41 games benefit from €7.7 million Creative Europe Media Video Games funding in 2024, six games projects from Germany (€1.3 million) and one from Austria.

Among the games receiving funding is Fonce, a tale of love and war by Cologne-based Ciné-Litté Productions. It is an interactive, animated VR film with game elements. Producer Lilia Schneider: "The €200,000 Creative Europe Media grant is very encouraging for us as producers and storytellers. It is an honour for us to bring this message of peace, life and love to a young audience through an innovative VR experience. At the same time, it will create more jobs in the tech and creative industries. We are very happy to have pitched the project this year at M:BRANE, the Swedish forum for children's and youth content, and later in France at Cartoon Next. We expect to have a prototype of the VR experience in the summer of 2025."

The German projects: - Dans at Crea by Reynard Films from Leipzig, €200,000: The VR game offers a holistic approach to keeping fit by combining dance and narrative stories. - NVG-Z-IR-B by Designmatic from Tübingen, €200,000: A narrative action adventure in a cyberpunk setting. - Echoes of the Past by Nurogames from Cologne, €198,760: This VR roguelite adventure takes players on a journey through the memories of a Second World War soldier. - Living with the Snow Leopards by NowHere Media from Berlin, €200,000: This mixed reality experience explores the intertwined lives of snow leopards and humans in the Himalayas against the backdrop of climate change. - Viking Homestead by Gamesfoundation from Hamburg, €198,370: A video game that combines survival, crafting and platforming.

An Austrian game, Pixie World, has Dully&Dax from Cologne on board as co-producers with €71,545. In this family-friendly game, players help Jeppe the Pixie Boy to pass his Pixie test. This involves completing tasks, building fairy doors and designing your own pixies.

Since 2024, game producers have been able to submit multiple games, and now also in a consortium with partner companies. As a result, the number of applications rose sharply by over 100 compared to the previous year, while the success rate fell from over 40 per cent in 2023 to just under 15 per cent in 2024. The EACEA agency in Brussels attributes this to the high number of applications, the increase in the maximum funding amount from €150,000 to €200,000 and the increased co-financing rate of now 60 per cent compared to 50 per cent in previous years.

The current submission deadline for narrative video games and interactive VR experiences is 12 February 2025. Game studios can still register to participate in the European Videogame Accelerator, the Game Booster programme initiated by SpielFabrique, until 15 January 2025.

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Marcel Kleffmann
Marcel Kleffmann