9 Dots and thatgamecompany vets launch Astra Fund to support "thinking games"

gamedeveloper.com:

Fledging financier Astra Fund has invested in six projects including an unannounced title from Zach Gage and Orta Therox and a new studio founded by Nick Suttner (Carto), David Hellman (Braid) and Nico Ricabarren (Ethereal) called Furniture & Mattress.

Astra is being pitched as a philanthropic fund for "games that make you think," and is led by former thatgamecompany producer Eileen Hollinger and 9 Dots president Josh Taylor.

The venture was established with a mission to support and promote the creation of thinking games, which it describes as "puzzle, strategy and genre-bending games that challenge players and spark genuine curiosity." Astra points to titles like Baba is You and The Gardens Between as projects it would have funded.

Astra provides project financing and self-publishing support, and has also been offering year-long patron grants to eight individual "fellows" to support their work.

Fellows will receive $45,000 to "hone their craft and develop new ideas." Larger project financing options including investments ranging from $150,000 to $1 million, offered alongside revenue share agreements for smaller teams, are also being made available.

Speaking to Game Developer about Astra, co-founder Josh Taylor said its fellows would usually be developers who are early-career or attempting to transition into full-time development from another industry.

"Our goal is to support fellows in becoming better thinking game designers and in creating commercially viable games," added Taylor.

Taylor and fellow co-founder Hollinger explained the fellowship initiative has been constructed around three pillars: inspiration, improvement, and community. Those selected for the program will be able to access a guest speaker series that