Hero image: Lightspeed Outlaw. Image: Six Shot Games
Screen NSW says it has delivered A$448,535 to New South Wales game developers across three programs, funding early-stage games and trips to industry events.
The agency’s media release, dated 9 October, says the money has gone to “emerging and established NSW developers and game makers, supporting 24 games across the three programs”. Those are the Digital Games Seed Development Program, the PAX Market Support Program and the Gamescom 2026 Travel Support Program.
The seed program, which launched in March 2024, gives grants of up to A$30,000 to games in early development, and Screen NSW says 14 games have been supported in 2026. They include Lightspeed Outlaw from Six Shot Games, about a space outlaw “using glimpses of the future to outwit enemies”, and Bird House from Chaos Theory Games, where you build an Australian bird reserve and hire “eccentric birders”. There’s also Cow Chess from LABLAB Interactive, which the release describes as a “chaotic competitive arena” game.
The PAX money is the part you can see this weekend. For the second year running, Screen NSW has a dedicated section in the PAX Rising showcase at PAX Aus, which runs 9 to 11 October in Melbourne, and the PAX Market Support Program gives 10 NSW-based independent developers the chance to show their games there. Our guide to the indie halls has the rest of the show.
SweatyChair’s No Humanity – Internship turns up in all three programs — the seed list names the studio, and Brian Zou of SweatyChair is named for both the Gamescom and PAX support. Its Steam page lists a December 2026 release. KING OUT, a chess-boxing game from SaltyPep Games, is on both the seed and PAX lists.
Four developers were also backed to travel to Gamescom in August. Screen NSW has now set up a combined Screen and Digital Games Travel Fund that’s open year-round, with Melbourne International Games Week, BitSummit, the Games Developer Conference and Gamescom (from 2027) listed as eligible destinations.
Executive Director Kylie Munnich said NSW is “home to some of the most exciting talent in game development and this funding delivered through Screen NSW helps them take their ideas further, both at home and around the world.” PAX Australia’s Lauren Luciani said “Independent developers are a cornerstone of PAX Aus”.
Seed grants like these fund games before they ship. We looked at the federal side of that in our explainer on Screen Australia’s games money. The release doesn’t give per-game amounts, only the A$30,000 ceiling for seed grants and the A$448,535 total.
Source: Screen NSW – Funding boost unlocked for NSW game developers, Steam – No Humanity – Internship, Steam – KING OUT