Warsaw Hosts Inaugural Student Games Festival to Spotlight Next-Gen Creators

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Warsaw Hosts Inaugural Student Games Festival to Spotlight Next-Gen Creators

Students are invited to submit their projects now; Deadline is August 31, 2025

Proudly supported by main sponsor, 11 bit studios

Warsaw, Poland - Aug. 28, 2025 — The future of gaming takes center stage this fall at the first-ever Student Games Festival, a brand-new international event dedicated to showcasing the best in student-made games. Held at the Targowa Creativity Center in Warsaw, the festival is designed to celebrate young talent, foster global collaboration, and position games as a vital form of culture and art.

Student developers from around the world are invited to submit their projects for this inaugural edition. More than just a showcase, the festival offers a platform to present work to an international audience, connect with industry professionals, and gain exposure that can open doors into the game development job market. The program will feature expert-led talks, panels, and workshops covering everything from emerging technologies and AI to critical issues like education standards, workplace culture, and preventing burnout.

The Student Games Festival 2025 is part of the broader International Game Development Schools Network (IGDSN), a new initiative bringing together schools, educators, and creators to build a stronger, more connected global community.

The event is organized by the Kultura Interaktywna Foundation, co-founded by cultural animators Ewa Maria Szczepanowska and Paweł Miechowski, both longtime champions of creative education and advocates for games as a powerful medium of art, culture, and social impact. Their mission with the foundation is to support young creators, help them build lasting careers, and ensure that games are recognized not only as entertainment but also as meaningful works of culture.

For students, this is a chance to showcase their creativity and join an international dialogue shaping the future of games. For media and industry professionals, it’s a front-row seat to the next generation of talent driving the industry forward.

Submissions are now open.

More information: https://www.studentgamesfestival.com/

The Student Games Festival could not happen without the amazing support of its sponsors, including the main sponsor, 11 bit studios. Other partners include, among others: Indie Games Poland, Games for Change, Amnesty International, EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture, Women in Games, Game Industry Conference, Czech Game Developers Association, Slovak Game Developers Association, Serbian Games Association, Lithuanian Game Developers Association, Romanian Game Developers Association, and European Games Developer Federation. The project is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Creative Industries Development Program, managed by the Center for the Development of Creative Industries. Event partner: Mazovieckie Voivodeship and the capital city of Warsaw.

About Student Games Festival

The Student Games Festival is an international event dedicated to showcasing the creativity of student game developers from around the world. Launched in 2025 in Warsaw, the festival combines a global student game competition with talks, panels, and workshops led by industry experts. Its mission is to support young creators, foster collaboration between education and the games industry, and promote games as a vital medium of culture and art.

About the International Game Development Schools Network (IGDSN)

The International Game Development Schools Network (IGDSN) is a global initiative uniting schools, educators, and aspiring creators in the field of game design and development. Officially launching in 2025 at the Student Games Festival in Warsaw, IGDSN aims to improve teaching standards, align education with industry needs, and foster collaboration across borders. By building a supportive international community, the network empowers the next generation of game creators and strengthens the role of games as culture, art, and innovation.

About the Founders

The Kultura Interaktywna Foundation was co-founded by Ewa Maria Szczepanowska and Paweł Miechowski, experienced cultural animators with a long history of supporting creative education and independent initiatives. Szczepanowska has led numerous projects at the intersection of culture and youth engagement, while Miechowski brings years of experience from the international games industry. Together, they founded the foundation to empower young creators, promote cultural education, and advance games as a medium of art, culture, and social impact.