Ludicious 2017 is the Zurich Game Festival. It's held in Switzerland this week and is split in two parts: Business, on 26th and 27th January, and Family, on the 28th and 29th.
Naturally it's the business part that will be of interest to our professional readers. Ludicious Business consists of an evening of pitches - projects in the Ludicious Business Accelerator - plus a full conference day dedicated to the games industry. All attendees with a Conference Pass or a Business Day Pass will also have access to the MeetToMatch meeting platform.
There are 30 speakers and packed tracks of discussions. Of particular interest to indie developers considering how to fund their next project, Friday afternoon's Ludicious Business programme looks closely at Kickstarter and the games that come from it. It starts with An Introduction To Kickstarter by Michael Liebe, CEO and founder of Booster Space, Kickstarter consultant and head of International Games Week Berlin. Then there are three case studies (Niche – A Genetics Survival Game; Jupiter Hell; and Everspace). Finally Liebe will be joined by games designers Philomena Schwab and Michael Schade for a panel discussion.
There are also an Interactive Experiences track, a Game Technology track and a Game Design track. Those interested in VR and AR will find talks on Friday from the likes of Janina Woods and Marte Roel. And of course there's an exhibition space, featuring games from the Ludicious Business Accelerator and the nominees from the International Competition and Student Competition. Developers from all over the world entered 303 games for the competitions, an increase of 30% over previous years.
Meanwhile, Ludicious Family is a family-friendly, free public convention for families, young people and adults alike. It boasts interactive exhibitions, workshops, and lectures. As well as a chance to play games, the family programme also includes a track with topics such as how to code your very first game.
PocketGamer.biz is a media partner of the event. You can find out more by visiting the Ludicious website.
