Voodoo has announced the launch of its own Voodoo Academy – a learning program designed to inspire and support the next generation of developers to build, test and improve hyper-casual mobile games. The Voodoo Academy is a dedicated program open to game development students, recent graduates and newcomers to the hyper-casual industry that have not yet published a game with another publisher.
The program will kick off with a live stream on 14 April, featuring Blue Monkey Studio, who will share their tips for a successful start in hyper-casual.
The program includes an online training platform with new courses uploaded on a regular basis, live coaching sessions and direct contact with the Voodoo Publishing team, as well as prizes for students that hit different milestones throughout the program. The prizes include $1,000 for the first three prototypes tested by Voodoo Academy members, and up to $3,000 for all high-potential prototypes tested.
“We believe that with the right training from Voodoo experts, budding hyper-casual game developers can gain years of experience in only a few months. With Voodoo Academy, we are putting this belief into practice by offering a free-to-access pathway for students to learn, share and build long-lasting success with Voodoo’s guidance. We’ve always been passionate about supporting our partners and the Voodoo Academy is a true embodiment of our commitment to this,” Voodoo Academy lead Stanislas Marchand said.
OHM Games (the studio behind multiple hits including Run Rich 3D, Shortcut Run, Knock’em All and Push’em Al) co-founder Arthur Duverne said, “We are delighted to be able to share our knowledge from developing and launching successful hyper-casual games. We believe newcomers to hyper-casual can bring fresh ideas, start new trends and become key members of a great community. We hope that the experience driven input we’ve shared with the Voodoo Academy will help fellow developers to succeed.”
Blue Monkey Studio (which published the hit game Flex Run 3D just nine months after launching) co-founder Harvey Roberts, “The Academy is a comprehensive all-in-one platform that gives young talent all the knowledge and tools they need to reach success. With the courses available, students can learn in hours what would typically take days or even weeks to learn live, avoiding potential mistakes and focussing on accelerating the production process.”
Starting in the gaming industry and hyper-casual development can be challenging, with those new to the space lacking in the contacts, expertise and trial-and-error learning that comes with experience. Voodoo Academy aims to provide students with access to knowledge so that in a matter of weeks they can learn what would otherwise take months or even years to digest.
The courses are designed and run by Voodoo’s publishing team, with on-demand presentations and virtual lectures available to students. Events and live streams – featuring Voodoo partner studios such as OHM Games and wider industry experts – will soon be made available, along with dedicated training and one-on-one coaching sessions.
Learners that complete the Voodoo Academy will gain access to Voodoo’s publishing and testing platform, offering opportunities to partner with other Voodoo Academy students to form studios and gain further financial support for testing prototypes.
Students will be able to complete courses for developing games on both Android and iOS on the Voodoo Academy platform, which is available globally. Online training content will be exclusively in English, while interactions with experts will be available in English, French and Turkish at the opening of the program. More languages will be made available in due course.
Experienced hyper-casual studios working with Voodoo will be able to access the Voodoo Academy online training platform, complete learning paths and join training sessions to gain additional knowledge as they continue to work with Voodoo. The Voodoo Academy offers a unique opportunity for existing studios to upskill their staff in the fast moving world of hyper-casual game development.
