Coffee Talk Developer Opens Fund for Southeast Asian Indie Games

Toge Productions, the Indonesia-based developer/publisher of indie games like Coffee Talk, Rising Hell, and A Space for the Unbound, is looking to pay things forward. It opened a new financing program called the “Toge Game Fund Initiative” (TGFI). It is for independent game developers based in Southeast Asia.

The announcement was delivered via Toge Productions’ official Twitter account:

Toge Productions
proudly presents

✨???? TOGE GAME FUND INITIATIVE ????✨

If you’re from Southeast Asia and you’re looking for a fund for your game project, submit your pitch deck to us and get up to 10K USD!

For more info
➡️ https://t.co/DRIqPRRBFZ#indiegame #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/7eGer0kfmK

— Toge Productions ???? Rising Hell OUT NOW! (@togeproductions) June 8, 2024

The fund invites Southeast Asia-based developers to pitch their game ideas to Toge Productions. Southeast Asia includes countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Brunei. Applicants selected could receive up to USD $10,000 in funding, as well as mentorship and other forms of assistance.

Based on the Toge Productions official page for the TGFI, the fund was inspired by an earlier era of game development in the region. Back in the day, small studios and individuals could qualify for sponsorships from companies to produce games, especially in Flash. With the assistance, the scene flourished. However, in part due to Flash no longer being widely supported, that era is over. The TGFI intends to replicate that dynamic “to help marginalized and underrepresented game developers of Southeast Asia turn their game ideas into reality.”

According to an FAQ on the same page, Toge Productions listed few strings attached to the TGFI. The fund is only for digital games. It is primarily focused on English-language productions (though in the event of a publishing deal localization support may be included). Lastly, Toge requires a participant to grant Right of First Refusal to publish the game once fully developed. Right of First Refusal essentially gives Toge the first opportunity to, if it so chooses, offer a (separately negotiated) publishing deal to the developer once the project is ready. If it backs out, the developer is then free to take the game and negotiate with other parties. Developers will continue to own IP developed with Toge’s assistance. The fund does not require collateral, incorporation, or even have a particular conditions for repayment.

Interested developers based in Southeast Asia can apply for the Toge Productions Toge Game Fund Initiative by registering with this form.