Games Lift: The Five Teams for the Hamburg Game Developer Incubator 2023

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Gamecity Hamburg selected five teams for its 2023 Games Lift Incubator, a program providing each with 15,000 euros in funding and a one-year mentorship curriculum.
02
The 2023 incubator cohort was chosen from a pool of 24 applicants by a committee of industry experts from HAW Hamburg, The Sandbox Hamburg, and Rocket Beans Entertainment.
03
Participating teams receive access to over 30 industry experts for workshops covering game design, product development, business strategy, and PR, alongside specialized communication support.
04
Gamecity Hamburg operates a separate prototype funding program that offers up to 120,000 euros per game project, with a total annual budget of 400,000 euros.
05
The 2023 Games Lift cohort features diverse projects including a point-and-click adventure, a musical first-person adventure, a cozy exploration game, and a couch co-op racer.
06
Founded in 2003, Gamecity Hamburg is the longest-running public funding institution for the games industry at the state level in Germany.

Summary

The Games Lift Incubator, a prominent support program for the German games industry, has selected five developer teams for its 2023 cohort. Managed by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the incubator aims to foster local talent and strengthen the region's position as a leading hub for digital game development. The program provides participants with a comprehensive one-year support structure, including 15,000 euros in financial backing, professional mentoring, and access to a network of over 30 industry experts specializing in areas such as game design, marketing, and business development.

The selection process for the 2023 program involved a competitive review of 24 applications by an awarding committee composed of academic and industry professionals. The five winning projects—Chaos Royale, Dottobeau, Journey Beyond the Edge of the World, Map Map, and We the Valarii—represent a diverse range of genres, including battle royale, point-and-click adventure, and cooperative puzzle-racing. These teams will undergo a three-month intensive workshop phase followed by a year of personalized mentoring and PR support, culminating in a public pitch event.

This initiative is part of a broader commitment by Gamecity Hamburg to professionalize the indie games sector. Beyond the incubator, the organization provides significant prototype funding, with 400,000 euros allocated annually to support local developers. By offering both financial grants and structured mentorship, the program seeks to bridge the gap between initial concept and market-ready product, ensuring that Hamburg-based studios have the necessary resources to succeed in the competitive global gaming market.