Talking about video games, incubation and more in Indie GG Podcast

The good folks at Indie GG Podcast invited us to a talk that, as always, lasted longer than expected (that’s what talking about video games is!). During the interview, we talked about Level Up Game Dev Hub, the game project incubator we run, and how we try to help emerging studios bring their ideas to life without falling into the most common mistakes of indie development.

What is Level Up?

For those who don’t know us, Level Up was born in 2020 with the aim of promoting the training of professionals in the video game sector. Not only do we offer live online training, but we also have a pre-incubation program, an incubator and a physical space in Barcelona for testing and events. Our pre-incubation program has been key to many studies. We like to call it that because it’s not a classic incubator: here we help teams that haven’t even formed a company, who are still discovering their identity and who need to understand the business from the inside before launching into the market. Our goal is to prevent them from jumping in blindly and, instead of colliding with reality, they arrive prepared.

The importance of incubation

Over the years we have seen all kinds of equipment. Some arrive with very good ideas but without a clear plan, others have the talent but do not know how to organize themselves. What we do at Level Up is provide specialized mentorship with industry experts who have been through the same thing and who can guide them in key aspects: from design and production to the most “boring” but essential part, such as financial and legal management. One of the aspects that sets us apart the most is that the program is designed to adapt to each team. We do not follow a fixed script, but we adjust the mentoring and activities according to what each studio needs. In addition, we encourage networking a lot, because we know that in the video game industry, contacts are as important as talent.

What is the day-to-day life like in preincubation?

The program lasts nine months and includes project audits, group and individual mentoring, testing rounds and presentations to experts. We also work a lot on event preparation and marketing strategies, because going out on the market without a good strategy is almost suicide for an indie studio. A key point of preincubation is controlled pressure: teams have to meet objectives and face the reality of working with deadlines and clear expectations. For that we have people like Roger Montserrat, who serves as executive producer among other functions and is in charge of making sure that the teams keep up the pace and do not deviate from their goals.

Training with a practical approach

Another of the pillars of Level Up is training. We organize intensive bootcamps with teachers who work in the industry and who teach from their practical experience. Here we do not give eternal theoretical classes, but from the first day the students work on real projects so that at the end of the course they can demonstrate what they know how to do. It’s an approach that has worked very well and has helped many make the leap into the industry. During the podcast, we were surprised to have an alumnus of the advanced Unity bootcamp, Aythami Cabrera, who shared how his time in the program helped him improve his skills and get a job in a video game development company.

When is it time to show a game?

One of the topics we touched on in the interview was that of events and fairs. Many studios want to go out and show their game as soon as possible, but this can be a mistake if they have not prepared well. At Level Up we help teams decide when is the best time to present their project and what they need to have ready to make the experience truly useful. It is not enough to have a playable prototype; You have to know how to sell it, who to target and what to expect from each event. You also have to prepare for interaction with publishers, press and players. This is all part of the process and is something we work with each team to make their presentation have an impact.

The Future of Level Up

We are approaching the end of the year and that means that in January we will open the call for the fifth edition of our pre-incubation program. We’re also preparing new bootcamps for April with specialties in advanced Unity, 3D environments, and level design. Plus, we’re about to release our first proprietary game, The Lighthouse Horror, so 2025 promises to be a busy year. If you’re developing a game and want to give it a boost with professional help, keep an eye on our networks because we’ll be announcing more details about the next pre-incubation call soon. And if you want to improve your skills, bootcamps are a great way to specialize in a short time.

Conclusion

It was a pleasure to stop by Indie GG Podcast and share our experience with the community. If one thing was clear in the talk, it is that video game development is a path full of challenges, but with the right guidance and the necessary effort, great things can be achieved. See you at Level Up. We!