Innovate Prague 
Czechia has already produced some of Europe’s best-known video games. Now Prague wants to make sure the next generation of studios has the talent, connections and know-how to follow.
The Prague Gaming Accelerator is launching its second year with a revamped approach designed to help early-stage game developers turn playable prototypes into viable projects – and potentially into new gaming studios and companies. The programme, run by Kreativní Praha on behalf of the City of Prague, has selected eight teams for its latest cohort. Instead of simply providing funding, the accelerator is putting a bigger emphasis on hands-on mentoring, workshops and industry expertise.
That shift comes directly from lessons learned during its first year. “From the feedback, we found that at the early stage, financial support did not have as much value for young developers as transferring knowledge and skills,” the organisers said.
The first edition, happening at Pražský Inovační Institut, distributed CZK 2 million to student developers, but also showed the limitations of simply putting money behind very early-stage projects. The second edition therefore drops direct financial support and replaces it with an intensive programme combining a joint training phase with 10 weeks of individual mentoring.
For the teams involved, that means access to people who have actually built games — including veterans from Warhorse Studios and international experts from Ubisoft.
From prototype to business
The accelerator is aimed at teams that have already taken the first step: building a playable prototype. This year’s selected projects range from a political simulation game to a cooperative title centred around a beaver camp. While the games themselves are very different, the teams face many of the same challenges familiar to early-stage startups: validating an idea, understanding their audience, building a realistic roadmap and learning how to pitch their product.
“Many talented people want to create games. The hardest part is often getting feedback, putting together a realistic plan and turning a prototype into a project that has a chance of succeeding,” said Prague councillor Tomáš Slabihoudek.
That is increasingly important in an industry where building a game can take years and require teams combining creative, technical and business skills. The programme therefore goes beyond game development itself. Participants can also work on their presentation and pitching skills, preparing them for conversations with publishers and potential investors.
“Selected applicants came with very different projects, and each of them needed to move something forward in a different way,” said Katarzyna Kouba Sanojca from Kreativní Praha. That makes the accelerator less of a traditional classroom programme and more of an early-stage support network for developers who already have something to show.
Czech gaming already punches above its weight
The push comes as Czechia’s gaming industry continues to build an international reputation. The country is home to globally recognised studios and franchises, including Warhorse Studios, SCS Software and games such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Arma and Euro Truck Simulator.
Yet the success of established studios has not automatically translated into a deep pipeline of new companies. Prague sees an opportunity to change that by helping more developers make the difficult jump from having a promising game idea to building an actual business around it.
“Games combine art, music, artificial intelligence and technology. It is an industry that has a greater impact on people’s lives than the film industry,” said Prague councillor for culture Tomáš Slabihoudek. He also joked that Prague needs to make sure Brno does not overtake it as the country’s gaming capital — a reference to the strong gaming tradition in the Moravian city, which has been behind titles including the Mafia franchise.
For Prague, however, the competition between cities is ultimately secondary to building a stronger Czech ecosystem overall.
A test case for the gaming ecosystem
The second edition of the accelerator is also an experiment for the city itself. Rather than treating public support as simply a way of distributing money, Prague is using the programme to test what early-stage developers actually need.
“The first year helped us better understand what early-stage teams really need. That’s why this year we are combining intensive group training with 10 weeks of individual mentoring,” said Daniel Mazur, Prague councillor for science, research and innovation.
For the city, the goal is bigger than helping eight individual games. The ambition is to create the conditions in which promising projects can grow into new studios, startups and companies — strengthening Prague’s position in one of the world’s most important creative and technology industries.
The accelerator’s participants will present the results of their work publicly on December 10, when the industry will get its first look at how far the eight projects have progressed. For Czech gaming, the bigger question is what happens after the accelerator ends: whether today’s prototypes can become tomorrow’s studios — and whether Prague can turn its existing gaming talent into a much deeper startup ecosystem.
Source: Startup Kitchen
