Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has announced the launch of the So-Fu project, a unique accelerator program designed to support indie game developers. This initiative provides mentorship, financial assistance, and business connections to eligible applicants. To be considered for the program, applicants must be under 35 years old and have graduated junior high school by April 1, 2024.
The So-Fu project consists of a four-part game development program that includes attending lectures, developing project production plans, and presenting a final project around February 2025. Upon completion of the program, participants will have the opportunity to showcase their work to stakeholders in the game industry. Mentors for the So-Fu initiative include Tomoko Miya from Flamebair Games and Masashi Kimura from Room6 Inc.
Developer Takaaki Ichijo expressed his excitement about the program on social media, noting that it is the first government initiative in Japan specifically targeted at supporting indie game makers. Ichijo is also an executive member of Indie Game Incubator, which is collaborating with So-Fu to provide additional resources and support to participants. Japanese indie game developers have until April 26 to apply for the program.
