For its second year in a row, the International Student Games Festival and Best Student Game Awards will return to Warsaw, Poland for a two-day conference and gala award event on October 8th and 9th.
Hosted again by 11bit studios and The Kultura Interaktywna Foundation, The Festival will feature speakers and members of the gaming industry, gaming organizations, and academics.
A large focus this year will be on the future of the gaming industry as it pertains to students entering the career field. Topics include mass layoffs, burnout, funding, and the ethics and use of GenAI and ChatGPT.
Last year’s inaugural event featured over 130 game submissions from students and teams from 26 different countries.
“The interest in the first edition exceeded our expectations,” says Ewa Maria Szczepanowska, co-founder, the Kultura Interaktywna Foundation. “That is why in 2026 we are moving to the Palace of Culture and Science, where we will be able to showcase even more student games from around the world. And since this year’s edition will last two days, the program will include even more panels, lectures, and workshops.”
Student Games submissions are still open for the competition. Students and recent graduates (up to 12 months after graduation) are welcome to apply and submit their project. The deadline for submissions is June 30. See the main Student Games Festival website for details.
