Czech Incubator Gamebaze Brings Its Associated Studios and Developers to Gamescom 2026

Teams from the Brno Region are heading to Gamescom, representing a thriving European centre for game development.

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC, August 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gamebaze, the Czech Republic’s first game incubator, is heading to Gamescom 2026 in Cologne with a line-up of studios and developers it has helped grow. Together, they confirm the Brno Region as a thriving game-development hub – from the occult detective adventure Inkblood, signed by publisher Critical Reflex, to the near-release psychological horror Dreadline Express, the original narrative adventure Hubert, and Manabies, an edu-game heading into early access in September.

“Brno has grown into one of the most exciting places in Central Europe to build a game. The teams travelling to Cologne are proof of that – each of them has gone from an idea to a Gamescom-ready project with genuinely original ambition,” says Oto Schultz, Project Developer at Gamebaze.

At Gamescom, talented developers, publishers or media representatives can reach Oto Schultz and Lída Kulhavá from Gamebaze as well as Markéta Filipenská, head of the Future Founders team at JIC, the innovation agency that established the incubator in co-operation with regional Game Cluster and GameDev Area. They bring together a community of more than 1,000 developers, who meet regularly at meetups and events anchored by the annual Game Access, the region’s flagship gathering. All of this puts the Brno Region on the map among Europe’s game-development regions.

The team will be present around the Czech Pavilion, Hall 4.1 booth A020g, Koelnmesse as they are part of business mission of the Czech Ministry of Industry. They can make introductions to the game projects:

Brocap Studio: Hubert

Brocap Studio arrives in Cologne with Hubert, a narrative adventure in which players step into the paws of a loyal shepherd dog. Blending authentic herding mechanics, exploration and emotional storytelling, it offers a perspective rarely seen in games.

The independent, four-person studio combines original development with co-development on titles including Mafia: The Old Country, Last Train Home, Expeditions: Samurai and Crime Boss: Rockay City. Hubert is its most ambitious original project to date.

The team will be at the Czech Pavilion in the Business Area throughout the show, looking to introduce Hubert to new audiences, explore publisher and platform relationships, and discuss collaboration from co-development and animation to motion capture, cinematics and gameplay programming. The Brocap team would be glad to meet, show you Hubert, discuss potential collaborations, or simply talk game development.

David Konečný: Dreadline Express

At the Czech Pavilion, solo developer David Konečný's debut title, Dreadline Express, will be playable. This psychological horror "metroidbrainia", set aboard the last human train, is now heading towards release while David is already weighing what comes next. It arrives with a strong track record, having won two awards at Game Access and one at Game Developers Session.

It's a rare chance to go hands-on with the game as it nears release and get a look under the hood, including some exclusive details. Cologne is also a chance for David to build new industry contacts.

Hey Bird!: Inkblood

Studio Hey Bird! will be based at the Indie Arena booth, bringing Inkblood to Gamescom. It is a hand-drawn occult detective adventure in which players take on the role of an Inquisitor unravelling a series of mysterious cases tied to dark, occult forces. It pairs an atmospheric horror mood with escape-room-style puzzles and non-linear, deduction-driven investigation, and has already been signed by international indie publisher Critical Reflex.

Behind the studio are Petr Škorňok and Petr Melicherík – previously known for the acclaimed Ministry of Broadcast – together with Natalie Konečná. At Gamescom, their focus is networking and strengthening relationships with business partners.

Veska Games: Manabies

Veska Games brings Manabies, an action-adventure game that builds real maths skills. Players discover magical creatures, build a flying base and set off on expeditions, practising maths naturally along the way – the combat system is uniquely built around using mathematics, and the result is that children voluntarily solve more than 1,000 problems a week in Manabies.

The Czech studio was founded by Jakub Douček (CGE Digital – Codenames, Through the Ages, Galaxy Trucker) and Jakub Stránský (Techambition.com), with a focus on games that are above all fun while delivering measurable educational value.

Manabies will be shown at the Czech Pavilion throughout the B2B part of the fair, as the team looks to introduce the game to international partners and connect with media and potential partners in education and distribution. Manabies launches into early access in September.

Leveland Studios

Interested in First person experiences? Martin Stašš from Leveland Studios will be around meeting potential business partners for their upcoming FPS social-spy non-linear RPG. Feel free to catch him during event, via official meeting apps.

Together, these projects show how far the Brno Region has come as a place to start and grow a game studio – and Gamebaze intends to keep that pipeline running. Publishers, platforms, investors, and distribution or education partners, as well as journalists looking for the next Czech breakout, are all warmly invited to meet the teams in Cologne during August 26-30.

Jana Pokorná
JIC
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