As the gaming industry faces turbulent times, with layoffs affecting teams across all levels, professionals must find ways to adapt and thrive. In this insightful session, a representative from the Swedish game industry will present key findings from recent research on layoffs in the sector, providing a data-driven overview of the scope and impact of this ongoing trend. Following the presentation, a panel of industry experts will come together to discuss the current state of the gaming workforce, examining how uncertainty is reshaping career paths and motivations for both junior and senior professionals. The conversation will delve into the competitive job market, where talent at all levels must navigate a landscape filled with unknowns. Panelists will share actionable advice on how to stay motivated, strategies for job seekers, and tips for those considering a career change in these challenging times. Join this essential discussion to better understand the realities of the modern gaming industry and discover how to build resilience and pursue career opportunities in the face of uncertainty.

This panel brings together industry-leading artists and creatives to explore the transformative process of turning raw emotions and abstract concepts into compelling visual narratives in video games. Through their experiences, the panelists will discuss how artistic direction, emotional expression, and conceptual design converge to shape immersive worlds and characters. The discussion will focus on techniques for interpreting complex themes visually and how to effectively convey deep emotional resonance in games, pushing the boundaries of traditional game art.

This talk invites indie developers and studios to discover and participate in the KinoGames Project: a EU-funded initiative brought forward by SpielFabrique in collaboration with Nerdic aimed at exploring if and how games could help bringing audiences back to cinemas while also finding new opportunities and inspiration. The brief talk will introduce the project’s goals, its framework and the types of events and games currently being tested in six cinemas across Europe. Discover more about this research program and how you can get involved by submitting your game or suggesting fitting title ideas.

Multiplayer games are at the top of all charts, and most developers still misunderstand the concepts behind achieving smooth and accurate gameplay. In this talk, we will clarify technical aspects and state-of-the-art patterns crucial for mastering online multiplayer game development. We will dissect case studies, examining how global player connectivity brings numerous benefits alongside significant challenges while showcasing the latest Photon products.

We've all experienced incredible game worlds that display a rich in-game culture or present a real-world culture, past or present. Game creators leverage their inspiration from real-world experiences and perceptions, but this often leads to unintentional missteps - such as cultural appropriation. The key to managing this challenge is understanding “allegorical distance”, the degree to which in-game implementation of culture is sufficiently different from real-world inspirations. Join Kate, a 30+ year veteran in game culturalization, as she guides you on these complex issues and demonstrates how to successfully build respectfully-made in-game cultures.

Navigating tight deadlines and crunch periods in the fast-paced world of game development is a significant challenge that most industry players have to face daily, regardless of their role and their path. Join a diverse roster of experts who will share their experiences, some agile management practices and explore strategies for nurturing mental well-being and productivity while under heavy work pressure. The conversation will address the human impact of the crunch and burnout, discuss methods to manage stress and pressure, and question how industry professionals can foster healthier working environments while still meeting business goals.

When discussing community management, most focus on the role’s technical aspects. The community team at CD PROJEKT RED argues that the emotional side is just as important. Join two of their representatives as they explore how the role shapes relationships between studios and players and the potential pitfalls that can arise. They'll discuss the impact that empathy and authenticity can have on building a positive, engaged community and provide strategies for navigating difficult situations. Whether you're a seasoned community manager or just starting out, this presentation will provide practical tools on how to create and maintain a community that players will love and support for years to come.

The Rabbit is a one-month residency for independent video game developers at Coconat, a beautiful manor in the Brandenburg countryside and the perfect place for inspired concentrated work, supported by Medienboard-Berlin Brandenburg. For the third year in a row, The Rabbit is hosting indie game studios from Berlin/Brandenburg and around the world. This year's participants are ALDAMAMI with “Bloodletter” (Berlin), Deadly Crow Games with “Mutter” (Chile), Chewa with “The Masquerade” (Berlin), Stoked Sloth with “Driftwood” (Berlin), Juju Games with “Vodou - a space odyssey” (Nigeria) and Aunty Games with “Gourdlets” (United States). During the one-month residency, the 15 indie game developers will be able to work on their games, grow as a team, learn from industry experts, and exchange knowledge with their peers. We invite you to our event at Games Ground on November 14 at 18.15, where the teams will pitch their games in front of a jury of the following renowned experts: Valentina Birke, Rami Ismail, Adam Snook.