page, panel, and dialogue instructions for a 5–10 page work.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of the creator(s) (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Non-fiction comics submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of between 5–10 comic pages. The pitch should include interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations, or comics work.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Non-fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Multimedia submissions must include:

We are open to all proposals involving multimedia elements. For example, you could submit a poem or short story that embeds an interactive web element that can be separately accessed and which builds on the print version. We’re excited to find out how creative folks will get! Technical requirements such as web hosting and coding should be included in the pitch.

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, that should include a description of the piece, the reasoning behind it, the creator/s’ interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned for the submission.
Multimedia submissions that include a digital component must also be accompanied by a printable textual or visual component that can be published within the physical book (i.e. your submission cannot consist of only digital material). This printable component should function as an essential part of the creative piece (i.e not just peripheral or bonus content).
A portfolio sample of previous multimedia projects, if available.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Multimedia Submission: [title of the work]”.
Multimedia submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Important things to note:

The deadline for Round 1 (Call for Submissions) is 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.
Final creators/creative teams creators will be informed by 2 May 2025 if their submission has been selected.
Difference Engine and the Editors reserve the right to ask for clarification from creators/creative teams before making their decision.
For submissions in the form of pitches, if selected, the Editors will work closely with the creator/s on fully developing the piece. Creator/s will be expected to adhere to the timelines and schedules set by the publisher.
For more details, read our rules and regulations at the bottom of this webpage, or download the PDF (they’re the same!).

SUBMISSION DOCUMENTS

Entry Form (PDF) / Entry Form (Word Doc)

Rules and Regulations (updated 14 Feb 2025)

MEET THE EDITORS

ADAN JIMENEZ

Adan is a writer, editor, and translator. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrant parents and became an immigrant himself when he moved to Singapore. His gaming journey began when his parents bought him a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas when he was six, and he has played hundreds of games since then, of every genre and on (almost) every platform, including PC and mobile. You can find him playing all kinds of games on his YouTube channel: youtube.com/@thecomicman.

“I mostly want to see fun and interesting things. Things that will make me smile, laugh, and feel good about video games. Things that show me how much the creator loves the medium of video games.”

DARYL LIM WEI JIE

Photo credit: National Arts Council, Singapore

Daryl is a poet, editor, and translator from Singapore. His poetry collection Anything but Human was a finalist for the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize. He conceptualised two anthologies: Food Republic: A Singapore Literary Banquet, which won a Special Award at the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing, shortlisted for Best Literary Work at the Singapore Book Awards. He translated Short Tongue, a collection by the Singaporean Chinese poet Wang Mun Kiat. In 2023, he was awarded the Young Artist Award, Singapore’s highest award for young art practitioners. His favourite games include Diablo I & 2, Age of Empires 2, SimCity 2000 & SimCity 4, Emperor, RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Cyberpunk 2077, Papers, Please, and Robert Yang’s queer games. Find Daryl at www.darylwjlim.com.

“I’m looking for writing which uses games as a process/generative tool. Pieces of writing which are games the reader can play on the page. How gaming has changed the way we view narratives and characters. How hybrid and complex identities are expressed and forged through gaming. How gaming has changed the way writers write. Games where you least expect them.”

JOSES HO

Photo credit: Najwan Noor

Joses is a poet, pro-wrestler, and scientist. As tech sorcerer for SingPoWriMo, he archives and visualises the poetry posted. Joses also has interests in creative computing and generative text. His pamphlet Dogma was shortlisted for the inaugural Paper Jam series in 2021, and his manuscript Moving Downwards in a Straight Line was selected for Manuscript Bootcamp (organised by Sing Lit Station) in 2019. He is also a pro-wrestler and ring announcer with GrappleMax.

Joses’ gaming niche is puzzle platformers that combine mind-melting mechanics, (almost) wordless worldbuilding, and narratives: INSIDE, Cocoon, Portal 1 & 2. Joses also wants more people to play Sam Barlow’s Immortality, even though he had nightmares for the entire duration whilst playing it.

“I’m looking to be surprised and intrigued. I hope to find submissions that use video games to talk about things that aren’t necessarily related (at first blush) to video games.”

NATALIE WANG

Natalie is more likely to play video games or write novel-length fanfiction than write poetry, but still calls herself a poet. She has been published in The Fairy Tale Review, Cartridge Lit, and Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, amongst others. Her book The Woman Who Turned Into A Vending Machine is a collection of poems on metamorphosis, myth, and womanhood. She has played and loved Elden Ring, Dark Souls I–III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, Hollow Knight, Hades, Oxenfree, and various Pokemon games since Yellow.

“I want to see how people build worlds. Some games have item descriptions which are poetry in themselves and give intriguing hints to the world (basically all the item descriptions in the Souls series).”

OPEN CALL INFO SESSIONS

Interested in submitting but need more details first? Join the editors for a virtual info session! Facilitated by the DE team, the sessions will cover the following, and more:

Introductions to Difference Engine, the DE team, and the anthology’s editors.
What “Free to Play” means to us, and inspiration for potential stories.
Insight into the editorial process contributors can look forward to.
Tips on preparing a compelling and comprehensive submission.
Q&A.

Who knows, you might even find a potential collaborator amongst your fellow attendees!

Both sessions will cover similar content. However, the Q&A segment will vary based on the questions raised by attendees.

Session 1: Wed, 26 Feb 2025, 8pm to 9pm GMT +8, via Zoom (Register here)
Session 2: Sat, 8 Mar 2025, 3pm to 4pm, GMT +8, via Zoom (Register here)

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREE TO PLAY: A VIDEO GAMES ANTHOLOGY

1. Theme

The theme of this anthology is “video games”.

2. Content Eligibility

Content must be:

Original works of any genre, and not currently under review or previously published by a publisher. We accept works that have been self-published on personal blogs, personal social media accounts, personal websites, platforms like Webtoons and Tapas, e-newsletters like Substack, Patreon, or elsewhere. We will also accept excerpts from longer work if they can be understood as a standalone without the need for additional context.
2000–3000 words if prose, 5 pages maximum if poetry, or 5–10 pages and in black & white if comics.
Written in the English language. Where integral to the work, the use of non-English languages in dialogue or as sound effects is welcome. Works translated into English are also welcome.
Suitable for readers aged 13 and above, containing no explicit content, including but not limited to graphic language, depictions of violence, drugs, and sex.
Content that appears in the submission must not be output from any generative AI tools that draw from copyrighted material.

Creators/creative teams whose stories are selected will be working with the anthology editors to prepare it for publication. Selected creators/creative teams should expect – and look forward to! – a professional and highly collaborative editorial process intended to support the development of the story to its full potential.

3. Creator Eligibility

Creators must be:

Aged 18 and above upon submission.
Creators can submit as an individual or as a team.
Multiple submissions are accepted, up to a maximum of 3 submissions per creator/creative team.
Creators/creative teams must own all copyrights to their submitted work.
Creators/creative teams must be prepared to take on all aspects of the project’s creation (e.g. including lettering and colouring for those submitting comic pitches). Difference Engine will not be able to pair or group up creators.
Difference Engine reserves the right to request for verification of eligibility.

4. Submission Guidelines:

Fiction submissions must include:

A prose story of 2000–3000 words.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Creative non-fiction submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of 2000–3000 words. The pitch should include interest in the topic, the author/s’ relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Non-fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Creative non-fiction pitches selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of development, feedback, and revisions with the editors.

Poetry submissions must include:

A maximum of 3 poems per submission, not exceeding 5 pages in total.
A short biography of the poet/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the work(s).
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Poetry Submission: [title of the work]”.
Poetry submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Poet/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Fiction comics submissions must include:

A full comic script with page, panel, and dialogue instructions for a 5–10 page work.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of each creator (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Non-fiction comics submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of between 5–10 comic pages. The pitch should include interest creator/s’ in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Non-fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Multimedia submissions must include:

We are open to all proposals involving multimedia elements. For example, you could submit a poem or short story that embeds an interactive web element that can be separately accessed which builds on the print version. We’re excited to find out how creative folks will get! Technical requirements such as web hosting and coding should be included in the pitch.

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, that should include a description of the piece, the reasoning behind it, interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience) and research done or planned for the submission.
Multimedia submissions that include a digital component must also be accompanied by a printable textual or visual component that can be published within the physical book (i.e. your submission cannot consist of only digital material). This printable component should function as an essential part of the creative piece (i.e not just peripheral or bonus content).
A portfolio sample of previous multimedia projects, if available.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Multimedia Submission: [title of the work]”.
Multimedia submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

5. Timeline:

The Call for Submissions closes on 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.

Final creators/creative teams creators will be informed by 2 May 2025 if their submission has been selected. Difference Engine and the Editors reserve the right to ask for clarification from creators/creative teams before making their decision.

6. Contracts

With the exception of comics submissions for which there are two rounds of selection (shortlist and final list), creators/creative teams selected will be offered a contract in May 2025. Finalists for comics submissions will be offered a contract at a later date.

7. Publication Details

Free to Play will be published in print and digital formats.

Estimated Publication Date: June 2026.

8. Payment

Works selected for publication will receive the following rates in USD (or the SGD equivalent)

Prose: US$0.07/word
Poetry: US$50.00/piece
Comics: US$25.00/page
Multimedia work: US$200.00/work

Creative teams may determine the payment division between them.

Each creator will receive two complimentary copies (up to a maximum of six copies per submission).

9. Rights Requested

Exclusive first world anthology rights for one year from the date of publication in both print and digital formats, including exclusion from republishing in any other format.

Continuing non-exclusive rights to print and reprint as this anthology for 10 years from the date of publication in both print and digital formats.

10. DATA PRIVACY

Difference Engine will take all reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal data is securely handled according to the guidelines set out by the Personal Data Protection Act of Singapore.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: WILL SUBMISSIONS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA RECEIVE PRIORITY? WHY?

A: The anthology is open to submissions from contributors aged 18 and above from all over the world. Being from Southeast Asia ourselves, we’d especially love to hear from our fellow gamers and gaming enthusiasts in the region.

Having said that, all pitches will be evaluated on their merit, with the goal of eventually assembling a selection of content that represents the diverse audiences that engage with video games!

Q: DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE LINKED TO THE PROJECT I AM PITCHING FOR FREE TO PLAY?

A: They do not need to be linked.

Q: FOR COMICS SUBMISSIONS, DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE IN BLACK & WHITE?

A: They do not need to be in black & white.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT AI-GENERATED CONTENT FOR THE PITCH?

A: No, you may not submit AI-generated content in your submission. Difference Engine reserves the right to request to view working files in cases where a submission is suspected to include AI-generated content.

Q: Where can I find the entry forms and submission documents?

A: You can download them below.