Curated calendar with indie game events, conferences and play festivals worldwide.
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October 2018
CHI Play 2018
An international and interdisciplinary conference (by ACM SIGCHI) For researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games and human-computer interaction (HCI).
Find out more »November 2018
Glitch Everything
An exhibition of games and playthings exploring the aesthetics of computer errors and data corruption. In an increasingly digitized world happy accidents can contami̵n̵a̴t̷e anything: gli̵t̸ch music, glic̷h̸ ̶p̴a̸i̷n̶t̸ing, ̷g̵l̷i̷t̶c̸h̷ ̸k̸̛̰n̴͔̂i̶̭̿t̸̟͝t̵͍̐ḯ̶̳n̶̥̆g̷͉͂,̷̺̌ ̸̖͑g̴͔̒l̶̟̊í̸͜t̶̘̑c̸̨̀h̶̗̑ ̶̖̀ả̵̪̹̀̂͝r̵̳̹͓̟̓͊̄̕̕c̷̟̈́̐̕h̸͔̲͍͚͔͐͆͛̎̇i̴̲̊t̴̺̋͋͗e̷̺̒̐̓̉̆c̸̻͊̿̉͘ͅṫ̸̯̙̜̖̲ṵ̸̂̍̚r̸̡͈̪̫̐̓e̴͕̣̼͍̱̓́̍͒̕.D̵̼̬͎̞̍̒͝ò̸͔̫̬͔̜n̵̢̨̳͗̍̎’̴̲̒̔̏̚͝t̶̠̤̅̒̀́̚ ̵̠̆͆͌͠͠m̷̮͖̙̰̂͊̄̈́͠ị̶̻̱̱̪͂̅̅̇s̵̯̟̎͒̕̚ș̴̚ ̷̢̧̋ṱ̴̙̆h̶͔̃ẻ̵̞̪͒ ̵̹͉̜͍̯̔͂̈́̈̚l̸̛̰͎̮͚̝ȃ̷̜͒͋̚s̸̞̯͔̤͋͌̒̍͜t̵̢̛͐̒̿ ̵͎̝̜̠̺̄̇L̶̨̩͈̺̝̀̍Î̴͙́K̵̛̙̈̏Ė̸̟̭̃̽̈́ͅL̷̟̝͖͑͜Ḯ̷̦̳͆̔̃̚K̵͉̞͇̓͛͛͜͝E̶̺̮̤̊͜ṡ̷͙͉͍͓̟̳͓̥̱̿̈́̈́̑́̔͊͌̈́̆̏̆͋̃̿̃̈̓̒̆̇̏̈́̽́́̚ḩ̶̛̲͚͚͉̬̲̼̫̩̥̻̫͔̇̋̈̓̉͗͋̽́̈́͗͆̀̏͒̏͛̐̆͐͗̏̔̈́̏͆͠ơ̸̡͙͍͕̜̯̼̬̠͉̙̥͓͙̦̮͕̬͎̗̘͙͉̰̤̣̹̱̞̘̞̱͔̊͑͐̒̋̂̓͐̔̿̑́́̾͒͑̀̎̕̕͘̕͘͠ͅw̵̡̨̡̨̛̛̗͍͍̞̞̣̗͍̯̲͙̙͖͎͇̤̦͇̫͙̗̯͙̬̬̬̞̮̉̍̿̽͂̌̈́̎̓̆̌̈́̌͊̄̎̀̉̀̓̅̂̔͑͐͊́̀̽̀͋͂͝͠ͅͅ ̷̧̛̜̬̤̥͈̠͕̻͎̠̹̙̳̣̆̎̐̇̈́͑͗̍́͊͊͊͒̇̈̒̈́́͐̄̂̀́̚͘͠͠o̶̧̹͕̹̘͕͉̝̻̻̐f̵̢̨̡̢̛̟̠̙͚̬̟̹̭͍̺͙̳͚̟͚͖̖̥̲̼͓̠̺͕̻͈̜̜̳̗͈̀̉͆́̐̈́̾͑́͐̒̅̍̓̑̈͛̋̏͋̔̀̈́̐͊̕̚̕̕̕͝͝͝ ̴̡̢̧̡̛̛͚͓̠̤̠̣̹̝̘̺̻͈͈̠̦͚͍̥̲̜̙͉̪̻̭̬͖̦̀̉́̿̈̎̔̎̔͊̈͛̇̄́͊̎̑̊̃̄͐͂̔͘͘2̶̡͆͊͋͒ͅ0̸̧̧͍͈̦̰̝̤̺͚̭̣͎̹̘̞̳̯̰̞͈̞̰͎̘̞̙̿̾̋̋͑̀̅̓͝͝͝͝1̷̡̨̡̛̹͍̻̜͖̜̠͙̖̩͍͙̜̣͚̩̳͉̮͚̤̣̖͉̤͖͙̠̉͑͐̇̓̽͑̽̔̓͋͌̂̀̓̽̔̒̿̓͌́̂̔̓͌̄̀͘ͅ8̴̴̛̛̛̛̠̪̪̣̯͇͚̪͓̥̤̦̲͚̩̯̮͔̱͙̼̭̳̠͙̖̼̟̭͔͍̰̫͉͛̅̅͋͒̇̂̀͋̍́̈́̎̈́̂̋͛̍̐͊́͂̒̈̃̂̑̍̈́̔̌͒̒̇̋͐̔͗̇͛͘͜͝͠ͅ Works by: Andi McClure /// Michael Brough /// XRA /// Farbs // Rachel Simone Weil /// Molleindustria + Infiknit Loop http://likelike.org
Find out more »Random String Symposium 2018
A playdate for artists interested in making work with real-time technologies. Space for inspiration, discussion and sharing. The Random String Symposium is a one-day event for artists and arts professionals, exploring the use of interactive & networked technologies in the creative process. Hear from practitioners from across the UK and overseas, join frank conversations about the practicalities of using technology in your work and explore a showcase of interdisciplinary work. Confirmed contributors include: Klaus Obermaier, Laura Kriefman (Hellion Trace), Dan…
Find out more »The Overkill 2018
The Overkill is a 48 hours nonstop festival which regroups an art exhibition, a selection of indie games, an alternative movie program, live performance and many activities such as workshops, master class, talks… all selected around our theme and presented together in an original and immersive setting. The Overkill is an open platform, a flexible space for creative minds to meet and an intense time to share thoughts and experience. With our partners we are bringing together artists, creative thinkers,…
Find out more »No Quarter 2018
From the event site: The NYU Game Center is proud to announce the 9th annual No Quarter Exhibition. Each year we commission four new games from four artists — our mission is to help nurture game design for public spaces and to support unique and bold voices in the game design community. Please join us on November 3oth at the DUMBO Loft in Downtown Brooklyn, to celebrate and play these ground-breaking games specially designed for the event. No Quarter is…
Find out more »January 2019
Black Box CPH VIII
Welcome to BlackBox Cph – a festival for experimental role play at the centre of Copenhagen. At Blackbox Cph you can choose between a number of larps of about 3-4 hours’ duration. The larps will apply theatrical lighting and sound for controlling the play and several of them will be experimenting with other theatrical techniques. This creates a unique form of role play that has come to be known as black box role play. The larps for Blackbox Cph are…
Find out more »Global Game Jam 2019
The Global Game Jam® (GGJ) is the world's largest game jam event (game creation) taking place around the world at physical locations. Think of it as a hackathon focused on game development. It is the growth of an idea that in today’s heavily connected world, we could come together, be creative, share experiences and express ourselves in a multitude of ways using video games – it is very universal. The weekend stirs a global creative buzz in games, while at the same…
Find out more »Parallel Worlds 2019
Parallel Worlds, the V&A’s conference dedicated to videogame design and culture, will be back in London for more critical conversations on Friday 25 January 2019, in conjunction with the V&A’s headline autumn exhibition ‘Videogames: Design / Play / Disrupt’. This day long international conference brings together talks from leading game designers, artists, engineers and thinkers on the design of videogames and playful immersive worlds. Speakers include Chris Kujawski, Principal Designer of the Xbox Adaptive Controller; Amanda Johnston-Batt from Framestore’s rides…
Find out more »Ludicious 2019
Ludicious is the distinctive game developer event, focussed on the arts and crafts of game development, where game design and business meet. Core elements of Ludicious are a well curated program, matchmaking which is spot-on and exchanging internationally in a personal atmosphere. We work to support small & midsize developers connecting with the broader industry, and create event formats which bring developers from all domains of game development together on eye level. Ludicious is where creativity, technology and commercial potential come together.
Find out more »February 2019
1UP Conference 2019
"A showcase for the future of gaming" 1UP conference is the go-to event for gaming enthusiasts. Whether you like playing games or you are in the business of gaming, this event is for you. Check out the latest and greatest in today’s videogame landscape. We’re kicking off 1UP Conference with a day full of inspirational talks by some gaming industry giants. This event is tailored to industry professionals and people who want to take their interest in videogames to the…
Find out more »April 2019
CounterPlay 2019
The CounterPlay festival invites playful people from around the world to join the most caring, generous, inclusive and vibrant play community on a remarkable journey into the world of play. We welcome everyone eager to understand play better, no matter your background. If you wish to learn more about why play is essential for learning, working and living, this is for you. http://www.counterplay.org/ CounterPlay community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/counterplay/
Find out more »Now Play This 2019
Now Play This is a festival of experimental game design which runs at Somerset House in London as part of London Games Festival. In 2019 we expect the festival to run over two weekends 6-14 April, with talks and workshops for practitioners on the first weekend, and more family-focused events on the second.
Find out more »A MAZE. / Berlin 2019
A MAZE. / Berlin is an international festival focusing on the art and culture of games and playful media. A MAZE. / Berlin invites creatives from over 35 countries to experience inspiring talks and workshops, and to celebrate the art of video games making. The four nights of music, plus a life changing and mind blowing interactive exhibition of our medium of the 21st century, will fascinate the general public. A MAZE. invites artists and creatives from diverse fields to…
Find out more »Reboot Develop Blue 2019
The boutique game developers and games industry conference of Europe http://rebootdevelopblue.com/
Find out more »NZ Games Festival 2019
nz games festival is new zealand's own international celebration of gaming, for all ages. The week-long festival is centred around all things games - whether digital, tabletop or otherwise! It's our goal to ensure everybody has the opportunity to be included in the magic of games, so we aim to provide events for all demographics.From workshops to pub quizzes, NZ Games Festival has a little bit of something for everyone and we can't wait to share it with you. https://nzgamesfest.com/
Find out more »May 2019
72 Hour Urban Action 2019
From the website: 72 Hour Urban Action is the world's first real-time architectural competition where international teams design, build, sleep and party together to generate public interventions in a limited space within a short time and on a tight budget. It is a tool for resetting our perceptions of public space. This tool, taking the form of a design festival, has been intervening in different communities since 2010, working hands-on with local partners from the bottom up. 72HUA exposes local…
Find out more »Freeplay 2019
Freeplay 2019 — INTROSPECTION | May 7–12 Freeplay is Australia's longest-running and largest independent games festival. First established in 2004, Freeplay embraces the fringes, spotlights grassroots makers, and acts as a response to and critique of the status quo. We invite artists, designers, coders, writers, players, makers, critics, academics, and students for a celebration of the artistry of independent games & playful culture beyond the mainstream. Join us in 2019 for Freeplay’s 15th year anniversary! Website: http://www.freeplay.net.au/ Twitter:…
Find out more »One2Play 2019
International festival around artistic, cultural and socially relevant videogames. First edition. Exhibition, Arcade, Documentaries, Concert Mount Venus. In collaboration with STUK, Cultuurconnect, VAF/Gamefonds, stad Leuven en Cinema ZED.
Find out more »Arcadia 2019
Join us for day packed full with an amazing array of leading game designers and thinkers co-curated in partnership with V&A Dundee. Coinciding with the latest V&A Dundee exhibition Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt, the day will bring together a world-leading group of diverse designers and radical thinkers whose work covers the spectrum of game-making; from practical design, to soundscapes and future technologies, as well as exploring games as a cultural force. Arcadia 2019 aims to unpack key stories from within the videogame…
Find out more »V&A Dundee Tay Late: Press Play
What does a videogames arcade made in 2019 look like? Find out for yourself at our raucous club night Join us for a night of jostle-inducing multiplayer games and intimate, reflective experiences. Our next Tay Late sees the independent and alternative games scene, both local and international, take over the museum. Co-curated by We Throw Switches, producers of videogame events and parties from Sarajevo to San Francisco, the night will turn the museum into a combination of club night and…
Find out more »Looking for more game industry events?
Check Jurie Horneman’s excellent gameconfs directory.
Looking for festival submission deadlines?
Have a look at the excellent promoter app calendar.
Events for the Dutch industry:
Game Industrie Kalender / DGG / Courage Events