Conference Overview

A Week of Learning and Inspiration

GDC delivers five days of expert-led education on key game development topics, as well as several special features throughout the week. The 2020 event brings back the Main Stage Keynote, and the popular Classic Game Postmortem series.

From deep dive Summits (Monday and Tuesday) to Core Concepts presentations covering all key aspects of the industry (Wednesday through Friday), attendees have opportunities all to gain insight into the future of games, be inspired by new techniques, and discover creative new approaches. Discover what GDC week has in store for you below.

Design

Get ideas for new games, tips to push your project forward, and learn how to create compelling interactions and design great games. Learn more.

Programming

Learn the latest tools, middleware, and technical skills to develop games across platforms and solve difficult development problems. Learn more.

Business & Marketing

Gain insight into game industry trends, identify business opportunities & partners and learn new strategies for marketing games. Learn more.

Production & Team Management

Learn tactics for managing game production, from massive budget AAA console games to emerging platforms with new challenges. Learn more.

Visual Arts

Be inspired by leading artists' work from stellar concept art to post-production and learn about the process behind the work. Learn more.

Free to Play

Learn the nuts and bolts of great game design and successful business strategies for games on mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Amazon. Learn more.

Game Narrative

Learn about interactive narrative in all forms, including AAA blockbusters, indie games, mobile, and social projects from theory to practical case studies. Learn more.

Independent Games

Hear from the best and brightest indie game creators representing diverse voices, experiences and perspectives, including many IGF finalists and winners. Learn more.

VR/AR

Learn to create amazing, immersive VR and AR experiences for games and entertainment at the Virtual Reality Developers Conference (VRDC). Learn more.

Educators

Discover the most innovative and exciting ideas in game education. Learn new experimental approaches and best practices to bring back to your classrooms. Learn more.

Audio

Share knowledge and top game audio professionals addressing audio's unique aesthetic, technical, business, and logistical problems. Learn more.

UX

Learn UX design and strategy best practices to improve overall game quality and increase the likelihood that your game will create and sustain engagement. Learn more.

Game Career Development

Learn how to build your career in the game industry at the Game Career Seminar. Attend interactive sessions, learn from industry experts, and meet HR reps from leading game companies in this full-day program designed for students and others interested in starting a game development career. Learn more.

Esports

Learn how to attract and support professional players and teams, journalists, content creators, and grassroots player organizations in a day-long series of panels and presentations. Join the Esports Summit and learn about growing your esports ecosystem alongside long-time developers, publishers, and esports community leaders. Learn more.

Board Game Design

The Board Game Design Summit is a one-day deep dive into the art and science of designing non-electronic board (and card) games. Featuring multiple notable speakers from the world of board game design, this is an opportunity to get deep into the design mechanics behind innovative and popular board games. Learn more.

Vision

Be inspired by amazing work outside of games that feeds back into game innovation and the future of the industry. Learn more.

Advocacy

Address topics ranging from diversity to censorship to quality of life within the realm of social advocacy in the game industry. Learn more.

GDC Main Stage

The GDC Main Stage Keynote will return in 2020 with a new lineup of entertainment and prominent industry leaders sharing their experiences around important game industry themes. Learn more.

Classic Games Postmortem

Take a trip behind the scenes with the creators of some of the most innovative games of their time. Discover the lessons learned by the makers of these landmark game titles and find inspiration in understanding what it took to bring these games to life. Learn more.