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SAFC powers-up South Australia’s video games sector with $500,000 funding for 11 projects and new industry advisory group

25 May 2026

South Australia’s video game development sector is powering up, with new South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) funding and a dedicated expert advisory group set to drive growth in the industry.

Eleven South Australian game studios have been selected to share in $500,000 to further development of their video game projects through the SAFC’s new Digital Games Fund, designed to boost the development of original, innovative video games in the state, help local game development studios to grow their businesses, and increase the number of South Australian video games in the global marketplace.

Launched in October 2025, the pilot program received over 50 applications, reflecting the depth of South Australia’s game development sector. The 11 selected projects showcase a range of genres and styles, from an arcade-style Aussie rules football game with an absurd twist, to farming and cooking simulators set on alien planets, and a charming point-and-click adventure game where you play as a troll trapped in a witch’s house.

Eight of the 11 selected studios have been previously spotlighted at the SAFC’s SAGE: SA Game Exhibition, including four SAGE Award winners, highlighting the annual event’s growing impact as a launchpad for investment-ready South Australian projects.

The selected recipients also reflect the growing diversity in the industry, with three female-led games amongst the funded projects.

The selected developers and their projects are:

• The Troll & the Witch’s House by Little Bandit – solo developer Ditte Wad-Andersen
  A fun point-and-click adventure and puzzle game where you play as a troll trapped in a strange house filled with mysteries. Winner SAGE Best in Exhibition 2026.
  
  
• Yakshini Lokam by Soft Magnets – lead developer Orlando Mee
  A whimsical turn-based action-adventure where you play as a family of four magically transported from Hyderabad, India to battle against a kingdom of magical creatures.
  
  
• Life, Death and Ramen by We Made a Thing Studios – lead developers Jeremy Kelly-Bakker and Tom Phillips
  You and your helpers, the Ramenlings, run a ramen truck on an alien planet, cooking by day and avoiding monsters by night.
  
  
• Pro Jank Footy by Powerbomb Games – lead developers David Ashby and Tyler Roach
  A fun Australian rules football game fusing action-packed retro arcade-style gameplay with absurd Aussie humour. Winner SAGE Best in Exhibition 2025.
  
  
• TOYA. by The RnD Department – lead developers Rupert McPharlin and Daniel D’Cruz
  A minimalist puzzle game where you guide a colourful cube through an evolving abstract landscape, with music from former Cirque du Soleil musician Chris Norton. Winner SAGE Elevate Award 2025.
  
  
• Pipsqueak! by Pond Games – lead developer Daniel Freer
  A 2D action platformer starring Tofu, a tiny mouse exploring a strange and hostile world.
  
  
• Delphinium by Cinnadev – lead developer Heidi Borge
  A story-driven farming simulator in which cultivating connections with those around you matters just as much as growing your crops.
  
  
• One Pop Planet by Mauii Makes Games – solo developer Lyndon Cullen-Reid
  Match the pieces as they fall in this fun puzzle game.
  
  
• End of Ember by Bad Plan Studios – lead developers Chad Habel and Daniel McGuiness
  Kill demons and fight weird and gross bosses in this totally unhinged game that pays homage to horror movie franchises.
  
  
• Photo Roboto by Monomyth Games – lead developers Quincy Geary and Tristram Geary
  Use your Timewarp Camera to help Peppino the Roboto run his photography business, explore the island of Pallacanezza, and solve the Mysterious Curse!
  
  
• Peppermint by Cowboy Fish – solo developer Samara Kelly
  Play as Pepper Mint as she battles her way through a melting candy world in this cute, sweet and macabre action-adventure game.

SAFC welcomes new Games Industry Advisory Group

As part of its raft of support for the sector, the SAFC is also pleased to announce the members of its new Games Industry Advisory Group (GIAG), which will provide strategic direction and guidance across the agency’s suite of games programs and initiatives:

• Arthur Ah Chee – Founder, Cerulean Creative Studios
• Onnie Chan – Founder, Women in Creative Tech and Dream Divers Interactive
• Kim Forrest – Head of Studio, Tantalus South
• Chad Habel – Production Manager, Bad Plan Studios
• Ben Kirchner – Business Investment Advisor, AEDA
• Cam Rogers – Principal, Cam Rogers Legal

Minister for Arts The Hon Kyam Maher MLC said: “South Australia is a true hub of innovation, and these video game developers and studios reflect some of the best of what the state has to offer in this sector. With latest figures showing Australians spend more than $3.8 billion on video games each year, the Malinauskas Government is proud to support our local developers to take a bigger slice of this growing, global industry.”

SAFC Head of Production Leanne Saunders said: “We are delighted to announce the biggest single tranche of funding for games in the SAFC’s history, with $500,000 to boost the development of 11 original, innovative South Australian video games, many of which have already connected with South Australian audiences at the SAFC’s SAGE: SA Game Exhibition. 

“We also welcome the members of our inaugural Games Industry Advisory Group, and look forward to working with them as we continue to grow and evolve our suite of programs and initiatives supporting the local game development sector.”

Find out more about how the SAFC supports video game development at safilm.com.au/games