Four Nigerian game developers are among the ten studios selected for Google Play's first Indie Games Fund cohort in Africa. Google announced the selection on October 28, naming Deluxe Entertainment Studios, Fer Factor, Gazuntype Entertainment and Maliyo Games. The full group also includes developers in South Africa, Ghana and Kenya.
The studios will share US$1 million in non-dilutive funding, according to Google. The package includes individual mentorship from Google Play specialists, commercial and growth resources, and technical support from Unity. Non-dilutive support does not require a studio to give up an ownership share in exchange for the funding described here.
The Nigerian projects span different styles. Google identifies Deluxe's Rasta Santa as a two-dimensional action platformer, Fer Factor's Chore Master as a cleaning game, Gazuntype's Go North as a story-led exploration adventure, and Maliyo's Safari City as a puzzle and renovation game. The selection is therefore not confined to a single genre.
The other selected studios are Clockwork Acorn, Disputed People, Studio Bo and Vetkoek Studios in South Africa; Leti Games in Ghana; and Weza Interactive in Kenya. Google's announcement describes support intended to help the cohort improve its titles and reach more players. It does not disclose the amount allocated to each individual studio.
For small development teams, a cash award and technical support address different problems. Funding can provide room to continue production, while specialist assistance can help teams examine how a game performs and reaches its audience. Neither element, by itself, establishes future downloads, revenue or a successful release.
The next useful indicators will come from the games and the studios themselves: development updates, availability and evidence of player response. Readers should distinguish the selection announcement from an open application call or a promise of funding for other developers. This announcement identifies a chosen cohort, with support to follow under the programme.