Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant 2026
Five grants of $15,000 USD and a year of mentorship for puzzle game developers from groups with low representation in the games industry. Applications close on September 27, 2026.
Draknek & Friends is running the New Voices Puzzle Grant again in 2026. The program offers 5 grants of $15,000 USD each. Each recipient also gets a year of mentorship with experienced puzzle game designers, developers and publishers.
The grant is for puzzle games under active development with a playable prototype. It targets early career or little known developers who identify with a group that has low representation in the games industry. The organizer lists examples such as disabled or neurodiverse people, people from non Western countries, women, people of color, refugees, Indigenous people, LGBTQIA+ people and people whose first language is not English. The list is not complete. There is no geographic restriction.
Applications go through a Google Form linked from the grant page. The deadline is Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 23:59 PST. Applications opened on August 14, 2026.
According to the organizer, selections are made in December, and the cohort runs from January 2027 to December 2027.