CharitySpree
Based in the North East of England, Ashpaw Games was set up in 2025 by Tom Dickinson.
After spending 15 years in Tech as a Software Engineer and Manager, Tom wanted to do something more creative with his career and switched to his original dream of building video games (which was the whole reason he went to university in the first place!)
Working with Jo Samways as a contract artist and writer, the studio is looking to use the Starter Fund to take the early game concept we have and further develop it into something a bit more special.
Our intention is to use some of the funds to help add additional creative contractors to the team, especially in the area of music, so by the end of the funded period we can show our game off in the best possible light!
Key features
- You play as The Manager, who has recently taken over a chain of failing charity shops, set up to help the local town regenerate after years of neglect. The reason they’re failing? The donations have a habit of being possessed and attacking the customers.
- Hire and play as different Volunteer Classes to make it through a shift, keeping the shelves stocked, the customers happy, and the accidents minimal.
- Between shifts, decide how much of your profits goes on improving the town over the shop, while spending community goodwill points to upgrade and attract new Volunteer Classes.
- Discover the secrets behind the hauntings as you progress as you unlock three different types of Charity Shops to run.
- Think Rogue Legacy meets Overcooked, but if the kitchen was a charity shop and the burgers fought back.
- Built for controllers, aimed at PC and Console.
Quote
As someone who started Ashpaw Games with the original intention of building a small self-funded indie game as a solo dev, I applied for the Starter Fund as I saw an opportunity to not just build a game, but also a development studio and move beyond just working on my own.
While the Starter Fund funding is a welcome financial cushion to help support the early creative development costs, the real value and opportunity I see is all the support on offer with the Fresh Start Pathway.