Fostering Growth in Game Development

The BSG Go! Mentoring Bootcamp, held October 28th-November 1st in Kääriku, Estonia, was an initiative started as part of the project’s piloting activities. Organising the event was a collective success with more than 25 participants from 9 different countries. It represented a focused effort to cultivate a vibrant peer-to-peer support environment for game development teams and a venue for sharing expert knowledge between participating game hubs and mentors, drawing on experiences from earlier projects like the Game Camps project (Interreg Central Baltic, 2017-2019) and the Baltic Sea Games Incubation project (Interreg Baltic Sea Region, 2021).

Bootcamp as a Format: Building Resilience and Skill

Bootcamps have proven invaluable in incubating and accelerating the progress of game development teams. Inspired by both military and coding bootcamps, the format of the BSG Go! bootcamp brought teams and mentors together in Kääriku Sports Camp, a secluded area with essential amenities and a stable internet connection to promote a distraction-free learning experience focused on intensive mentorship, knowledge sharing, and peer learning.

While bootcamps are regularly embedded within incubation processes, such as at the beginning or during the final stages of an incubation program, they can also be organized as standalone events with a varied lengths. Examples like the Stugan bootcamp, a two-month co-living accelerator in Sweden, and Spelkollektivet, a co-living and co-working space, have demonstrated how immersive experiences foster productivity and collaboration. BSG Go! followed suit by creating an adaptable model that can be tailored to the participants’ unique needs, whether they are emerging studios or teams in advanced stages of development.

A Unique Learning Opportunity for Mentors

The BSG Go! Mentoring Bootcamp stands out by offering a rare peer-to-peer learning experience specifically designed for not only participating teams, but to mentors as well. Traditionally, mentors rely heavily on their own expertise to guide teams. However, this bootcamp presented a unique setting where mentors observed multiple teams working in parallel, allowing for comparative analysis and sharing of best practices, exchange insights, refine their mentoring approaches, and deepen their understanding of diverse game development challenges.

This setup not only benefitted the mentors themselves but also amplified the value of their guidance for participating teams, as mentors bring enriched perspectives from their interactions with other mentors back to their work with the teams.

Remote and Post-Bootcamp Mentoring

Beyond the on-site activities, the BSG Go! bootcamp incorporated a remote mentoring phase that began with preparatory online interactions and continues post-event through channels like Discord. This continuity allows mentors to track team progress, offer ongoing support, and build long-term relationships. Having access to shared insights from other mentors familiar with the teams adds depth to the post-care phase, ensuring that studios benefit from a sustained mentorship experience even after the bootcamp ends.

Latest by January 2024, a project report will be available with more details, participant feedback, and key learnings of the whole experience, so stay tuned!

Oh, and thanks to all co-organisers from the BSG Go! Project team and supporting partners!

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