Hamburg, May 12, 2023: In the 2023 funding round, Gamecity Hamburg is supporting six game projects with a total of 410,000 euros as part of the Prototype Funding program. This funding for companies and start-ups based in Hamburg enables the development of prototypes of digital games with high market potential. Among the funding recipients are three start-ups that have previously successfully graduated from Gamecity Hamburg's Games Lift Incubator. The application phase for the incubator program runs until June 20: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/

Once again, the awarding committee was impressed by the high quality of the submitted projects and decided to fully utilize the funding budget available for the 2023 Prototype Funding. The application phase for the next funding round will therefore start in spring 2024. Including this fifth funding round since 2020, the Prototype Funding supported the development of a total of 27 prototypes with 1,536,000 euros.

 "The applications submitted show the positive effects of our further funding programs and offers for professionalization. Three teams of the projects funded in this round have already successfully completed our Games Lift incubator program. In addition to newly founded companies, experienced studios are also among the funding recipients. This once again shows the versatility and potential of Hamburg as a games location," comments Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg.

The funded projects 2023

• METACORE by Amberdive Interactive - € 80,000
• Project Renaissance by Tiny Roar - € 80,000
• Reddie - ReRun of Reality by Curvature Games - € 80,000
• Light of Atlantis by DrownTown - € 70,000
• Stack 'Em Up by Godcomplex Games - € 70,000
• How to Find Friends by Beardshaker Games - € 30,000

 

METACORE - Amberdive Interactive
Amberdive Interactive has further refined its co-op shooter METACORE in the Games Lift Incubator 2022. In teams of up to four, players fight their way through ruins on an alien planet and defend themselves against machine guards. Outstandig as a game mechanic are are the multi-purpose cores –  small high-tech spheres into which the players can transform themselves and which open many possibilities for team play.

Project Renaissance - Tiny Roar
In this point-and-click adventure game from established indie studio Tiny Roar (Wanderlust, XEL, Bomb Bots Arena, among others), players take on the role of Joy, who embarks on a path of self-knowledge after a baby literally falls into her hut. With Project Renaissance, Tiny Roar plans to appeal to genre fans as well as those who have avoided adventure games in the past.

Reddie - ReRun of Reality - Curvature Games
Curvature Games lets players conduct and immersively experience various experiments as the character "Reddie" in this innovative mixed-reality adventure. They switch dimensions and realities again and again to find the solution. By using mixed reality, the players also interact with the actual environment.

Light of Atlantis - DrownTown
In this 2D puzzle Metroidvania game with jump 'n' run elements, players do not control the lovingly drawn robot character in the underwater world of Atlantis, but the element "water" to solve puzzles and pass levels.

Stack 'Em Up - Godcomplex Games
Up to four players compete in this crazy multiplayer party game. The players suck up cute "slime packets" just like their fellow players. This is how the so-called "stacks" are created, which leads to involuntary teamwork. Godcomplex Games used the Games Lift Incubator 2022 to fine-tune the game idea.

How to Find Friends - Beardshaker Games
How to Find Friends is a cozy hidden object game in which players must find extraordinary creatures in large-scale patterns. The protagonists Witch & Owl help and narrate the enchanting background stories of the wondrous creatures to the players along the way.

Find all detailed information about the teams and games at: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/#Funded_Projects_2023

From March 3 to April 5, a total of 24 developers, startups, and companies from Hamburg applied for Gamecity Hamburg's Prototype Funding. 

The awarding committee, consisting of Hamburg industry experts Nina Müller (Head of Publishing, Goodgame Studios), Jonas Hüsges (Publishing Director, Daedalic Entertainment), Valentina Birke (Head of Project, Indie Arena Booth/ Super Crowd Entertainment), Jens Unrau (Head of Department Media and Digital Economy of the Ministry of Culture and Media in Hamburg) and Dennis Schoubye (Head of Gamecity Hamburg) decided on the selection.

All information on the Prototype Funding in Hamburg: www.gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/. 

The next application phase for the Prototype Funding will start in the spring of 2024. 

Further funding opportunities through Gamecity Hamburg

In addition to Prototype Funding, Gamecity Hamburg organizes the annual Games Lift Incubator program for all developers, teams, and start-ups from Hamburg's games industry, regardless of the status of their games project. Each year, the Games Lift Incubator supports five teams with 15,000 euros and a comprehensive coaching, mentoring, and workshop program by experienced international experts from the games industry. The teams also receive one-year support in the form of individual mentoring to work on their games and project ideas and develop them further. 

Teams and developers can currently apply for the Games Lift Incubator until June 20.

All information can be found at: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/apply-now/

For further questions please contact:

Anna Jäger

Gamecity Hamburg

PR Manager

T +49 40 23 72 43 5 78

anna.jaeger@gamecity-hamburg.de

About Gamecity Hamburg

Gamecity Hamburg supports, connects and makes the gaming hub Hamburg visible. Founded in 2003, Gamecity Hamburg is the longest existing public funding institution for the games industry at the state level in Germany and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The aim is to improve the general conditions for companies and founders of the games value chain in the city, to support them in their further development and to anchor Hamburg in the public perception as one of the leading games locations in Germany. Gamecity Hamburg is the contact point for Hamburg's games funding as well as the Games Lift Incubator and also offers programs, events, and services in close cooperation with the games industry to strengthen local developers. At the same time, the exchange of knowledge within the sector and with other industries is promoted. The promotion of young talent, the development of new formats that activate the strong network of games companies in the city, and internationalization are the focus of the location initiative's activities. Gamecity Hamburg is part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.

About the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft

Since its foundation in 2010, Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft has seen itself as a central contact point for all players in Hamburg's creative industries from the eleven sub-markets of architecture, visual arts, design, film, literature, music, press, radio, software/games, theatre/dance, and advertising. It supports creative professionals with contemporary services and promotes innovation within the framework of the "Cross-Innovation Hub" project. Since 2017 the industry-specific initiatives Gamecity Hamburg, nextMedia.Hamburg and Design Zentrum are part of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft mbH.