Games Lift: More Successful Than Ever

Gamecity Hamburg's May 2024 announcement promotes the Games Lift Incubator by pointing to alumni success and opening applications for the 2024 round. Its central argument is that the program, which pairs funding and advice with Hamburg's close-knit developer community and strong education base, is producing measurable results for indie studios.

The main evidence is the 2024 Deutscher Computerspielpreis in Munich, where four trophies went to Gamecity-linked projects. Symmetry Break, a 2021 incubator alumnus that also received prototype funding, won best prototype for its adventure Misgiven. Another alumnus, Amberdive Interactive, was nominated for its co-op shooter REPLICORE. Testimonials from Curvature Games (The Amusement), Team Dottobeau and tool1 (Absolute Matter) describe the incubator as a useful kickoff that understands indie needs. Awarding committee member Heiko Gogolin advises applicants that a good idea is only a starting point and that they must present a realistic plan with milestones, timelines and means.

Several program changes are outlined for the new cohort. A mandatory diversity checklist asks teams to examine their structures and processes early. Each team receives a flexible coaching budget of 1,000 euros for needs such as pitching, business advice or trailer editing. Gamecity will also cover travel and accommodation for a group visit to an international industry event, preceded by workshops on presentation, goal-setting and networking. Applications ran from May 2 to June 10, 2024.

The page also carries later news listings showing the program's continuity into 2025 and 2026. The 2026 call runs from April 27 to June 1 and offers five teams 15,000 euros each, a three-month workshop phase, mentoring and the 1,000 euro coaching budget, with an international event trip planned through August 2027. Coverage is Hamburg-focused and mostly qualitative, with no survey or statistical methodology.