Film- und Medienstiftung NRW Funds 25 Gaming Projects with 1.67 Million Euros

In the first two games funding sessions following the implementation of the new guidelines, the Film and Media Foundation NRW has supported a total of 25 projects with a combined total of over 1.67 million euros. Projects in the areas of “Serious Games / Gamification” and “Digital Games and Immersive Content” were approved. The funded ideas range from historical adventures and AI-powered educational games to innovative roguelites, VR experiences, and narrative projects.

Walid Nakschbandi, Managing Director of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, explains: “This funding round once again impressively underscores how strongly North Rhine-Westphalia is positioned as a hub for games and creative tech in Europe. In addition to traditional games funding, we specifically support innovative, hybrid formats such as VR projects—while at the same time taking our social responsibility in the games sector seriously. We are delighted by the wide variety of ideas submitted and warmly congratulate all teams on receiving funding.”

Results of the “Serious Games / Gamification” Funding Session

Three projects were selected by the jury for vertical-slice funding totaling over 259,000 euros (259,061.12 euros):

• Mathopia – easy pisy GmbH, Bochum – 140,000 euros
  An AI-powered, gamified math learning app for grades 5–13, featuring interactive formats and personalized learning.
• Mission: Save Lives – First Aid in VR for Schools – Weltenmacher GmbH, Düsseldorf – 72,843.53 euros
  VR learning application for CPR training for students in grade 7 and above—gamified, AI-powered, and practical.
• Black Gold – TriTec Entertainment UG (limited liability), Castrop-Rauxel – 46,217.59 euros
  2D mining simulation centered on the German mining industry, featuring strategic management and an educational focus.

Results of the “Digital Games / Immersive Content” Funding Session

At the “Digital Games / Immersive Content” session, the jury selected 22 projects for funding totaling over 1,411,000 euros (1,411,699.57 euros):

Nine early-stage grants

• Eternal Eleven (AT) – Sluggerfly, Essen – €50,000
  A first-person roguelite horror game set in a eerie high-rise building full of secrets and bizarre encounters.
• Lucky Punk – Burrini, Gibbons, Rössig & Vogel GbR, Cologne – €50,000
  A roguelike deck-builder with push-your-luck mechanics set in a post-apocalyptic world.
• The Last Upload – digital essence GmbH, Cologne – €48,262.50
  Cooperative narrative adventure set in the real-life Hardtstollen in Wuppertal.
• Margaret wants to go Home – Fake Lobster UG, Bielefeld – €48,000
  A roguelite about dementia, memory, and loss.
• The Gravity Complex® – JANO 3D STUDIO, Bochum – €45,000
  A puzzle platformer in which players can change their gravity at any time.
• RoomZ – LeMoonade Games, Düsseldorf – €31,850
  A puzzle and hidden-object game set in isometric rooms that conceal clues to a mysterious missing-person case.
• Demon Defense – Monokel Studio GmbH, Cologne – €23,671.50
  An isometric 2D base defense roguelite featuring demons, a magical flame, and narrative-driven resource management.
• Monster TCG X – Hensel & Dzinic GbR, Cologne – €12,500
  A story-driven adventure card game about everyday school life, friendship, and collecting monster cards.
• Worldlines – Cosmic Mocca GmbH, Cologne – €9,392.81
  A 3D visual novel set in space about two lovers whose conversation is guided by a unique perspective.

Ten Vertical-Slice Grants

• Formula Circus – Gecki Studios UG, Düsseldorf – €200,000
  Racing simulation game with management, career, and decision-making mechanics.
• Media Circus – Papercoda Games UG, Cologne – €120,000
  A satirical 2D strategy game about media, power, and democracy.
• Bells of Caldur (AT) – Laserbread (i.G.), Cologne – €88,155.50
  A roguelike city-builder with tactical exploration, hex grids, and procedurally generated island maps.
• LIFE – Toe Jam Games, Cologne – €80,000
  A narrative RPG about a life sentence in the U.S., driven by card-based mechanics.
• The Suffering of Young Wusel - Three Headed Monkey Films GmbH, Cologne – €72,000
  A satirical puzzle game about animal cruelty—darkly humorous and socially critical.
• My Personal Shoah - Ugrekhelidze Rosh Lab, Cologne – €50,000
  Interactive VR animation about resilience and survival in authoritarian systems.
• Kudrun - Pietrowsky & Nitsche GbR – Mettmann – €50,000
  Tactical roguelike role-playing game inspired by the heroic epic “Kudrun.”
• Project 1890 – Zephyr Games UG, Geilenkirchen – €36,796.50
  A tactical auto-battler with a pixel art style, in which historical figures face off in real-time battles.
• The Job – The Breakthrough – Cramer & Rudert Game Development GbR, Essen – €34,226.03
  An interactive narrative experiment about train engineer Harry Deterling’s escape from the GDR in December 1961.
• Self-Simulated: Beyond Vision (Prototype) – Martin Cremerius-Gauer, Duisburg – €20,144.73
  An action-platformer prototype deliberately designed to be accessible to blind and visually impaired players.

Three production grants

• Electric_Punk – Neonreal GmbH, Düsseldorf – €200,000
  An immersive experience exploring the punk and electronic music scenes in Düsseldorf in the late 1970s.
• Shallow Pond – Nimso UG, Bochum – €100,000
  A cozy 3D adventure platformer featuring water spirits, platforming, and a warmly told story.
• Pineview Drive 2 – Rising Storm – VIS-Games, Frechen – €41,700
  A psychological horror game that analyzes player behavior to adapt the atmosphere and jump scares.

The range of funded titles reflects the diversity of the NRW games industry: roguelites, story-driven adventures, VR experiences, historical exploration games, tactical RPGs, narrative experiments, accessible prototypes, and family games.

With its new games funding guidelines, North Rhine-Westphalia is further expanding its role as a leading hub for games, XR, and interactive media. The combination of grants, vertical-slice funding, presentation support, and other assistance is setting new trends nationwide.