Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency (President Lee Eui-jun) and Korea Mobile Game Association (Chairman Hwang Sung-ik) announced on the 26th that they signed an agreement to host ‘Indiecraft 2025,’ a support program aimed at resolving polarization in Korea’s gaming industry and promoting industry growth.
Indiecraft, jointly organized by Seongnam City, Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency, and Korea Mobile Game Association, has been a leading indie game support initiative in South Korea since 2017, marking its 9th edition this year. It aims to discover talented indie game developers and nurture Korean game content capable of succeeding globally.
Last year’s Indiecraft 2024 recorded the highest-ever number of submissions and attracted around 30,000 visitors, also a record number. The event was well-received for its customized programs, which benefited both developers and users and achieved substantial quantitative and qualitative growth. This year, Indiecraft is preparing to boost its global initiatives.
For ‘Indiecraft 2025,’ programs for international expansion will be significantly strengthened. The event will feature an Indiecraft-branded booth at Gamescom 2025 in Germany—one of the world’s top three game shows—to promote the Indiecraft brand and present selected developers’ games, fostering opportunities for investment and publicity.
In collaboration with Xsolla Global, a global game solutions provider, Indiecraft will host an online pitching event where selected developers can showcase their investment pitch decks to global publishers and investors. This initiative, supported by Xsolla Global’s excellent acceleration programs, will also provide education and real-time discussions about investment opportunities.
Most participants of Indiecraft are small and medium-sized indie game developers, crucial to South Korea’s gaming ecosystem. To offer practical support, Indiecraft will further enhance its assistance programs.
The IR Demo Day will feature pitch deck presentations, pre-event lectures, mentoring sessions, investment consultation opportunities, and participation in international online pitching events. Additionally, platform-specific marketing solutions for PC and mobile games will be offered to maximize efficiency. Furthermore, a Private Networking Day will host semi-conferences and meetings with Seongnam city officials to listen to developers’ challenges and provide practical assistance.
The offline exhibition ‘INDIECRAFT x GXG,’ where indie developers showcase their carefully developed games directly to the public, will also be held this year. Collaborating with Seongnam City’s representative gaming culture event ‘GXG,’ last year’s exhibition attracted around 30,000 visitors, highlighting growing interest in indie games. This year’s GXG will expand its scale, offering additional support, including exhibition booths and user events.
President Lee Eui-jun of Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency stated, “Our agency continuously supports the growth and ecosystem development of the gaming industry, a flagship industry of Seongnam City. We will do our best to establish ‘Indiecraft 2025’ as Korea’s representative global indie game competition, creating global opportunities for talented indie developers.”
Chairman Hwang Sung-ik of the Korea Mobile Game Association added, “Since establishing the Indiecraft brand in 2019, it has been an honor to be part of Indiecraft, now recognized as the best festival for indie developers for seven consecutive years. Building on last year’s success, we aim to provide practical support and global opportunities for developers again this year. We encourage active participation from small and medium-sized developers.”
Applications for ‘Indiecraft 2025’ will open in March. Detailed information will be available on the official Indiecraft website, and further inquiries regarding submissions and sponsorships can be directed to the Indiecraft Secretariat (indiecraft@k-mga.or.kr).
