Eight Irish Development Teams Selected for Second Year of Prototype Funding

Ardán, Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Ireland and Imirt have confirmed the eight teams and projects that have been selected for IndieDev 2025, allocating £15,000/€15,000 to each project.

IndieDev is a cross border games incubation initiative run across the island of Ireland. Alongside the grant money, IndieDev sees several teams across The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland selected to take part in a 12-week programme of workshops and mentorship designed to help them create their first video game prototype.

IndieDev is funded by Screen Ireland's Digital Games Portfolio and Northern Ireland Screen, while the Galway-based charity Ardán manages the programme with support from Imirt, The Irish Game Makers Association.

This year's eight teams and planned projects can be seen below:

Persevere by Universe or Nothing

‘Persevere’ is a roguelike strategy game that fuses survival management with tower defence. Stranded on a hostile alien tomb world and hunted by drones, you must salvage a locomotive, recruit a crew, and chart a path across a strange planet dotted with enigmatic alien complexes and failing human colonies.

Team members include:

• Mark Aherne – Creative Director/Programmer
• Adam Kaufman – Content Designer
• Naomi Kaufman – Content Designer
• Dave Churchill – Texture Artist/Marketing Manager
• Mario Sena – Art Director

The team is based out of Galway, Dublin, and Clare.

Valley of the Lost Abbey by Rúcach

In ‘Valley of the Lost Abbey’, discover lost abbey ruins and rebuild with a new-found community of fellow woodland creatures in this meditative, cosy game woven through with immersive narrative.

Team members include:

• Denman Rooke
• Caitlyn Rooke
• George Mercer
• Claire Brankin

The team is based out of Galway and Laois.

Above Quarry Crater by Table Topple

‘Above Quarry Crater’ is a 3D Action-Adventure Platformer with the central twist in the adventure part! In the full experience, you’ll explore the spires of a long neglected city – venturing as far as you can before returning home to recover; getting a little further each day.

Team members for Table Topple include:

• Richard Naughton
• Adam Englishby
• Cillian O’Brien
• Alexander Navarro Mantari
• Luke Jason Farrell

The team is based out of Galway, Clare, Tipperary, and Dublin.

Pinfall by Reliable Plumbing Services

‘Pinfall’ is a minimalist pinball-inspired perseverance platformer that explores the history of philosophical ideas through gameplay focused on falling, reflecting, and climbing. With each level embodying a different philosophical tradition, players must navigate a crumbling world using simple controls to find meaning amidst failure. The game emphasizes introspection and mastery, encouraging reflective play through challenging physics puzzles.

The Reliable Plumbing Services team includes:

• Matt Murtagh
• Thomas Hitchcock

The team is based out of Kilkenny and Dublin.

Isle of Éan by Round Robin Interactive

‘Isle of Éan’ is a peaceful experience that aims to educate about Irish bird conservation. It is a first-person, stealth exploration game in which players catalogue various Irish birds whilst exploring a lovingly crafted island. When left idle, the game seamlessly transforms into a study aid in the form of an ambience generator by providing tranquil sights & sounds.

The core Round Robin Interactive team members are:

• Brendan Hewson
• Laura Ryder
• Eve Golden-Woods
• Brianna Chew

The team are based out of Mayo and Dublin. 

Deathwish Bloom by Sharp Glass Games

‘Deathwish Bloom’ is a soft post-apocalyptic romance adventure visual novel, in which you play as a Junior Scientist. Your obsession with recreating a lost medicine in a secret-filled Science City grants you a chance to redeem the broken life story of yours and of your loved ones. Unless said loved ones destroy themselves and the City first – by their own deadly invention.

Sharp Glass Games team members include:

• Irina Kuksova
• Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan

The team is based out of County Down. 

Selkie by Silly Goose Games

In ‘Selkie’, you can sneak your way through a mystical cave of Irish folklore in this stealth-puzzle game, carrying a mysterious gem to stop the Grey Man from escaping and destroying your home. You play as the daughter of a selkie, an unlikely hero wrapped in her mother’s sealskin, who must rely on stealth and a unique colour changing skill to bypass enemies. With the help of the Merrow, Tarbh Uisge, and Oillipheist you must find your courage as you journey through the cave between worlds.

Silly Goose Games' team includes:

• Jessica Williams
• Joseph McKinney
• Dylan Knipe

The team is based out of Antrim, Armagh, and Tyrone.

Balloons of Paradise by Space Lion Studios

‘Balloons of Paradise’ is a hot air balloon simulator where you steer your craft via wind. The game will provide various challenges through its objectives and environments, but also have modes for players who want to relax in the vibes of floating through the sky.

Space Lion Studios team members include:

• Mark Robinson - Lead Designer
• Jonathan Aykroyd - Lead Programmer

The team is based out of Dublin and Galway.