guildford.games Festival 2025 Schedule & Speakers

What does it take to turn pure creative vision into ground-breaking games? Join industry visionaries Mark Healey and Kareem Ettouney as they explore the art of leading game teams with imagination at the core. From their early days at Lionhead and Media Molecule before being joined by college Jack Livingstone to discuss shaping new ideas at 22cans, they’ll share insights on fostering innovation, pushing creative boundaries, and building teams that bring bold ideas to life. Whether you’re an aspiring developer or a seasoned creator, this panel is a celebration of the dreamers and makers who shape the future of play.

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Join Lauran Carter as she hosts a captivating panel with the three founders of Glowmade—Jonny Hopper, Mike Green, and Adam Sibbick—in The Rise and Rise of Glowmade. Discover the story behind one of Guildford’s most exciting studios, from its humble beginnings in 2015 to becoming a thriving team of over 60 developers. The founders will share insights into their journey, the challenges they’ve overcome, and how their focus on creativity and collaboration has shaped Glowmade’s success. They will also discuss their highly anticipated upcoming title, King of Meat, published by Amazon Games. Perfect for anyone inspired by entrepreneurial spirit, creative innovation, and the people behind the games.

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Join the founders of Two Point Studios as they take the stage to discuss the enduring appeal of management simulation games and what it takes to create one that captivates players. With their next highly anticipated game, Two Point Museum, just around the corner, this panel offers a rare glimpse into their creative process, design philosophies, and what makes a great management sim tick. Perfect for fans of the genre and aspiring game developers alike, this session promises to entertain and inspire.

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Join Lauran Carter in conversation with Dylan Beale of DPS Games for Hard Mode Heroes, a powerful and inspiring talk about the extraordinary efforts that earned DPS the Hard Mode Hero Award at the guildford.games Awards last year. This session offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the resilience, humanity, and leadership required to protect the people behind the games in the face of crisis.

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Join Barney Pratt and a brilliant panel of audio professionals from the games industry and beyond as they share corss industry perspectives and advice on how to thrive in your role as a composer. From licensing to contracts and revenue, this panel provide the essentials to succeed in this role.

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The Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN) is a programme funded by Research England exploring how universities and games companies can collaborate for mutual benefit. It is a partnership between three universities (University of Surrey, University for the Creative Arts, University of Warwick) that spans across the two biggest gaming clusters outside of London: Guildford and Leamington Spa. In this panel we’ll present two of our academic/industry collaborations – one early stage, one well under way. We’ll explore what issues games companies face and the ways academics and universities can help with those issues. As well as using this session to reflect on activity so far, we’re keen to hear from developers and games studios of all sizes so we can continue to shape our offerings – come and tell us what you need!

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Dive into the world of game soundtracks and audio design with Kenny Vaughan of Feel for Music, Jess Saunders of Salix Games and musician Davyd Winter-Bates, as they explore the art and importance of crafting music that resonates with players on an emotional level. From designing immersive soundscapes to using music as a storytelling tool, this talk will examine how audio shapes gameplay, enhances narrative, and deepens player connection. Whether you're a music enthusiast or a game developer, this session offers a fascinating look at how sound and music elevate games, creating unforgettable experiences that stay with us long after the credits roll.

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Discover the crucial role of production in turning creative visions into fully realised games. This session dives into the often-overlooked but essential work of producers, exploring how they coordinate teams, manage resources, and keep projects on track from concept to launch. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to the industry, this talk will provide valuable insights into the processes and practices that ensure games get made—and made well. Join host Lauren, a producer herself, in conversation with Jo Koehler of Two Point Studios and Pete Lake of Fuse Games

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Discover how collaboration between academia, the arts, and industry is shaping the future of interactive experiences. In this panel discussion, Sophy Smith (Executive Dean at UCA Farnham), Oliver Scott (Artistic Director and Founder of Mercurial Dance), and Giorgio Cortiana (Co-Founder and Director of Sound Reactions) share how their partnership has enhanced EmbodyXR—a VR game that uses gamified mindfulness techniques to guide players through its narrative. Chaired by Lauren Newport-Quinn, Skills Producer and Innovation Project Manager at UCA, the session will explore how funding from the Games and Innovation Nexus supported the involvement of games industry talent, addressing key skills gaps in the development process. Gain insight into the challenges, successes, and creative processes that come from blending expertise across disciplines. This session is ideal for anyone curious about the intersection of games, arts, and immersive technologies, or those interested in leveraging collab

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Join Aircon's Lewis Thompson for an informative panel comprised of fresh game audio professionals who will share their experiences getting into the games industry, and tips and tricks to starting out in game audio.

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Panel Host Greg Lester taps into the wealth of experience of a stellar panel of audio pros featuring Ross Stack, Jay Steen, and Barney Pratt as they reflect on their career learnings, previous mistakes, and discuss how to avoid similar pitfalls.

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Join Host Barney Pratt and the stellar panelists - Jay Steen, Matteo Cerquone, Taz Brakis, Oberon Buckingham-West, Javier Zumer, Nat Daw - for an exciting discussion about the role of the technical sound designer, how they can help, where they sit in a games audio team, and what resources can they benefit from to grow into that role.

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Is the mix a 'final pass' or built from the inception of the game? What actually is 'the mix', how should we approach it? Join our stellar panel line-up as they take a deep dive and answer these burning questions and MORE!

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