Armor Games Studios believes strongly that the world needs more diverse games and creators, and we want to do what we can to help as many as possible.
Armor Games Studios believes strongly that the world needs more diverse games and creators, and we want to do what we can to help as many as possible.
What is the Armor Games Studios Mentorship Program? This completely free program is designed to give help to underrepresented developers and their teams by offering tangible production support, guidance, and more to help navigate some of the most common challenges in video game development and production.
We are offering up to four yearly mentorship slots to individuals or teams. Mentees should have at least one project in active development, without an existing publishing relationship. For a period of one year, you’ll work closely with a mentor on our team who will answer questions and provide advice on best practices, production woes, and habits that will benefit you and your game in the long run.
The world needs more resources and programs available to uplift diverse games and creators. As a publisher, we have always strongly believed in the value of close, guided support with our teams. By expanding this practice, we hope to set more people up for success in the future. We also want to provide skills and knowledge that can help new leaders learn habits to take better care of themselves and their teams.
This mentorship program does not guarantee publishing offers, job placement or advancement, or project success.
For a period of one year, you receive:
Monthly Call - This one-hour digital call with your mentor is your space to touch base on what you’re working on, and discuss anything you need to. You might want to seek advice on a specific production challenge, or talk through upcoming goals and ideas. Bring a short list of what you want to talk about so you can cover what you need to!
Emergency Calls - These short fifteen-minute calls are limited to one per month, and should be reserved for when you need critical help or advice. Your mentor will do their best to accommodate you depending on how short the notice you provide is.
Weekly E-Mail - This is a way for you to keep in regular touch with your mentor, and provide updates or get quick questions answered. We ask that you reserve in-depth discussions and questions for your monthly calls so they can get the time they deserve!
Pitch Deck Review - When you’re ready, our team will evaluate your pitch deck and provide suggestions and advice on how to improve it and better position it for potential publishers. This could include highlighting or better positioning relevant information, pointing out missing materials, suggesting alternative visual materials, and so on.
Steam Page Review - If applicable, our team will evaluate your Steam page and provide suggestions and advice for improvement. This includes a review of your chosen tags, screenshots and GIFs, and the full body of the text, both for typos and errors, as well as any additional information or changes it might need. These suggestions come from our own experience as publishers and developers, and are designed to help position your game in the eyes of potential players. We are also happy to provide this for itch.io pages as an alternative.
8 Hours of QA - When you’re ready for it, our internal QA team will spend up to eight hours total on your project, whether for the purposes of a demo, a self-published release, or otherwise. We can use any bug tracking software you prefer, though our default method is a comprehensive spreadsheet that includes tracking, steps to reproduce, and any visual examples. Please note that we will do our best to accommodate your needs alongside the QA timelines of our published titles. We may recommend splitting these hours up to allow for review of fixes if applicable.
Feedback Round - When you decide you have a build of your project that is ready for feedback - IE in a playable state with functional core elements - you should notify your mentor, including any specific areas you want feedback on. Builds can be delivered either via Steam or via links such as Google Drive. Your mentor will select two other individuals here at Armor Games Studios to play the build with them, and put together comprehensive notes on the experience. Your mentor will then provide you with a copy of these notes, and go over the feedback on a phone call together. This feedback call is separate from your monthly call with your mentor.
Note: Our feedback is always geared towards polishing the game you’re already making - not turning it into something it’s not. We will be working with you in an advisory capacity and not be making any changes to the fundamental nature of your project or its production. For example, we might point out that the UI needs work, that some mechanics aren’t functioning the way a player might expect, or even that a narrative was unintentionally unclear. These notes are provided to help spotlight potential sore spots with players, and are not intended as firm directions or demands.
We will also send you a short quarterly survey about your experience to ensure you feel satisfied and that you are having your needs met.
If the background of the Armor Games Studios mentor you are working with does not enable them to speak from a place of close personal experience on your game’s subject matter in a way that you are both comfortable with, such as on matters of identity or representation that might not apply to your mentor, then we will not offer advice or feedback on those aspects of your game. However, if desired, we will do our best to connect you with outside individuals who would be better suited to provide specified guidance.
Teams consisting of underrepresented groups, with less than ten members, without an active publishing partnership, and an active, in-development project. Must be willing to sign a mutual NDA, and a simple agreement that outlines the terms of the mentorship.
Applications for 2023 are now closed. See you next year!
Dora Breckinridge
Dora is our Director of Games and a longtime producer. She specializes in games with strong narratives and characters, but also loves fast-paced action and thrills.
Sean McKenzie
Sean is our VP of operations. While drawn most strongly to games with puzzles, he appreciates all genres, and takes a logical, methodical approach to production and design.
Does this mean I owe you any revenue or recoupable investments? No! All of our time together is of no cost to you, now or ever.
Does this mean Armor Games Studios owns any of my work, or is required to be credited in it? No! Your work is your own, and you don’t need to give us any sort of credit. We do not receive any rights or stake in your project.
Can I still seek out other publishers? Yes! We want you to find the publisher that is right for you if that’s the route you want to go. The mentorship will end if you sign on with a publishing partner.
Can I still seek publishing with Armor Games Studios at some point? If desired, any team may pitch their project for potential publishing, and will be treated as any other interested prospect. Mentorship does not guarantee a future publishing relationship.
Can I work with a specific team member? You can directly request any Armor Games Studios team member you prefer, but be advised that availability depends on that person’s current workload and commitments. When you apply, if you are selected, we will let you know the team members who are interested and able to work with you, and you can make the decision whether to proceed.
Can I continue working with my mentor after the official mentorship period is over? The decision to continue working together may be made between you and your mentor independent of Armor Games Studios. Any Armor Games Studios employee will be advised to set up a simple one-page agreement of their own between the two of you defining the terms of your working relationship in order to protect the boundaries of both of you.
Why are you not offering funding instead or in addition to mentorship? As a smaller publisher, we feel that this is the best way we can provide meaningful guidance and support at an appropriate scale while still providing all the necessary resources we have committed to the teams whose projects we have signed on to publish.
Why are you only offering four slots? We’re a small, agile team, and want to ensure we’re honoring our existing commitments to the developers we’re publishing, which means finding a reasonable balance between the mentorship program and our own work as a publisher. We may change the scope or content of this in the future.
How do I terminate my mentorship? In the event that you wish to cancel your mentorship for any reason, all you need to do is notify your mentor of this. We will provide a short digital statement for you to sign stating that you are agreeing to cancel your mentorship with us. We will also send you an optional short survey for you to provide feedback.
How will Armor Games Studios terminate my mentorship? In the event that Armor Games Studios opts to cancel your mentorship, we will provide you with two weeks’ notice, and a short digital acknowledgement to sign stating that we are ending the agreement.
What are some reasons why Armor Games Studios could terminate my mentorship? Termination of a mentorship could come down to several factors, including the safety and comfort of your mentor or a lack of alignment when it comes to goals and directions.
Will Armor Games Studios talk about me or my project with others? We will never share details about you or your work with anyone other than team members for the purposes of the mentorship itself.
Can you offer legal advice? For legal purposes, we cannot offer this service.
