Talking
Kick Off Conference
Workshops
Roundtables
Speakers
June 10
Just Like Nonna Used to Make: Zac’s Secret Sauce for Marketing in 2026
Zac Antonaci shares his tried and tested recipe for bringing games to market in 2026. Expect a pinch of positioning, a handful of community, and a slow simmer of strategy to turn raw ideas into something people actually want to taste. No shortcuts, no bland dishes, and absolutely no store-bought sauce.
Bold & Bizarre: Finding New Paths to Players
What does it take to bring a game to market in 2026? In this fireside chat, Anni Valkama from Pantaloon discusses current publishing trends, the challenges developers face in a crowded and shifting industry, and how bold and bizarre games can find their place with the right publishing approach.
The Polish Way: Building a Strong Games Ecosystem
A conversation dedicated to the Polish games industry, First Playable 2026 Country Partner. The panel will explore the evolution of the ecosystem, the role of talent, skills and education, the relationship between creativity and business growth, and the international trajectory of Polish studios.
The Many Voices of Polish Game Development: Creativity, Community and Global Ambition
Six indie studios take the stage for a series of fast-paced, 5-minute talks. Each developer will share a personal insight into their creative process, design vision, or unique development journey — offering a snapshot of the vibrant independent scene across the UK.
Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence
How do you build a game that’s small, personal, and unforgettable? In this chat with one of the creators of Keep Driving, we’ll explore the journey behind this pixel-art management RPG: from its nostalgic take on road trips and character-driven storytelling, to the challenges of working as a duo and finding the right creative scale. A conversation about pacing, limits, and how choosing the slow lane can sometimes take you the farthest.
Beyond the Quest Log: Chris Avellone on Writing the Present and future Generation of RPGs
A conversation with Chris Avellone on the past, present and future of RPG writing. Drawing from his work on landmark titles such as Planescape: Torment, Fallout 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout: New Vegas, Alpha Protocol, Pillars of Eternity, Prey and Divinity: Original Sin II, the session will explore how role-playing games create meaning through choice, consequence, systems and character-driven storytelling. Looking at both the legacy of classic RPGs and the new generation of open-world and narrative-driven experiences, the conversation will ask where the genre can still innovate, how writing changes when players are given more agency, and how a writer can approaching these questions today.
Under the Eclipse: Building the Vision of SAROS
A fireside chat with Simone Silvestri, Art Director at Housemarque, on the creative vision behind SAROS and the process of shaping a world built to be seen, explored and played. Starting from the genesis of Housemarque’s new sci-fi action title, the session will look at how art direction becomes a bridge between visual identity, gameplay needs, narrative atmosphere and technical constraints. Through the lens of SAROS, we will explore the role of the art director as a figure who connects different disciplines into a shared vision, guiding a team towards a world where aesthetics and action are not separate layers, but part of the same playable experience.
June 12
Debugging Legal: 10+ mistakes you can avoid
We will start from the legal mistakes we most often see game studios make – or risk making – across teams, IP, contracts, publishers, assets, data, stores and communities, to understand how to avoid them and how to fix them. With room for questions, practical examples and discussion of some of your own legal bugs.
Mastering the Hardware - Porting Cronos: The New Dawn to Nintendo Switch 2
This presentation explores the technical solutions implemented in "Cronos: The New Dawn" that delivered stable performance and strong visual quality on Nintendo's new hardware – the Switch 2. It also highlights how close cross-team technical collaboration made it possible to launch the Switch 2 game version simultaneously with other platforms
PC Game Growth: Scaling Through Creators & Partnerships
Steam is crowded, ads cost more, and players trust creators over campaigns. Inês Ramalho shows how PC developers turn creator, affiliate, and community deals into scalable growth engines—cutting costs, reaching global audiences, and driving revenue via Xsolla Partner Network.
The Launch of the Gecko Fork Incubator
The panel explores the role of production music in video games, analyzing how sound choices influence the atmosphere and player immersion. A journey through creativity and technology to discover how music can transform gameplay into a memorable experience.
PlayStation Independent Partner Session
From SIE’s Independent Partners team, Lewis will be giving an introduction to releasing on PlayStation – how to become a PlayStation Partner, best practices to follow, and how you can get the most out of our systems. The session ends with a Q&A, so bring your questions!
June 13
From Classroom to Studio: Preparing for a career in games
What are the key lessons to learn as we start our journey in the games industry? Join Luke Savage for an Epic session filled with practical advice, resources we should be using and an insight into the Unreal ecosystem.
Investing in Creativity: Unlocking InvestEU Opportunities for the Cultural and Creative Sectors
The panel will explore Turin's role as a laboratory for the gaming sector, with a focus on OGR Torino and 34BigThings for the launch of the upcoming edition of Quickload – the Acceleration Programme for European gaming startups. The discussion will also feature insights from Volcanite Games and FutuRats.
Bologna Game Farm: metodo, risultati e prospettive
Bologna Game Farm, Emilia-Romagna’s public accelerator for B2C video games, presents the method developed over its five years of activity, the results achieved, and its future outlook. The session will also introduce the eight video games selected as winners of the programme’s sixth edition, the first to adopt a two-year timeframe.
How to maximize discovery, reach & momentum through XBOX
Delia Manea works with independent developers across Europe to help bring their games to the full Xbox ecosystem - including console, PC, cloud endpoints. With a background spanning tech, user acquisition, and publishing, she’s passionate about making it easier for studios to reach more players across more platforms. She’s passionate about finding the next great games, supporting creative teams, and turning ambitious ideas into player-ready experiences.
June 11
You have 5 minutes: how to hook a publisher
Publishing Unfiltered
A fast-paced open roundtable for developers looking for honest, practical advice on publishing, marketing, funding, and launching games. Bring your questions and get direct, actionable insights from a real-world publishing and marketing perspective.
USPs and hooks: make your game stand out
A USP can be anything, but not everything is a USP. Let's discuss together what publishers are looking for and what is working on the market
Funding Options for Startup Game Development Companies
Survival Mode & Beyond: Resilience, Reinvention, and Navigating Change
An AMA with Epic Games Tech & Biz
Inside Epic Games: Tech, Tools & Business – Ask Us Anything
Behind the Engine: AMA with Epic Games Tech & Biz Minds
How do we succeed in today’s interactive entertainment industry one year on?
June 12
Self-Publishing is a Bug, not a Feature
Does a first video game necessarily have to have a publisher? Does it have to be a resume and what's the ‘acceptable’ level of pressure and quality? Let's talk about it!
How to self-publish on XBOX
Think you need a publisher to succeed? Think again. In this no-fluff round table, devs and experts dive into what it really takes to self-publish today—from finding funding to building loyal fans and getting paid. If you want to hear how others made it work—and how you can too—this is the table you want a seat at.
PlayStation Independent Partners Q&A
New to publishing on console, or hoping to learn more? Lewis from SIE’s Independent Partners team will discuss publishing on PlayStation — including how to join the PlayStation Partners program, key best practices, and tips for how best to maximise the opportunity before, at, and post-launch.