Games Lift 2025 Backs Five New Teams With Mentorship, Funding, and Global Exposure
Hamburg’s Games Lift incubator has announced the five developer teams selected for its 2025 cycle. The program, now in its sixth year, supports rising talent in the German games industry through a combination of funding, professional mentoring, and international outreach.
Interest in this year’s program hit record numbers, with over 40 applications submitted. The 2025 workshop phase begins on Sept. 8 and continues through a full development cycle ending in August 2026.
“We are delighted about the rising awareness and popularity of Games Lift. This year we received applications from seven countries and three continents,” Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg and also part of the selection committee, said.
Organized by Gamecity Hamburg, the initiative offers structured support for new studios, including €15,000 ($16,400) in funding and access to a network of more than 30 experienced industry professionals.
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A Fresh Lineup of Ambitious Game Concepts
Five teams were chosen by an awarding committee made up of Kristin von der Wense from Daedalic Entertainment, Ole Schaper from The Sandbox Hamburg, Heiko Gogolin from Rocket Beans Entertainment, and Tobias Graff from Mooneye Studios.
Sharon Sacks and Vincent Will are developing The Wrong Horse, a murder mystery adventure set in the chaotic world of horse racing. Players take on the role of a journalist investigating the suspicious death of a jockey.
Leif Gutowski brings Encaged and Ungraded, a hybrid horror and simulation game. Players work as card graders for a questionable company, only to uncover unsettling anomalies while racing to survive their shift.
Distant Blue presents Fading Skies, a 3D platformer with modern action RPG elements. Players follow Ryn and her magical dragon companion through a collapsing world, uncovering secrets from a long-forgotten past.
Curio Compass joins the program with Phasmopass, a turn-based roguelite that traps players in a surreal volleyball reality show. Teams of humans must win ghost-filled tournaments to escape the city of Limbo.
Calluna Games rounds out the cohort with Project: Slimepot. This action-adventure game blends dungeon crawling and monster cooking with a tavern management system that invites players to serve their former foes as meals.
A Dual-Phase Program Designed to Scale Talent
The incubator operates in two main phases. The first ends in December 2025 and focuses on hands-on development through structured workshops and team-based learning. The second phase extends to August 2026 and includes long-term mentoring and project evaluations.
Each team receives customized support from mentors including Manny Hachey of Xsolla, management coach Björn Bergstein, Daniel Marx of Osmotic Studios, Søren Lass of Tugboat Interactive, and industry veteran Steffen Rühl.
The mentorship framework includes regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and targeted guidance designed to match the goals and growth pace of each team’s project.
Global Access and Industry Integration
The Games Lift Incubator also includes a key international component. All selected teams will travel to a major global industry event alongside Gamecity Hamburg, offering direct access to networking opportunities and market insights.
“We see the growing demand as a sign that, in the current industry situation, low-threshold support programs such as the Games Lift Incubator are becoming even more important. We are therefore very pleased to accompany five Hamburg teams on their way to the successful release of their first title,” Schneider said.
This global integration is a central part of the program. By giving teams the chance to pitch, observe trends, and connect with international partners early in their development journey, the incubator extends its impact well beyond Germany.
For emerging studios, this exposure is a critical advantage, allowing them to understand how to position their games competitively on the world stage.
Building a Long-Term Ecosystem for Developers
The Games Lift Incubator is part of a broader initiative by Gamecity Hamburg to strengthen the city’s position in the global games industry. Founded in 2003, Gamecity Hamburg is Germany’s oldest state-level games funding organization.
In addition to Games Lift, the group also runs the Prototype Funding program. This annual fund allocates $436,000 to Hamburg-based developers, with up to $87,000 available for individual projects. The next round of applications will open in spring 2026.
By combining funding, mentorship, and global outreach, Gamecity Hamburg is creating a stable environment where creative talent can grow. The Games Lift Incubator remains a central pillar of that mission, offering both structure and opportunity for the next generation of developers.
