A total of 21 teams and solo developers applied for the third Games Lift Incubator. The decision on the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, who had a very tough decision to make.

Mareike Ottrand on the awarding committee‘s decision: "This year, both the number and the quality of the applications received were particularly high. We are impressed by the passion and quality of the pitches. Hamburg has a large pool of up-and-coming games start-ups and graduates. In the incubator, the five selected teams can now show what they've got and continue to hone their games projects with the help of mentors."

The five projects and teams in the Games Lift Incubator 2022

• About Cannons + Sparrows by ACAS
• Babsi Bullet byTeam Marty
• Evergreen Garden by Elin Meinecke
• METACORE by Team Metacore
• Stack'em up by Team Godcomplex

About Cannons + Sparrows by ACAS is a physics-based puzzle platformer with story-driven genre twists and an ever-evolving character in the form of a miniature cannon.

Babsi Bullet by Team Marty is a tap-and-shoot game designed for touchscreens, where players* move Babsi "half teenager, half pistol bullet" Bullet forward shooting as an insane projectile.

Evergreen Garden by Elin Meinecke is a charming farming simulation role-playing game with puzzle elements and a strong focus on nature-based gardening.

METACORE by Team Metacore is a co-op action first-person shooter for 1-4 players* with a focus on teamwork and synergy effects that can be created through an arsenal of unique weapons and gadgets.

Stack'em up by Team Godcomplex is a party game (online or local) where 2-6 players battle through crazy maps round by round, trying not to get swallowed up by their opponents in the chaos.

Find out more about the teams on our Games Lift page.

The incubator program is tailored to the individual needs of the developers with extensive workshops, mentoring, and coaching content. The schedule includes workshops and mentoring sessions on project management, marketing, establishing a business and, for the first time, a workshop on game art.

After three months of the program, the final public pitch in December 2022, in which the teams present their progress to a broad audience, will not conclude the program. For another 12 months, the teams will receive support through individual coaching sessions and a PR agency specializing in indie games.

These experts of the Games Lift Incubator are among others involved this year: André Bernhard (IndieAdvisor), Christiane Gehrke (FACTORY-C), Christopher Wulf (Business Development Consultant), Christopher Kellner (astragon entertainment), Daniel Marx (Osmotic Studios), Heather Chandler (Heather Makes Games), Irene Preuss (Happy Broccoli Games), Jörg Luibl (Spielvertiefung. de), Stephan Beier (Deep Silver Fishlabs), Steffen Rühl (Rühl Gameconsult).