The UK government has so far paid out £73 million ($95 million) through its Video Game Tax Relief for its 2016/17 period.

As noted by UK video games trade body Ukie, this represents a 60% increase in payments compared to 2015/16. There has also been a sharp increase in claims, with 280 made in the current period, up 115% year-on-year.

The Video Game Tax Relief scheme has now paid out £119 million overall since it was introduced in April 2014. This figure may well increase as more claims come in for the 2016/17 period.

A helping hand

"The landscape of the UK games sector would be completely different without the evident contribution of the Video Games Tax Relief," said Ukie CEO Jo Twist.

"The VGTR directly creates jobs, fuels technical and creative innovation, and allows the UK to be a real global player in the games and interactive entertainment sector."

The Video Game Tax Relief is designed specifically for UK-based game developers to save money on development costs. You can find out how to pass the Culture Test aspect of the application process thanks to a talk from BFI Certification Analyst Colm Seeley at PG Connects London 2016.