Stuart De Ville

Stuart De Ville is a UK-based, award-winning entreprenure, game developer, and director of indie studio Fribbly Games.

He is also the founder and CEO of GameDevLocal helping other devs make their way in the UK Games Industry, and regularly discusses game development on the GDL podcast.

Stuart has a 20+ year career in the creative media industry, having designed and built sets for theatre and events, created motion graphics and idents, and crafted digital marketing videos and branding for companies.

For the past 10 years, Stuart has focused on game design, development, and 3D art. He has modelled and animated characters, created environments, and designed games from concept to production.

In 2022, Stuart established Fribbly Games to create entertaining and innovative experiences that connect people through wild and wonderful stories. His passion, motivation, and confident leadership are contagious and have helped him build a strong community of like-minded individuals.

Stuart is a versatile and creative professional who has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry. He is dedicated to supporting and mentoring others in the field, and his commitment to creating innovative and engaging experiences has garnered him a reputation as a leading figure in the UK games development scene. Show more

Sami Mikkola

Bonus Stage Publishing

The most bold and beautiful indie publisher from Finland. Show more

Ashish Amresh

I am an Associate Professor in Computer Science and conduct research in the development of Serious Games. Previously, I led the Computer Gaming curriculum initiatives at Arizona State University, where I founded the Computer Gaming Certificate, Camp Game and UTBC summer programs. I was the founding program chair for the Simulation Science Games and Animation program at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and my industry pursuits included working for Ronin Entertainment as a Graphics Software Engineer known for Star Wars: Force Commander and Bruce Lee Quest of the Dragon games. I am the author of Unreal Game Development, a popular book used for teaching game development skills for high school students. Show more

TheMeadow

G'day mate! Tim here.
In my spins around this Earth, I've been a Games News writer, Games Reviewer, Designer, Jammer, QA and Board Games Creator. From hosting game nights to running booths at PAX, I've been around the games industry for over 15 years, helping Indies and AAA games launch and engage with their audience. Show more

Brait

I'm a long-time gamer turned game developer and designer. I've always thought that games are kinda like a weird form of art that can have a huge impact on the player, and that's kinda what I'm looking for in games. Show more

Jake Taylor

BNC Design Studios

Jake is an indie veteran out of Phoenix, Arizona USA and owner of BNC Design Studios. Started in 2012, BNC worked with Nintendo in developing and publishing Gemology and SCOOP! Around the World in 80 Spaces for the recently launched Wii U. The company then went on to work with Prismatic Games on Hex Heroes before switching to other adacdemic and historical interactive experiences.

Jake is also the Vice President of the VR/AR Association - Greater Phoenix chapter where he works closely with city and state officials on nurturing the creative economy. Most recently, Jake has worked with the Space Force and Air Force on growing their creator content and developing vocational pipelines in AR/VR, gaming and esports. Show more

Elena Morina

CEO Ravenage Games Publishing Show more

Benjamin Gooding

Senior Software Engineer at Unity working on enabling build automation in the cloud. Show more

Sami

Superhit Games / Oulu University of applied sciences

Hello,
I have had 2 gaming companies which I founded. Well the second company, Superhit, still exists, but its been a bit quiet recently.
Gaming industry veteran from Oulu with about 40 released titles. Mostly mobile games. Show more

Marko Sellman

I've been over 15 years in the media and the game industry. I've Mostly created 2D and 3D graphics for mobile and web games but also done animations for TV, marketing assets for campaigns, etc.

Currently, I'm working at PUROPORO, which is a Finnish game art outsourcing studio with over 10 years of experience making 2D and 3D game art for mobile and web games. Show more

Markus Levander

Hello world! :) It's very nice to meet you. My name is Markus, and I work at Rovio as a Senior Producer. I have worked in the mobile free-to-play gaming industry for over eight years, as well as having experience in the film and TV industry. I have worked with game teams on puzzle, narrative, shooter, and edutainment games. I started playing games during the 8-bit wars and continue to enjoy playing all kinds of games in my free time, mostly on consoles and computers. I don't have any specific favorite genre, but I can spend a lot of time playing story-driven RPGs, turn-based strategy and sport games. Show more

NikolinaF

Philipp

Philipp Wolf (he/him), a german serial entrepreneur and Producer based in Montreal, leads swyvl, a company out to empower individuals to understand and embrace neurodiversity through immersive experiences. With extensive experience in visual effects producing, Wolf has made significant contributions to blockbusters such as 'Dune: Part One' and 'Ghost in the Shell'. His expertise extends from international co-productions and IP development to emerging technologies, which has led him to spearhead initiatives in virtual production and immersive experiences. He serves on the Visual Effects Society Board of Directors and within the Production Innovation Taskforce of Producers Guild of America. Show more

VK Arponen

Games industry leader driving the rise of HTML5 as a gaming platform. ~20 years of experience in mobile, console, and web3. Full-stack development, team leadership, bizdev, and creative direction. Show more

Mike Pyslar

With 10+ years of experience in community management for the video games industry, I've successfully overseen community growth and engagement for over 20 games, including Raji: An Ancient Epic, nominated for The Game Awards. My strengths lie in building strategic community engagement, growing fanbases, and leading community teams to success across multiple platforms. Passionate about driving community interaction and leveraging social media to connect players with the games they love. Show more

Debra Isaac

Jani Gröhn

Data Analyst and President of the Finnish Game Jam organization. Former game development teacher. Veteran game jammer and jam organizer. Show more

Olli Juhola

Game Development teacher and entrepeneur. Proficient in Unity, C# & Game Design. Experienced game jam organizer & jammer. Treasurer of the Finnish Game Jam association, IGDA Finland Hub Lead & chief expert in the Skills Finland Game Production competition. Show more

Jay Uppal

Games strategist with 5+ years of experience; building and leading game teams globally. I was the Lead Games Consultant at Newzoo, previously Product Marketing Lead at Payload Studios and have also worked as a UA Manager in Games. Partners I have consulted for and supported include PlayStation Studios, Behavior Interactive, Microsoft, AWS for Games, Ubisoft, Dots, etc. I am also a global thought leader and industry speaker on all things Games Business/Leadership and DEI within the industry. You can also find me as the host of the Growing Pains Podcast and with my work at Next Play Consultancy where I am a founder and Lead Consultant currently. Show more

Sasu Louke

Senior Consultant, Game Business and Development. Chairman at Game Makers of Finland.
Seasoned mobile games and apps professional with experience on various roles. Taking forward products from development to launch and beyond. Show more

Hagen Deloss

Hagen Deloss has worked in games in a variety of capacities for 13 years. From modeling lowpoly 3d assets for mobile games, creating concept art for self-published Switch games, to having games featured in the PAX 10 (twice!), Hagen still finds it odd to list "accomplishments" and write in 3rd person :)
He now works at Autodesk as a Media and Entertainment Community Manager, with a focus on creating accessible content and events for all! He is extremely humbled to be included as a judge for the GDWC, and eternally thankful for the delightful folks involved!! Show more

Jennifer Watters

As Games Audience Marketing Manager at Autodesk, Jennifer enjoys the privilege of connecting with game developers and studios, and sharing stories of how they harness Autodesk solutions to turn their visions into today's hottest games. Show more

Attilio Carotenuto

Unity

Technical Lead. Over 16 years of experience, working on award-winning games played by millions of people, such as Fall Guys, Phasmophobia, Farm Heroes Saga, and The Cycle Frontier. Show more

Ricardo Monterroso

Product Marketing Manager - Niantic's Lightship ARDK Show more

Renee Gittins

Stumbling Cat

Renee leads Stumbling Cat, an indie studio based in Seattle, and is a multi-disciplinary leader with expertise in business operations, software engineering, and creative direction. Previously, she was the General Manager of Phoenix Lab - Vancouver and the Executive Director of the IGDA. She is a passionate advocate and connector for developers and diversity in the game industry. She is also the Chair of the IGDA Alumni Board, consults for numerous organizations, and is outspoken about initiatives to increase diversity both within the game industry and gaming overall to help the game industry grow and improve for everyone. Show more

Piotr Bomak

Community Manager at EXOR Studios since 2018. Worked on marketing Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition, X-Morph: Defense, and, most recently, The Riftbreaker. Show more

Chris

Experienced Business Development Manager | Gaming & Tech Enthusiast | Driving User Engagement and Monetization Strategies

As a Business Development Manager at ZBD, I specialize in leveraging innovative strategies to boost user engagement and revenue in the gaming industry. With a strong background in mobile gaming and expertise in rewarded play systems, I help developers and publishers maximize their potential through tailored solutions. Show more

Jon "Swede" Selin

Jon "Swede" Selin is the VP of Design at Pocket Gems, a mobile games company in San Francisco.

Prior to joining Pocket Gems Jon did army service, had a slew of odd jobs, got a BA in game design, and started Lockpick Entertainment which was the first game startup at Science Park Skövde/Sweden Game Arena. He later moved to the US for a long stint as Design Director at CCP Games, leading design on the World of Darkness MMO project. Show more

Idan Rooze

Head of Games at Totem, indie game developer, and game design lecturer at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Show more

Ben Mears

Ben Mears has worked in the games industry for over 15 years, he is currently the Community Manager at SideFX, the developers of the procedural 3D software Houdini. Show more

george benjamin jones

I really quite like game devs and the weird little creations they concoct.

As a game scout (or Associate Client Partner if you want the official title) at Unity, I assist our Core Games team as they connect with developers and support their projects. I am a biz dev and networking creature of the seaside, and you'll catch me at almost every UK games event (and a few outside too!)

I came to Unity because I'm passionate about its core mission and the support I'm able to provide to developers across the industry. Show more

Tim Napoleon

Head of Partnerships for Skillz. Show more

Justin Mohlman

With over 20 years of experience in the video gaming industry, Justin has made substantial contributions to more than 20 titles at studios throughout the Midwest. His portfolio includes work in established franchises such as Tony Hawk, Kingdom Hearts, and Mortal Kombat, as well as AAA titles like Singularity and Stranglehold. Additionally, Justin possesses a wealth of expertise in the field of video games, and has 16+ years of experience teaching in higher education at institutions such as Columbia College Chicago, Think Tank Training and Cg Spectrum. Recently, Justin has held the position of Content Curation and Strategy Manager for the Unreal Engine at Epic Games and the Learning Manager at Artstation. Show more

Alex

Working on content and communites at Machinations, I'm here to help create a cool space in which our members can learn, engage, and discuss anything related to game design, prototyping and simulations. Show more

Florian Prades

BizDev @Anybrain
Big fan of videogames since I am a children. Even though I love playing solo from time to time, I love a good competition with my brothers/friends or some random online players. This is why multiplayer games are my favorite. Show more

Hubert

QA Lead at EXOR Studios, the winners of the 2nd place in the 'PRO' category of the GDWC 2020. Show more

Mikhail Matytsin

Executive Producer at Xsolla Gaming Accelerator Show more

Cruz Segovia Ardiz

I'm a games industry veteran with over 18 years in the field. I've worked on all areas in Publishing on some of the biggest AAA companies out there (Square Enix, EA, PlayStation) and a few years ago moved to the Indie side of Games and started working on Development.

Currently I'm Head of Portfolio at Kinda Brave and also Creative & Game Director at Ember Trail, where we released our debut game Distant Bloom, a few months ago. Show more

Simo Rajamäki

Game designer with over 10 years experience.

Throughout my career I have worked on games in all stages of development from prototypes to full scale global releases and beyond. While my area of expertise professionally lies in Free-to-Play Mobile Games, as a life-long gamer I have played almost every genre of game imaginable, across every available platform.

Games are my passion and I am excited to have this opportunity to serve as a judge for the Game Development World Championships! Show more

Vitaly Abramov

Hi, I am Vitaly - an executive producer from Xsolla Funding. We are looking for promising PC and Console indie games to help with funding, networking, and expertise. Show more