Portside Game Assembly 2026: Program and Speakers

The announcement details the second edition of Portside Game Assembly, scheduled for June 25–26, 2026 aboard the MS Princess in Hamburg. The event targets established indie studios and emphasizes peer exchange through concise talks and roundtables led by studio founders, CEOs, and industry editors. Key sessions cover topics such as balancing rapid development with long‑term projects (“Making the Games We Want to Make”), community engagement strategies (“Know Your Audience”), and sequel development lessons (“Same Same but Different – How to Sequel”). Three parallel roundtables will address post‑launch strategies, AI integration in indie workflows, and cross‑indie collaborations.

The speaker roster includes notable figures from successful titles: Rebecca Lautner (Landfall, “PEAK”), Mark Cooke (Shiny Shoe, “Monster Train”), Tomas Sala, Adrienne Bazir, Richard Atlas, Isra Mallén, Callum Underwood (Uwu Biz), Astrid Refstrup (WINGS), and Alessandra van Otterlo (Control). The program is accessible online via the Portside Assembly website.

More than 60 studios from 13 countries have confirmed participation, featuring prominent names such as Amanita Design (Czech Republic), Shiny Shoe (USA), Landfall (Sweden), and Digital Sun (Spain). Registration remains open for studio heads and founders, with additional tickets available for a networking brunch (€59.50) and an industry party (€5.95 plus VAT). The event offers a concentrated networking platform for indie developers seeking collaboration, funding insights, and market exposure within the European game development community.