From Game Jam Favourite toa Steam Demo
How Hana and Cliffbite Studio transformed Once Upon A Kingdom from a game jam prototype into a publisher-backed Steam demo through deep industry mentorship.
Hanassiy
Co-Founder & CEO, Cliffbite Studio
Testing a fresh game concept
For Hana and the team at Cliffbite Studio, game jams are a place to test innovative ideas. Through TSA Game Fest, in partnership with Agate, they developed Once Upon A Kingdom—a hybrid of card game, city building, and tower defense that earned the Fan Favourite Award.
“Other game jams I participated in offered mentoring, but it was usually limited to one or two quick meetups. TSA Game Fest’s brainstorming sessions went much deeper. It helped us view our project from fresh perspectives and gain true concept validation from industry mentors.”
Hanassiy
THE TURNING POINT
Validating game concepts with industry veterans
The mentorship went beyond producing a prototype. Hana and the team refined their concept and prepared to pitch to international publishers, drawing on feedback from active game industry professionals.
Deep Concept Validation
Brainstorming and guidance helped the team view its project from fresh perspectives.
Professional Connections
Feedback from Nanda of Gamecom Team and Andre of Digital Happiness helped the team sharpen its direction.
A publisher-backed Steam demo
After refining the project, Cliffbite Studio signed with publisher indie.io and brought a playable demo of Once Upon A Kingdom to Steam.
Once Upon A Kingdom — Cliffbite Studio · Watch on YouTube ↗
The power of mentorship and professional connections
Dedication, expert guidance, and industry validation helped the team refine gameplay, strengthen production quality, and build a market-ready portfolio. Agate Academy connects aspiring creators with active professionals who can offer that perspective.
Turning validation into the next step
Hana’s experience shows how deeper feedback can help a team move beyond its first prototype:
“Other game jams I participated in offered mentoring, but it was usually limited to one or two quick meetups. TSA Game Fest’s brainstorming sessions went much deeper. It helped us view our project from fresh perspectives and gain true concept validation from industry mentors.”
Hanassiy · Co-Founder & CEO, Cliffbite Studio
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