Games Lift: Curio Compass Points to New Ideas

Curio Compass, a three-person Hamburg team, is profiled as a participant in Gamecity Hamburg's Games Lift Incubator in this January 2026 feature. The piece shows how the program's mentoring and discussion environment pushes early-stage teams toward significant design pivots, using the group's debut project as its central example.

The team formed around a shared enthusiasm for the open-source Godot engine. Programmer Adnan Akhtar met game designer Felix Swimmer and visual artist and narrative designer Adrian Colmenares during studies at HAW Hamburg. All three favor open-source tools and want to make original games with empowering stories. Their first major project, "Limbo City AfterLIVE," is a narrative roguelite in which a group of humans must survive a reality TV show to be allowed to leave the city of Limbo, dueling rival teams before a virtual audience.

The key development is a redesign. The game was originally titled "Phasmopass," with teams competing in volleyball. After discussions within the incubator about how a turn-based sports setting might limit the audience for the genre mix, the team switched to more traditional turn-based combat. This shift allows a stronger narrative focus while retaining difficulty through the live-audience hook, which requires players to win battles, satisfy audience wishes, and manage an ensemble cast. The concept draws on Adrian's experience of the visa extension process as a Peruvian national, which created a sense of constant surveillance and performance.

AfterLIVE remains in early development. The team is refining the design, preparing a new pitch, continuing master's studies, and plans to apply for Gamecity Hamburg's prototype funding. Related news on the page notes that applications for the 2026 Games Lift run from April 27 to June 1, offering five teams 15,000 euros, a workshop program, mentoring, and a 1,000 euro coaching budget.