July 11, 2023
Gamecity Hamburg and Hamburg game studios at gamescom 2023
Gamecity Hamburg brings five indie studios to the next gamescom 2023 from August 23 to 27. Find out more about the indie teams at gamescom 2023 and our Road to Program.
Here we go again! We are looking forward to the next gamescom from August 23 to 27, 2023 in Cologne. Five exciting indie studios will showcase their games at our booth at the Indie Arena Booth with our "Road to gamescom" program and many more Hamburg-based companies will attend gamescom 2023.
In this article:
- Five indie studios from Hamburg and their games at our booth
- Find out more about our “Road to Program”
Meet the five indie teams from Hamburg
About Cannons + Sparrows - About Cannons + Sparrows
The team behind About Cannons + Sparrows has been working successfully for over 20 years in different media, ranging from film, broadcast design, branding, tv, and more. The team successfully completed the Games Lift Incubator in 2022 and received funding for prototype development from nordmedia.
As storytellers by heart, they want to break into the games industry with their first game “About Cannons + Sparrows”. In the game, the player guides a small cannon who hatches from its egg through a forest to the dark fortress. In this side scrolling, physics-based puzzle platformer, the little cannon learns new skills to solve puzzles, defeat enemies and help the forest creatures along the way.
Crumbling Games – Crumbling
Crumbling Games took off in our first Games Lift Incubator in 2020 and followed that up by receiving prototype funding in 2021 to launch their VR game, “Crumbling”.
In the action-packed hack and slash VR game, players control the action figures "Crumblings" who fight plastic toy monsters for the player in hand-crafted dioramas. The rogue-like game soon emits "whoosh! bam! pow!" as the controller becomes the character. Crumbling is planned to be released in 2023
DrownTown - Light of Atlantis
The HAW master students of DrownTown, founded in 2022, want to aim high with their first work: "Light of Atlantis." In 2023, they were awarded the Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Funding and then went on to win the "Best Prototype" newcomer award at the German Computer Games Award 2023 (Deutscher Computerspielpreis).
The unique feature of their 2D puzzle Metroidvania game: The players control the water in many different ways and guide a cute robot through the underwater world to solve puzzles and uncover the secrets of the sunken world of Atlantis.
Radioactive Dreams - Turbo Shell
Three experienced Hamburg-based game developers with a combined industry experience of almost 20 years joined forces in 2020 to develop their own games and founded Radioactive Dreams. The idea for “Turbo Shell” lay dormant in their mind as early as 2012, and with securing the 2020 prototype funding, the initial step was taken. They released the game in May 2023 for PC.
In this fast-paced 2D platformer, players control the main character Craig (an egg) with a special mechanic: instead of running and jumping, you push and pull yourself through dangerous sci-fi levels with the help of a special tool. The push-pull technique is easy to learn but hard to master. Give your best shot at gamescom!
Symmetry Break Studio - Misgiven
Symmetry Break Studio is a young indie game studio of HAW Hamburg Games Master graduates who share a passion for creating artful narrative games that push the boundaries of the genre. After successfully completing the Games Lift Incubator in 2021, the team received the Hamburg Prototype Funding in 2022 to further develop their game.
In the sci-fi narrative adventure game "Misgiven", the player crashes in a city shrouded in toxic fog, where the inhabitants wear masks in order to survive. In the game's unique dialogue system, certain emotional states open up certain response options, leading the player deeper into the game's thrilling journey.
You can visit all teams and the Gamecity Hamburg team in Hall 10.2 at the Indie Arena Booth.
Watch all of the Road to Gamescom games trailer:
More about the "Road to Program"
Developers and publishers from Hamburg could apply for free participation slots in the Indie Arena Booth via Gamecity Hamburg's "Road to gamescom" program until May 2. The chosen studios already participated in a Workshop Day as preparation for a successful gamescom.
Since 2013, the Indie Arena Booth has offered indie developers the opportunity to present themselves at gamescom at conditions that are feasible even for small companies.
You can find more info about the Indie Arena Booth on their website.
About Gamecity Hamburg's "Road to" programs
Gamecity Hamburg’s "Road to" programs are designed to give game developers and independent game companies from Hamburg access to national and international events where they can present their projects, make new business contacts and close deals. Gamecity Hamburg arranges delegation packages with organizers of various industry events and offers these to Hamburg games companies for free participation.
We have compiled more information on "Road to" here on our website.
More Hamburg companies at gamescom 2023
But that wasn't all - of course, many more companies from the vast Hamburg games industry landscape will be present at gamescom 23.
In case you want to do a full Hamburg tour at gamescom, we've got some directions here for you on where to find Hamburg-based game companies:
In the B2C area:
- Indie studio and publisher Mooneye Studios will be part of the Home of Indies booth, which can be found at the Indie Area in Hall 10.2 booth E010g - D021g. They bring along the indie darlings "Smushi Come Home", "Lost Ember" and the unreleased "Farewell North".
- The publisher Daedalic Entertainment will be present with the upcoming couch-coop game "Wild Woods" at the Indie Arena Booth, F010g - E019g.
- Osmotic Studios will also showcase a current version of "Closer the Distance". which is in development. Find them also at the Indie Arena Booth, F010g - E019g.
- The Hamburg-based internet broadcaster Rocket Beans TV will also cover gamescom 2023 with numerous live broadcasts from its booth in Hall 6.1, A-060
In the B2B area:
(accessible to trade visitors only, for business opportunities and meetings)
- Daedalic Entertainment will also be available at the "game - Verband der deutschen Gamesbranche" booth, Hall 4.1, Booth Nr. A-071