Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has announced the launch of the So-Fu project, a new accelerator program aimed at indie game developers. This initiative offers mentorship, financial support and networking opportunities to selected applicants. To be eligible for the So-Fu program, applicants must be under 35 years old and have completed junior high school by April 1, 2024.
The So-Fu program is a four-part comprehensive game development program that involves attending lectures, creating project production plans and delivering a final presentation around February 2025. At the conclusion of the program, developers will have the opportunity to showcase their work to industry stakeholders.
Notable mentors involved in the So-Fu project include Tomoko Miya from Flamebair Games and Masashi Kimura, representative director of Room6 Inc. Developer Takaaki Ichijo highlighted on social media that this accelerator program is the first of its kind from the Japanese government to support indie game creators. Ichijo, who is also an executive member of Indie Game Incubator, is collaborating with the So-Fu initiative.
Indie game developers in Japan have until April 26 to apply for the So-Fu program. If you’re an indie developer looking for mentorship, funding and industry connections, this accelerator program may just be what you need.
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