Yes, I am aware that GDC was two weeks ago. Everyone has already written their retrospective posts on LinkedIn and moved on - but I haven't. It took me a while to process my experience at GDC - my first time attending - because it was full of both exciting highs and some unexpected lows.
Since I only had an Expo pass, I didn’t arrive at the convention until Wednesday. While that choice definitely helped with costs, it also meant stepping into GDC midstream — and that felt a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, my past experience attending other conventions helped me find my footing, even though this was my first time at an industry conference.
My main goal was to network, though I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it. After exploring the expo floor for a couple of hours, I decided to try one of the official speed networking sessions. It sounded like the right fit — after all, it had 'networking' in the name.
Everyone I spoke with was genuinely kind, and it was great meeting so many people. That said, the experience felt more like a rapid-fire introduction carousel than an opportunity to build meaningful connections. Some people impressively managed to showcase their whole portfolio in under five minutes, but I left most sessions not really remembering who did what. I found myself wishing the conversations were longer — even just a few more minutes could’ve helped them feel more intentional.
I ended up attending a speed networking session each day, but my impression stayed largely the same: it was a nice way to meet people, but not the best format for forming lasting connections.
After speed networking on Wednesday, I had the chance to speak with Andrew Johnson, Lead Historian at Firaxis and a contributor to Civilization VII. As someone deeply interested in historical strategy games, I appreciated the opportunity to ask questions about Civ VII’s design direction and the broader role of history in games — whether as a mechanic, narrative element, or educational tool. It was a thoughtful and informative conversation, and a great example of what makes GDC unique: the chance to engage directly with experts across the industry.
I finished Wednesday by going to the IGDA and GDC Choice award shows. Both were really cool. I very much enjoyed seeing the student projects nominated, they all looked incredible!
Thursday was mostly uneventful. I continued my efforts to network. I met a lot of great people that day. But then came the GDC Nights event... easily the most disappointing part of my week. From my novice understanding, GDC is notorious for its afterparties, held by different groups and companies. Because I planned for this trip so late, and because I don’t know anybody, I didn’t get a chance to get into any of these, sans the party on Friday (which I’ll talk about later). As such, I decided to pay an extra $50 for the GDC Nights afterparty.
There is a LOT I could say about how disappointing this event was, but I think this observation of mine sums it up best: The DJ was set up inside one of the conference rooms, and as such the entire floor was filled with rows of chairs, leaving no room to stand or dance. The result? A DJ playing to a nearly empty room.
Oh, and a cup of wine was like... ten dollars.
Finally, Friday came. I was super interested in the panels on this day since I had previously been told the day was themed around ‘career development’. This was true, and as somebody who will be looking for a job soon, this was great! As such, my entire day was spent in talks. Whether about resumes, applications, or mentorships, these were all super helpful, and the fact that I could get into these even though I only had an expo pass was awesome! If you are a student reading this, and you are considering heading to GDC but are on a strict budget, I highly recommend getting the Friday-only pass. Before I went, I didn’t understand how this pass tier justified its existence, but honestly, if I could redo it all over again, I probably would have purchased it instead and saved money for an all-access pass next year.
At the end of the day, I went to Gamera Games Indie Party. I didn’t have any projects to show, I was only going as a regular attendee, but when I arrived, the line for the club seemed pretty long. I had acquired a ticket ahead of time, but I had read that they would accept walk-ins. Because I wasn’t sure if the super long line was for people with tickets or not, I kept walking. I ended up on the other side of the building, where there was a much shorter line of about two people. Confidently, I walked into this one and made it through, being handed a drink ticket on the way in. When my girlfriend arrived, who also had a regular ticket, she was told to wait in the long line and was not handed a drink ticket. In hindsight, I think I got in the wrong line – the one meant for people showcasing a project. I can’t say for sure, but if I did make a mistake, I am sorry to anyone who was technically ahead of me in line.
The actual party was a great opportunity to network and hangout after such a exhausting week.
