D.I.C.E. Athens Early Bird Registration Ends Soon
Early Bird Rate Ends August 3
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.
Allen Murray
ZA/UM Studio
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Adam Orth chats with Allen Murray, Studio Head of ZA/UM Studio and Head of Production on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. Together they discuss the legacy of the studio and the pressure of following up a beloved debut in Disco Elysium; the deliberate choices they made around the setting and themes; how they implemented over 700,000 words of dialogue; making every decision and moment impactful to avoid ludonarrative dissonance; and balancing their creative vision while deescalating risk.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
AP Thomson
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Trent Kusters chats with AP Thomson, creator of the surreal strategy-puzzle game, Titanium Court. Together they discuss his path into games and meeting his long time collaborator Jenny Jiao Hsia; working together on the award winning Consume Me; the development of Titanium Court including creating modular systems for faster development; creating the narrative and his advice on becoming a better writer; winning back to back Seumas McNally Grand Prizes; and subverting player expectations to create engaging experiences.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
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.