Screen Queensland has announced more support for games developers, upping the funding available through its Games Grants program to $200,000 per round.
The program, which was launched last April as a way to fund Queensland developers through prototype, early access, and full launch, will also allow projects to receive a maximum of $300,000 in funding during their lifecycle.
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said the enhanced offering reflected the strong momentum in the state’s indie games sector.
“Queensland games like Witch Beam’s Unpacking and Toast Interactive’s Richie’s Plank Experience have rightly attracted incredible interest from international publishers and enthralled gamers all over the world,” she said.
“Screen Queensland is proud to support the ingenuity and creativity of our local games developers in creating Queensland IP.
“Increasing our Games Grants is another vital step in ensuring they have every opportunity for success.”
The Games Grants program was part of a suite of incentives to benefit from $2 million of funding from the state government announced in September, alongside the Digital Games Incentive (DGI) and Games Residency program. A further $3 million is also being put towards the games sector via Screen Queensland, which is sourcing the funds internally.
Screen Queensland head of games Jed Dawson said the elevation of the industry in Queensland is only just beginning.
“Alongside our industry-leading Digital Games Incentive and ground-breaking Games Residency program, we are investing in all levels of our local games sector,” he said.
“We are seeing incredible growth in the number of games coming out of Queensland right now, and the quality of these games is astounding.”
Applications for the Screen Queensland Games Grants are open until Monday 29 January 2024. Find out more information here.