The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) has announced a significant increase to its Digital Games Fund (DGF), raising the total pool of money available to developers to a full $1 million. This move marks the most substantial single‑year investment the state government has ever made in the video‑game sector, effectively doubling the amount that was allocated in the program’s inaugural round last October.
During that first round, the SAFC distributed $500,000 across eleven independent studios, providing seed capital that helped a number of projects move from concept to playable prototype. Building on that early success, the 2024 fund is structured to support a broader range of activities and to reach a larger number of creators.
The DGF now comprises three separate funding streams, each designed to address a specific stage of the development pipeline. The first stream is aimed at early‑stage work such as pre‑production, prototype creation, proof‑of‑concept studies, initial design work and market validation. Grants in this category can be as high as $30,000, giving fledgling teams the financial breathing room they need to test ideas, build core mechanics and assess whether a concept has commercial potential before committing larger sums of money.
The second stream targets the production phase, when a game moves from prototype to a near‑finished product ready for launch. For projects that have secured a clear design direction and are ready to scale up development, the DGF can provide up to $150,000. This larger award is intended to cover costs such as full‑time staff salaries, art and audio assets, licensing fees and other expenses that arise as a title approaches market readiness.
The third and final stream focuses on post‑release activities. After a game has launched, developers often need support for localisation into additional languages, porting to new platforms, marketing pushes, or post‑launch content updates. The DGF offers up to $50,000 for these kinds of efforts, helping South Australian studios extend the lifespan of their titles and reach audiences beyond the domestic market.
In addition to the expanded fund, the SAFC is rolling out a new Game Studio Placement Program. This initiative is designed to create paid internship‑style positions for early‑ and mid‑career talent who wish to gain hands‑on experience within local studios. Eligible applicants can receive subsidies for salary and superannuation for placements lasting either six or twelve months on a full‑time basis.
By easing the financial burden on studios, the program aims to grow team sizes and provide a clear career pathway for the next generation of Australian game developers. Applications for the Digital Games Fund open on Wednesday, 21 October, and the placement program is slated to launch later in the year.
Both schemes are part of a broader strategy to nurture home‑grown talent, encourage the creation of original intellectual property, and increase the global visibility of games made in South Australia. The DGF was originally conceived to stimulate the development of uniquely Australian games, to help studios expand their operations, and to boost the number of titles that achieve international distribution. The pilot round attracted more than 50 applications, demonstrating strong demand for government‑backed support. Several of the projects funded in that first round have already achieved notable milestones.
Powerbomb Games and Tinkertown’s "Pro Jank Footy" climbed to the top of the Nintendo Switch charts, while Bad Plan Studios secured a publishing agreement with Thailand‑based Rising Tide Publishing for their title "End of Ember." Additionally, Little Bandit’s "The Troll & The Witch’s House" and Cowboy Fish’s "Peppermint" were selected for exhibition at PAX Australia, showcasing the creative breadth of South Australian developers. SAFC officials highlighted that the DGF and the new placement scheme act as stepping stones toward the existing SA Video Game Development (VGD) Rebate. The rebate offers a 10 % cash back on eligible expenses for larger projects that spend at least $250,000 within the state, effectively providing a financial safety net for more ambitious productions.
Since its launch in 2020, the VGD Rebate has supported the creation of over 40 games, underscoring the state’s commitment to building a sustainable game‑development ecosystem. Acting CEO of the SAFC, Leanne Saunders, expressed enthusiasm for the expanded program, stating, "We are delighted to double down on our support for South Australia's video‑game sector with a second round of our DGF, offering twice the funding opportunities for local developers and studios to bring their new and innovative games to life." She added that the Game Studio Placement Program represents an investment not only in studios but also in the people who will drive the industry forward, providing emerging developers with a platform to launch their careers. The announcement comes at a time when the Australian game‑development landscape is experiencing a resurgence after a period of contraction. Earlier this year, GamesIndustry.biz conducted a series of interviews with Australian developers and industry leaders, exploring the challenges and opportunities that have shaped the sector’s recent revival.
The expanded Digital Games Fund and the complementary placement program are seen as concrete steps that can translate that optimism into tangible growth, ensuring that South Australia remains a vibrant hub for creative, technically sophisticated, and globally competitive games. Overall, the $1 million Digital Games Fund, together with the new placement initiative, signals a robust public‑private partnership aimed at fostering innovation, expanding the talent pipeline, and positioning South Australian games on the world stage. By providing targeted financial assistance at every stage of a game's life cycle—from early concept through post‑launch support—the SAFC hopes to catalyse a new wave of original titles that will enrich both the local economy and the global gaming community.