Games Lift: Graduation 2025: Hamburg

The Games Lift Graduation 2025, held in December 2025 at the Design Zentrum Hamburg and reported by Gamecity Hamburg on January 5, 2026, marked the year-end conclusion of the Hamburg-based Games Lift Incubator. Five funded teams presented their projects in a livestreamed event, with the coverage emphasizing visible progress, sharper project identities, and growing confidence. Gamecity head Dennis Schoubye and project manager Helen Krüger hosted, with regular Games Lift lead Margarete Schneider absent and sent best wishes.

Each team showcased notable pivots or refinements. Sharon Sacks and Vincent Will presented "The Wrong Horse," a crime adventure where detective work is supported by thematic minigames, targeting a spring 2027 release. Leif Gutowski unveiled "Ungradable," a horror and job-simulation hybrid about inspecting and grading trading cards, praised by mentor Manny Hachey for combining unique genre ideas with current trends. Calluna Games' "Project Slimepot," a dungeon-crawling and monster-cooking game, now stars a Wolpertinger protagonist drawn from German folklore and has narrowed its focus to an action RPG audience.

Ronja and Marc Fleps showed a trailer for "Fading Skies," a Metroidvania-influenced adventure promising over 25 hours of gameplay, built largely by two developers and supported by a successful Kickstarter that confirmed audience interest. They credited the incubator with teaching them about marketing and sales. Curio Compass, led by Adnan Akhtar and Felix Swimmer with illustrator Adri Colmenares, presented "AfterLive," a turn-based roguelite set around a reality show in Limbo City. The project shifted from an earlier name and volleyball concept, a pivot lauded by Michael Schieben for its courage and agility.

The article closes by inviting readers to join the Gamecity newsletter or Discord for future events and notes that a new cohort is expected. Related links trace the 2025 program from team selection through the kickoff to individual incubator profiles.