Games Lift: Triflgard Develop More Than Just a Pub

The development team Triflgard, currently participating in the Games Lift incubator in Hamburg, is working on a new multiplayer title titled Pubcrawler. The game centers on the concept of a mobile pub traversing a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where players must collaborate to manage the establishment and host guests. The project emphasizes a sense of safety and shelter, contrasting the cozy, sunlit interior of the pub with the harsh, inhospitable environment outside.

The studio is composed of three students from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences: Lio Kaplanski, Finn Reimann, and Fred Alfs. Their collaboration is rooted in a shared history of playing board games, which informs their design philosophy of fostering togetherness and cooperative gameplay. While the team is known for their penchant for puns—evidenced by their studio name and their previous project, Billgard—they maintain a professional focus on technical implementation, including network coding and 3D development.

Currently in the early concept phase, Pubcrawler is being designed for both local and online multiplayer, featuring split-screen functionality. The team is utilizing the Games Lift incubator to gain the necessary industry expertise to refine their production processes and eventually scale their operations. By leveraging the incubator’s mentorship and resources, Triflgard aims to transition from a student-led project into a sustainable studio capable of hiring and supporting new talent in a fair and responsible manner.