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CODE is back for 2025

The new year brings fresh funding rounds, global outreach, mentorship opportunities, workshops, and events; CODE is gearing up for another exciting year!

NZ CODE Team (L-R): Taikawa Tamati-Elliffe, Antony Maday, Lauren Saker, Tim Ponting, Vee Pendergrast, and Navi Brouwer


As the CODE team returns to the office this month, we reflect on 2024 - an incredibly significant year for CODE:


  • Two CODE Funding rounds resulting in 30 studios from across Aotearoa receiving prototype and production grants;

  • Two Travel Grant rounds and additional CODE International Attendance Grants supporting 47 teams to major international gaming events across USA, Europe, Asia and Australia, showcasing Aotearoa's best indie games to the world;

  • Mentorship of over 130 teams across the North and South Island;

  • The inaugural Wānaka Whare Karioi ā-Whenua (Whare Karioi), the International Indigenous Digital Games Summit and Exhibition;

  • CODE-funded game Abiotic Factor launched to huge international success;

  • 16 remotely-delivered CODE workshops and masterclasses;

  • Ten CODE-led presentations, firesides and panels across Aotearoa;

  • ..and much much more!


Whare Karioi Pre-Summit at Ōtākou marae, Otago Peninsula.


So what does 2025 have in store?


New funding rounds, new international outreach opportunities, workshops and events - it's going to be another big year for CODE and our community.


Here's what's coming up:


CODE Grants

  • Dunedin Funding Round 10 expressions of interest opens in late January; there's a possibility we'll see some strong Kickstart proposals emerging, alongside more familiar Ōtepoti-made games looking to take that next step into Startup;

  • National Funding Round 11 expressions of interest opens in late February - if our first two national rounds were anything to go by, demand for CODE support for early stage studios in Aotearoa is showing no signs of diminishing!


Abiotic Factor by Deep Field Games launched early access in 2024 to huge international success.


CODE Travel Grants & International Events

CODE seeks interest from teams wishing to travel to major events for B2B MeetToMatch and pitching opportunities with our partners at Representing Games, as well as consumer showcases and conferences including GamesCom, BitSummit, WePlay, MIGW and PAX AUS.


  • Through a combination of Travel Grants and International Attendance Grants, CODE will support 10 teams to GDC San Francisco in March 2025.

  • Travel Grant Round 6 will open in April 2025 for travel primarily to Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.


    The CODE / Chromacon Booth and CODE-supported studios at WePlay - China, November 2024.


CODE Workshops

Workshops will continue on a monthly and bi-monthly basis throughout 2025. We'll also be bringing you more game marketing and business planning focused workshops you won't want to miss!


Save the date for upcoming Jan/Feb workshops:


  • 21 and 28 January: How to Create a Production Roadmap with Jenn Sandercock

  • 12 and 26 February: Practical Pitching with Jon Cartwright

  • 19 February: Visual Design Crash Course with Stef Peacock

  • 27 February: Indie PR with Michael Meyers


CODE's Chief Exec, Tim Ponting on panel at NZGDC 2024, with Chris Jagger (Alt Ventures), Jon Cartwright (Team17), and Chelsea Rapp (CerebralFix).


CODE Mentorship and Domestic Events

As more teams appear on the scene - we now have over 150 throughout the country! - we continue to extend our outreach and mentorship across the motu.


From Invercargill to Northland, CODE will be on the road this year supporting domestic game dev events, ongoing monthly game dev meetups, and relationship building with early-stage devs and their projects. 


L:R: CODE's Lauren Saker and Antony Maday catch up with Rare Parrot Games, Francis Jones and Jacob Dewse at NZGDC 2024.


CODE has made the strategic decision to suspend the Festival of Interactive Narrative and Storytelling (FINS) in 2025. We thoroughly enjoyed hosting this inaugural event in 2023, but FINS requires significant dedication from our team, and we won't have the resources to organise and finance the conference in the upcoming year.


In any case, it will be another significant one for CODE and our community, and we are eagerly anticipating what the year will bring.


Pack-in at the PAX AUS 2024 CODE booth, including 18 CODE-supported studios.


Please get in touch if you want to chat, or come and say hi - we'll see you at the next NZ Games Festival, PlaybyPlay and NZGDC.


Wishing you a joyful and successful 2025!


 

Expressions of Interest for CODE Funding and Travel Grants


  • Dunedin Funding Round 10 expressions of interest opens in late January 2025

  • National Funding Round 11 expressions of interest opens in late February 2025

  • Travel Grant Round 6 will open in April 2025 for travel primarily to Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.


For more information about CODE grant guidelines and Expressions of Interest forms, please click here.

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