Digital Games

NYCEDC is committed to making New York City a global digital gaming hub.
Young, black video game designer in company studio, working at her desk computer, drawing new sketches.

Discover the innovative and growing digital game design ecosystem in New York City.

New York City has a growing digital games industry and a world-class creative sector to cultivate inspiration, talent, and expertise. NYCEDC, together with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), develop local events and support game developers to build and grow their digital games studios.

In 2021, MOME published an economic impact report that identified an opportunity for NYC’s cultural and creative industries to augment this exciting growing industry. With a rich history and strong network of film and television, music, fashion, and tech leaders residing, working, and succeeding in New York City, NYCEDC sees an exciting opportunity to grow the digital games industry.

Growing the Digital Games Industry in NYC

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9
Person sitting on a couch, holding a video game controller. They are wearing a sweater and jeans. The room is dimly lit with colorful lights, and there are soft pillows and a small table with plants in the foreground.
By The Numbers
380

Digital gaming firms in NYC (+57 from 2020)

Two people are seated, wearing headsets and gaming. The individual in the foreground is smiling and holding a controller. A large screen behind them displays team names and scores. The atmosphere appears lively and competitive.
By The Numbers
$2.6B

Total annual economic impact (+600M from 2020)

A person stands near a screen displaying vibrant digital art, presenting to a group seated at a table in a modern, well-lit office space. A poster titled Morpheus is visible on the left. The atmosphere is creative and collaborative.
By The Numbers
7,900

Total jobs (+300 from 2020)

A person types on a backlit keyboard in a dimly lit room, with a computer monitor and a glowing mouse visible on the desk. The scene suggests focused computer work or gaming.
By The Numbers
65%

Share of small indie firms making up the NYC gaming industry

Three young adults in a modern office interact with virtual reality headsets; one wears a headset, while the other two examine another headset and a tablet. Sticky notes and coffee cups are visible on the desk.
Person sitting on a couch, holding a video game controller. They are wearing a sweater and jeans. The room is dimly lit with colorful lights, and there are soft pillows and a small table with plants in the foreground.
By The Numbers
$2.6B

Total annual economic impact (+600M from 2020)

A person types on a backlit keyboard in a dimly lit room, with a computer monitor and a glowing mouse visible on the desk. The scene suggests focused computer work or gaming.
By The Numbers
380

Digital gaming firms in NYC (+57 from 2020)

A person stands near a screen displaying vibrant digital art, presenting to a group seated at a table in a modern, well-lit office space. A poster titled Morpheus is visible on the left. The atmosphere is creative and collaborative.
By The Numbers
65%

Share of small indie firms making up the NYC gaming industry

Two people are seated, wearing headsets and gaming. The individual in the foreground is smiling and holding a controller. A large screen behind them displays team names and scores. The atmosphere appears lively and competitive.
By The Numbers
7,900

Total jobs (+300 from 2020)

Three young adults in a modern office interact with virtual reality headsets; one wears a headset, while the other two examine another headset and a tablet. Sticky notes and coffee cups are visible on the desk.

NYC Game Design Future Lab

NYCEDC and NYU Tandon are partners on a new Digital Game Design Incubator to establish NYC as a hub for digital game development and production. The Game Design Future Lab (GDFL) enables developer success through personalized and strategic mentorship, industry-specific and fundamental business workshops, investor outreach, access to new technologies, and network building. This one-year in-person program is designed to help digital gaming startups reach their goals by providing desk space, in-person staff support, academic and industry mentorship, networking opportunities, investor guidance, tailored workshops, and office hours. The first year's cohort consists of six game companies that represent diverse business models and stages of development.

Inaugural Cohort Companies:

  • CYBRLICH Studios – Building CYBRLICH and the Death Cult of Labor, a narrative-driven, hand-animated first-person shooter offering a fresh take on genre classics
  • Made in Brooklyn Games – Creators of the hit VR game Don't Look Away, building rich experiences with emerging technology and social commentary
  • Munity Games – A cooperative studio creating Shootlanzer, an arcade shoot-em-up game
  • Pahdo Labs – Developers of the recently released Starlight: Re:Volver, a social world built around anime-inspired IP
  • Remixing Reality – Building a no-code platform for creating and deploying AR experiences across any AR device
  • Sapient Technology – Developing scalable GenAI tools integrated within Unreal Engine to streamline game development workflows

Makegames.nyc

A one-stop-shop focused on accelerating innovation and strengthening collaboration among NYC’s digital games community, Makegames.nyc provides NYC’s digital games industry access to information and resources to support their operations and growth. Publicly accessible to all, the digital gaming hub aggregates up-to-date submissions for industry events, facilities, communities, and careers openings. Explore and share your opportunities at Makegames.nyc.

Assets

A large, light-colored building with arched walkways and many windows stands under a blue sky. In the foreground, there are trees, a bicycle parked at a rack, and a paved walkway.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Army Terminal
Red brick industrial buildings sit beside a river, surrounded by trees and rocks along the water’s edge. The sky is partly cloudy, and the area appears calm and well-maintained.
Brooklyn
MADE Bush Terminal
Street view photo of Civic Hall at Union Square. A glass office building with reflections of another tall building on its facade, with traffic lights and crosswalks visible.
Manhattan
Civic Hall - The Bernard Goldstein Center
Completed

RFPs

An image of Manhattan looking east toward the Chrystler Building in midtown.
Manhattan Commercial Revitalization (M-CORE)

Access to Funding & Incentives

A person uses an adaptive game controller, playing a video game with a blue starfish on screen. Another person sits nearby at a white table, with cables and a drink visible.
NYC Game Design Future Lab
Talent Programs
NY Ventures Pre-Seed and Seed Matching Fund Program
A man in a blue shirt stands behind a counter in a small shop at Essex Market, handing an item to a customer in a plaid shirt and blue cap. The shop is filled with various goods and bright yellow bottles. Another customer stands nearby. Photo by Kreg Holt.
Accelerated Sales Tax Exemption Program
Person wearing a protective mask and gloves is welding metal in a dimly lit workshop, Makerspace. Sparks fly from the welding torch, illuminating nearby metal pipes and equipment. Photo Courtesy of Futureworks.
NYCIDA Industrial Program

Learn More

Learn more about NYCEDC’s work in building the world’s best venture ecosystem in NYC.

Visit: Venture for NYC

Learn more about NYCEDC’s initiatives to enrich New York City’s tech ecosystem.

Visit: Emerging Tech

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