SCHEDULE
June 19 – 20 2025 | University Catholic of Lille
SPEAKERS
GAME DESIGN
Modeling the Politics of the Post-World: Factions and Narrative Systems in Frostpunk 2
Alexandre Boiret, Lead Narrative Designer – 11 BIT STUDIOS
Frostpunk 2 poses the following question: "What is the main obstacle to our long-term survival? Is it the cold—nature—or is it ourselves—human nature?" To explore this, we had to define a set of ideologies and transpose political questions into our post-apocalyptic universe. In this presentation, we will critically examine the strengths and limitations of our narrative systems, as well as the choices and challenges that have shaped the game's factions. Finally, we will ask: "Is a game that deals with politics necessarily a political game?"
Biography : Trained as a lawyer, Alexandre Boiret began a new life in the video game industry in 2014 as the localization manager for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. He then moved into game design, working as a quest designer on the game’s two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine, as well as on Cyberpunk 2077. In 2019, he joined 11 bit studios, where he worked on Frostpunk: The Last Autumn, and later became the Lead Narrative Designer for Frostpunk 2.
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Environments in Dune Awakening: where Art, Design and Performance converge
Joaquin Otazu, Senior Lead Artist – FUNCOM
In this talk, I’ll share my personal approach to level creation, based on 13 years of professional experience, from Environment Artist, to Lead Environment Artist or Art Director. Ill be using concrete examples from Dune: Awakening and our work on Arrakis, like other general lines Ive developed over the past years.
Biographie : Joaquin Otazu started working in the videogame industry being pretty young, more than 13 years ago. After many years working in Outsourcing, in titles such as Call of Duty, The Walking Dead, or Metro Exodus, he decided to start his own Art Studio plus an Educational Centre with some colleagues, to train specialized talent in Madrid. Becoming one of the leading schools in Spain and collaborating in more than 20 AAA titles, now, he joined FUNCOM to lead the Environment Team and help shaping up Arrakis.
Technology
Expedition 33: technical choices and challenges of creating a game with only 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 programmers
Tom Guillermin & Florian Torres, Cofounder et Technical Director & Senior Gameplay Programmer – SANDFALL INTERACTIVE
Originally composed of a single person, the programming team for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gradually grew to reach the (astronomical) number of 4 developers during its production. With a final count of 30 hours of main content and just as much secondary content, the technical team aimed to give designers as much freedom as possible by enabling them to create and combine different game elements. This presentation aims to detail the technical choices made toward this goal, the challenges encountered, and their concrete applications in the gameplay systems of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Biographies : After graduating from an engineering school specializing in computer science and software architecture, Tom Guillermin joined Ubisoft in 2016 as a gameplay programmer through the Graduate Program. He worked in France and then Sweden on the The Division, Ghost Recon, and Beyond Good & Evil franchises. It was in Sweden that he met Guillaume Broche and began helping him on what was then just a personal project using Unreal Engine. In 2020, with the arrival of François Meurisse, they co-founded Sandfall Interactive, with Tom taking the role of technical director and handling gameplay programming. The project then became Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
After a traditional computer engineering education, Florian Torres joined Ubisoft Montpellier at the same time as Tom Guillermin, where they met and became friends. He initially worked on the weapon system for the Ghost Recon franchise before moving to Ubisoft Singapore to work on the boat construction pipeline for Skull & Bones. Returning to Montpellier, Florian joined the space ships team for Beyond Good and Evil 2. Tom co-founded Sandfall Interactive, and Florian joined the team when a second programming position became necessary. Since then, he has worked across all gameplay systems related to exploration in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
PRODUCTION / RH
Don’t Ship the Wrong Game: A Framework for Choosing What to Finish
De René Habermann, Director – BIPPINBITS
Shipping a good game that no one desires is a sad affair. I'll share how we avoid this by building many prototypes, evaluating them against real people and then go into an appropriately scoped production, staying happy devs in rough times.
Biographie : René followed his life-long passion in 2022 and started Bippinbits, and indie studio making Dome Keeper and PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenko
Game Design
The Battle system in Expedition 33
Michel Nohra, Lead Game Designer – SANDFALL INTERACTIVE
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing game that incorporates real-time mechanics into its combat system. This talk will explore how the combat system was developed, what makes it unique, and the challenges faced in combining turn-based and real-time gameplay while delivering ambitious RPG systems.
Biography : After earning a degree in Mathematics, I was fortunate to begin a career in Game Design by being hired at Ankama to work on my favorite game at the time: DOFUS. Over more than six years working on this successful MMORPG, I was trained as a Game Designer while contributing to this monumental project. After Ankama, I was able to leverage my experience on Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, a hack’n’slash released in 2020, and then on The Cycle: Frontier, an extraction shooter released in 2022 that also introduced me to Unreal Engine. All this led me to Sandfall Interactive, where my experience with both turn-based and real-time games can fully shine! Today, I work on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics that has just been released. I specialize particularly in combat systems, economy, progression, and balancing.
Sound
Music Design in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: How to Build a Viable Interactive Music System Directly in Unreal Engine
Raphaël Joffres, Lead Audio & Music Designer – SANDFALL INTERACTIVE
Music Design is an emerging discipline in video games, a specialty that has only been recognized for the past 2 or 3 years. What is Music Design, and how does it fit into a development team? What are its fundamentals, and how did our team integrate over 8 hours of music into Expedition 33? This talk will aim to provide an overview of the principles of interactive music and discuss their concrete application in a production using Unreal Engine 5, in an accessible and educational
Biographie : Raphaël, Composer, Music Designer, and more recently Audio Lead on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I started my career at Ubisoft Montpellier in 2016 as a Sound Designer before transitioning to music design and music supervision, working on projects such as Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Beyond Good & Evil 2. In 2021, I moved to part-time work to develop my freelance activity, and in 2023, I left Ubisoft to join Sandfall Interactive as Lead Audio and Music Designer, as well as the Fractal Edge Music collective as Composer.
Game Design
Artifacts in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2: Delivering an Art-Focused Feature
De Yegor Ostapenko, Game Designer – GSC GAME WORLD
The focus of this lecture is a very iconic and visually rich feature of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe - the mysterious artifacts. As a contributor and delivery owner of this feature I will explain its background, talk about the production pipeline, team management, and challenges that had to be addressed in the process of its delivery.
Biographie : I have been a part of this amazing industry for 10 years now. During this time I had an opportunity to work in indie, publishing, outsource, and AAA sectors. I joined GSC back in 2021 to work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and contributed to HUD, PDA, settings, world building and items among other things.
Design
Authenticity and Worldbuilding at Ubisoft
Thierry Noël, Senior Manager, Team lead Humanities & Inspiration – UBISOFT
Video game worlds are by nature constructions, inspired to varying degrees by reality. Making them authentic, meaning believable and impactful, without necessarily aiming for exact accuracy is a major challenge. This talk aims to explore the opportunities and methods involved, as well as the constraints and limits.
Biography : Thierry NOËL is a trained historian and a specialist in Latin America, where he lived for nearly 20 years. In 2017, he joined Ubisoft’s Research department, working notably on the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon franchises, before taking the lead of the team. Now renamed Humanities & Inspiration, this team supports Ubisoft’s creative teams in crafting worlds that are as authentic and believable as possible, drawing on research from diverse fields such as history, cultures, geopolitics, sociology, and more.
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Helldivers 2: Diving into the materials creation and biome productions
Romain Lemaire, Senior Materials Artist – ARROWHEAD
Post-mortem on environment creation for the game Helldivers 2, with an emphasis on developing a pipeline to support terrain creation across the game’s biomes, while working with a tight time budget and only one material artist.
Biography : Senior Materials Artist at Arrowhead Game Studios, currently working on Helldivers 2 since June 2022. Previously a freelancer and also a teacher at Piktura, I have a generalist background and have contributed to numerous real-time as well as pre-rendered projects.
Production/HR
HIGH PRESSURE SUCCESS: How PowerWash Simulator transformed a studio
Toby Adam-Smith, Head of Production – FUTURLAB
How FuturLab went from a small indie, who at the time was mostly work-for-hire, to where we are today. I’ll share how we had to change the way we work, how we had to grow, the myriad of problems we encountered along the way, and how ultimately the clarity of our vision and a simple idea created the optimum conditions for our success.
Biography : An avid gamer with over a decade of experience in the industry, I’ve worked my way through support, QA, writing and production. I’ve been involved in web-based, mobile, VR, PC & console titles, but most importantly I produced PowerWash Simulator. I now sit on the senior leadership team of FuturLab as we embark on a self-published future with PowerWash Simulator 2.
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What we do in the shadows: Peeking behind the UI in Monument Valley III
Lale Welker, Senior UI Artist – USTWO GAMES
How do you design UI for a game that’s known for having barely any? In this talk, Lale shares her journey of joining Monument Valley 3 early in pre-production and navigating the creative constraints – and opportunities – of working with this well-loved IP. From merging brand and UI thinking through typography, to making playful experiences more accessible to everyone, she explores how diegetic design decisions can quietly shape how players feel, explore, and connect. Expect insights on minimalism, accessibility, and the art of saying more with less.
Biography : As the Senior UI Artist at ustwo Games, Lale has recently been working on the third instalment of the Monument Valley series. Before diving into the world of games, she worked as a graphic designer in Hamburg, with a focus on brand and packaging design. She loves juggling the worlds of art and design, always aiming to create visually stunning playful and intuitive experiences.
Business / Strategy
“Crawl, Walk, Run” – Finding the right balance between work-for-hire and original IP
Alex Delamaire, Directeur Business Development & Communications – BLACKBIRD INTERACTIVE
How can a studio ship an Edge Magazine Game of the Year title (e.g. Hardspace: Shipbreaker) while simultaneously building work-for-hire games and doing co-development (e.g. Minecraft Legends, Warcraft Remastered Battle Chest etc.)? Inspired by the humble beginnings of Blizzard, Gearbox, and Behaviour, Blackbird Interactive has built the second largest independent studio in Canada using a framework that has helped many creative powerhouses establish themselves while managing risks. A decade into this model at BBI, here is an honest look at the benefits - but also challenges - that have come along the way in terms of stability, creativity, processes, and studio culture.
Biography : Alex is currently the Director of Business Development & Communications at Blackbird Interactive, one of the largest independent studios in Canada, known for Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Homeworld, and Minecraft Legends. After an initial career as a strategic planner in advertising agencies, he shifted his focus to video games. Over the past twelve years in the industry, he has had the opportunity to work with both indie and AAA studios and publishers (Bethesda, Arkane, SEGA, Relic, Hinterland, etc.), in roles ranging from community management to business development, as well as branding and marketing.
Sound
Unlocking Creative Freedom: Navigating the Dark to Find Your Artistic Light
Olivier Deriviere, Composer and Music Designer – AMEO PROD
As creative people, we always feel the pressure to make art. Most of the time, we try to consider all the parameters involved and often slip into the security of an inoffensive approach. However, there is always a path, a light in the dark, that can offer more than just a sufficient end result. What is this light? How do we navigate by it in this world of imperatives? And why will this light be brighter than ever soon enough?
Biography : Olivier Deriviere is a visionary composer and music designer known for pushing the boundaries of music in video games and film. With a passion for crafting immersive and emotionally resonant soundscapes, he has left an indelible mark on interactive entertainment. He first gained recognition in 2005 with Alone in the Dark, a milestone in survival horror. In 2013, his genre-blending score for Remember Me highlighted his talent for merging orchestral and electronic elements. He went on to score Assassin’s Creed IV: Freedom Cry, The Technomancer, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and the dark, atmospheric Vampyr. More recent highlights include Dying Light 2, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and South of Midnight (2025), where his music plays a central, reactive role in the gameplay experience. His interactive compositions have earned him multiple nominations and awards, including recognition from the BAFTA Games Awards. Driven by a commitment to innovation, Olivier Deriviere continues to redefine how music can enhance storytelling and emotion in games.
Design
Roguelike/Brawler: weaving narrative into an action game
Fanny Renard, Narrative Designer – ARKANE STUDIOS
Narrative Designer at Passtech Games and later Dotemu, I’ve carved out a path through sword slashes and flaming arrow showers to try and answer one question: how do you tell a story in an action game that barely gives players a chance to catch their breath? Barks system, voice-over, character design, environmental storytelling, together, we’ll explore all the tools available in the storytelling toolbox.
Biography : With a master’s degree in animated film, Fanny entered the video game industry as a graphic artist, video editor, and then community manager before becoming a narrative designer. She worked on the roguelike action game Ravenswatch at Passtech Games, then on the beat ’em up Absolum at Dotemu, before joining the team at Arkane Studios.
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A Prince of Persia with purple skin, what a strange idea!
Dylan Eurlings, Art Director – EVIL EMPIRE
We released The Rogue Prince of Persia in early access in May 2024, and it didn’t perform well. The art direction was identified as one of the most criticized aspects. So, we decided to rework it. I will talk about the lessons I’ve learned from this rework and how we approached maintaining our identity while aligning better with the license and the genre of the game.
Biography : My name is Dylan Eurlings, I’m a versatile artist with a strong inclination for simplification. I enjoy working on a variety of tasks and always strive to stylize while simplifying. I see a lot of beauty in simple things (but made with love). Currently, I’m the Art Director at Evil Empire, working on The Rogue Prince of Persia.
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South of Midnight: Lighting the Bayou
Miguel Hernandez et Charly Vanlaere, Principal Lighting Artist & Senior Lighting Artist – COMPULSION GAMES / ONYX STUDIO
Presentation on the creative and technical process behind lighting in South of Midnight. An in-depth explanation of how the lighting was crafted from concept to final product: the key choices, tools, and structure that were essential to bringing the game's artistic vision to life.
Biographies : Miguel Hernandez is the Principal Lighting Artist at Compulsion Games. Before taking on this role, he studied 3D Animation and later Video Game Design. During his academic journey, he developed a strong passion for lighting, which led to his first job as a Lighting Artist on the children’s series Zafari, created in Unreal Engine. He later joined Eidos Montréal, where he worked on Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Guardians of the Galaxy. Eventually, he left the AAA world to become the first and only Lighting Artist at Compulsion Games.
Charly Vanlaere began his career in 2018 as a Material and Environment Artist on titles such as Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. Now a Senior Lighting Artist, he has contributed to projects like Call of Duty, Jusant, and more recently South of Midnight. A long-time GameCamp veteran since the very first edition, he’s excited to share his passion during this talk.
Production
The Long Game: Surviving a Decade of Development on THE LONG DARK
De Raphael van Lierop, Founder & Creative Director – HINTERLAND
Often, games launch after years of development and disappear almost overnight. Within the turmoil of today’s shifting game industry, it’s hard to see what tomorrow may bring, let alone years from now. But what if you knew the game you launch tomorrow would last ten years or more? What would you have done differently leading up to launch, and how would you have planned to make your next ten years as painless as possible? In this talk, studio founder and creative director Raphael van Lierop looks back on (more than) a decade of development of THE LONG DARK, reflecting on lessons learned, mistakes made, and what wisdom may be passed on for the future. Topics will include team planning, communication, game design, community development, and much more.
Biographie : A game director, writer, narrative, and systems designer, Raphael has dedicated over 20 years to the creation of thoughtful, innovative entertainment. He leads the wonderful team at Hinterland, one of Canada’s premiere independent game developers, creators of THE LONG DARK, its sequel BLACKFROST, and other unannounced projects. Raphael believes that games stand at the heart of all future entertainment, and strives to prove it’s possible to create world-class games while leading teams with humanity.
Game Design
THRESHOLD, born of constraint
Julien Eveillé , Senior Level Designer et Solo Dev – INDEPENDANT
THRESHOLD is a game born of constraint, both in its development and its mechanics. The presentation focuses on all these limitations and frictions, whether positive or negative, that made the creation of this game possible.
Biography : Julien Éveillé is a level designer who has worked at Arkane Studios (Blade, Deathloop, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Wolfenstein: Youngblood) and later at Crytek (Hunt Showdown, Crysis 4). He solo-developed the indie game THRESHOLD over a year and a half, which was released on November 19, 2024. He also teaches game design and level design at various schools. His vision of level design, shaped by his journey between AAA and indie, aims to create immersive experiences that offer players a high degree of interactive freedom.
Biz/Marketing
Boost your video game sales with Meta and Reddit ads
Victoria Cribier, Social Media Manager – THE CROWDFUNDING AGENCY
Social media ads can play a key role in a game’s visibility and sales, provided they are used thoughtfully within an overall communication strategy. In this talk, we will explore how to structure an effective advertising strategy on Meta and Reddit to optimize your game’s launch, key moments, and sales. From defining target audiences to adjusting content, budget, and platform tools, as well as analyzing performance, we’ll cover best practices to enhance your ads’ impact. Suitable for beginners, this session is designed both for those who have never run campaigns and for those looking to refine their approach.
Biography : Communication officer specialized in social media management for over 5 years in the video game, board game, and crowdfunding sectors, and formerly Communications Manager at Women in Games France, I currently collaborate with:
– The Crowdfunding Agency, where I manage and advise creators on marketing and communication for crowdfunding campaigns.
– ICO Partners, where I oversee social media management.
– Mighty Merch, recently, to develop and implement an organic and paid social media communication strategy.
Sound
The music of Have A Nice Death: from the creative process to the final production
Yann Cléophas, Sound Designer – FREELANCE
Let’s get up close to the music creation in Have A Nice Death. How does a commission given to a composer within an ambitious indie production actually unfold? How can the excitement and joy of participating in such a project give wings, yet sometimes also sow doubt? This is a deep dive into the research and experimentation process that leads to the final result in a collective work with its production constraints. What does it mean to be a composer in video games?
Biography : Born in Montpellier, with twenty years of professional experience as a composer, guitarist, sound designer, and sound mixer. I work as a freelancer in video games, sound and light shows, animated films, and other sectors.
Biz/Marketing
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – From first tweet to launch – Social Media Case Study
Sophie Lance & Noa Claisse, Communication Director & Senior Community Manager – DON’T NOD
The Social Media teams at DON'T NOD look back on the community strategy for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and how they engaged players all the way up to the game's release.
Biographies : After more than ten years in brand strategy at agencies such as Webedia and BBDO, Sophie Lance joined DON’T NOD in 2022 to lead the studio’s social media strategy, before becoming Director of Communications in 2025. A specialist in digital content and online communities, she combines editorial vision and storytelling expertise to represent the voice of the studio and its games to players around the world.
Noa Claisse is Senior Community Manager at DON’T NOD, where she coordinates the community strategy for the studio’s entire game catalog. Before joining the studio in 2023, she led the voice of the French communities for Amazon Games, following several years at MY.GAMES overseeing communication teams. With ten years of experience, she is committed to creating meaningful spaces for exchange, where players feel heard and valued.
Production
From Project Operator to The Operator: A Solo Dev’s Postmortem on Tackling an Ambitious Project
Bastien Giafferi, Solo dev – BUREAU 81
Through this postmortem, I’d like to share my perspective on game development as a solo dev/micro team. I’ll reflect on the main challenges faced, the technical tools implemented to manage the expansion of an already (too?) ambitious scope, while sharing as much data as possible from the project’s inception to post-launch and the Switch port.
Biography : Bastien Giafferi is an independent game developer and founder of the studio Bureau 81. After working as lead programmer at DigixArt (Road 96, 11-11: Memories Retold), he struck out on his own to develop The Operator, a narrative investigation game praised by critics and awarded the Narrative Excellence prize at the 2025 Pégases.
Technology
An Overview of Procedural Generation
Flavien Normand, President / Technical Director – TEAMCRAFT STUDIOS
In this talk, we’ll explore technologies related to procedural generation, from simple randomness to combinations of mathematics and living organisms.
Biography : A jack-of-all-trades developer, creator of various tools for Final Fantasy XIV, and a passionate fan of Godot.
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Dordogne: How Traditional Art Serves Video Games
Cédric Babouche, Chief content officer / Art DIrector – UN JE NE SAIS QUOI
Presentation of the various artistic and narrative creation stages of Dordogne. Which tools were used, from watercolor to Unity, including a different approach to interactive storyboarding thanks to Adobe XD.
Biography : Director and Art Director of the Dordogne project. I initiated and led this project from start to finish through my company Un je ne sais quoi. With 22 years of experience spanning video games, film, TV, and comics, I aim to continue working in this transmedia path and to share my expertise bridging technology and traditional arts.
Technology
Release the pressure… of building your game!
Bastien Guyl, Build Engineer – FUTURLAB
FuturLab, with its game PowerWash Simulator, targets multiple platforms and regularly releases new updates and content. This talk aims to explain our proactive approach to identifying issues early, ensuring project stability, and the tools we use to reduce team downtime. We’ll discuss Jenkins, CI (Continuous Integration) tools, VMs (Virtual Machines), automated testing in Unity, and the importance of the QA team.
Biography : I’ve been working at FuturLab for over 2 years as a Build Engineer, and in the video game industry for 5 years, with 6 released games.
Business
Closing deals in 2025
Pontus Mähler, Co-Founder – AGORA GAMING PARTNERS
Learn how to pitch at the right stage, what deal terms to expect in 2025, and how to target the right partners. This session unpacks how to align with the market and close better publishing deals.
Biography : Pontus is a veteran of the gaming industry with over a decade of expertise under his belt. From his days as a professional gamer to leading ventures in Thailand, Pontus knows what it takes to build and lead. In the past, he has overseen global operations, guided 65+ companies, spearheaded 35+ investments and 30+ publisher & distribution deals, and raised over $40+ million since 2019
Design
Adventures of a UI Designer: From Creative Brief to the Design of The Crush House
Emma Morin, UI/UX Designer
I want to share my experience as a UI/UX Designer on the production of The Crush House (by Nerial/Devolver Digital), through an in-depth analysis of the game’s main screen. This case study will cover all the iteration steps that led to the final result. I’ll also discuss how the evolving design throughout production created new UI needs and UX challenges and how we tackled those challenges to find the right solutions.
Biography : After completing a degree in Design, I decided to pursue a career in the video game industry—a passion of mine since childhood. My first experience was at Ubisoft Paris, followed by a role as a UI/UX Designer at Nerial LTD, which helped me further develop my expertise in the field. Today, I strive to support the creation of narrative and emotionally resonant experiences, with a strong focus on accessibility for all types of players.
Technologie
Modernizing Your Indie Pipeline: Open-Source Philosophy, Automation, and Ethical AI
Mina Pêcheux, Game Dev & Content Creator – FREELANCE
Offer a quick overview of the current classic form of an indie dev pipeline and three technical axes to include modern technologies "the right way": open-source tools, automation (especially versioning and CI/CD), and AI. The goal is not to detail (or sanctify!) a new pipeline but to suggest food for thought for small teams.
Biography : After working as an AI engineer and web developer, I decided to focus on my lifelong passion: video game creation. Today, I work as a freelancer in dev rel and technical communication around video games and their tools. I work on my own solo games and provide content about game creation online in the form of videos, conferences, books, and articles, in both English and French.
Technology
How to glow-up the Unity game engine
Mathieu Muller, Lead Graphics Product Manager – UNITY
A step-by-step presentation on how to improve graphical performance and visual quality using existing or recent Unity features. Tips, tricks, benchmarks, demos, and updates on the latest versions, all applicable to any type of project, whether mobile, XR, or PC/consoles.
Biography : Head of product strategy for the rendering engine at Unity, and a real-time specialist with 23 years of experience as a developer and product manager in video games, animation, and simulation. He spent 12 years developing graphics engines for flight simulators and AI middleware for NPCs used in numerous titles, and has spent the past 11 years at Unity helping studios across industries worldwide and shaping the graphics roadmap.
BizDev/Marketing
Building your sales strategy around a niche
Ga-Yi NG, Strategic Partner Manager – HOODED HORSE
Niche games aren’t necessarily harder to sell, they just require a different approach, sometimes outside mainstream trends. In this talk, we’ll dive into how to identify and convince a target audience, how to communicate and sell within the strategy games niche, and how to explore opportunities for expanding games. We’ll look at concrete examples from Hooded Horse titles (along with anecdotes from my previous experience, including at Wargaming). A blend of sales strategy, marketing, and business development!
Biography : Ga-Yi began her journey in the video game industry while still studying, working as a game demonstrator at Paris Games Week. Since then, she has held several business development roles. Previously at Wargaming, Plug in Digital, and ICO Partners, Ga-Yi joined Hooded Horse in 2024 as a Strategic Partner Manager. She draws on her diverse experience to build and maintain innovative partnerships focused on sales strategy and brand expansion.
Production / HR
Witch, Paris, Baguette: The Magic of Raising €300K on Kickstarter!
Charlotte Gailledreau, CEO & Creative Director – SUNNY LAB
A post-mortem of our Kickstarter campaign for The Witch's Bakery! We'll share our biggest takeaways, pitfalls to avoid, and practical tips, plus a few key numbers. Hope this helps future creators bring their projects to life!
Biography : After over a decade in the game industry, I co-founded Sunny Lab in 2022. I’m currently the CEO and Creative Director, leading The Witch’s Bakery: A cozy adventure game about a young witch opening her bakery in the heart of Paris!
Design
Narrative Games: Failures and Successes
Yoan Fanise, Creative Director – DIGIXART
An in-depth analysis of the evolution of the narrative genre, examining its factors of failure and success through the games we've created at DigixArt and beyond. How streaming has profoundly changed the landscape.
Biography :Creative Director at DigixArt, creator of Road 96, 11-11 Memories Retold, and Valiant Hearts.
BUSINESS / MARKETING
The Economics of Purpose in Games
De Jennifer Estaris, Game Director – MONUMENT VALLEY 3
Modern economics has largely been reduced to the pursuit of profit, leaving behind the core principle of managing and caring for our shared home. However, purpose-led design can provide a guiding light towards both creative breakthroughs and measurable business success. In Monument Valley 3, sustainability and storytelling intertwine to create a meaningful player experience with real world impact. Subway Surfers and other participants of the UNEP-facilitated Playing for the Planet’s Green Game Jam showcase how sustainability initiatives enhanced their KPIs and deepened engagement. This session will equip developers with tools to design for impact.
Biographie : Jennifer Estaris (she/her) is a game director, designer and sustainable futures advocate. She directed Monument Valley 3, a critically-acclaimed meditative puzzle game about illusion, post-flood recovery, and forming a nature-based community. MV3 launched on Netflix Games in December 2024 and will launch on PC and consoles this summer. She also directed Monument Valley 2’s The Lost Forest, about forest conservation, and SYBO’s Subway Surfers, a mobile game with over 4 billion downloads. She has designed for Nickelodeon, Disney, and indie studios, and speaks on social impact regularly at conferences worldwide including GDC, SXSW, and Gamescom. A Filipina-American immigrant in London, Jennifer is involved with the UNEP-facilitated Playing for the Planet (Advisory Council, Storytelling Committee Co-Chair) and the IGDA Climate SIG, and was the recipient of the 2024 Playing for the Planet Champion Award.
PRODUCTION / QA PUBLISHING
QA isn’t only about bugs !
Doriane Claireaux, Lead QA – FOCUS ENTERTAINMENT
The conference focuses on the importance of improving the reputation of our profession by taking ownership and implementing various core tools in game production, which help showcase our expertise within the industry.
Biography : Lead QA at Focus Entertainment Publishing for 6 years, I have developed a passion for this profession that allows me to innovate and evolve in my field, right at the heart of game development.
