Cross Border funding has been allocated to boost Galway’s gaming industry during 2026, with a number of new ideas in development.
It is hoped this IndieDev initiative will assist Galway developers’ ability to punch above their weight in the competitive international games industry, and turn ambitious concepts into playable prototypes.
Persevere by Universe or Nothing; Rúcach’s Valley of the Lost Abbey, and Table Topple’s Above Quarry Crater, are all partly developed by creatives and developers working in Co Galway who benefited from this pioneering cross-border fund programme.
IndieDev 2025 - managed by Galway-based Ardán and Dublin-based Imirt, on behalf of Northern Ireland Screen and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland - saw eight development teams from across Ireland take part.
Each received €15,000 and 12 weeks of intensive mentorship to bring their visions to life, including mentorship from Irish game industry veterans Dave McCabe of Galway’s Spooky Doorway, Sam Redfern (Psychic Software ), and Paul Froggatt (Outlier Games ). All shipped games to international markets last year and brought their hard-won expertise to the programme.
The prototypes developed by the Galway participants show the creativity and diversity powering game development across the city and county at present.
Universe or Nothing’s Persevere is a roguelike strategy game that fuses survival management with tower defence. Rúcach’s Valley of the Lost Abbey sees players rebuild said abbey with the aid of fellow woodland creatures. Table Topple’s Above Quarry Crater is a 3D Action-Adventure platformer.
"IndieDev has been a phenomenal help in building a foundation for my team and company to create a future in original IP game development,” says Rúcach’s Denman Rooke. “The funding has allowed us to really spend the needed time to create something cohesive with a vision. Our team has been able to take the time to learn new skills, polish rough ones, and experiment in ways we normally wouldn't have the time to. We’re feeling very confident that with a little extra post-IndieDev polish, we can attract project funding from publishers."
“IndieDev is a great programme,” says Colm Larkin, Imirt CEO and founder of game studio Gambrinous. “If something like this had been around when I started my studio 12 years ago, I would have jumped at the chance to take part. There's a real sense of things coming together in Ireland for games right now.”
The momentum built by IndieDev’s success continues with Sparks: Game Changers, a pilot career development course for people of under-represented genders in the games industry. Run by Ardán in collaboration with Code Coven, and supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the programme tackles skills that directly affect career progression: confident communication, self-advocacy, and job-hunting readiness in an industry still shaped by bias and power imbalances.
