So, the Serbian Game Association (SGA) is embarking on a small tour around the region, where, in collaboration with the company Mad Head Games, we are presenting a meetup dedicated precisely to this topic. In the heart of Sarajevo, we are talking about the diversity of this creative and fulfilling profession, whether you are drawn to AAA/AA, indie, or independent work. We will use this event to share information about the Playing Narratives project***, through which young people are introduced to gaming.

And even sparrows know that game design has nothing to do with the visual aspects of games, but rather deals with mechanics, level design, and the overall player experience. Like everything else in gaming, game design is learned. It’s not just a matter of spending X number of hours on consoles and phones – this is not done by intuition, but by well-tested and proven principles.

Besides being interesting and always different, this is one of the most sought-after roles in the gaming industry and one that is quite challenging to find.

At this meetup, you will have the opportunity to hear: 

• Create the perfect enemy: How to fit the game design of enemies within the constraints of the world they inhabit? – In the design of AA and AAA titles, game designers have to be mindful of many variables. Although often set in fantastical worlds, characters must adhere to certain established rules and logic created by the game’s developers. We will see how it all fits together.
• Game Design in indie games, how to cope with chaos? – What are the specificities of game design in an indie studio? What skills are needed? Navigating through the game design process and its chaos in creating the game Water Me and You. Presentation of the indie Game Design document and its implementation. When are there enough new mechanics? When are there enough iterations? So many questions.
• AAA Game Design – Ubisoft Belgrade TBA

• Playing Narratives and Shift2Games – How to enter the gaming industry? Easier today than before, with the help of regional programs and websites. Everything about it and how to find assistance, at the end of the meetup.

Entry to the meetup is free for everyone, and we invite you to stay with us after the lectures to meet and continue our conversation over drinks about our favorite topic, which is video games. See you at the venue Tershouse.

*** This year, this program would not be possible without the support of the RECONOMY project, as well as dedicated industry partners – 3Lateral / Epic Games, Ubisoft Belgrade, and Two Desperados. In addition to them, the project also involves the platform and festival A Maze. / Berlin, as well as Goethe-Institut and the French Institute in Serbia.

RECONOMY is a regional inclusive and green economic development program by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, in collaboration with the organization Help – Hilfe zir Selbsthilfe e.V and other partners in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries.