Games Lift Incubator

Games Lift enables indie teams to successfully develop and market their games by providing them with knowledge, resources, and a strong network. Up to five teams are supported per year. They receive a workshop program held by experienced industry professionals, funding of 15,000 euros, individual mentoring, workspace for collaboration, and much more.

What Games Lift offers:

15,000 euros financial support
Additional 1,000 euros coaching budget
Talks and workshops tailored to the needs of game developer start-ups
Individual mentoring
Working and exchanging with other indie teams in an office in Hamburg’s HafenCity
Joint visit of an international industry event
Access to industry experts through the Games Lift Network
Peer support & playtesting sessions inside the incubator

Games Lift participants don't cease to impress with their accomplishments - from winning awards to securing additional funding and publisher deals. Find out more about current and former participants of Games Lift here.

More about Games Lift Teams & Projects

Application

Find out everything you need to know about applying for Games Lift, eligibility criteria, and the application process here.

The application phase for 2025 has ended. Interested in applying next year? Leave us your name & email here and be among the first to know about upcoming application dates.

Application Info

News

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Games Lift: Why We Went to Nordic

Conventions are an essential part of gaming. They bring the industry together for fun and business. That’s why the trip to Nordic Game in 2025 was a highlight for Gamecity Hamburg.

Deutscher Computerspielpreis 2025 Photo by Franziska Krug/ DCP via Getty Images

Games Lift: An Incubator With Quantifiable Success

Is the Games Lift incubator worth it? Sure. Anyone can say that, but facts are better than empty claims. We have numbers to show what the incubator brings. 

Games Lift: A beginning, not an end

Graduation is in the books. The Games Lift class of 2024 has aced their biggest test yet with flying colors. On the stage, the teams revealed what’s next for their projects.

Games Lift: Honeybeak aim for the Sky

They may just be starting out, but already seem like a well-practiced team. With “ForeFeathers”, four fellow students demonstrate a special sense for puns – and cuddly penguins. Read more in our Games Lift Log.

Games Lift: Duck ’n’ Run raise the level

It looks like a finished game – the prototype for “Light of Atlantis” from Duck’n’Run Games has already found fans and won awards. But the trio behind it is far from finished.

Games Lift: Tales from the Garden on letting ink bloom

Some games work without words. “Garden Ink” is a playful and intuitive experience, but behind the relaxed vibe lies a lot of hard work - and a clear vision.

Games Lift: Triflgard develop more than just a pub

In “Pubcrawler”, it's not the people who are setting forth to the pub, but the other way around. Triflgard bring a sense of wit and warmth to the Games Lift incubator that also works on sober minds.

Games Lift: Rouven Cabanis has Frisia on his mind

Occasionally stereotypes can be true: The developer of a game with stunning vistas impresses in the Games Lift Incubator with his far-sightedness. A portrait of Rouven Cabanis in our Games Lift Log about his game “Frisia - Cozy Villages”

Games Lift: Kick-Off with a Bang

The new cohort of the Games Lift incubator has officially started. The kick-off event brought together new teams, experienced mentors, and alumni. On the seventh floor Am Sandtorkai, the future of the games industry is sitting on the couch.

Impawsible Games launch Kickstarter Campaign for "Ninja Brigade"

Games Lift participants Impawsible Games have launched a campaign on Kickstarter for their game “Ninja Brigade feat. Jonah Weingarten”, an action-packed 2D platformer Metroidvania.

Games Lift 2024: These are the five teams

For 2024, five great teams of Hamburg game developers impressed the awarding committee of the Games Lift Incubator with their exciting projects.

Games Lift: More Successful Than Ever

It’s high time to apply for this year’s Games Lift Incubator. The next round is already gearing up. Meanwhile, the program has proven its worth: It is developing success.

Games Lift Alumni: Why you should go for the Incubator

The Games Lift Incubator is a unique program offering 15,000 euros of funding, 3 months of workshops to get your game concept market-ready and a year of mentoring. Five teams per year get the chance to bring their game concept to the next level with this suppport. But if you're still not convinced that applying would be a great idea, we think it's best to see what other indie devs have to say about their time in the program:

Games Lift 2024: Apply now from May 2 until June 10

Applications for Gamecity Hamburg's 2024 Games Lift are open from May 2 to June 10. Five teams will receive financial support in the form of 15,000 euros, a comprehensive workshop program and access to the Games Lift Network of international industry experts. In addition, the teams can benefit from 1,000 euros in coaching budget. After a three-month workshop phase, the teams will be further supported with individual mentoring and will travel together to an international industry event until August 2025.

Games Lift: Playtests & Pizza

The Games Lift Incubator has evolved. We have plans for an entire year. That's why we've met with teams, mentors, and alumni months after the end of the workshop schedule.

Games Lift: We’ll keep in touch

Is the Games Lift Incubator 2023 already over? Not exactly. But the first phase is, and on the occasion all teams presented their projects and progress: It’s the graduation pitch on December 5 at Design Zentrum Hamburg!

Games Lift: Team Dottobeau have an eye for emotions

The game feels particularly warm and empathetic – and its team is a reflection of those values. “Dottobeau” is a game about searching and finding one’s own place in the universe. And it demands emotional intelligence.

Games Lift: Nenad Slavujevic on calculating chaos

His game idea looks like a well-tuned formula. And he can explain it like a pro. Nenad Slavujevic impresses us in the incubator with strong credentials and a clear plan.

Games Lift: Bagpack Games keep moving

They've been around for a few years now: Bagpack Games have successfully established themselves in the Hamburg scene. Now they are bringing a real eye-catcher of an idea to the Games Lift Incubator.

Games Lift: Markus Koepke stays the course

Years of experience have led him here: Alone, on an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean. Markus Koepke's project "Journey Beyond the Edge of the World" in the Games Lift Incubator lures us in with its melancholic vibes.

Games Lift: Pipapo Games get the joke

Pipapo Games know how to make a concerted effort. The team behind "Map Map" reports to the interview in a bright mood, helps each other out on every question and still manages to take their own plans very seriously.

Games Lift: Meet you at the top

For its 2023 edition, the Games Lift Incubator launches with a new space, new concepts, five brand-new teams - and with years of experience.

Games Lift Kick-Off 2023 in New SPACE Innovation Rooms

On Monday, September 11, 2023, the official kick-off of the Games Lift Incubator 2023 took place in the new SPACE innovation space of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.

The five winning teams of Games Lift Incubator 2023

Games Lift 2023: These are the five teams

For 2023, five great teams of Hamburg game developers impressed the awarding committee of the Games Lift Incubator with their exciting projects.

Games Lift: No expiration date!

This year, Gamecity Hamburg's Games Lift Incubator is doing the same as in previous ones: it's evolving.

Application Start for Games Lift Incubator 2023

Developer teams can now apply from May 2 until June 20 for our Games Lift Incubator. This is their chance to get professional input on their game ideas and to successfully develop and market their game projects.

Games Lift Insights 2023: Workshop with Cassia Curran on May 16

At this Games Lift Insights workshop, indie devs will get an impression of what awaits in the incubator with a talk on "Basic Market Analysis for Indies" by Business Development and Strategic Advisor Cassia Curran. The Gamecity Hamburg Team will share insights into the Games Lift Incubator and application process as well.

Pitch Level Up 2023: Boost your pitch with expert feedback!

After the successful premiere last year, the Pitch Level Up is back on April 13, 11 am - 6 pm: Get individual feedback on your pitch deck from seasoned games industry professionals with different perspectives - to optimize your pitch for publishers, media, investors or funding institutions.

3 years of Games Lift: Getting better with age

Three successful years lie behind the Games Lift Incubator. Before we start the fourth one, we take a look back. Our alumni have a lot to show.

Games Lift Incubator: Grown together

The graduation pitch has marked the finale of Games Lift Incubator 2022. All five teams got to present what they achieved in the last three months. Not an easy task – but everyone came well-prepared. The setting was relaxed, the presentations strong.

Games Lift: Team Marty aim outside the box

The heroine may seem young and hot-headed, but there is an experienced team standing behind her: Babsi Bullet is an action-packed puzzle platformer for touchscreens. Team Marty are pouring their hearts into the game – and real craftsmanship.

Games Lift: Team ACAS get along with nuts and sledgehammers

Few games look as disarming from a distance: About Cannons & Sparrows is a metroidvania that starts with a small cannon hatching from an inconspicuous egg. The seasoned animation pros of Team ACAS may not have a finished game yet, but they do have a strong vision.

Games Lift: Elin Meinecke on sowing diversity

One person is behind farming sim RPG Evergreen Garden: Elin Meinecke is solely responsible for the art and game design of her project. She brings a degree in illustration to her work in the incubator – and inspiration from her garden.

Games Lift: Team Metacore is up for a challenge

Their hands are full. Their goals are big. But that is no reason to fret for Team Metacore. During our conversation, finding good answers comes to them as easily as sharing a laugh. The mood might make it into their project.

Games Lift: People make the Incubator

The Games Lift Incubator can only exist because many experts support it, teach and coach in it, and keep networking in it. Over 35 veterans from all areas of the games industry are with us. We have asked them why they are doing it and what keeps them coming back.

Games Lift: Team Godcomplex have thought this through

Would you have guessed that Team Godcomplex are already working on their third game? The four young professionals found each other at the university and have worked together ever since. With their party action game Stack’em up, they want to show what they have learned.

Games Lift: Quick Start in Year 3

Wait – the third iteration of the Games Lift Incubator is already well underway. How is it going? Like clockwork. Bolstered by two years of experience, the program has had an intensive start. Fortunately, this time there also is a break coming up.

Games Lift 2022: These are the five teams

Five teams have convinced the Games Lift awarding committee of the promising potential of their games projects with their pitch. They will start on September 12 with a three-month workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts, 15,000 euros in financial support and places in a Hamburg co-working space. Congratulation to all teams, and we are very much looking forward to seeing your projects evolve!

Games Lift: Good for you?

If things go well here, we like to keep them going. That is certainly the plan with our Games Lift Incubator. After two successful runs, preparations for the third are well underway. We are still open for teams with a strong vision and ambitious goals. But there’s only a few days left.

Games Lift Incubator - The Alumni's Experiences

The Games Lift Incubator is going into the third edition in 2022 already, so we took the opportunity to ask three alumni of the past two years about their experience with the program. These are three very different projects so we were especially curious about their impressions. You can currently apply to the 2022 edition of the Games Lift Incubator until June 14. We hope these reports on the Incubator will help you with your decision to apply.

Apply now for Games Lift 2022

From May 9 to June 14, you can apply for our Games Lift Incubator 2022! Take the chance to bring your game ideas and concepts for digital games to the next level!

Crumbling releases first VR-demo

“It’s action time! Woosh! Bam! Pow!” – this is how the official trailer adequately announces the freshly released demo of the third-person action-roguelike “Crumbling” by Games Lift Alumnus Ole Jürgensen and his team.

Games Lift 2021: Graduated!

For the people behind the project, Games Lift Graduation is a cause for celebration. After three intense months, they can pause for an evening and marvel at the accomplishments of the five incubator teams. For the actual team members, celebration comes only after the presentation. Find out all about our Games Lift Graduation event in this Games Lift Log.

Live today: Games Lift Graduation 2021

Five teams from Hamburg participate in our Games Lift Incubator 2021 with their promising games porjects from September to December - and now it's time to see what they have achieved and what they're up to. Join us for their final presentations on December 2 - live via stream or on-site in Hamburg!

Games Lift: ‘consider it’ get the green light

Timo Schneider and Kevin Westphal have been developing software successfully for years. Then something unexpected happened: An app of theirs was way too much fun to just be useful. With "supernightshift", they are taking the next step. Read more in our Games Lift Incubator Log.

Games Lift: Symmetry Break on finding words and time

Making games is a team effort. Symmetry Break are our biggest team this year; they have thought a lot about what their game is, and how they want to make it as a group. “Prospector” seems to reflect that. Communication is a crucial part of the game. Talking, it turns out, is harder than picking the right option. Read more about them and their game project in this issue of our Games Lift Incubator Log!

Games Lift: Denise Koch and her wicked plans

Her project casts a big shadow. But the artist is taking part in the Games Lift Incubator 2021 on her own. Denise Koch is here to kick-start her project "Monstersongs VR" – an interactive musical for virtual reality. More about her and her project in this issue of our Games Lift Log.

Games Lift: From one milestone to the next

In our Milestone Pitch event, our Games Lift participants presented their progress from the lessons learned in the Incubator program and pitched their development status in their games projects and concepts to mentors and the awarding committee. Find out more about our teams' progressions in our Games Lift Log #7.

Games Lift: SUPERNATURAL GAMES and their little green friends

Good things come to those who start: SUPERNATURAL GAMES are Gerrit and Patrick Henschel. The brothers have been successful in their separate careers. Now, they are working together on their personal dream game. With “The Treepoids”, they are winning over even skeptical experts. Find out more in our Games Lift Log!

Games Lift: tool1 build on their community

Meet tool1: Three guys with big plans and a clear strategy. Their project “The Invitation” already found some success. But it’s still early days; tool1 are planning big things for their audience next year. More in this issue of our Games Lift Log.

Games Lift: What we do in our workshops

Good things are happening in our Games Lift Incubator workshops right now. A lot of them are confidential. But some of them are not! We got to listen in on two veterans of game marketing and pitching. One of them is a new addition. Find out more in our new Games Lift Log entry!

Games Lift 2021 - New and Improved

After our first Games Lift Incubator 2020 was a success, we worked on the program for the new Games Lift teams 2021. Find out what is new and what improved in our Incubator Log #3

Games Lift 2021 - Accelerating Now

The preparations are done. Now comes the fun part: The 2021 iteration of our Games Lift Incubator has begun in full. Workshops are in session. Read more in entry #2 of our Games Lift Incubator Log.

Kick-off for Games Lift Teams 2021!

It’s on: Yesterday, we kicked off the intensive phase of Games Lift Incubator 2021 together with the five dev teams from Hamburg. For the next three months, the teams will be able to fully concentrate on their game ideas and attend workshops and individual mentoring sessions with international industry experts.

Games Lift Incubator: these are the five teams 2021

Five up-and-coming game developer teams from Hamburg convinced the awarding committee with their project ideas, pitching their way into the Games Lift Incubator 2021. The incubator program starts on September 9 and aims to prepare the teams for the challenges of developing and marketing their games projects in the international markets – through start-up funding of 15,000 euros per team and an intensive three-month workshop and mentoring program under the guidance of international industry experts.

Games Lift returns: Apply now to grow your game – like these developers did last year

Last year, Gamecity Hamburg launched the Games Lift Incubator. Five teams took their projects to the next stage during their time in the incubator. Now Games Lift is about to return.

Games Lift Insights on July 8: Basic Market Analysis for Indies

On July 8, our Project Manager Maggie Schneider and Cassia Curran, Founder and Strategic Advisor of Curran Games Agency, will provide insights into the Games Lift Incubator program and host a workshop on market analysis for indie developers. The workshop will be held in English.

Games Lift 2021 application phase has started

From June 21, the Games Lift incubator program launches its application phase for 2021, supporting five games developer teams in creating concepts for digital games with high market potential.

Games Lift Insights on June 3: Crowdfunding for Game Developers

On June 3, our Project Manager Maggie Schneider and Jan Theysen, Co-Founder and Creative Director of KING Art Games will provide you with insights into our Games Lift Incubator program and a basic workshop about crowdfunding for game devs!

Making game development work: Two examples from our Incubator

What is the best way to make a game? Don’t answer! It’s a trick question. There may never be one universal way of managing work across different teams and project sizes. Still, valuable lessons can be learned from the actual experience of the professionals in our teams.

The bar is set: Games Lift Graduation saw 5 strong presentations

We have reached our destination. After three months of hard work, our five teams got to present what they did during the Games Lift incubator. For most of them, this was their biggest showing yet. But to us, it did not feel like an exam – it felt like the celebration after.

Going Live: What to expect from Games Lift Graduation

You can see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, even tell it by the way their e-mails are worded: Our teams are excited. And they have very good reason to. On December 8, the Incubator will end with a public presentation. What’s in store?

Games Lift Graduation is here! Join us live on December 8

The five Hamburg-based teams of the first Games Lift Incubator are coming out of three months of intensive workshops and coaching concerning the development and marketing of computer games. In the final event on December 8, the founders will present how the mentors' input has been applied to further develop their game concepts.

How to promote an indie game: Insights from the Games Lift PR workshop

Working on Public Relations for video games is challenging; it is especially so for small game developers working on tight schedules and limited budgets. That is why at Gamecity’s Games Lift Incubator, PR is a special focus. We sat in on two luminaries coaching our teams.

Games Lift: The Amusement gives VR walking simulators a new meaning

It may be powered by a technical achievement, but this novel VR game is all about the story. Players will walk around a dilapidated amusement park, solve puzzles and take in the scenery. There is a layer cake of a tale to discover.

Games Lift: Leif’s Adventure builds on decades of experience

And it might be done soon! Developer Roman Fuhrer has worked at a variety of successful game studios. But this action-adventure is his very own. And he wants to get it just right.

Games Lift: In Alchymia, players won’t skip the fun

Developer Julia Reberg has a small, but enticing idea: Research alchemy in a fantasy world and find a miracle cure. If you don’t, Zombies will arrive and end the game. But we do not need to worry yet.

Time for the Milestone Pitch: What have the teams achieved in 6 weeks of Games Lift?

The Milestone Pitch on October 19 marked the end of the first half of Gamecity’s Games Lift Incubator 2020. In a two hour presentation, the awarding committee and mentors of the program got to check in on the progress of our five teams. There was a lot to see and talk about.

Games Lift: Crumbling feels like playing with action figures

Ole Jürgensen and Leonie Brosz still remember the way we all used to play when we were kids. Now, they are bringing it back. The novel idea at the heart of VR game „Crumbling“ is a really natural way of controlling your character.

Games Lift: Ninja Brigade will suck you into an Arcade

Or, to be more precise, it is keyboardist and composer Jonah Weingarten who gets sucked in. Players get to look like him and fight through a fantastic landscape inspired by feudal Japan. Dev team members Nico Plötz and Robin Stephan explain their wild idea.

5 unique ideas: The projects that make up Games Lift

It’s time to talk teams and projects. They define the Games Lift Incubator’s purpose: The whole point of the program is to help them thrive. In the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at each of them. But in order to get a sense of their diversity, let’s start with an overview.

Games Lift - What's in a workshop

Good workshops are hard to find. In the Games Lift incubator, they are a main attraction of the program. It’s seasoned game devs giving personal advice to a small group. But there is a crinkle: Because of the pandemic, this time around all talks and workshops of the Games Lift Incubator are being held remotely.

The Games Lift Incubator starts now. What does it incubate, exactly?

As another important program to support up-and-coming game developers and the games ecosystem in Hamburg, our Games Lift Incubator finally lifts off. Time for a quick inventory: What does the program do? What does it hope to achieve? We asked Gamecity Hamburg’s project manager Margarete Schneider to get us into the details of this new incubation program.

More News

Mentors & Network

Games Lift participants will be coached throughout the program by five skilled mentors in regular, in-depth sessions. In addition, a broad network of games industry professionals is available to help out on specific questions in the field of their individual expertise.

Mentors & Network

Timeline 2025/2026

May 2 - June 10

Online Application Phase

Online applications for Games Lift 2025 are open from Friday, May 2 (1 pm) to Tuesday, June 10 (11:59 pm) 2025. All information regarding how to apply can be found on the Application page.

May 8, 2025

Games Lift Insights: Basic Market Analysis for Indies

Join the Gamecity Team and Cassia Curran, Founder and Strategic Advisor at Curran Games Agency, for insights into our Games Lift Incubator program and a workshop about Basic Market Analysis for Indies. Participation is recommended for all teams who are considering an application. Online event, access only for registered participants - get your free ticket here!

JulyNow

Awarding Process

After careful consideration of all eligible applications, the Awarding Committee invites a selection of applicants to pitch their projects online. The final decision on which teams will enter the Incubator is made after the online pitches.

September 2025

Kick-off for Games Lift 2025

The Games Lift Incubator program starts in early September with workshops, the first batch of financing and an introduction to their mentors in a first mentoring session.

September - December

Incubator Phase 1

In workshops and talks on several days per week, experienced industry professionals give guidance and concrete advice on topics like project management, pitching, financing, legal aspects or marketing.

December 2025 (date tba)

Graduation

After completing the workshop program, the teams present the current state of their projects in a public pitch. You can watch the Graduation 2025 on-site or online.

December 2025 - August 2026

Incubator Phase 2

In regular, individual sessions, the teams receive coaching by their mentors. The Games Lift Network will be available for individual questions regarding all aspects of game development throughout the year.

FAQ

What are the goals of the Games Lift Incubator? ↓

The Games Lift Incubator aims to enable young developer teams to create successful digital games with high market potential. Its mission is to provide the developer teams with the necessary resources to allow them to work on their projects with high concentration accompanied by input from experienced industry professionals.

Who can apply for the Games Lift Incubator? ↓

Eligible to apply are both natural persons as well as Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs); developers and developer associations, student teams, start-ups, and teams in the process of founding a company.

Please note:

Team size should not exceed 5 members per team.
All team members should be available to attend Games Lift events and workshops during the incubator year. Please note that Phase 1 (September to early December) can be very time-consuming with several workshops and meetings per week.
The precondition is always that the team is already based in Hamburg or can prove that they will relocate their residence to Hamburg or open a subsidiary or branch establishment in Hamburg upon entering the Games Lift Incubator program, at least for the duration of the workshop phase (i.e., from September to December).

When and how can I apply? ↓

Gamecity Hamburg runs one application period for Games Lift each year. The application phase for Games Lift 2025 ran from May 2 (1:00 pm) to June 10 (11:59 pm). To make sure you are up to date with all deadlines regarding our funding programs, join our Discord Server and subscribe to our monthly newsletter. A detailed document on How to apply for the Games Lift Incubator can be found here and will take you through the application form step by step.

We strongly recommend a consultation appointment before submitting the application. Please contact us at funding@gamecity-hamburg.de to set up an appointment and include the following information:

Short project outline (max. half a page of text or a slide) of the project
Background of the team (max. half a page of text or a slide)
All your questions regarding the application

Interested in applying next year? Leave us your name & email here and be among the first to know about upcoming application dates.

What does the Games Lift Incubator offer? ↓

Games Lift supports participating teams for one year: they receive financial support of 15,000 euros, individual mentoring, access to a broad network of industry professionals, and the opportunity for close exchange with other games start-ups. At the heart of the incubator program, there is a workshop program tailored to the needs of game developers from September to early December.

All FAQ