DunDev wraps up as the four early stage indie game dev studios take their new found professional knowledge and skills back home.
As the new year began in Dundee, four high-potential early-stage studios selected from a competitive application process stepped into their DunDev residential journey.
Throughout four intensive weeks in January, Nostalgicat, Mothlight Studio, MVGIE Studios and Jardus Games took part in a packed hothousing programme focused on business development and game creation. A carefully curated schedule of tailored external sessions gave each studio valuable face-to-face time with hand-picked advisers, providing targeted support to help accelerate their path towards sustainable growth.
Each week of the DunDev programme was built around a dedicated theme, carefully designed to meet the evolving needs of early-stage studios. Industry veterans and subject-matter experts from the UK Games Fund portfolio joined the programme to offer guidance, insight and first-hand experience from their own development journeys.
Alongside the tailored programme of face-to-face individual meetings, the DunDev cohort were invited to join several collective events:
- The Drop in and Play session at Dundee Contemporary Arts; a fantastic chance to have their games stress-tested by the local game playing public, as well as meet other game devs from the area.
- A private, online ‘Meet the Publisher’ event with select publisher contacts invited to listen to practice pitches from each studio and engage in an informal way.
- The annual end-of-DunDev showcase in partnership with SGDA, inviting those who had positively contributed to the residential experience to come along and see the games and studios in action. Working with the SGDA this year allowed us to open up the invite list to those local to the area who would know all too well what the early stage game dev experience would be like for our four studios.
Kirsty Gibson, Head of Impact at UKGTF, said:
It’s been a real pleasure to see the four DunDev studios grow together as a cohort and make such a strong impression throughout the programme. Their professionalism, curiosity, and openness to learning have been outstanding. We’re excited to see them take this momentum home as they continue building and growing their studios.
In the final days of DunDev, the four studios pitched for grant support from the Prototype Fund.
The outcome of their pitches will be revealed in due course.
