21 studios awarded over $2M in CODE funding

21 studios from across Aotearoa New Zealand received prototype and production funding in the 2026 NZ CODE national funding round.

A total of $885,654 was awarded to 15 studios within the KickStart grant funding category for the creation of innovative, commercially viable game prototypes.

A further $1.5 million was allocated to six studios in the StartUp funding category to support production work for titles already in development. 

CODE received the highest number of expressions of interest for funding since the national programme began, with the announcement of a national merge (including Dunedin), and an increase to the total funding for both grants - KickStart is now available up to a total of $60,000 and StartUp has been raised to $250,000 - resulting in almost 100 full applications.

“The independent assessment panel faced a significant challenge navigating through such a large and competitive field,” says Vee Pendergrast, CODE’s Industry Development Manager.

“The demand for CODE support among early-stage studios in Aotearoa shows no signs of diminishing, and it bodes well for the future pipeline to see that successful KickStart grantees in this round were all new titles.”

Additionally CODE added a formal criterion for assessment based on market validation, breaking this out into its own section, with an expectation for planning (KickStart) and validation (StartUp) in action. 

"This is an element of CODE's industry development strategy. The updated criteria and the midpoint market validation audit represent the necessity of planning towards market success and studio sustainability. " says Vee, “CODE’s aim is to support all teams through this process”.

CODE Funding aims to support the Aotearoa - New Zealand game development ecosystem by assisting diverse creators and studios to develop digital game prototypes, found new studios or expand existing companies’ ambitions.

2026 CODE KickStart Funding recipients, L-R: Star Catcher (Still Rain); Card Cricket Quest ( Jump Punch Kick Ltd); The Viewing (In2Games NZ)

In Round 12, CODE received 167 expressions of interest, the highest EOI for funding received since the national programme began, resulting in 94 full applications submitted. 

Applications were assessed by an external, independent assessment panel drawn from global industry experts and 21 were recommended for funding.

Details on KickStart category recipients and game projects (pending contracting)*:

Studio: Acceptable Risk Studio

Project: Little Scrappers

Grant: $60,000

Studio: Atawhai Interactive

Project: Gullfriends

Grant: $60,000

Studio: Ventifact Ltd

Project: Molec

Grant: $60,000

Studio: In2Games NZ

Project: The Viewing

Grant: $48,125

Studio: Jump Punch Kick Ltd

Project: Card Cricket Quest

Grant: $59,640

Studio: Metia Interactive

Project: Cube2

Grant: $59,912

Studio: Paperbush Studio Ltd

Project: Whispers of the Atelier

Grant: $59,865

Studio: Rare Parrot Games

Project: Radio Decay

Grant: $60,000

Studio: Rockwell Studios

Project: Daisy Trains

Grant: $59,981

Studio: Scarecrow And Hag Ltd

Project: Road Ready

Grant: $58,130

Studio: Still Rain

Project: Star Catcher

Grant: $60,000

Studio: Silver Nerds

Project: EcoSims

Grant: $60,000

Studio: Tentacular Games Ltd

Project: Farbodies

Grant: $60,000

*Two more projects yet to be announced

2026 CODE StartUp Funding recipients

Details on StartUp category recipients and game projects (pending contracting):

Studio: Big Adventure Ltd

Project: Dream Team Supreme

Grant: $250,000

Studio: Cass Bay Games Ltd

Project: Davy Jones' Deckhand

Grant: $250,000

Studio: Headplug Games

Project: Middle Management

Grant: $250,000

Studio: MERMAID MENZ GAMES LTD

Project: Bronzebeard's Tavern 2

Grant: $250,000

Studio: Tuatara Tea Party

Project: Cooking for MA

Grant: $250,000

Studio: Unclear Games

Project: The Florist

Grant: $250,000

For access to any of the teams, please contact us at info@nz-code.nz for initial contact and introductions.

About CODE

CODE is the New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence – a Dunedin-based hub designed to progress the sustainable growth of New Zealand’s video game development industry. 

CODE’s national programme is funded by Hīkina Whakatutuki, Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment (MBIE).

Further details about CODE funding can be found here.