- 3-Day, 1-Night Hyper-Immersive Game Development Challenge to be held from June 26–28 at the DDP Iganseomun Exhibition Hall
- Applications accepted until May 29 for the commercialization linkage program, which supports VC and publisher matching.
Recruitment for teams participating in the ‘2026 Seoul Indie Game Development Challenge,’ co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), and Google Play Indie Game Group Korea, began on May 11.
Sponsored by Smilegate STOVE, this event is an immersive game development challenge that provides talented indie game development teams with an intensive development environment, industry networking, and opportunities for investment and publishing all in one place. The application deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, May 29, 2026, and a total of 10 teams will be selected.
Completed a game prototype in three days and nights with a single revealed keyword
The event will be held for three days and two nights from 1:00 PM on Friday, June 26 to 6:00 PM on Sunday, June 28 at the Iganseomun Exhibition Hall in Seoul DDP. The core of the challenge is the theme keyword revealed on the opening day of the event.
Three to four keywords, including ‘Seoul,’ are provided, and participating teams must complete a game prototype over three days and nights based on them. It aims for a higher level of difficulty than a typical hackathon in that it requires results with commercialization potential in mind, rather than just simple ideas.
From development to investment… A seamless 4-step program
The event consists of four main programs. First, expert sessions designed to accelerate practical development speed, such as know-how on game development utilizing AI, will be provided as competency-building seminars.
Next, a three-day immersive development session will take place, and once all development is complete, a venue for exchange will be provided for constructive feedback sharing through presentations of each team’s results, direct demonstrations, and voting among the participating teams.
Finally, among the final selected teams, those who wish to do so will be provided with the opportunity for direct matching with venture capital (VC) firms and publishers, supporting them in securing investment and publishing contracts.
For teams of 5 or fewer… Seoul-based companies receive bonus points
Eligibility is limited to teams of five or fewer members with game development capabilities. All team members must be affiliated with the same company and must provide proof of this through official documentation.
There are no restrictions on the location of the business, but companies based in Seoul are given extra points. There are also no restrictions on business history. However, only small and medium-sized enterprises registered as sole proprietorships or corporations as of the application deadline are eligible, and only one team per company may apply.
In particular, one special slot is separately allocated for a student team from Seoul Digitech High School. If a team composed of current students from the school applies, passing the selection screening is guaranteed.
Seoul City, Google, and Smilegate Collaborate… Attempting to Expand the Indie Ecosystem
This challenge is an extension of the indie game ecosystem support policies promoted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA). With the Google Play Community participating as a host, the potential for connection with global platforms has been added, and through sponsorship from Smilegate STOVE, points of contact with domestic distribution channels have also been secured.
In particular, the fact that it goes beyond simple development experience to include VC and publisher matching is significant in that it is designed to allow indie development teams to experience everything from strengthening their development capabilities to commercialization in a single program.
Applications can be submitted online via the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency website (www.sba.seoul.kr) after logging in as a corporate member. The application form and portfolio (including supporting documents) must be compressed into a zip file and submitted; the file size is limited to 10MB. For inquiries , please contact the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency Game Team ( kjh726@sba.seoul.kr , 02-2124-2907 ).
Information regarding the 2026 Seoul Indie Game Development Challenge
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Host | Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Business Agency (SBA), Google Play Indie Game Group Korea |
| boost | Smilegate STOVE |
| Event Date | June 26, 2026 (Fri) 13:00 ~ June 28, 2026 (Sun) 18:00 |
| Event venue | DDP Iganseomun Exhibition Hall |
| Recruitment period | May 11, 2026 (Mon) – May 29, 2026 (Fri) 17:00 |
| Recruitment scale | Total of 10 teams (maximum 5 people per team) |
| Special slot | One team composed of students from Seoul Digitech High School (guaranteed to pass the selection screening) |
| Eligibility | Game development teams of 5 or fewer members affiliated with small and medium-sized enterprises (Business registration required) |
| Major programs | AI Utilization Capability Enhancement Seminar / 3-Day Immersive Development (Night and Night) / Results Presentation and Peer Demonstration / VC & Publisher Matching |
| How to apply | Go to SBA website online application |
| Contact | Seoul Economic Promotion Agency Game Team kjh726@sba.seoul.kr / 02-2124-2907 |
