Frequently Asked Questions

What is a game village, and how does it differ from an incubator?

Mind Detonator is an initiative to complement the gaming industry, to broaden it and show the opportunities available in smaller towns where there are good chances for a good life with a high quality of life and low overheads, which provides the opportunity for focused game production with high quality.

More concretely: a Game Village is a physical community where you live for a year while having people with experience from the games industry who help out and become part of the team. As part of the deal, Mind Detonator also invests financially in your studio. 

An office in our Game Village is furnished and ready for you. At this office you also have support from our site manager, game producer and game designer as well as other teams in the same position as you.

And after your initial year with Mind Detonator, you are of course welcome to stay and remain a part of the Game Village!

What’s your offer?

• Investment
  • 1 150 000 sek, of which 400 000 sek is in liquid assets and an extra 750 000 sek in provided services
• Someone to take care of your finances/legal/sales
• Coaches who are active in the games industry
• A broad network of game contacts, both in and outside of Sweden
• Accommodations at a low cost.
• Office space is included

How does it work?

You apply, hopefully get accepted, and then come to work with us for a year, while receiving help, advice and peace of mind. You will get help with the production pipeline, experience and network along with sales and contracts. We also help your studio in a more concrete fashion with finances, coaching and support in various matters related to running a studio.

Who is behind Mind Detonator?

The main partners behind Mind Detonator are the Swedish game studio Arrowhead (Magica etc), the Grumpy and Old group (who run game educations and business development programs in the games industry) and local investors from the game village regions.

Who will be helping me during the year?

Link to the team.

Why Mind Detonator -what is your end goal?

We sprung out of the Swedish games industry and we love games. We also strongly believe that living and working away from the big cities is both good for the studios, the quality of life for the team members as well as the rural community. It is a good way of life, for both the studios and the region itself. Our end goal is to help start new game studios in Sweden and to expand the Swedish game industry.

Can you start a Game Village where I live?

Our plan is to launch even  more Game Villages but it is complex and hard work and takes years to achieve if the conditions are right. Unfortunately, this means that the answer is probably no.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you join the Mind Detonator Discord, you can ask your questions to both the staff members at Mind Detonator as well as members of the studios currently at Mind Detonator.

Can I apply/What are your Requirements?

Of course you can! Our regular team sizes are 1-5 people. If your team is larger than that, please contact us anyway so we can have a conversation. We also require you to be able to come live with us in one of our Game Villages for the duration of the program. Other than that, if we like your plans, we’ll approve your application.

Can I apply from abroad?

Yes! While the process is easiest for applicants from Nordic countries, we are open to applicants from the EU as well. We are looking to expand beyond these regions in the future.

What are you looking for in a team?

We are looking for teams that can form and create a studio that is aiming for a long term stay in the games industry. As a team you should have a functioning team dynamic and great ideas, plus the skills to actually make reality of their ideas.

What game ideas are you looking for?

We are not looking for that “One great game idea”. We are looking for studios and teams that can create more than one idea, more than one game and that are flexible and creative as a team. Most studios need a few games done before making their hit game, and therefore we want to invest in and support studios that can survive and prosper over a longer period of time. In short: we want a great team.

Do we need to have people for jobs like finance, administration etc?

We will help you in many areas where your current skills are not best fitted, this is among the services we include in our investment. Talk with us and we’ll see where we can support you!

Will there be feedback if the application is not approved?

Yes, we will give feedback to all applications!

How long does it take to get a reply?

It will vary with vacations and how many applications we get, but we will try to get back to you asap.

How long is the program?

One year. Still, there will be a life after the program and we will work with you and lift your game and studio long after the program has ended if needed.

One year is short, we can’t make our game in one year!??

Some games can be made within 12 months or less, but others are bigger than that in terms of production time. We are fully aware of that. Hence we will work with some teams to create a vertical slice of the game and with that meet publishers and investors to reach an agreement for development of the full game.

Do you have any open slots?

We sure do!

When can we/I start?

This can vary from team to team. In theory you could move in within 2 months, but this is something to be discussed individually with each team.

Is there a cost to join?

No, there is not a cost or fee to join the Mind Detonator game village. You’ll get access to offices with tables, chairs, meeting areas and whiteboards etc. You will need to bring your own computers however.

Do you take equity in the companies that join?

Yes 23% equity will be owned by MindDetonator. We will invest both money and time in your company. If you don’t already have a company, we will help you start your corporation.

Why 23%?

Minority owners (under 25%) can not have signatory power in the company. So this makes it very clear that we are investing, but you are leading the company. We think it is a fair number for what you get.

Will Mind Detonator invest in us if we are selected?

We invest 1 150 000 SEK. Of those, 400 000 SEK will be in liquid assets that you can use for salaries and travels etc. Then 750 000 SEK in provided services. Those services can be, help in getting your company up and running, starting a board, mentorship in various areas, producer support, methods and hands-on help in creating your game, marketing, sales, publisher deals, contract negotiations and further financing.

Do you charge for the office /studio space and homes?

For your first year with us while you are a part of the Mind Detonator program, this is all included. After this year however we charge a heavily subsidised sum. 

Do I need savings to be able to survive during my time in Mind detonator?

The offer is designed to help small teams have a decent standard of living during their year with us. You are the majority owner of your start-up and therefore you can decide on wages for your team up to a level. We have chosen our Game Village locations partly because they are cost effective places to stay, so you should be alright. 

Do we need to move?

Yes. We created the game village concept to help studios to live a good life and to be able to focus on making games. The money and the support for the first year is connected directly to the Game Village.

The whole idea is to have all the teams to form their studios in one place and join the local games industry community. That is why all the studio offices are in one house with spaces for  just hanging out and socialising as well. But you will be a majority owner in your start-up so if necessary, the team can be partly distributed if that is the best solution.

One of our teammates won’t be able to move, will that be alright?

Your start-up as well as your core team need to be listed in one of our Game Villages but of course the important thing is to get a great game and a great team. To have resources elsewhere that will help you reach that goal is therefore OK.

I have a pet, can it live with me?

If you live in one of our single rooms with shared communal spaces we need to have a discussion due to possible allergies etc. Otherwise it’s ok.

I have a family, can they come live with me?

Yes, they are very welcome.

What housing alternatives are there?

There are different types of housing alternatives. From a single room in a corridor with shared communal spaces, your own apartment, up to a house. You could share a house with the whole team perhaps, or if you want, there are also properties you could buy.

Can I/my company help sponsor this?

Drop us an e-mail at contact@minddetonator.com, and lets discuss our common ground!

We want to offer services to your members, can we reach them?

Please contact us and we’ll reach out to them with your offer:
contact@minddetonator.com

Will you attend events in/outside of Sweden, and can we meet?

Yes. Send us an e-mail and let´s talk. 🙂