Five teams have convinced the Games Lift awarding committee of the potential of their game projects.  On September 8, the Games Lift incubator will launch its next round, supporting teams with a one-year workshop and mentoring program featuring input from international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support. More than 30 experts from the Games Lift Network will share their experience with the teams and provide professional and tailored support for the game projects. In addition to the extensive exchange, mentoring, and many workshops, the teams will travel to an international industry event together. This combination of benefits makes Games Lift unique as an incubator for games in Germany. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and run by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

In its sixth year since its introduction, a total of 43 teams and solo developers applied to participate in the Games Lift Incubator – more than twice as many as in previous years. The decision on the five participating teams was made by the award committee, consisting of Kristin von der Wense (Publishing Producer, Daedalic Entertainment), Ole Schaper (Managing Director, The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director, Rocket Beans Entertainment), and Tobias Graff (Co-Founder Mooneye Studios).

Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg and also part of the selection committee, said: “We are delighted about the rising awareness and popularity of Games Lift – this year we received applications from seven countries and three continents. However, we also 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.”

The five games and teams for the Games Lift Incubator 2025 are:

• The Wrong Horse by Sharon Sacks & Vincent Will
• Encaged and Ungraded by Leif Gutowski
• Fading Skies by Distant Blue
• Phasmopass by Curio Compass
• Project: Slimepot by Calluna Games

The Wrong Horse is a colorful murder mystery adventure set at a horse racing track. As a journalist, it is the player’s task to uncover the secrets surrounding the mysterious death of a jockey and identify the perpetrator.

Encaged and Ungraded is a mixture of anomaly horror and job simulation. A shady company forces players into the role of a card grader, where they check various cards for authenticity and quality. But soon, players find themselves searching for eerie and dangerous anomalies – and hopefully they can make it through to the end of their shift.

Fading Skies revives the charm of the PS2 and GameCube era by combining classic 3D platforming with modern action RPG elements. As Ryn, a young woman accompanied by a small magical dragon, players travel through a broken world full of secrets. The mission is to stop the planet’s decay and confront the shadows of a forgotten past.

Phasmopass is a turn-based roguelite. Players lead a team of humans trapped in a never-ending volleyball reality show against ghostly opponents. Powerful items and pacts with other ghosts help players win tournaments to escape the dystopian city of Limbo!

Project: Slimepot (working title) is an action-adventure game in which players explore a dungeon full of monsters, turn them into dishes, and serve them to guests in their tavern. Here, exciting dungeon crawling meets creative cooking and relaxed tavern management.

Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSE), a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, has announced the release of three new online slot titles this July across UK and Malta iGaming  jurisdictions: Chili Poppers™, Bichos Mágicos™, and Bigger Piggy Bank™. Each title is designed to provide distinctive gameplay experiences while delivering strong performance for operators.

Chili Poppers is a spicy, Mexican-themed descendant of the popular Happy Fortune Dragon™, featuring a 5×3 layout with 10 win-lines. Building on proven mechanics, the game introduces pseudo-persistent pots that grow with every Chili Pepper symbol on the centre reel, triggering one of three key features: coin boosts, multipliers, or Free Spins. With locked Wilds and persistent enhancements during Free Spins, Chili Poppers offers explosive win potential and player engagement.

Bichos Mágicos is Inspired first Brazilian Portuguese game. It brings vibrant, cartoon-style charm to an 8-symbol scatter-pays mechanic and fun cascading wins. Multipliers ranging from 2x to 10x can drop throughout the gameplay, culminating in a Mystery Multiplier worth up to 500x after cascades end. Designed for casual players, the game also includes Bonus Buy and Fortune Bet features, giving users more control and faster access to the game’s high-energy Bonus round.

Bigger Piggy Bank, the sequel to Inspired’s successful Big Piggy Bank™, enhances the original’s popular cash collector mechanic with fresh features and more fun ways to win. Players are rewarded with big wins when Collector symbols land on reel five, randomly triggering a Bonus Wheel that offers Free Spins, Prize Pots, or Golden Piggy Free Spins. With the chance to land oversized symbols, Prize Pot Tokens, and a coveted Grand Prize, Bigger Piggy Bank delivers an engaging experience. For added control, players can use the Bonus Buy feature to enter the Bonus directly and Fortune Spins for the opportunity to focus on collecting piggy wins. The Gamble feature allows players to risk their base game wins to win more cash or trigger the bonus game.

Claire Osborne, Vice President of Interactive at Inspired Entertainment, said: “Inspired’s July lineup showcases an exciting portfolio of new content designed for worldwide success, that’s packed with variety and innovative ways to win. Each title combines proven mechanics with exciting features that we’re confident will resonate across diverse markets, this summer and beyond.”

Summer is here and it is time for Slotsoo’s signature celebration of the iGaming industry. The Slotsoo Casino Awards return for its third edition, continuing the tradition of highlighting operators who excel in delivering a top-tier player experience. This year also marks an exciting expansion with the inaugural Slotsoo Game Provider Awards, giving long-overdue recognition to the creators of great slots.

The New Game Provider Awards and the Winners

Game providers are sometimes overshadowed by casinos, but in reality, both are equally important to the online casino experience. That’s why Slotsoo is proud to shine a spotlight on the studios behind the reels. The winners of Slotsoo’s first provider-focused awards were announced on 24 July 2025, and the honors went to:

• The Machine MVP – Pragmatic Play
• Bonus Buyer – Bullshark Games
• Volatility Virtuoso – Wazdan
• Jackpot Jumbo – Mancala Gaming
• Symphony Spinner – Gamzix
• Reel Renegade – Nolimit City
• Promising Prodigy – Slammer Studios

Please visit the Slotsoo Game Provider Awards page for detailed descriptions of each trophy and the motivations behind the winners.

The Anatomy of Slotsoo’s Trophies: Where Fun Meets Serious Recognition

At Slotsoo, each trophy is whimsical by design but grounded in real player values, making the Slotsoo Awards both entertaining and insightful. Every category has a clear purpose, recognizing what truly matters in iGaming today.

At the core of each awards lineup is a main trophy: The Gambling GOAT honors the top-performing casino operator, while The Machine MVP celebrates the best overall game provider. Surrounding these main awards are a collection of supporting trophies, spotlighting specific areas of excellence, from fast withdrawals and fun bonuses to volatility and winning potential.

These award categories offer a chance for actors who crush it in a certain area to be recognized, even if they don’t dominate across the board. Just like other iGaming awards, Slotsoo includes a category for newcomers, encouraging fresh talent and pushing established names to keep innovating.

The timing of the awards is also a deliberate choice. Markus Björk, head writer at Slotsoo, explains the team’s reasoning:

“After a hectic Winter and Spring packed with iGaming events, June and July offer a rare chance for the industry to slow down and reflect on the year so far. Let’s enjoy the cucumber season and appreciate what’s been achieved. This is when you can harvest the rewards of your hard work before autumn arrives with new challenges and opportunities.”

The Winning Casino Operators 2025

The Slotsoo Casino Awards 2025 took place in June, and these were the seven winners:

• The Gambling GOAT – Betizy
• The Bonus Buff – Sugarino
• The Loyalty Lord – Wisho
• The Withdrawal Wizard – Vauhdikas
• The Gamification Guru – Arctic Casino
• The Payout Professor – Wolfy Casino
• The Noisy Newcomer – Lunar Spins

This was the third time Slotsoo held the casino awards for its English-language site targeting the EU market in general. During the same period, the dedicated awards for the Finnish market, Slotsoo Kasinogaala 2025, celebrated its second year. These awards consist of seven trophies equivalent to the English ones, plus an eighth trophy dedicated to the casino operator with the best slot streaming offering.

The Nordic country is undergoing big changes, with a new gambling legislation and a licensing system planned to be introduced by 1 January 2027. The future will tell how this will affect the structure and categories of the awards.