Symmetry Break Studio participated in the 2021 edition of the Games Lift Incubator with their game Prospector. Here's their take on the program:  

"Applying for the GamesLift Incubator in 2021 was a great decision for us at Symmetry Break. 

Last year, we did not have enough visual material to demonstrate how a conceptually complicated game like Prospector would play, and we had not yet found a good way to streamline and showcase our game mechanics and what makes our game stand out. This meant we could not convince the jury to award us the Prototype Fund in 2021. We realized we needed to revise our approach, so we went on and applied to the Incubator.

The mentors in the Incubator and the starter funding of 15.000 eur helped us significantly move forward and acquire a great deal of experience, knowledge and connections over only a handful of months. We were able to hire contractors to develop an art style and a rough demo. The Incubator provided workshops and talks on legal matters, project management, publishing, marketing, testing and game design, we were interviewed by a games journalist and got an idea of how games press works, and also reached out to mentors individually for specific questions, like Steffen Rühl and Daniel Marx (Osmotic Studios). Some of the mentors helped us even after the Incubator as part of the long-term support included in the program. 

The biggest breakthrough for us in the Incubator was in how to strip our presentation of the game down to its essential parts, not only for others but also for ourselves. We were given the time and place to pitch, and pitch, and pitch, getting invaluable feedback about our presentation and concepts. It’s now easy to grasp what makes our game unique and interesting, and we are confident in pitching it to publishers and releasing it in the future.

Becoming one of the recipients of a Gamecity Fund program is invaluable not only for the duration of the program, but also afterwards, as the organization does an amazing job putting together instructive and networking events, which are very affordable to attend, and sending helpful recommendations. With all the help we received, we were finally able to get the Prototype Fund in 2022, which is the necessary next step in our game’s future.

I advise you to plan enough time for participating in the Games Lift Incubator in order to take full advantage of it. If your goal going into the program is to work on a gameplay demo and also attend the workshops at the same time, this will have you occupied almost full-time, so plan accordingly. It’s absolutely worth it!"

Curvature Games participated in the first Games Lift Incubator 2020 with their VR game The Amusement. Here's what they have to say about the Games Lift Incubator:

"Too many cooks may spoil the broth - but that certainly doesn’t apply to the many mentors in the Games Lift Incubator who help you to make an awesome video game! We at Curvature Games trust(ed) in the comprehensive support Gamecity Hamburg gives us through the Games Lift Incubator. Access to professionals, experts and an extensive network of support? Check. Workshops and great lectures? Check. Great events and lots of publicity for you and your project? Check. We say 10/10, happy to do it again." 

Denise Koch worked on her VR-game Monstersongs VR during the 2021 edition of the Games Lift Incubator. Here's her opinion on the program: 

"Thanks to the Games Lift Incubator I got to make new connections in the gaming industry. The valuable feedback from the mentors helped me to put my game idea into perspective and I discovered new ways to market my game. The Games Lift Incubator gave me the resources and time to fully develop the concept for my game. The Inkubator is great as it helps you to grow the business side of your project as well as receive input on gameplay and pitching. It's a safe space to explore your game idea."

Would you like to participate in the Games Lift Incubator yourself? You can still apply for 2022 until June 14. Head this way to find more info.