Where Indie Games Take Off
Most indie games die in development, not from lack of talent, but from lack of structure. Ludo Launchpad changes that.
Applications open at PGDX, July 24–26, 2026. Cohort 1 starts September 2026.
Co-hosted with GDAP · 14-Week Program · 3 Tracks · September 2026 · Philippines
What You'll Learn in 14 Weeks
One cohort. Three tracks. Every week builds toward a game that can compete commercially.
Tracks
Validate
You have a rough prototype or concept and need to prove the idea before going further.
Pre-Production
You have a demo and are working toward a publisher pitch, investor pitch, or crowdfunding campaign.
Pre-Launch
Your game is in active development and not yet live.
All three tracks attend the same sessions with varying objectives and deliverables based on your project's status.
Curriculum
Learn about the foundational principles of Ludo Launchpad that will guide you through the next 14 weeks.
Why making a game and publishing a game are two completely different jobs — and why you need to do both as an indie game developer.
How to define your player not by demographics, but by behavior, taste, and identity. And how to find the exact communities where they already live.
How to read your market: the underserved fantasy your game fills, the competitors that miss it, and the language your player already uses to describe what they want.
Every major game revenue model; and the specific conditions that make each one viable or a trap for your specific game.
How to present yourself and your game: the difference between a pitch that gets remembered and one that gets politely forgotten.
A panel of mentors, partners, and industry guests evaluates your pitch and your game's commercial path. You receive direct feedback on your concept, your market, and your readiness.
The legal realities specific to game development: IP ownership, publishing contracts, freelancer agreements, and the business entity you must form before you can publish anywhere.
Why your launch audience must exist before launch day — and how to create systems to establish your foothold without a marketing budget.
How to build what retains players and cut what doesn't: validation tools that test features before you commit more time and resources to them.
A panel composed of game publishers evaluates your full pitch, your commercial strategy, and your team's readiness. You receive the kind of feedback publishers actually give — direct and unfiltered.
Why vulnerability marketing outperforms polished announcements — and how to turn your most engaged followers into advocates who recruit for you.
The difference between growth campaigns (one-time spikes) and growth loops (compounding momentum) — and the systems to help you build the latter.
The full landscape of funding paths — publishers, crowdfunding, and investors — and how to choose the right one for your game's specific stage and structure.
Demo pitches and graduation. An honest conversation about goals and objectives, and how and where to get support after the program has ended.
When You Graduate
Graduation is binary. To graduate, by Week 13 your team must have either a live commercial page for your game, or 500+ wishlists with a confirmed launch date. Teams that don't meet the bar owe nothing.
Access to the Ludo Launchpad partner deals directory — tools, credits, and discounts from every confirmed program partner
Access to the mentor directory with structured pathways to ongoing office hours
A channel to promote studio news through Ludo Launchpad's media partners
Priority access to future programs and cohort events as the ecosystem grows
Participants who don't graduate can re-enroll in any future cohort at no additional cost.
This Program Is for You If
You have a game. You have the skills to build it. What you don't have yet is a commercial strategy and a room full of people who'll hold you accountable to one.
You've been building in silence.
You've been working on your game for months — maybe longer. You believe in it. But you haven't shown it to anyone, haven't built a community around it, and you're not sure how to turn what you have into something people will actually pay for. You're ready to stop building in stealth.
You have a demo. You're not sure what to do with it.
You've built something real. You've shown it at a jam or shared it with friends. The feedback is positive. But you don't know how to get in front of publishers, how to run a crowdfunding campaign that doesn't embarrass you, or whether your game is actually positioned for the market you think it's for.
You've launched before — and it didn't land.
You shipped something. It didn't find its audience. You're not sure if the problem was the game, the marketing, the timing, or all three. You're working on something new and you need a structured process so the same thing doesn't happen twice.
This program is for serious developers. Not beginners learning to code, and not large studios with publishing deals already in hand. If you have a game you believe in and a real intention to release it commercially, this program was built for the stage you're at right now.
- A game concept, prototype, or build you're actively working on
- Genuine intent to release commercially — not as a hobby or portfolio piece
- Ability to commit to 14 weeks: weekly live sessions, weekly deliverables, and consistent playtesting
- At least one person fully committed to the game
You don't have to be based in the Philippines. Cohort 1 is open globally. Sessions are held online. All you need is the game and the commitment.
Built With Support From
Every cohort team gets access to tools, credits, and discounts from our confirmed program partners.
Want to support the next generation of indie game developers?
We're building a partner network of tools, platforms, and services that game dev teams actually use. If that's you, we'd love to hear from you.
Become a Partner →The People Running This Program
Between us, we've shipped over 200 games, managed publishing for studios across the industry, and sat on both sides of the table.
Ludo Launchpad's first cohort is co-hosted by the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, the national body representing the Philippine game development industry to provide participants with mentors, networks, and exclusive industry access.
Expanding to Southeast Asia Soon
The Philippines isn't the only place where talented game developers are building without the business infrastructure to compete commercially. It's just where we're starting.
Cohort 1 is open to developers from anywhere in the world — including across Southeast Asia. And as Ludo Launchpad grows, our plan is to bring locally-led cohorts to game development communities across the region, run by people who know their local industry the way we know ours.
If you're building games in Southeast Asia and looking for the structure and accountability that makes the difference between a game that ships and one that doesn't, this cohort was built for you too.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question isn't here, email us at info@ludolaunchpad.com
About the Program
Eligibility
Cost and Commitment
The Royalty Agreement
The Progress Reviews
Ready to Build a Game That Competes?
Applications open at PGDX, July 24–26, 2026. Cohort 1 starts September 2026.
Co-hosted with GDAP · PHP 25,000 / team · 14 weeks · Open globally