Gaming is in the middle of a major boom – and nowhere is that boom more evident than in the lineup of game development services-focused events, talks and exhibitions running this year.
Whether you want to sharpen your skills, do some networking, share insights (and maybe a few horror stories) or keep up with the latest industry news, you’ll easily find something to suit you from the hundreds of conferences and events running worldwide throughout 2022 and 2023.
But, to narrow it down a little, we’ve compiled the conferences that we can’t wait to see (and, most importantly, the ones that devs can’t afford to miss).
Devcom/Gamescom
What is it?
Two of the world’s biggest conferences in the industry – one for game devs and one for gaming in general – run by the same team over one week in Cologne.
Gamescom describes itself as a ‘gaming festival’ – which means plenty of chances to try out new releases, meet and greet with big names in the industry, and hang out with professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Devcom is Gamescom’s official game developer event. It started as just a way to group together all of the talks and showcases aimed at devs, but quickly grew into a must-attend conference in its own right.
Where is it?
Online and live in Cologne, Germany
Highlights from the agenda
Gamescom boasts everything from a ‘cosplay village’ to events by studios like Funcom, ESL Gaming and Qualcomm. It all kicks off with ‘Opening Night Live’, a showcase of more than 30 hotly anticipated games.
Devcom’s agenda is packed with talks and roundtables, covering:
- Advocacy, Culture & Education
- Arts, Animation & VFX
- Diversity, Accessibility & Inclusion
- Game Design
- Narrative Design
And a host of other topic tracks. This year, we’re also hoping to see some advice on finding the best game development tools and how to keep up with the latest game dev trends.
The Incredibuild team will also be setting up shop at Devcom for the week to chat to devs about accelerating game development (without compromising quality) – swing by booth B3 and say hello if you’re attending!
When is it?
Devcom runs from August 22nd-23rd 2022, and Gamescom runs from August 24th-26th 2022.
Tokyo Game Show 2022
What is it?
One of the world’s best and biggest gaming shows. Tokyo Game Show boasts exhibitions, demos and talks from pretty much every major studio, console maker and game development services provider you can think of, plus one of the world’s biggest cosplay gatherings.
Where is it?
Eagle-eyed readers might have guessed this one already: it’s in Tokyo. The Makuhari Messe convention center, to be precise.
Highlights from the agenda
Honestly, it’s hard to pick a highlight. Square Enix and Kojima Productions will be participating in a major (but currently still mysterious) VR event. Capcom is showing off a huge roster of its biggest hits. There’s going to be some kind of ‘virtual dungeon’. Honestly, the list goes on – don’t miss this one.
One thing we know for sure: the Incredibuild team will be there to answer all your questions about how you can accelerate game development CI build and compilation times without changing your code, tools, or processes.
When is it?
September 15th to September 18th 2022
International Conference on Meaningful Play
What is it?
Meaningful Play describes itself as a conference about ‘theory, research and game design innovations, principles and practices.’ It’s smaller than the first two conferences in this list, but a potential goldmine for any devs who want to get better at building meaningful games – whether that’s making them more educational, more entertaining, or just more supportive of players’ needs.
The conference attracts everyone from devs and designers to researchers, educators, students and government bodies – anyone who’s interested in innovative solutions for the game development industry.
Where is it?
East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Highlights from the agenda
Expect a mixture of panel discussions, peer-reviewed paper presentations, workshops, game exhibitions and roundtable discussions. We’re currently most excited to see talks from:
- Rachel Kowert, Ph.D, a world-renowned researcher on the uses of digital games and their effects on physical, social and psychological well-being.
- Andrew Phelps, an artist, designer and professor at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory NZ, focusing on VR and AR, games and education, and art and interactive media.
- Carrie Heeter, Ph.D, a professor of Media and Information at Michigan State University and Director of Yoga Mind Tools. She focuses on user experience design and game design for meditation experiences – her ideas about the interactions between the body and technology could have huge implications for game design.
When is it?
October 12th to 14th 2022
Unite 2022
What is it?
Unite is run by Unity, one of the world’s biggest game engines, and it’s designed to bring together ‘guest speakers, thought leaders, and the people behind some of your favorite Unity games, experiences and features’. The conference is designed specifically to bring game devs and Unity enthusiasts from across the industry together to share knowledge, network and keep up with the latest news on one of the world’s biggest game development engines. Whether you’re just learning how to compile games in Unity, or you’re a seasoned pro looking to keep up with the competition, you’ll find something here for you.
Where is it?
Online only
Highlights from the agenda
The full agenda hasn’t been released yet, but – since more than 50% of the world’s games are apparently built in Unity – you can always expect some talks and exhibitions from big names.
The website currently promises ‘game development A-Z with demos, sessions, interviews and more’, with talks from some of the people behind your favorite Unity games.
Unity is also holding a number of local events in select cities (though we’re not sure which ones yet) where devs from the area can meet to network and share expertise.
When is it?
November 1st
Yorkshire Games Festival 2023
What is it?
The Yorkshire Games Festival is a celebration of games culture, design and production, with a particular emphasis on games created in the UK. As far as we’re concerned, it’s one of the most exciting events of the year – not least because it’s so accessible, offering talks, master classes and events for devs, designers and gamers of all ages and levels of experience.
Where is it?
The Science and Media Museum, Yorkshire, UK
Highlights from the agenda
The agenda is still being confirmed (in fact, the festival is still actively looking for exhibitors and workshop leaders, if you’d like to throw your hat into the ring), but the general structure will consist of:
- Game Talks – A program of talks, master classes and events featuring high-profile industry guests, aimed at industry professionals, recent graduates and those studying games-related subjects.
- Let’s Play! Family Weekend – Gameplay, activities and live shows aimed at parents, kids, and kids-at-heart.
- Young Developers Conference – A series of talks and workshops that aim to inspire younger game makers and give them tips on getting into the games industry.
When is it?
February 4th-10th 2023
Ready to hit the road?
It’s official: game dev conferences are officially back, and promising to be better than ever 2022/23.
From exhibitions of groundbreaking games to talks and demos from some of the brightest and best minds in the industry, every conference we’ve covered here promises to be jam-packed with insights and inspiration.
Now all that’s left to do is decide how many you can cram into your calendar.
