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Games Lift: These are the Five Teams for the Hamburg Game Developer Incubator in 2023
Five teams have won over the Games Lift awarding committee with their game projects. On September 11, the Games Lift Incubator will start for them as a unique support program in Germany. Included is a one-year workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support as well as room for collaboration and exchange with the other participating teams.
More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, press relations and marketing from the Games Lift network will share their experience with the teams to give their projects a professional start. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 24 teams and solo developers applied for the fourth Games Lift Incubator. The decision for the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Mareike Ottrand (Professor for Interactive Illustration and Games/HAW Hamburg), Ole Schaper (Managing Director The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Amanda Förtsch (Project Manager Gamecity Hamburg).
“With each year of Games Lift Incubator, more talented teams with exciting projects apply,” Schaper said. “The passion and commitment of the developers impress me over and over again. Hamburg’s academic institutions, but also the city’s extremely lively indie scene, ensure that the steady stream of creativity never stops.”
The five winner projects and teams for Games Lift Incubator 2023:
* Chaos Royale by Monodot
* Dottobeau by Dottobeau
* Journey Beyond the Edge of the World by Markus Koepke
* Map Map – A Game About Maps by Kopfkino Games
* We the Valarii by Bagpack Games
Chaos Royale by Monodot is a free-to-play battle royale game with shooting mechanics, full of eccentric and fantastic characters. Different weapon combinations and an improvement of the own shooting power turn the matches for 16 to 32 players into fast-paced firefights.
The team behind Dottobeau formed at HAW Hamburg to develop a classic point-and-click adventure game wherein players solve tricky puzzles by changing the overall atmosphere of the in-game world. The more puzzles players solve, the more new items they can find. This way they can manipulate the storyline and move on to the next chapter of this sensitive adventure.
Journey Beyond the Edge of the World by Markus Koepke is a musical first-person adventure game with a story told through five atmospheric pieces of music. The story, which spans over three time periods, is set in a mysterious abandoned fishing boat whose history needs to be uncovered. This nostalgic, low-poly game world contains a lot of tricky puzzles to unravel.
Map Map – A Game About Maps by Kopfkino Games is a cozy exploration game with puzzle elements where the atmosphere of a relaxed hike meets typical landscape puzzles à la GeoGuessing. The unique mapping mechanic allows players to interact with the atmospheric game world and its many elements in a completely new way.
We the Valarii by Bagpack Games is an entertaining couch co-op racer with a literal spin as the unique motion physics are created by rotating the mouse or stick. The focus is not on competition but on overcoming obstacles and completing boss battles together.
More information about the projects at https:// gamecity-hamburg .de/incubator.
The incubator program addresses the individual needs of developers with comprehensive workshops, mentoring and coaching content. Workshops and mentoring sessions are offered in the fields of project management, marketing and business start-up.
After completing the three-month workshop program of phase one, the teams will present their results to a broad audience at a final public pitch in December of 2023. Phase two will immediately follow and will run until September of 2024.
Starting this year, selected mentors will work even closer with the teams and will support them directly and according to their needs throughout the entire incubator period; Manny Hachey (Chief Operating Officer for THREAKS), Björn Bergstein (Coach and Consultant for Management and Leadership), Daniel Marx (Chief Executive Officer and Game Director for Osmotic Studios), Søren Lass (Business Development Consultant) and Steffen Rühl (Expert for the digital and analog games industry). In periodic, personalized mentoring sessions, they will provide advice to the teams and their project progress. In addition, the Games Lift Network, with more than 30 experts from all areas of the industry, will once again provide support to the participating teams on specific issues from all areas of the development and marketing of digital games. In addition, the teams will receive individual communication support from a PR agency specialized in indie games.
You don’t want to miss the registration start for Games Lift Incubator 2024? Then sign up for our Games Lift mailing list at https:// airtable .com/shrHJMH96v6fYe2yQ.
Further funding opportunities through Gamecity Hamburg
In addition to the Games Lift Incubator, Gamecity Hamburg also supports developers and games companies from Hamburg with a prototype funding. Each year, 400,000 euros are available for games projects from Hamburg, of which up to 120,000 euros can be applied per game. The next application round will start in spring of 2024.

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ELA Games Casts Its Latest Spell with Witches’ Book
Reading Time: 2 minutes
ELA Games beckons players to step into a shadowy realm of sorcery and mystery with its newest release: Witches’ Book
Bathe in the magic as a powerful coven of three witches conjures their spells across the reels, revealing mysterious rewards and surprises. Each spin is a step toward ultimate strength, where massive riches and bubbling magic await.
The Power of the Book
In the Witches’ Book, magic shimmers in every spin. Players aim to collect enchanted pages and experience the power of each witch’s most mythical spells.
Once players gather enough enchanted pages, they complete the spellbook and choose their witch and symbol to unlock the magical Free Spins. As the witches’ power grows, every symbol has the chance to transform into a Jackpot, turning ordinary spins into powerful, enriching moments.
A medium volatility level and 94.9% RTP ensure that wins are frequent even on the base game. Additionally, multiple surprise features can arise and spread across the 5×3 reel format, making each spin a potion of excitement.
ELA Games’ Magical Touch
Witches’ Book is an enchanting embodiment of ELA Games’ philosophy regarding creative innovation and a focus on engaging gaming experiences. The games’ animations, sound design, and dynamic mechanics blend to create an atmospheric game that will have players a part of the incantation.
Marharyta Yerina, ELA Games’ Managing Director, commented on the release, “With Witches’ Book, our goal was to create a title that emphasises the visually-rich aesthetics that embody the atmosphere of the brooding festive season. Every feature and design element was meticulously crafted to keep players engaged and deliver value for our partners. Witches’ Book is an example of our development approach: leverage creativity to entertain players while driving meaningful performance results for operators.”
Discover Enchanting Riches Now
Players can dive into the mysterious world of magic and spells today, with powerful gameplay and immersive experiences.
Finish your incantation and cast a powerful, lucrative spell today.
The post ELA Games Casts Its Latest Spell with Witches’ Book appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Hits the Portuguese Fast Lane with Tiago Pereira of LeBull.pt
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Lisbon’s streets set the pace for Season 2 of GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives — the drive-time podcast where iGaming’s most interesting voices speak freely, in motion. Hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, Chief Sales Officer at GR8 Tech, each episode captures raw insight, candid stories, and the kind of energy you can only find on the road.
Episode 2 puts the spotlight on Tiago Pereira, Head of Portugal at LeBull.pt, the executive who helped turn a logo and a bull into one of the fastest-growing brands in Portugal’s regulated iGaming market. With more than 20 years in sports betting, affiliates, and casino operations at Placard.pt, Betano.pt, bet.pt, and Sportingbet, Tiago has led market entries, compliance frameworks, sponsorships, and full-funnel digital growth.
During the ride, Tiago opens up about:
- How he found his path and his journey from architecture and computer science to marketing.
- The history of LeBull.
- Portugal vs. Brazil: same language, different mindset: why copy-paste doesn’t work and true localization is key.
- The idea behind the LeBull Night Show, a weekly late-night comedy event.
- His failed marketing project.
- Trusting younger generations.
- His previous approach to marketing when he joined Betano in 2017.
- Why the Portuguese sports betting market relies on the casino vertical.
- The next chapter for affiliation.
- Network or Not Work: mascots, localization, and keeping support teams local.
- A small personal detail that’s still quietly visible online for those who know where to look.
- His Champion Rule: move forward with an “I need to get this done” mindset. Whatever happens, don’t stop. Stay consistent, keep moving forward, and the results will follow.
“Tiago showed us how to win a new market with discipline, curiosity, and the courage to keep moving forward,” said Krazhan.
Watch or listen to Season 2, Episode 2 with Tiago Pereira on:
Bet It Drives Season 2 kicked off with Rasmus Sojmark and keeps the pace with upcoming episodes featuring Kyrylo Korobka and Kelly Kehn. Buckle up. Lisbon’s just getting started.
The next chapter of iGaming belongs to those who play smart and play bold. Meet GR8 Tech at booth 5028-2 during SiGMA Central Europe 2025 in Rome, November 3–6, and discover the Heavyweight Rulebook built for operators ready to scale, localize, and win.
The post GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Hits the Portuguese Fast Lane with Tiago Pereira of LeBull.pt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Gaming in Germany Conference confirms new speakers, breakout program
Reading Time: 2 minutes
The Gaming in Germany Conference, which will take place November 11 in Berlin, has added several new speakers to its already impressive agenda.
Sebastian Buchholz, Head of Licensing and Market Supervision, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), will deliver the event’s keynote address.
The operator’s perspective will be well represented at this year’s Gaming in Germany Conference, with Christian Heins, Director iGaming Tipico; Alex Green, Vice President – Games, ZEAL Network; and Ewout Keuleers, former General Counsel, Kindred Group all confirmed to make an appearance at our event.
Naturally, attendees will also hear from both German and European trade associations, with Dr. Dirk Quermann, President, Deutscher Online Casinoverband (DOCV); Mathias Dahms, President, Deutscher Sportwettenverband (DSWV); and Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) contributing.
Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in Germany commented: “I am extremely pleased with this year’s speaker lineup. I think it speaks of the relevance of our event, and especially the key topics that we are highlighting this year: the threat of the black market and the evaluation of the 2021 State Gambling Treaty. I see that licensed operators are highly committed to making the German iGaming market more sustainable and competitive and I am very happy that we are trusted to play a role in promoting fruitful discussion and debate on these topics.”
“As the event takes place while the evaluation of the 2021 State Gambling Treaty is ongoing, this is certainly the time to be part of the conversation,” van Oort added.
Breakout program and networking opportunities
In addition to its main program, the Gaming in Germany Conference will also feature several highly practical breakout sessions on data compliance, game certification, RG, live casino, eSports, and much more.
The full agenda, including breakout program, is available here.
In addition to a loaded program, the Gaming in Germany Conference also offers plenty of networking opportunities during pre-conference dinner, coffee breaks, lunch, and concluding networking drinks.
Practical information
The 2025 Gaming in Germany Conference takes place Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the DoubleTree Hilton Ku’damm in Berlin – just 100 meters from the magnificent Kurfürstendamm.
The post Gaming in Germany Conference confirms new speakers, breakout program appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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