Gaming
Games Lift 2024: These five developer teams will receive the Hamburg incubator funding
Five teams have won over the Games Lift awarding committee with their game projects. On September 9, the Games Lift Incubator will start for them as a unique support program in Germany. Included is a one-year workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support, as well as room for collaboration and exchange with the other participating teams. More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, press relations and marketing from the Games Lift network will share their experience with the teams to give their projects a professional start. Starting this year, the program also offers participating teams a joint trip to an international industry event. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 21 teams and solo developers applied for the fourth Games Lift Incubator. The decision for the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Kristin von der Wense (Publishing Producer Daedalic Entertainment), Ole Schaper (Managing Director The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Tobias Graff (Co-Founder, Programmer and CEO Mooneye Studios).
Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg, on the award committee’s decision: “We are delighted with the large number of applications for our incubator and the high standard of the pitch decks submitted once again. It is particularly pleasing that we are receiving more applications from outside Hamburg, who see the city as an attractive location for starting a new business. The Games Lift Incubator provides gaming start-ups with comprehensive starting support and enables them to forge connections in Hamburg’s diverse games scene.
The five winner projects and teams for Games Lift Incubator 2024:
- ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak
- Frisia – Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis
- Light of Atlantis by Duck ‘n’ Run Games
- Pubcrawler by Triflgard
- Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden
ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak is a 3D Puzzle-Platformer where players slip into the role of a penguin, who explores the sky-high ruins of an ancient civilization of birds. Traversing the flying islands with the ancient powers of flight, solving tricky puzzles and keeping the penguin’s friends away from trouble are some main aspects of the game.
In Frisia – Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis the player gains control over an uninhabited Northsea island and is tasked with building a functional, yet cozy and beautiful little town. Inspired by the frisian architecture of the Dutch and German Northsea coast, Frisia aims to create a cozy gameplay experience in harmony with simple town-building and strategy game mechanics.
Light of Atlantis by Duck ‘n’ Run Games is a 2D puzzle metroidvania in which players take on the roles of various robots with individual abilities to explore the sunken ruins of Atlantis. By draining and releasing water into the various rooms, the robots shape their environment and improve their chances against different enemies. Light of Atlantis was part of the Gamecity Hamburg prototype funding in 2023 and received in the same year the German Computer Game Award (Deutscher Computerspielpreis) in the category “Best Prototype”.
Pubcrawler by Triflgard is a co-op PC game in which up to four players need to work as a team, to navigate a giant, mechanic, wandering pub through an apocalyptic wasteland. In the process, they must complete a variety of challenging tasks that can only be mastered as a team. Working together efficiently, pleasing the different guests and keeping a cool head even when the giant pubcrawler faces technical issues are the key to a successful journey.
In Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden players slip into the role of a deity who fills a deserted planet with life. Together with their servants, a group of cute leaf creatures that must be protected from evil spirits, they plant a constantly growing garden. As soon as the garden is fully grown, the evil spirits can be soothed and the player can move on to the next planet in help.
The post Games Lift 2024: These five developer teams will receive the Hamburg incubator funding appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bridging the gap between functional hardware and considered design, Phantum debuts its first line of high-performance mousepads. The collection is built for users who demand precision but won’t compromise on aesthetics. Developed in Paris by founders Amine G. and Victor B., the mousepads combine minimalist design with carefully selected materials and collectible elements, positioning the product as a functional tool and a design object.
Created for gamers and digital creatives, Phantum’s mousepads emphasize tactile performance while remaining visually restrained. The surfaces are crafted using Japanese Poron and advanced fabrics chosen for their durability, responsiveness, and sensory qualities. Each product is designed to enhance, not distract from, the overall composition of a desk setup.
The company’s visual language draws on space, transparency, and disappearance themes, an intentional move to create objects that integrate flawlessly into a work or play environment. “Every detail reflects our DNA: clean, sharp, and futuristic,” said co-founder Amine G., whose tech-focused YouTube channel, MRG TECH, has built a following of over 200,000 subscribers. “We create tools that disappear under the hand but leave a lasting impression through design, feel, and finish.”
Phantum’s founders launched the brand after finding few products that met their standards for both performance and design integrity. The debut line is only the beginning: the team is developing glass mousepads and matching performance sleeves, with plans to expand into a broader ecosystem of desk essentials. Each new release will continue to feature collectible packaging designed to add narrative value rather than act as decoration.
Though recently launched, Phantum is already drawing attention beyond France, particularly in Latin America, where design-conscious gamers have begun to integrate the mousepads into their setups. The first collection is now available on phantum.co, with new formats and accessories to follow.
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Asia
CyberPowerPC India launches ‘Play Guarantee’ campaign for a transparent and gamer-first experience
In a market where gamers often make high-investment purchases without knowing exactly how their machine will perform until they bring it home and install a game, CyberPowerPC India is changing the game. With the Play Guarantee, CyberPowerPC India reinforces its confidence in the performance and reliability of its systems, offering buyers added assurance that what they receive will meet or exceed expectations. This is a first-of-its-kind offer in India’s custom PC market.
Every system sold under the Play Guarantee will be built using 100% brand-new parts sourced from authorized manufacturers. Each PC will come pre-installed with a genuine and activated version of Microsoft Windows at the BIOS level, ensuring users avoid post-purchase license issues or hidden software costs.
Additionally, customers will receive one year of on-site support, with certified technicians dispatched to their location for repairs or replacements, eliminating the need for long shipping delays or third-party service centers. Before dispatch, all the PCs undergo rigorous stress testing using global industry benchmarks to ensure performance integrity across GPU, CPU, thermals, and memory.
Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer, CyberPowerPC India commented,“As more Indian gamers upgrade to high-performance PCs, trust becomes a critical factor. Gamers shouldn’t have to take a leap of faith when buying a PC. They should know what they’re getting and know it works right out of the box. We at CyberPowerPC India always believed in transparency, may it be sharing FPS benchmarks before purchase or building with only brand-new components. The ‘Play Guarantee’ campaign aligns perfectly with our commitment to building a credible, consumer-first ecosystem in Indian PC gaming, especially as the community becomes more competitive and discerning.”
According to a NeoGrowth study, 54% of Indian consumers prefer offline shopping due to the assurance of authenticity and product quality, underscoring a strong demand for transparency in purchase decisions. CyberPowerPC India’s ‘Play Ready’ campaign aims to replicate this confidence in the online custom PC market.
This campaign follows the company’s recent efforts to strengthen grassroots esports infrastructure, including its partnership with Indian esports organization Orangutan to power ApeCity, a dedicated esports arena in Navi Mumbai, with high-performance systems.
As part of its ongoing investment in the growth of India’s PC gaming market, CyberPowerPC India is also working to make high-performance gaming setups more accessible to a wider range of gamers. With the launch of its ‘Play Ready’ campaign, the company aims to foster a gaming culture built on transparency, trust, and a seamless user experience.
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In the latest round of Prototype Funding, Gamecity Hamburg, part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, supports six promising digital games with up to 80,000 euros each as a non-repayable grant. This funding enables start-ups in Hamburg and supports companies in developing marketable prototypes. In addition, start-ups and developers can apply for Gamecity Hamburg’s Games Lift Incubator until June 10: https://www.gamecity-hamburg.de/de/inkubator/
The awarding committee selected projects with the greatest market potential from the many applications. Including this seventh round of funding, the development of 37 prototypes has been supported as part of Prototype Funding since 2020. The application phase for the next Prototype Funding round will start in spring 2026.
“The high quality of the projects submitted to this funding round led to an intensive decision process within the awarding committee. The funded projects show a wide variety of genres, ideas, and teams. With the Prototype Funding, we are supporting established companies and up-and-coming start-ups in Hamburg as a games location,” commented Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg and member of the awarding committee.
The 2025 funding recipients were selected by the awarding committee, consisting of Hamburg industry experts Nina Müller (VP Publishing & Development Services, Goodgame Studios), Jonas Hüsges (Publishing Director, Daedalic Entertainment), Valentina Birke (Director Indie Arena Booth / Super Crowd Entertainment), Michael Schade (CEO & Co-Founder ROCKFISH Games) and Dennis Schoubye (Head of Gamecity Hamburg).
The Funded Projects 2025
- NeverLight by Nightless Games – € 80,000
- Pet Universe by Tivola Games – € 80,000
- Space Station Manager by gameXcite – € 80,000
- Unbreachable by Buckfish – € 72,000
- Deep Fog Signals by Symmetry Break Studio – € 32,000
- Cosmic Run by Zinktank Labs – € 30,000
NeverLight by Nightless Games
NeverLight is a dark, cooperative role-playing game with fantasy and extraction elements, in which up to three players act as hunters in an endless night in search of terrifying monsters and collect valuable loot. The game combines monster hunting with the excitement of having to bring each reward to safety with the team to receive it.
Pet Universe by Tivola Games
In the 3D animal shelter simulation “Pet Universe”, players build their animal shelter from the ground up, organize animal care, collect donations, and design the shelter grounds according to their own ideas. The aim is to care for the animals with their individual needs and to find them a loving home.
Space Station Manager by gameXcite
In this strategy building game with real-time space battles, players manage a space station that serves as a base for spaceships, battles, recruitment, and a strategy hub for missions. In addition to organizing the base, players manage their limited resources and various upgrades, improve crew morals, and explore the galaxy with their individual fleets.
Unbreachable by Buckfish
In the multiplayer strategy game “Unbreachable”, players build a fortress in each run that competes with ten castles of rival players. Players strategically construct the different fortress buildings to increase attack power or minimize weaknesses to climb the leaderboard in competition with other players.
Deep Fog Signals by Symmetry Break Studio
In this sci-fi horror game with puzzle mechanics, players are trapped in the communication room of a remote research station during a toxic storm. To escape, they must coordinate the various crew members, decipher cryptic transmissions, and complete the research as the threatening situation escalates over several days.
Cosmic Run by Zinktank Labs
In this humorous and fast-paced roguelite, players fight their way through space with their ship in order to escape from a capitalist alien dictatorship. Weapons, shields, upgrades for the engine, and customization of the ship determine the narrative of the game. Depending on the character chosen, the course of the game and the story told vary in several runs.
All detailed information on the teams and games can be found at: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/#Funded_Projects_2025
Developers, start-ups, and companies from Hamburg were able to apply for Gamecity Hamburg’s prototype funding from March 3 to April 7. In 2024, Gamecity Hamburg introduced a diversity checklist when applying for prototype funding, the answers to which can optionally be used by the awarding committee in the evaluation process.
The next application phase for prototype funding will start in spring 2026.
Further funding opportunities through Gamecity Hamburg
Each year, the Games Lift Incubator supports five teams, developers, and start-ups in the development of digital games. In addition to € 15,000 in start-up funding, the recipients receive a comprehensive coaching and mentoring program with international experts as well as workshops and follow-up individual support. Since 2024, the program has also included a visit to an international industry event.
Teams and developers can currently apply for the Games Lift Incubator until June 10.
All information can be found at: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/apply-now/
The post Gamecity Hamburg Supports six new Digital Games with Prototype Funding appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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