A team of graduates from the University of Northampton have secured five-figure government funding to continue developing their video game project, following their success in a competitive national games development programme.
The group – four of which completed degrees in Games Design, Games Art or Games Programming at the University of Northampton – took part in Tranzfuser, a UK-wide initiative designed to support emerging game studios before progressing to an intensive development residency in Dundee known as Dundev.
Entering as Mothlight Studio, the team’s journey culminated in securing £30,000 of funding, enabling them to continue working as an indie game studio for the next five months.
Tranzfuser brought together 21 teams from across the country, with only a select number advancing to the Dundee-based residency. While some teams received direct funding, others – like the team of Northampton graduates – earned their place through pitching and were invited to take part in a month-long collaborative development experience.
DunDev focuses on strengthening the entrepreneurial capabilities of highly promising, early-stage studios, while also providing dedicated time and space to move the needle on their games’ development. Drawing on expertise from across the UK Games Fund network, participating studios benefited from one-to-one sessions with experienced industry mentors, investors and professional development coaches, alongside group workshops and networking opportunities with engaged publishers and peers.
“It was a massive learning experience,” Mothlight Studio and UON graduate, Ben Green, said. “Making a game from start to finish is very difficult, and we didn’t really know what was needed until we actually reached the next stage.”
During their time in Dundee, the team lived and worked together, attending daily sessions with industry professionals and refining both their game and their business approach. Unlike earlier stages of the programme, the residency focused less on competition and more on collaboration, with teams sharing knowledge and supporting each other’s development.
The experience also helped the group grow as a studio. Despite being made up of mostly recent graduates, team members quickly adapted to professional roles and responsibilities.
“Everyone surprised me with how quickly they stepped into their roles,” Ben said. “It just happened naturally, where we all fell into place.
“The industry experiences we gained at University definitely went a long way in preparing us for the programme, but the work needed to achieve success through this process was massive and took real dedication from the whole team.”
Throughout the Tranzfuser and Dundev programmes, Mothlight Studio designed and developed their game ‘Showrunners,’ a fast paced, single player, speed running platformer focused on building up and maintaining high speeds, performing tricks and mastering the use of movement to achieve the fastest time and greatest score.
The game itself is now nearing completion, with a playable demo expected to be released in the coming weeks, marking a major milestone after months of continuous development and refinement.
“It’s just been constant polishing,” Ben goes on to explain. “Now it’s about getting the demo out, finishing the game, and seeing how players respond.”
Securing funding came as both a relief and a turning point for the team, who admitted to feeling uncertainty throughout the process.
“We didn’t want to be cocky, as we knew we could still mess it up,” they said. “After receiving the funding, it felt like a weight off our shoulders – but now the real work begins.”
Looking ahead, the team plans to use the experience as a foundation for future projects. Once their current game is released, they intend to move quickly into developing a new title, applying the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Key among those lessons is the importance of structure and discipline—particularly in avoiding “feature creep,” where projects grow beyond their original scope.
“We’ve learned to set deadlines and stick to them,” Ben added. “Otherwise, it’s easy to slip into a never-ending cycle of just adding more and more.”
The University’s Senior Lecturer in Games Design, Vikaas Mistry, congratulated the team on their success so far.
“Here at UON, we’re incredibly proud of the success our graduates have already achieved with Mothlight Studio – it’s fantastic to see their hard work paying off.
“We can’t wait to see what the journey ahead brings for them as an emerging studio, and we’re looking forward to introducing this year’s candidates for Tranzfuser from the University’s Hub.”
The success of Mothlight Studio highlights the growing opportunities available to UK graduates entering the games industry, and demonstrates how emerging talent from the University of Northampton’s local gaming scene is making its mark on the national stage.