Game or Media Resource Submission Guidelines

The Deeper KidMin Marketplace offers a variety of games for children’s ministry leaders…

1. Slide-led Game: In PPT or graphics form, a slide-driven game includes graphics that can be thrown into a presentation software and clicked through as you would teaching slides.

2. Video-led Game: Video-led games play like slide driven games, but use video clips instead of graphics. They could also be full-length video games that encourage crowd participation throughout the video.

3. Idea-Led Game: Idea-driven games are most commonly instructions and necessary materials compiled in a single document.

• All graphics should be submitted as JPG/JPEG files in either presentation (1024px x 768 px) or widescreen (1920px x 1080) size.

• Your slide-led game should include:

  • Title slide graphic

  • Instruction slide graphic

  • 10 question slides (at least), 10 Answer slides (at least), & Tie Breaker Slides (optional)

  • PowerPoint file of the game structured as such: title slide, instruction slide, question, answer, question, answer, etc.

• Multiple Editions: When possible, don’t stop at 10 Questions/Answer slides–keep going to 20, or even 30. Then you can package them as separate editions (they would need to have their own zip file). If a ministry enjoys a game, they’re likely to look for a “Volume 2” version of the game. It’s best to just get 3 editions done in one sitting so they’re off your plate. Once you have 3 or more versions of a game in the store, you can even package it as a bundle deal, offering more incentive for users to download your game.

• Game Layout: Slide Driven Games – We recommend scaling down your game’s logo and adding it to a corner of your slide. It just adds a little touch of branding to your game. Also, please avoid the following backgrounds: solid black, solid white, anything vibrant, and anything that makes the text hard to read. In most cases, adding a simple lens blur filter to a background image while slightly bringing down the brightness will make the text in the front pop out a little more.

• Double Check EVERYTHING: Before you submit your game, please double-check spelling, the accuracy of answers, slide order, and duplicate slides. Have a friend triple-check it for you! Your accuracy will help move your game through the DKM Marketplace resource approval process.

• Make sure all sources within the video are legally yours to share for commercial use (including images and sounds). Check out the Youtube Audio Library for a list of music to use in your videos.

• Upload a copy of the .mp4 file as the main download within your resource.

• Another option: Upload a copy of the video to YouTube as an Unlisted video, then include the YouTube link in your download. This will help KidMin users who may not be able to download a large video file still have access to the video itself online. If you do not have a YouTube account, contact Brittany at brittany@deeperkidmin.com about uploading your video on the Deeper KidMin YouTube page.

Sometimes a simple idea can go a long way. If you have a great idea for an event, group game, or experience, please follow these notes to ensure that it’s something other KidMin leaders can use in their ministry.

• Include a detailed Word document (see here for details on formatting your Word document): As you prepare these games for submission, be sure to look at it through the lens of someone who’s not played before–write clear instructions and include a supply list. The more detail you give, the easier it will be for a youth worker to execute. Read more about text-based submission guidelines here.

• Link to resources: Some ideas require props, materials, outside apps, etc. Always include links to the necessary resources.

• Include photos: “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a popular phrase for a reason. Sometimes, a written description just isn’t as helpful as a photo. If you created a unique way to play your game, take a picture of the set-up and include it with your Word document.

• Include graphics and/or videos: If you have supporting graphics or videos, please include them in your submission. Even something as simple as a title slide makes the game far more valuable.

• Scale when possible: Some children’s ministries have 10 kids, others have 400. If your “Donut Hole Hand Toss” game needed 50 donut holes for your 100-child group, make a note that smaller children’s ministries can get away with 25 donut holes.

We want the DKM Marketplace to be known for games that are ready-to-play in minutes. No one wants to download a game and then spend 10 minutes reordering slides in ProPresenter or PowerPoint. Help us make everyone’s life a little easier by naming your slides in such a way that they show up in the correct order when organized alphabetically or numerically.

PowerPoint Files:

• Once you’ve created all of your slides, throw them into a PowerPoint project (1920px by 1080px) structured as such: title slide, instruction slide, question, answer, question, answer, etc. Everything should be in order so all the customer has to do is open it and go!

• Mac Users: If you have Keynote, you can create a new Keynote project (Widescreen), drop your slides into the project, and export as a PowerPoint file.

Folders:

• To help the KidMin leader who downloaded your game use the resource quickly and easily, please organize the files in your submission accordingly:

  • Main Folder: Labeled with the name of your game.

  • Within this main folder should be:

    • PowerPoint File: Labeled with the name of your game: My Game.pptx

    • Slides Folder: Labeled Slides, which includes all Question and Answer slides, named according to the details given above.

If you decide to add videos to your project (video intro or video question/answer slides), please export them in the following format to keep the file size to a minimum and compatibility with presentation software to a maximum.

• File Guidelines:

  • Dimension: 1920px by 1080px (1280px by 720px is also acceptable)

  • Frame Rate: 29.97fps

  • Codec: H.264

  • File Type: MP4

• Additional Notes

  • Please don’t include videos in PowerPoint files. PowerPoint embeds the video into the .ppt file and it takes up more room on KidMin leader’s computer.

  • Please make sure that the video is not copyrighted (this includes all elements within the video, including images, clips, sounds, and music).

• Follow these submission guidelines carefully.

• Edit and submit clean, ready-to-go resources.

• When setting up your resource, include 2-3 question slides in the preview graphics. This will give other KidMin leaders and idea of the questions in your game, and they’ll be enticed to learn the answers by downloading your resource.

• Stay Legal: Any images (even fonts), wording, or ideas you use in the graphics must be your own creation or you must have permission to use them for commercial purposes.  

• If one of your resources is not approved the first time, make the recommended changes and submit it again!