iGi indie Game incubator 7th edition (2027)
iGi is a free incubator from Marvelous for indie game creators living in Japan, with mentoring and up to ¥500,000 in support. Apply by December 15, 2026.
The iGi indie Game incubator is a free incubation programme for indie game creators living in Japan. It is organised and run by Marvelous Inc., with Ludimus and Head-High handling daily operations and GameBCN as a partner. Applications for the 7th edition are now open.
Selected teams get mentor led lectures on development, production management and sales, one to one mentoring and weekly progress reports. They also take part in demo days for publishers, joint booths at games events in Japan and training on how to present a game in English. iGi says it works with a network of more than 100 publishers and over 25 mentors.
Participation costs nothing. Under the 7th edition terms, each team receives ¥300,000 at the end of May for event preparation and travel. Teams that attend all sessions and the chosen events and reach the development goal agreed with iGi receive a further ¥200,000. The team keeps all rights to its game. Marvelous gets a right of first negotiation on the title, but this does not oblige the team to sign with it.
To apply, the founder or core members must be 18 or older and Japanese speakers who live in Japan. The game needs a working demo or prototype, as a plan alone is not accepted. It must be planned for paid release on Steam (PC), it can be any genre, and the applicant must own the copyright alone. Development must not be outsourced and the game must not already have a publisher contract. Teams should be able to give about four hours a week to the programme.
Applications go through the online form until December 15, 2026 at 23:59 JST. Applicants can keep updating their build and videos until then. A document review is followed by an online interview, and the first results come between mid January and mid February 2027. Five teams are chosen for the programme, which runs from March to September 2027.
Quick answers
Do I give up the rights to my game?
No. The rights stay with the team and you are free to work with any publisher or to self publish. Marvelous gets a right of first negotiation on the title.
Can I keep working on my build after I apply?
Yes. You can keep updating your build and videos until the deadline.
Do I need to speak English?
No. English skills are not required, although the programme includes training on pitching in English.