The Games Gathering gaming conference has made its triumphant return to Kyiv after a year-long hiatus, offering two dynamic and immersive days for a diverse array of participants including developers, publishers, outsourcers, freelancers, localizers, bloggers, journalists, and gamers. This event provided a rich platform for learning, networking, job exploration, contest participation, and simply enjoying a great time together.

Originating Point

This time around, the conference was hosted at the Rus Hotel, a venue with historical significance dating back to 1979. The strategic advantage of this location was its proximity, situated just a 7-10 minute walk from the Palace of Sports metro station, effectively at the heart of the city. This accessibility allowed attendees to reach the conference venue from any metro station within a mere 30-minute window. However, while the new venue had its benefits, it also had a drawback.

Approximately 1000 attendees graced the conference, all of whom were accommodated within two floors. Despite the conference rooms being situated on the second floor, the bustling activity primarily centered on the first floor, occasionally resulting in a tightly packed atmosphere. Interestingly, the previous Games Gathering in 2021 took place at the International Exhibition Center near the left bank metro station, where attendees could navigate the pavilions with ease. This suggests the organizers should contemplate securing a more spacious venue for the next iteration, as the interest in attending such conferences remains high.

Indie Blast - A Haven for Emerging Game Creators

The event included a dedicated booth known as Indie Blast, specifically tailored for indie game developers to showcase their creations. The conference organizers ingeniously incentivized attendees to visit Indie Blast by offering a unique proposition. Engaging with 9 games would reward participants with 9 stickers, to be affixed to a designated sheet and submitted to conference staff. This automatically entered them into a draw to win a Nintendo Switch OLED. Remarkably, this proposition attracted a staggering 700 participants.

Deminer: Battlefield Ukraine - A Standout VR Game

Amidst the plethora of available platformers, Deminer stands out as a distinct VR game. Developed by a compact team of three, known as the Sandman Team, the game encapsulates a minesweeper simulator. Players navigate a confined space armed with a metal detector, meticulously seeking out explosive items. What distinguishes this project is its aspiration to not merely create a game, but to fashion a simulator for the training of Ukrainian sappers. This venture, however, faces financial challenges, illustrating how games can morph into tools useful not just for entertainment, but also for practical military training.

Through the Nightmares - A Unique Platformer Experience

Among the array of platformers available for trial, Through the Nightmares stands out remarkably. Crafted by a team of four from Sandman Team, the narrative revolves around the exploits of the Sandman who braves the challenges posed by nocturnal nightmares. It can be likened to a fusion of the game dynamics in Inside and Little Nightmares. The central innovation here is the protagonist's capacity to alter size, a pivotal mechanic for navigating the puzzles. Acclimating to this unique feature requires a bit of time, and the game is rightly classified as a hardcore platformer. Prospective players can explore a demo version on Steam and view numerous trailers on their YouTube channel.

N.E.R.D. - A Rogue-Like Manga Adventure

N.E.R.D. stands out in the realm of rogue-like games, showcasing manga-inspired visuals. Players can even assume the roles of characters from popular manga series, such as Guts from Berserk. The combat system mirrors the deliberate and weighty strikes of Dark Souls, where impactful combinations can be executed using only the left and right mouse buttons. While the game lacks an official Steam page, a functional build is accessible through the N.E.R.D. Discord server.

Uanamon: Rugly Invasion - An Innovative RPG

Uanamon: Rugly Invasion, an RPG tailored for iOS and Android devices, is currently being developed by a trio of skilled developers. The game's narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war, albeit with a distinctive twist. The game's inception portrays a young girl sketching a green entity on a shelter's wall. Subsequently, this drawn entity engages in combat with other illustrated creatures. Gameplay mechanics are refreshingly straightforward, involving swiping gestures on the screen to navigate and automatically engage foes. The game introduces a variety of heroes, each equipped with their own stories and capabilities. Notably, the game's universe is enriched with symbolism, including elements like Matryoshka dolls and cultural references to Ukraine's history. The developers intend to incorporate a Wikipedia-like feature to offer players additional insights. Impressively, this game is entirely free and further details can be sourced from the team's Twitter account.

Blessed Burden - A Horror Adventure

Blessed Burden presents a horror game experience wherein players assume the role of the last surviving priest in the aftermath of a religious apocalypse. Featuring retro graphics reminiscent of the early 2000s, the game is sure to resonate with aficionados of classic gaming aesthetics. Additionally, it caters to speedrunning enthusiasts with its mechanics that facilitate agility and swift maneuvering. While the game's release date remains uncertain, an official Steam page and game trailer are available.

A Myriad of Developer Lectures

The conference offered an array of over 40 lectures, where speakers hailing from diverse studios shared insights and wisdom on the nuances of game creation and building successful businesses. These lectures were thoughtfully organized into four elemental categories: Fire (business lectures), Water (game design lectures), Earth (lectures spanning various topics) and Air (lectures addressing studio performance and success).

One notable example was Artem Mashchenko's lecture. As a member of 4A Games, he delved into the intricacies of user interface design within the "Metro" game series. Most lectures lasted around an hour, with speakers engaging the audience for approximately 40-50 minutes, while the remaining time was dedicated to fielding questions. While certain lecture halls provided ample space, instances of attendees lacking seats underscored the substantial interest and engagement these events generated.

The Discourse Continues: Discussion Panels

Discussion panels, reminiscent of press conferences in the sports realm, were an integral part of the conference. These panels featured multiple experts converging at a single table to engage in thoughtful dialogue concerning matters relevant to the video game industry. One such panel comprised five speakers, each with a vested interest in game localization into Ukrainian. This included Andrii Raboshchuk, Head of UnlocTeam; Taras Syniuk, Project Manager at UnlocTeam; Oleh Kulykov, Editor-in-Chief of PlayUA; Maxym Kosenko, Independent Translator; and Dmytro Raskazov, CEO of Patlati Productions. Their collective insights added a significant layer of depth to the event's discourse.

For instance, Taras Syniuk unveiled the existence of a dictionary encompassing video game and colloquial video game terminology. This initiative materialized through collaboration between the National Commission on State Language Standards and representatives from Ukrainian localization companies and unions. Although it's currently in its working stage, this dictionary is already proving invaluable in standardizing game translations. However, Andrii Raboshchuk reiterated a noteworthy cautionary point: the path toward game localization isn't guaranteed to yield positive outcomes. Instead, it's plausible that publishers might opt out of translation altogether or even cancel ongoing efforts if negative feedback surfaces prior to a game's official release.

Positive Developments: Fan-Made Projects and Cyberpunk Vibe

On a brighter note, Maxym Kosenko shared a heartening update. A fan-made full localization for Portal 2 is in active development, underscoring the community's dedication. Although the trailer was released in January and has garnered only 7,000 views thus far, it presents an ideal opportunity to delve into the project more extensively. Furthermore, the bundle of both Portal games can be acquired for a modest price of 32 hryvnias. It's worth noting that an enterprising fan community has already produced a Ukrainian localization for the first Portal game.

The conference venue also housed a realm brimming with merchandise, comics, and captivating technology. Various companies offered their comics, art books, and memorabilia for sale. Notably, an expansive screen featuring PacMan provided attendees with an opportunity to engage with a nostalgic arcade classic using joysticks, evoking memories of the past.

However, the undeniable highlight of the conference was the humanoid robot affectionately known as G5 Games. This automated entity navigated the event space, engaging in interactions with people, posing for photos, and even surprising attendees with personalized birthday greetings. This cyberpunk-esque encounter blurred the boundaries between human and machine interaction. While the robot's dialog was likely facilitated by a human operator, who relayed messages through microphones and speakers, the result was remarkably captivating.

What Lies Ahead?

The next Games Gathering conference is scheduled for September 26th in Bratislava, Slovakia. This event will incorporate an Indie Blast section, four lecture halls, complimentary beverages, and other offerings akin to the Kyiv conference. Notably, the majority of developers will hail from Eastern Europe, expanding the event's scope beyond Ukraine's borders. The editorial team at EGW eagerly anticipates next year's edition to once again provide insightful coverage of the Kyiv conference.

During her speech, Maria will talk about how the gaming community can contribute to saving the lives of military personnel and share information about the projects of the Dignitas fund.

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David Mullich was the director of the "Heroes of Might & Magic" development team for five years. He has designed and produced over 60 games in his four-decade career, including “DuckTales” for Disney, “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”, and “Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines”.

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Mykola Strebkov has more than 20 years of experience in creating distributed high-load systems.During the lecture, he will talk about a new engine for fast creation and convenient maintenance of multi-platform network games. Out of the box, the engine supports both all the major platforms people play on - including consoles - and all the major platforms used to implement servers, including Linux ARM. Mykola's team has experience dancing on the rake of every platform, so you don't have to do it anymore.