2026 Speakers, panellists & more

This year's confirmed (keynote) speakers and panellists!

Accurate as of publication on 20 July 2026. May be subject to change.

Will Ackermann

Kini Games

Panellist: From Golden Idol to The Roottrees Are Dead: Solving the Case of Great Detective Design

Bluesky | Website | Youtube

Matt Aukamp

Writer, podcaster, journalist

Show: Save Your Game - Live

Instagram | Website

Sally Beaumont

Games writer, award-winning voiceover artist

Talk: The Nine Verbs of Voice Acting: how to direct a Human Doing

Bluesky | Website

Alasdair Beckett-King

Writer, comedian, actor, animator

Master of Ceremonies

Bluesky | Linktree

Sagar Beroshi

Narrative designer - The Chinese Room

Talk: Through the Kaleidoscope: Lessons from Interviewing One Hundred Game Writers

LinkedIn | Website

James Bore

Security consultant, author, games designer

Talk: Non-Consensual Interactive Fiction

Bluesky | LinkedIn

Laura Cress

BBC journalist, streamer

Panel host: From Golden Idol to The Roottrees Are Dead: Solving the Case of Great Detective Design

Linktree | Youtube | Twitch

Dave Gilbert

Wadjet Eye Games

Talk: 20 Years of Wadjet Eye

Bluesky | Website

Aoife Gleeson

Narrative designer - INTERIOR/NIGHT

Talk: 5, 6, 7, 8: Using the enneagram to craft compelling playable stories

Bluesky | LinkedIn

Francisco González

Grundislav Games

Talk: Twice-Told Tales: Remakes, Reboots, and Remasters

Bluesky | Website

Oscar Harrington-Shaw

Narrative designer - Nerial

Talk: Witcher Mutations: Blending beloved but distinct franchises in Reigns: The Witcher

Bluesky | LinkedIn

Jess Haskins

The Game Editors

Talk: The Well-Edited Game: Building an Editorial Culture in Game Dev

Bluesky | LinkedIn | Website

Jon Ingold

Co-founder - inkle

Talk: Through the Kaleidoscope: Lessons from Interviewing One Hundred Game Writers

Bluesky | LinkedIn | Website

Chris Kempshall

Historian, author

Panellist: Fact versus Fiction: Creating historical games for a modern audience

Bluesky

Marissa Koors

The Game Editors

Talk: The Well-Edited Game: Building an Editorial Culture in Game Dev

Bluesky | LinkedIn | Website

Steven Lake

Peabody-nominated documentary producer

Talk: Chairs As a Form of Protest in Video Games

Website | Youtube

Julia Mascetti

Founder, writer, programmer - Studio Wife

Talk: How (not?) to localise your narrative game into Chinese and Japanese

Bluesky | LinkedIn | Website

Treasa McCabe

Tech & design lead - Spooky Doorway

Panellist: From Golden Idol to The Roottrees Are Dead: Solving the Case of Great Detective Design

LinkedIn | Website

Holly Nielsen

Games historian, developer, writer

Panellist: Fact versus Fiction: Creating historical games for a modern audience

Bluesky

Märten Rattasepp

Games writer, narrative designer, lit researcher

Talk: Creativity in the Age of the Machine

Bluesky

Steph Rennick

Games researcher

Panellist: Fact versus Fiction: Creating historical games for a modern audience

LinkedIn | Website

Tim Sheinman

Owlskip Games

Panellist: From Golden Idol to The Roottrees Are Dead: Solving the Case of Great Detective Design

Bluesky | Website

Bertine van Hövell

Lost Again owner, narrative designer

Talk: Playing With Fire: A how-to for Transgressive Narratives

Bluesky | LinkedIn | Website

Robin Ward

Evil Trout Inc.

Panellist: From Golden Idol to The Roottrees Are Dead: Solving the Case of Great Detective Design

LinkedIn | Website

Sarah Wilson (PushingUpRoses)

Youtuber, podcaster, artist, writer

Show: Save Your Game - Live

Instagram | Website

Joff Winks

Musician, composer

Talk: The Sound of Isolation: Music as Narrative in Arctic Awakening

Website

Esther Wright

Games researcher, lecturer in Digital History

Panellist: Fact versus Fiction: Creating historical games for a modern audience

Bluesky