Carry1st, the mobile games publishing startups, and CrazyLabs, have announced that applications are open for their hypercasual gaming accelerator programme, CrazyHubs Cape Town.
Tailored for aspiring game programmers, developers, designers, and artists, CrazyHubs Cape Town aims to develop Africa’s burgeoning mobile gaming ecosystem and showcase African ideas, culture, and creativity to a global audience.
The 3-6 month paid accelerator in Cape Town is coordinated by renowned industry experts who will teach the next generation of gaming talent the fundamentals of designing and developing hypercasual mobile games.
The opening of the Cape Town incubator comes off the back of hugely successful CrazyHubs across the world, including ongoing programmes in India, Israel, Poland, Serbia, and Turkey.
Hyper-casual is a genre of mobile games that has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years. Hyper-casual games are lightweight, free-to-play games with simple mechanics, making them instantly playable and highly engaging. Importantly, they are quick to develop and test which democratises the ability for aspiring game developers to create hits, and can be operated profitably for 18 to 36 months after launch, according to CrazyLabs CEO Sagi Schliesser.
“Carry1st with CrazyLabs, we are invested in growing the mobile gaming ecosystem in Africa by providing the next generation of developers with the skills, resources, and network to reach millions of users globally,” commented Lucy Hoffman, COO at Carry1st.
“We can’t wait to start welcoming applicants, and hope that the Cape Town programme will be the first of many that we and CrazyLabs launch in Africa.”
“The African continent is latent with potential for great ideas to be transformed into world-class gaming experiences” says Omri Henkin, VP Business Development at CrazyLabs.
“We look forward to kicking off the programme and providing new developers the knowledge as well as the platform to iterate and scale their work.”
How The Programme Works
Participants will receive world-class training in hypercasual games development, including hands-on guidance from industry veterans. Starting in September 2021, the programme will last a minimum of three months and will be extendable for up to six months.
Alongside mentorship, participants will also have the potential opportunity to launch their incubated games on global platforms, such as the App Store and Google Play Store, and will receive a profit share plan for any successful games developed. Each team member will receive a monthly stipend, with graduates receiving a ‘CrazyHubs Diploma’ certificate.
Applications will be reviewed throughout July and August, and finalists will be announced at the end of August. The Hub will select up to 10 teams of 2 – 3 individuals, but if people do not have a team, the Hub may match them with other individuals with complementary skills.
Gaming enthusiasts from across Africa are encouraged to apply to CrazyHubs Cape Town here.
