Indie Games
Official Selection
Global titles
Multiplayer
Playable on…
PC
Steam Deck
Playdate
Where + When?
London Museum
Thursday 3 & Friday 4 April 2025
Centrally located:
10+ Tube stations in 5-15 min walk and many rail links
What’s on?
Game demos
Talks & stage program
More surprises
What’s on at New Game Plus
Into Games Careers Stage
Join Into Games at New Game Plus as they host a series of careers segments designed to help you level up your journey into the games industry.
Whether you’re a student, grad, or career switcher, get practical advice, insider tips, and meet real industry professionals ready to share how they got their start – and how you can too.
Date & Times:
Thursday 3 April 2025:
10:30 AM, 12:00 AM, 16:30 PM
Friday 4 April 2025: 12:30 AM
Calling all video game collectors!
To celebrate the London Games Festival’s 10th anniversary, we’re inviting games fans and the games industry to share details of their most prized gaming treasures for consideration in a special event, Joystique Roadshow.
Successful applicants will be invited to showcase their item(s) on stage at the Joystique Roadshow event during New Game Plus on April 3rd.
They’ll be joined by big-name industry experts, including the National Videogame Museum, Sir Ian Livingstone, and Keza MacDonald, who will also be sharing their own personal items and stories for everyone to enjoy.
Apply to showcase your hidden gem:
WIN
WIN is London Games Festival’s feel-good gathering for Women In (or interested in) games, tech, and interactive industries. More than just a panel, it’s an intimate, informal, and inspiring conversation about work, life, motivation, and the journeys that brought us here. No agenda, no taboos, just real talk led by incredible women.
Speakers to be announced soon!
WIN is open to all, but we ask that all our speakers identify as female – because we believe in giving these voices a platform and to inspire our audience.
This event is invite only. Registration required.
Come for the conversation, stay for the connections!
Date & Time: Friday 4 April 2025, 2 PM
Register to be part of the conversation: https://games.london/win/
Press X to Continue LIVE!
Press X to Continue is coming to New Game Plus!
The UK’s top gaming podcast will be recording live on Friday, 4 April at the event.
Hosted by Steffan Powell and Inel Tomlinson. Press X to Continue, dives deep into the latest gaming trends, news, and culture. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the live audience.
DATE & TIME: Friday 4 April – 10:30 AM
Into Games Careers Stage
Join Into Games at New Game Plus as they host a series of careers segments designed to help you level up your journey into the games industry.
Whether you’re a student, grad, or career switcher, get practical advice, insider tips, and meet real industry professionals ready to share how they got their start – and how you can too.
Date & Times:
Thursday 3 April 2025:
10:30 AM, 12:00 AM, 16:30 PM
Friday 4 April 2025: 12:30 AM
Calling all video game collectors!
To celebrate the London Games Festival’s 10th anniversary, we’re inviting games fans and the games industry to share details of their most prized gaming treasures for consideration in a special event, Joystique Roadshow.
Successful applicants will be invited to showcase their item(s) on stage at the Joystique Roadshow event during New Game Plus on April 3rd.
They’ll be joined by big-name industry experts, including the National Videogame Museum, Sir Ian Livingstone, and Keza MacDonald, who will also be sharing their own personal items and stories for everyone to enjoy.
Apply to showcase your hidden gem:
Thursday 3 April
| Time | Content |
| 10:30 |
Careers Session
|
| 12:00 |
Careers Session
|
| 14:00 |
Joystique Roadshow
|
| 16:30 |
Careers Session
|
Friday 4 April
| Time | Content |
| 10:30 | Press X to Continue LIVE! |
| 12:30 |
Careers Session
|
| 14:30 | Monument Valley |
| 16:30 |
Industry program
Morning Session
| Time | Session |
| 10:45 | DOORS OPEN |
| 10:00 | Welcome |
| 10:15 |
Key legal issues for games companies
|
| 11:00 |
PANEL: A Decade of Gaming – What We’ve Gained, Lost, and What’s Next!
|
| 12:00 |
Adapting the Narrative in Real Time in Response to the Audience
|
| 12:30 |
Building a Game from Scratch with AI: Lessons from Recreating X-COM
|
| 13:00 | BREAK |
Afternoon Session
| Time | Session |
| 13:15 |
Game City Sessions – Madrid
|
| 13:45 |
Game City Sessions – Kyoto
|
| 14:15 |
Game City Sessions – Berlin
|
| 14:45 | BREAK |
| 15:00 |
Fireside Chat Keynote: In conversation with Reedah El-Saie, Brainspark Games
|
| 15:30 |
Games Sustainability for Indies
|
| 16:00 |
From Play to Impact: Gaming as a Force for Environmental Change
|
| 16:30 |
Closing Keynote: Scare tactics: Lessons from Phasmophobia on launching a horror phenomenon
|
A Decade of Gaming – What We’ve Gained, Lost, and What’s Next!
11am, Thursday 3 April 2025
Sir Ian Livingstone
(Author and Entrepreneur)
Gina Jackson
(Founder of SKILLfull and Co-Founder of Pitchify)
George Osborne
(Industry Expert and Journalist, Video Games Industry Memo)
Dr. Imo Kaufman
(Researcher of Video Games and Gaming Culture)
Phil Stuart
(Executive Creative Director, PRELOADED)
Shay Thompson
(Presenter and Industry Expert)
John O’Shea
(Creative Director & co-CEO National Videogame Museum & BGI Charity)
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of London Games Festival and to bring awareness not only to the video games industry’s past, but also its future and what’s still to come.
Hosted by Sir Ian Livingstone join our panel of industry experts talking about the last decade of gaming and looking ahead to the next 10 years of gaming, making predications for what’s to come. A time capsule of these predictions will also be sealed and stored/showcased until 2035 at the National Videogame Museum.
Adapting the Narrative in Real Time in Response to the Audience
12pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Owen Kingston
(Artistic Director of Parabolic Theatre)
Owen Kingston, Artistic Director of the trailblazing Parabolic Theatre, for an exploration of how stories can shift, evolve, and respond to audience choices in real time. With over 20 years of experience in theatre and film, Owen has developed groundbreaking interactive productions that blur the line between performer and participant.
This talk dives into the creative processes behind real-time narrative adaptation, how to design for unpredictability, and what games can learn from immersive theatre’s live responsiveness.
Building a Game from Scratch with AI: Lessons from Recreating X-COM
12:30pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Ken Noland
(CEO, CTO and Co-Founder of AI guys)
Ken Noland, CEO and Co-founder of AI Guys, dives into the world of AI-assisted game development. With over 20 years of experience, Ken presents a real-world case study on rebuilding OpenXcom using AI in just three months.
He discusses how AI can accelerate development, the challenges it presents, and practical workflows for indie developers and small teams. This talk separates the hype from reality, offering valuable insights and lessons for leveraging AI in game creation.
Fireside Chat: In conversation with Reedah El-Saie, Brainspark Games
3pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Reedah El-Saie
(Founder & CEO
Brainspark Games)
Reedah El-Saie, is the founder and CEO of multi-award winning EdTech Gaming startup, BrainsparkGames. The studio is building free, culturally inclusive, AI-powered, Augmented Reality, educationalmobile games, aligned with the national curriculum. Pioneering neurogames technology, BrainsparkGames is designing games for primary and secondary pupils including GCSEs, fostering a love of ‘learning through play’.
Game City Sessions
1:30pm , Thursday 3 April 2025
Join us for a deep dive into the vibrant regional gaming scenes at the Game City Sessions, where industry and creators share insights into the unique challenges and opportunities in Madrid, Kyoto, and Berlin.
Alberto Oro from Invest in Madrid and Felix Martin from Madrid in Game will explore the Spanish capital game development scene. They will discuss the support and growth opportunities available in Madrid, and also showcase how local initiatives are positioning Madrid as a hub for indie developers and creative talent.
Masahiko Murakami from BitSummit will highlight Japan’s dynamic indie game scene through the lens of BitSummit, one of the most influential indie game festivals in Asia. Masahiko will discuss how Kyoto’s rich cultural heritage informs the innovation and creativity of the game developers there.
Join Ashe Foltin from Bold Beetle Games, David Cafisso and Katharina “Mikey” Müller from Aldamami Games, and Arjuna “AJ” Sath, Joris Schnabel, and Alex Mejda from Games Ground Berlin for a collaborative exploration of Berlin’s rapidly growing game development ecosystem. They will share their experiences fostering indie games in the city and highlight how Berlin is becoming a central hub for diverse voices and creative approaches in the industry.
Games Sustainability for Indies
3:30pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Jiri Kupiainen
(Chairperson of the Sustainable Games Alliance Board)
Jiri Kupiainen, Chairperson of the Sustainable Games Alliance Board, brings over two decades of industry experience to Games Sustainability for Indies.
The talk is designed to help smaller studios navigate the path to more sustainable development. From indie dev to Disney exec, Jiri offers practical insights on building a greener future without sacrificing creativity or growth.
From Play to Impact: Gaming as a Force for Environmental Change
4:00pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Rhea Loucas
(CEO, Planet Play)
Planet Play
Tristan Clark
(Co-Founder Trailmix)
Briana Evigan
(Actress, Green Advocate and Founder of Abundant Village)
Robbie Hopkins
(Partnership Development Manager, Google Play Games)
Wayne Emmanuel
(Videogame Strategy & Business Development Consultant)
PlanetPlay CEO Rhea Loucas will take the stage during New Games Plus at London Games Festival to explore this question as part of an inspiring panel.
Joining Rhea for this important conversation are:
Topics will include:
How games can raise awareness about the climate crisis
How studios can integrate sustainability into in-game activations
The role of platforms in amplifying green content
How entertainers are using their voice to drive change
How campaigns like PlanetPlay’s Make Green Moves are turning gameplay into carbon-saving, biodiversity-supporting action
Whether you’re a developer, publisher, platform, or planet-conscious player, this panel is not to be missed. Join as we explore how the power of play can be used to build a greener, more sustainable future – one game at a time.
Scare Tactics: Lessons from Phasmophobia on launching a horror phenomenon
4:30pm, Thursday 3 April 2025
Daniel Knight
(Director and Lead Developer)
Benjamin Lavender
(Technical Director)
Asim Tanvir
(Lead Marketing & Partnerships Manager)
From a solo developer’s passion project to over 22 million units sold, Phasmophobia’s success was certainly a jump scare. Kinetic Games will share what they’ve learnt developing a definitive horror game and an unexpected hit – from scaling up operations whilst maintaining the core experience, managing a growing, passionate community, and keeping press and streamer interest.
Attendees will also gain insight into the tech that powers the hit ghost-hunting game, including best practice when it comes to immersion, building fear, and keeping players coming back for more.
WIN
2pm, Friday 4 April 2025
WIN
WIN is London Games Festival’s feel-good gathering for Women In (or interested in) games, tech, and interactive industries. More than just a panel, it’s an intimate, informal, and inspiring conversation about work, life, motivation, and the journeys that brought us here. No agenda, no taboos, just real talk led by incredible women.
Speakers to be announced soon!
WIN is open to all, but we ask that all our speakers identify as female – because we believe in giving these voices a platform and to inspire our audience.
This event is invite only. Registration required.
Come for the conversation, stay for the connections!
Date & Time: Friday 4 April 2025, 2 PM
Register to be part of the conversation: https://games.london/win/
Tickets
One-Day Pass
Access to Thursday or Friday
Admission times: 10am to 6pm, last entry at 5pm
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult
£15
Two-Day Pass
Access to Thursday & Friday
Admission times: 10am to 6pm, last entry at 5pm
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult
£25
Industry Pass
Access to Thursday & Friday
Industry Conference
Access to Industry lounge
Access to LGF meeting system