
04 09 2024 - Media release Screen Australia invests over $2 million in Australian Games Industry
Zodiac Mountain
Screen Australia has announced over $2 million in funding to boost the Australian games sector. This includes support for 12 games through the Games Production Fund, 27 games through the Emerging Gamemakers Fund and funding for three events through the Games Event Fund.
The Games Production Fund and Emerging Gamemakers Fund offer critical support to Australian independent gamemakers, aimed at providing funding for original games with budgets below $500,000; and fostering new talent with professional development opportunities.
These initiatives are backed by the Federal Government's National Cultural Policy Revive, which includes a commitment of $12 million over four years from the 2023/24 financial year to Screen Australia's games funding.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said, Video gaming has come a long way now this global multi-billion-dollar industry offers a staggering variety of unique ideas and techniques for storytellers to connect audiences and explore their creativity. Our Government is committed to nurturing emerging talent in this booming field with $12 million to press play on gamemakers' careers.
CEO of Screen Australia, Deirdre Brennan said, This significant investment highlights our ongoing commitment to fostering growth and innovation within Australia's games industry. By supporting these projects and industry events, we're nurturing local developers and small to medium studios, reinforcing our position as a global leader in independent game-making.
Demand for games funding is growing, with Screen Australia receiving over 370 applications, twice as many as the previous year. This reflects the increased role of targeted support for our local industry in an increasingly competitive landscape, said Brennan.
Since March 2022, Screen Australia has provided over $12.5 million in tailored games funding programs, for projects including Feed the Deep, Diets and Deities and The Sacred Acorn. The agency supports games across a variety of platforms, such as PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch and iOS/Android, with games aimed at release on the App Store, Google Play, Steam, itch.io, Nintendo eShop and more.
The projects supported through the Games Production Fund include:
Cozy Commons (SA): A life simulation game where players take on day-to-day activities as they discover the secrets of the town and the inhabitants who live there. Players can engage with the community, build their skills, search for collectables and decorate their home, all while discovering the rich world of stories from the characters they meet along the way. The team includes lead developer Tom Longo and lead artist Rebecca Hadland.
Doggy Don't Care (NSW): In this comedic, adventure platformer, players unleash adorable chaos as a mischievous pup. By exploring, collecting and smashing their way around the house and beyond, players fetch the approval of their feathered friends - digging into a list of fun-filled tasks to earn mischievous badges. The team includes founder/creative director Rohan Nowell, graphic designer Carlo Delos Santos and composer/SFX artist Dominique Parker.
Frogreign (QLD): In this story-driven platformer, players join frog prince Rill on an amphibious action-adventure to unravel a royal conspiracy. Using Rill's tongue as a grappling hook and other frog abilities to seamlessly leap, swing, dive and swim through a variety of locations and challenges. Players can explore the depths of the realm of Callidrya, filled with chaos and secrets. The team includes creative director Bryce Watson, designer Dallas Smart, writer Natasha Cox, lead developer Nico Plotz, composer Alejandro Perez Heinze and audio engineer Andres Buitrago.
Jupiter Junkworks (VIC): A fast-paced new take on the arcade puzzle genre featuring a narrative campaign mode where players rebuild a spaceship salvage yard. Jupiter Junkworks is from lead developer and producer Will Deragon, character illustrator and narrative designer Georgia Pedersen, composer Jam Nawaz (JAMATAR), sound designer Zander Hulme, 3D artist Paul Mahoney, animator Kiat-Boon Pierce and voice artist Audrey Willowbrook.
Zodiac Mountain (WA): In this roguelike deck-building adventure game, players embark on a mystical journey as a determined Panda, seeking to prove their worth by challenging mythical creatures and the Chinese Zodiacs. The team includes CEO/MD/Founder Kevin Jiang, game designer/2D artist James Knight, 2D artists May Huang and Sylvia Lian, lead programmer Laurence Anthony Valentini, UI/UX designer Daisy Chan and sound designer Ian Chen.
The projects supported through the Emerging Gamemakers Fund include:
Aussie Rules (SA): A sports party roguelite game fusing action-packed gameplay with absurd Aussie humour. Players can challenge friends to unpredictable matches driven by wild mechanics, all tied together by a retro aesthetic and surrealist satire based on Australian culture. The team includes producer David Ashby, developer Tyler Roach, writer and voice artist Broden Kelly and composer Dario Russo.
Feral Scape (NSW): From developer Joseph Dowsett (BARCHboi), Feral Scape is an open-world fantasy RPG where player choices drive exploration, crafting, and game modding. Drawing inspiration from Australian locations, players engage in exploration and community-building within a fantasy setting in order to complete quests related to a wolf prophecy - aiming to unite different factions.
LunaGenesis (VIC): An adventurous, experimental RPG where players take on the role of a young witch lost in a cursed city whose residents are trapped in their own nightmares. To escape, players navigate dream realms and uncover secrets about a shape-shifting antagonist. LunaGenesis is from creative director/prog
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Wowza will return to NAB Show 2026 with a set of live demonstrations focused on how video infrastructure is evolving for a new generation of AI-powered and oper...
14/04/2026
Stegawave Debuts Real-Time Forensic Watermarking to Tackle Piracy in Live Sports...
14/04/2026
Living in Boston: A Guide for Incoming Boston Conservatory Students From navigating the T to balancing school with professional gigs, a current student shar...
14/04/2026
Just What Is Genre These Days, Anyway? Understanding the business and art of genre-bending in 2026.
April 10, 2026
By
Bryan Parys
Illustration by Jack Fla...
14/04/2026
Lenora Helm Hammonds Is Turning Passion Into Plan A The dean of the Professional Education Division has seen the industry from all sides. Now shes bringing it...
14/04/2026
How Michelle Zalabak Found Her Dream Career in Music and Finance The Warner Music Group deal analysis manager helps determine what artist catalogs are worth a...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2026 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-ti...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and U...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
13/04/2026
Telos Alliance has announced that J nger Audio has joined the EBU ADM Implementers Group (ADM-IG) as a founding member. The group is focused on advancing ADM an...
13/04/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate its Alliance Partner ecosystem at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C2408, Central Hall, April 19-22), showing AMPP integrations across live pr...
13/04/2026
Media Links will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2033), demonstrating IP transport solutions for live production including hitless protection technology, Xscen...
13/04/2026
NBC Sports has announced a programming, distribution, and sales partnership with...
13/04/2026
FloSports has promoted Chief Operating Officer Jayar Donlan to President, effective immediately. In his new role, Donlan will lead the company's commercial,...
13/04/2026
PanCam Pictures, the documentary production company founded by Paul Camarata, us...
13/04/2026
Mimir will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (North Hall, Booth N2850), demonstrating its cloud-native media production platform with new capabilities including Mimir Cu...
13/04/2026
BBright has announced that its IP Gateway now supports the Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) protocol. The addition will be introduced at NAB Show 2026 ...
13/04/2026
Net Insight has been awarded a development project through the European Space Agency's Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP), with co-funding f...
13/04/2026
intoPIX will exhibit at NAB Show 2026, marking the company's 20th anniversary. The company will demonstrate its JPEG XS compression portfolio and IPMX-appro...
13/04/2026
Starting from scratch, the team built an in-house content platform comprising ga...
13/04/2026
Here's a look at some of the new products and updates, along with audio-centric conferences, that attendees will find next week at the show
When the 2026 N...
13/04/2026
Avid will launch new integrated newsroom capabilities for Avid for News at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N2226, April 18-22), demonstrating how Avid Content Core connect...
13/04/2026
Synamedia has announced a new version of Quortex PowerVu, an IP-native, software...
13/04/2026
Mediaproxy has developed a suite of AI-powered tools for brand and advertisement tracking, integrated into its LogServer compliance logging and analysis platfor...
13/04/2026
Disguise will demonstrate its media servers and software at NAB Show 2026, appearing across five partner booths in Central Hall: MRMC, B&H, Planar, CarbonBlack,...
13/04/2026
OpenDrives is introducing OpenDrives Edge at NAB Show 2026, a hybrid cloud-edge performance accelerator for distributed video and rich media workflows. The prod...
13/04/2026
The show will deploy 18 cameras across two sets and the draft floor, including a...
13/04/2026
Intuitive EQ plug-in gets an upgrade
Following its official launch back in February 2026, Musik Hack's intuitive EQ plug-in has been treated to its firs...
13/04/2026
Flagship soft synth collection expanded
The latest version of UVI's flagship vintage-inspired soft synth collection has just arrived, expanding the suit...
13/04/2026
Free version of innovative string library arrives
Released in October 2025, Lux Orchestral Strings was said to be Sonuscore's most ambitious library to ...
13/04/2026
The Girls' Research Camp is part of the Technology - Future in Bavaria edu...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms submarine communications for real time underwater dom...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables Pulsar signal simulation to support next-generation navi...
13/04/2026
L3Harris is accelerating the development of infrared payloads for Space Development Agency's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, to help meet urgent national defense ...
13/04/2026
By leveraging cutting-edge unfilmed Gen III image intensifier technology, NOVA delivers unmatched clarity, range, and reliability in low-light environments - en...