D.I.C.E. Athens Early Bird Registration Now Open
Registration for D.I.C.E. Athens is now open. Mark your calendars now to make sure you attend this premier networking event taking place September 21-23, 2026 and take advantage of early bird pricing.
2026 Game Maker's Sketchbook Collection Revealed
Game Maker’s Sketchbook, the annual celebration of artistry in interactive entertainment, powered by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), iam8bit, and fortyseven communications, has revealed the official selections for its fifth annual showcase. Honoring the imagination, craftsmanship, visual storytelling and creativity in the beautiful interactive surfaces and game worlds that players love, this year’s collection invites fans and collectors alike to celebrate the enduring power of art in and around games. The works are now available to view through the Game Maker’s Sketchbook online gallery and will also be exhibited during Summer Game Fest: Play Days from Saturday, June 6 through Monday, June 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.
Fans, collectors, and supporters can pre-order high-quality prints through the iam8bit store until June 25. Every purchase directly supports nonprofit initiatives led by the Day of the Devs and AIAS Foundation, celebrating the art of games while fostering a more inclusive and creatively vibrant future for games through scholarships, mentorships, educational programs, and opportunities that champion emerging voices in the industry.
Igor Gritsy & Yura Zhoanovich
Sad Cat Studios
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Adam Orth chats with Igor Gritsy and Yura Zhoanovich of Sad Cat Studios about their 2.5D cinematic action-platformer, Replaced. Together they discuss developing the story as an exploration between technology and its relationship with the human condition; designing combat that fits a cinematic platformer; environment as a character; creating a soundtrack that is bleak yet hopeful; and the difficulty in balancing artistic and business decisions.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Jake Birkett
Grey Alien Games
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Trent Kusters chats with Jake Birkett of Grey Alien Games. Together they discuss how he worked together with Night Signal Entertainment on their card-slashing "horror" collaboration, Forbidden Solitaire; the importance of managing scope with small teams; how to properly understand Steam user engagement; and his GDC talk How to Survive in Gamedev for Eleven Years Without a Hit through the scope of the current development landscape.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Chandana Ekanayake
Outerloop Games
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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Chandana Ekanayake of Outerloop Games. Together they discuss developing his newest game Dosa Divas, including the origin of the narrative and using food as a storytelling device; weaving together story with combat; the importance of the introductory hour of gameplay; his views on risk and team size; and his thoughts on working in indie development.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
Jason Wishnov
Iridium Studios
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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Jason Wishnov, CEO of Iridium Studios, about their newest title, People of Note. Together they discuss where the initial design concepts originated from; the difficulty of finding a publisher before landing with Annapurna; friction between narrative and game design; writing from personal experience and balancing that with whimsy; and how they integrated music into the battle system.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.