ASTRA FUND, A PHILANTHROPIC FUND FOR GAMES THAT MAKE YOU THINK, ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST SIX PARTNERSASTRA FUND, A PHILANTHROPIC FUND FOR GAMES THAT MAKE YOU THINK, ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST SIX PARTNERS

Author: Astra Fund

LOS ANGELES, APRIL 11th, 2022 - Astra Fund - led by Eileen Hollinger (thatgamecompany, Funomena, Riot) and Josh Taylor (former President of 9 Dots) - are  excited to announce today a lineup of wonderful, in-development games funded by their new, unique video games fund. New titles include the debut game from studio Furniture & Mattress, a new studio founded by Nick Suttner (PlayStation, Carto), David Hellman (Braid) and Nico Ricabarren (Ethereal). The fund is also working with prolific designer Zach Gage to fund his next project, allowing him to develop his largest effort to date.

  The full list of games funded by the Astra Fund:

 

Astra Fund is a philanthropic venture fund with a mission to support & promote the creation of thinking games - puzzle, strategy and genre-bending games that challenge players and spark genuine curiosity. The fund is headed by co-founders Josh Taylor, who previously held CEO roles in CS education and ed tech, and Eileen Hollinger, former producer on Sky: Children of the Light, Wattam and Riot Games.


“For Astra, the idea behind thinking games is simple,” said Astra co-founder Josh Taylor,  who spent years working with learning scientists at UCLA to develop coding games. ”They are games that create opportunities for the player to get lost in deep thought. We are really excited about our first signings which exemplify this idea by delivering on our three pillars - thinky mechanics, intriguing problems and wondrous worlds.”


Josh Taylor and Eileen Hollinger, Astra co-founders

Astra currently supports thinking games with project financing and self-publishing support. The team at Astra have also been offering year long patron grants to eight individual “Fellows” to support their work developing thinking games.  To support Astra developers and Fellows, Astra has engaged a team of top-tier mentors, including veteran puzzle game creators Gwen Frey (Kine, Lab Rat), Alan Hazelden aka Draknek (A Monster's Expedition, Cosmic Express), Daniel Benmergui (Fidel Dungeon Rescue, Storyteller) and others.

“We are working to support and elevate the whole thinking games genre,“ said Astra co-founder Eileen Hollinger, who worked to create widely accessible games as Executive Producer at thatgamecompany.  “We want to demonstrate there is a demand for high-production, aesthetically rich, deeply thoughtful games. Beyond funding, we nurture the ecosystem through our Fellowship, which provides more entry points for new voices; through player and developer community-building; and through research and parent advocacy.”

Developers who are working on innovative thinking games and are interested in partnerships or applying to the Fellowship can contact Astra through their website at https://www.astragames.org.
 

For more information on Astra Fund, visit https://www.astragames.org/. 


For special interview requests, get in touch with [email protected]
 

About Astra Fund


Astra Fund is a game fund backed by Carina Initiatives, a foundation dedicated to sending more kids from more communities to the frontiers of math and science. Our grants and investments are made to support the creation of more and better thinking games, and getting those games into more homes.

 
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