African Game Dev Prototype Fund hopes to boost and support continent’s indie scene

Annapurna, Raw Fury, Toge, and others declare financial support

A party of independent developers has banded together with Games Industry Africa to announce the formation of the African Game Dev Prototype Fund: an initiative to help fund and support video game developers operating out of Africa.

“Africa is a continent brimming with talent, but from a games industry perspective, prospective developers face the challenge of being able to fund their ideas and projects,” said Games Industry Africa in an official announcement. “The AGDP fund aims to alleviate some of that. The AGDP Fund in connection with Games Industry Africa and The Indie Houses hopes to provide a non-recoupable fund for creators on the continent to bring their conceptual ideas a step closer to a reality.”

The AGDP fund will offer up to $10,000 to small studios in order to help them get new projects and ideas of the ground, with an aim to supporting the development of basic demo editions or “vertical slices” of games, which can then be used to market the project publishers and patrons. Any studios formed in Africa or that features 75% African employees in its workforce can apply for funding. Successful studios will not have to pay the money back, but it will be delivered in installments as the project reaches mutually agreed milestones.

Games Industry Africa, Annapurna Interactive, Whitethorn Games,  Toge Productions, Fellow Traveller, Raw Fury, Neon Doctrine, and Akupara Games are among the studios generously offering up cash with which to build the fund. Should any of the projects developed from The African Game Dev Prototype Fund see completion, then The Indies Houses will receive the first refusal on a publishing deal. Applications are expected to open at some point in August, and you can find out more information on the official Games Industry Africa website.