Frequently Asked Questions

I live in country (X). Can I join?

We welcome designers from anywhere in the world to join TTGDA. However, we do encourage you to support local game design organizations as well, like SAZ, SAJ, LUDO, and TGDA. We are not looking to poach members from other organizations. If you are already a member of another professional game designer group, you are welcome to join TTGDA as well. However, we are looking for opportunities with other groups to provide mutual support.

We do expect that most of the output and business of TTGDA will be conducted in English.

I have no published designs. Can I join?

Yes! We have no requirements for membership. If you consider yourself a game designer, you’re a game designer.

I am involved in a game-design adjacent field, like graphic design or rules editing. Can I join?

Yes, although our offerings are geared towards game designers. However, we do expect there will be several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within TTGDA catering to specific interests, that will be formed and run by members. We would welcome you to start a Graphic Design SIG, for example.

Are membership dues tax deductible?

TTGDA is a 501(c)(6) professional organization. Membership dues are deductible as a business expense. We are not a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so donations to TTGDA are not tax deductible. Note that organizations outside of the United States may have different rules concerning deductibility. Note also that you do not have to be incorporated as an LLC or other business entity to deduct expenses relating to your work as a game designer. Consult your tax professional.

I live in the United States. Will TTGDA offer group health insurance?

We understand that lack of health insurance has been a deterrent for many people to become full-time game designers. Some professional organizations offer group insurance plans, taking advantage of the size of the membership to get slightly more favorable rates. However, they can’t compare to the rates that full-time employees see when premiums are subsidized by employers.

We have discussed health insurance with professional organizations in other industries to learn about their experience, and generally it has not been favorable. So we are not planning to negotiate a group insurance plan for US-based members at launch. However, if we have enough interested members we would consider it in the future.