For me, the Game Industry Conference officially ended yesterday. Today, I’m chilling out in Konin, the town we traveled to on Friday. Since we have family here, this trip is a nice mix of business and pleasure. The train ride from Konin to Poznań is only about an hour, and a one‐way ticket costs less than 30 PLN. This option was definitely cheaper for me than booking accommodation in Poznań itself.

As usual after a big event, it’s time for a memory dump.

I wouldn’t have gone to GIC if it weren’t for the support of Paweł Homenko. He had a few tickets at his disposal for his lecture and he shared one with me. Even though my financial situation is a bit more stable now, I still can’t quite afford to spend 800 PLN on an Indie Pass. But if I did have that money to spare, the event would totally be worth it. Maybe next year I’ll be able to buy a ticket legitimately, without any workarounds.

This was a different GIC for me than usual. I had a similar experience over 10 years ago when I was just taking my first steps in the game dev scene. Zero expectations, zero plans or goals. Just soaking in the atmosphere of this celebration for game creators and players.

I only attended three lectures because I mostly spent my time catching up with old friends and playing indie games. There was an exceptional number of really good indie titles this year.

At the Indie Games Polska booth, two games particularly caught my eye: Futuro Darko Racer – a post‐apocalyptic racer with a art style consistent with Krzysztof Nowak’s comic “Futuro Darko” – and a game about a medieval barista (unfortunately, I don’t remember the name, but it was really cool!). Besides that, the free coffee was, as always, much appreciated.

In the main GIC hall, there were also independent creators from abroad showcasing their games, hoping to connect with publishers. I spoke with a developer from Mexico who made a really neat logic game about herding kids to bed (FamCram – it’s on Itch.io), and a representative of a team from Norway who made and published Paradigm Island and were now looking for a publisher/financial partner for a new turn‐based horror game. It’s an interesting concept, and the fact that they achieved such quality in just one month is impressive. I also visited the booths of my friends from Yaza Games and Scriptwelder. Daniel Zeer Kasprzykowski showed me their Scriptorium and ButtHolder, which was created using over 120 copies of an asset of medieval buttocks. And Scriptwelder gave me some insight into the finances behind his game Deep Sleep. The short version: things are going very well. And there will be a Deep Sleep port for the Switch, too!

One of the undeniable advantages of conferences like GIC is the chance to meet industry legends. I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture and chat for a moment with Gordon Walton, who has been making games longer than I’ve been alive. On MobyGames, the first game crediting Gordon is dated 1979! Gordon managed teams that worked on titles like Ultima Online. In fact, it was because of Ultima Online that I got kicked out of my university over 25 years ago. Most importantly, he still feels like making games. Nearly 50 years in the industry, and he’s still eager to create. And that fills me with determination.

All these creative folks gave me such a massive energy boost that it will probably get me through the Polish winter. And on top of that, someone actually recognized me as the creator of Chains of Fury – that felt incredibly nice. I’m returning home super charged up. I can’t wait to find time for solo development again. To quote Gordon: “You have to chase your dreams by making concrete moves.”