I love me some good thinky games! Check out the amazing Draknek New Voices Puzzlegrant recipients below!
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January 10th, 2025 | Six talented thinky puzzle game developers from around the world have been selected for the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant, receiving funding and mentorship to help bring their game projects to life.
About the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant
The Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant offers 6 recipients a grant of $15,000 USD each and a year’s one-on-one mentorship with some of the industry’s leading thinky puzzle game designers, developers and publishers. These grants are intended to support developers typically unsupported by the global games industry, including but not limited to developers from groups including where English is not a first language, people of colour, LGBTQIA, and disabled or neurodiverse.
The 2025 Cohort
The six winners of the 2025 cohort include:
Fahim Daysal (he/him) from Bangladesh, with Compress(space)
Compress(space) is a 2D + ||D puzzle game where you bend space to cheat your way through puzzles.
Stuti Verma (she/her) from India, with The Detective’s Apprentice
Website | Game Page | Trailer | Assets
The Detective’s Apprentice is a “howdunnit” detective game inspired by games like Return of the Obra Dinn, Case of the Golden Idol and Ace Attorney. You play as Cleo, a young apprentice to Maya Lynch, a world-renowned detective. Together, you two solve all kinds of crimes, from robberies to murders. To solve each case, you must recreate the crime by entering every action taken by the culprit.
The Pipapo Games team from Germany with Map Map – A Game About Maps
The team includes: Annika (she/her), Lukas (he/him), Laura (she/her), Clara (she/her)
Website | Game Page | Trailer | Assets
‘Map Map – A Game About Maps’ is a cozy puzzle exploration game with a unique cartography mechanic. You don’t just follow the map, you make it yourself. Explore the world without distractions by actively engaging with the game world and not just following quest markers. Explore the island, find locations and pinpoint them as accurately as possible onto your map.
The PawPaw Games team from China and Finland, with Kiko’s Apple Adventure
The team includes: Chao Cui (he/him), Xiyue Yang (she/her), Josef He (he/him)
Website | Game Page | Trailer | Assets
Kiko’s Apple Adventure is a Sokoban game about a curious bear who loves tasty apples. In it, you’ll have to move the target point in order to puzzle your way through each handcrafted level. Explore islands, move the finish line, and outsmart your enemies.
The Dead Teapot team from New Zealand, with Shape Sender Deluxe
The team includes: Tana Tanoi (he/him) Director, Poppy de Raad (they/them) Art Director, Finn Mitchell-Anyon (he/him) Audio Engineer, Saf Davidson (she/they) Narrative Designer
Website | Game Page | Trailer | Assets
Solve physics puzzles with magnets, springs, portals, fans, and more while your new best friend Sendy helps you along the way! But maybe keep an eye on him, he’s been acting a little … strange, lately.
The Petallix Games team from the USA and Canada, with Backtrace
The team includes: microAeris (she/they), DacuriBlue (they/them), LemonanaPink (she/her), E. L. Sonder (they/them)
Website | Social Media | Assets
Backtrace is a narrative puzzle game about retro computers featuring strong female characters. The player logs into their personal computer, only to be thrust into a whirlwind of internet espionage and unexpected friendships. You’ll simultaneously follow the story of an uninvited, sentient program squatting on your computer, and a rambunctious crew of hackers in the 80s. The puzzles are based on a 2D programming language offering ample challenge to ‘byte’ into. Players can engage with the game for its story, puzzles, or ideally, both!
Previous Winners
Previously successfully funded projects include successful and award winning thinky puzzle games including:
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows by Bunstack (France)
- Lost Twins II by Playdew (Pakistan)
- Shards Between Us by Queensguard Games (distributed team)
- On the Peril of Parrots by Spritewrench (Jamaica)
- ISLAND_NAME_HERE by Spicy Rice Cake Studio (USA)
- Konkan Coast Pirate Solutions by Samarth Hattangady (India)
- Hackshot by Mohammed Al Najjar (Middle East)
- AiliA by Icetoad Studio (USA)
- DokiToki: Time Slows Down When You’re In Love by Youssef Tobah (USA)
- Catacomb Creeper: Re-Vined Edition by Breogán Hackett (Ireland)
- Timeclone by Rowan Wood (USA)
- Cutting Edge by Ryo Kurama (Japan)
Sponsorship
This year’s Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant is supported by the following sponsors: Draknek (A Monster’s Expedition), Patrick Traynor (Patrick’s Parabox), ISOMETRICORP Games (Tunic), 3909 (Return of the Obra Dinn), No More Robots (Hypnospace Outlaw), Clever Endeavour Games (Ultimate Chicken Horse), Terry Cavanagh (Dicey Dungeons), and Swing Swing Submarine (Seasons after Fall).
The Draknek New Puzzle Voices Grant will be seeking sponsorship for the 2025/26 programme and beyond. Please contact grants@draknek.org if you’re interested in sponsoring the grants or want to offer any other type of support.
For More Information
Website: grants.draknek.org
Socials: Mastodon, Bluesky, Twitter
Email: grants@draknek.org
About Draknek & Friends
Founded in 2013, Draknek & Friends is a developer and publisher of lovingly crafted puzzle games including award-winning and beloved titles such as A Monster’s Expedition, Bonfire Peaks, Sokobond, A Good Snowman is Hard to Build, and Cosmic Express.
Committed to creating games that elevate the puzzle genre to new, unexplored heights, Draknek & Friends creates and publishes high quality, rewarding, and elegant puzzle games. For over a decade, they’ve been crafting bespoke, lovingly designed puzzle experiences that take a theme, mechanic, or ludicrous idea and push it to its natural conclusion.
Website: www.draknek.org
Email: hello@draknek.org
