The Design Zentrum Hamburg can be packed – but when the face of Games Lift is missing, you notice. Gamecity head Dennis Schoubye took the stage to send best wishes to Margarete Schneider. And then project manager Helen Krüger and him smoothly went on to lead the audience through the workshop and year-end wrap-up of the Games Lift Incubator.

The heavy lifting was done by the teams. First up were Sharon Sacks and Vincent Will, presenting their project “The Wrong Horse”. Sharon explained how the detective work in their crime adventure gets a boost from thematically fitting minigames. “Much more confidently” is how she now assesses their work. Vincent explained the duo’s “ambitious” goal: A release in spring 2027.

Punchier, Spicier

Leif Gutowski unveiled a catchy new project title. His card-inspection game “Ungradable” blends twisted horror and job simulation. After a mood-setting teaser video featuring a suddenly vanishing trading card, Leif explained the paranoid game feel: cards are inspected, graded, and sealed. “And if you did everything right, you might even survive.” He described his time in the incubator as demanding but rewarding. After his presentation, mentor Manny Hachey praised the “unique mix” of genres and ideas that not only reflects Leif’s own interests but also taps into current trends.

Calluna Games brought along a fresh, adorable protagonist. “Project Slimepot” still centers on exploring dungeons and cooking tasty dishes out of defeated monsters, in order to gain bonuses and companions. But “you play as a Wolpertinger,” Moritz Biederbick announced right at the start. The Jackalope-adjacent German folklore creature with rabbit ears and antlers is the new hero. Sebastian Baier explained how the project evolved in the incubator, sharpening its focus on an action RPG audience and drawing inspiration from the rich, layered world of German myths and legends beyond Grimm’s fairy tales.

Sharpened

Ronja and Marc Fleps started with a lavish video trailer. “Fading Skies” has been in development for years, and the presentation showed an abundance of progress. Over 25 hours of gameplay, heroine Ryn will explore her fading world, jump and battle across floating islands. Despite being largely developed by just two people, the game is shaping up to be a grand adventure with Metroidvania elements. With pictures of diverse landscapes and a cute dragon companion, Ronja and Marc demonstrated their ability to meet ambitious goals. In the incubator, they’ve learned a lot about marketing and selling their game. One insight keeps them motivated, Marc shared: “That we have an audience” — proven by their successful Kickstarter campaign.

Adnan Akhtar and Felix Swimmer of Curio Compass brought style to the stage. Their colorful presentation was richly illustrated by teammate Adri Colmenares. Their new pitch: In “AfterLive”, three poor souls land in Limbo City’s hottest reality show. The only way back to their human bodies is to win the show. The roguelite features turn‑based combat but winning over the audience also plays a key role. The core idea remains, but many details have shifted — the project originally started with a different name and a volleyball concept. Laudator Michael Schieben was impressed by the evident courage and agility in pulling off the pivot. He gave the trio a volleyball as a keepsake.

With that, Graduation was complete, the stream offline, but the evening far from over. Anyone who would have wanted to join in the cheerful gathering of graduates, alumni, and faces from Gamecity Hamburg should subscribe to the newsletter or join the Discord server. The next cohort is sure to come.