• Five promising studios will each receive 15,000 euros in funding 
• A one-year incubator program featuring workshops, coaching, networking, access to a network of experts, and more 

Hamburg, July 23, 2026: Five projects from Hamburg are moving into the next phase of game development through the Games Lift Incubator 2026. The funding program combines financial support with expert advice, individual coaching, workshops, exchange opportunities, and a robust industry network. Through Games Lift, participants receive support to develop market-oriented games and sustainable business structures. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and run by Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft through its Gamecity Hamburg initiative on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. 

From many submissions, the Awarding Committee selected five projects that will receive one year of support through the Games Lift Incubator. The 2026 Awarding Committee consists of Ole Schaper (Gaming Industry Executive & Founder of Minit Games), Heiko Gogolin (Media Specialist), Maria Lesk (Localization Director at Daedalic Entertainment), Tobias Graff (CEO and Co-Founder of Mooneye Studios), and Margarete Schneider (Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg). 

Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg and member of the Award Committee: “In recent years, we’ve celebrated many awards and game releases with graduates of our Incubator program. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming the new teams to Games Lift and are convinced that they, too, have big achievements ahead of them.”

An Overview of the Five 2026 Projects:  

• Neon Nest by Friederike Fröhlich 
• Snap Shut Worlds by Leanna Geideck and Stephan zu Münster 
• Sunderhold by Rainpiper Games 
• Time Travel Train by EdelErde 
• Witch Artisan by Shellsprout 

Neon Nest is a cozy cyberpunk management adventure with an isometric style, in which players care for city pigeons, build shelters, gather resources, and expand their own base in a futuristic yet run-down metropolis.  

Snap Shut Worlds is a 3D miniature puzzle game in which players open fictional Compact Toys from the ’90s and creatively reimagine their miniature play scenes, figures, and objects after the toy worlds have been turned upside down. 

Sunderhold is a minimalist base-defense game in which players defend fragments of a dark fantasy world against attacking monsters with small squads in handcrafted levels. 

Time Travel Train is a PS1-style roguelite incremental game in which players steer an armed locomotive through time and battle ever-growing armies and enemies from different eras. They gradually upgrade the train with improved weapons to get it to its destination. 

Witch Artisan is a 2D life simulation game in which players design, craft, and sell their own magical pottery while building a community of like-minded artisans. 

For more information on the incubator program and the projects, visit: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/funded-projects/. 

Additional Funding Opportunities Through Gamecity Hamburg 

In addition to the Games Lift Incubator, Gamecity Hamburg supports developers and game companies from Hamburg with prototype funding. The next application round begins on September 4, 2026. Prototypes with compelling market potential will receive funding of up to 80,000 euros, with a total budget of up to 180,000 euros. All information on prototype funding is available online at https://gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/