Avast Mateys!
Well... what can we say? GDC Week was HUGE!
The Gamokratic team pulled off the biggest Arcade Asylum promo campaign in the history of the studio, with many days of yapping, showing off the game and learning as much from fellow devs as they could!
Aaaaand we have a lil recap for you, so strap in...
GDC WEEK RECAP
Day 0: We were among the 30 odd games selected for showcasing at Courage XL the second year in a row. Placed in the comfy back row of with sofas to boot, we gathered a lot of feedback and interest from fellow developers, publishers and gamers alike. While technically held prior to the opening of GDC, Courage XL might now be considered staple of the GDC week itself.
Day 1: Pocket Gamer Connects + GDC opening day. We were also select to showcase at PGC for the second straight year. Condensed into a 1 day format from the original 2 days, this was a hectic day with showcasing the game, participating in the connector speed match as well as the very Big Indie Pitch.
https://www.pocketgamer.com/the-very-big-indie-pitch/san-francisco-2026/
We were too busy through the day to do anything at GDC but pick up our badges. However, the vision of the rebranded GDC as the Festival of Gaming was in full effect.
Day 2: Meetings + meetups + Talks during the day. A typical running around day with meetings with publishers, fellow developers and attending GDC talks. The energy of GDC was in full flow and carried on into the evening where we were demoing at one of the GDC affiliated events at Barbossa Lounge. Again, set in a cushy spot with sofas in the bar, Arcade Asylum drew a host of people. We also discovered a couple of bugs, one of which was so fun that we intend to turn into a feature!
Day 3: Expo opens! We waited with bated breath to the countdown to the opening of the expo floor. While the floor was less dense this year, there was a distinct feel of organization this year. We checked out all booths, big and small, from big players like Meta to special game dev tool companies to a host of indie games by our fellow developers. We also had lunch with our favorite version control folks - Diversion which eventually led us to the BYOG event at Buzzworks. Easily one of our favorite events at GDC, the bar was choc-a-block filled with games and gamers. It got a little stuffy where we were showcasing, so the organizers moved us near the entrance of the bar - to the prime location. Overall, an extremely fun night!
Day 4: Headed off early again for a meeting with the good folks at Bisect Hosting followed by another round of hunting for merchandise (and connections) on the expo floor. Post lunch, we headed to our final showcase by Level-up, where we spent the next 8 hours fuelled by demos, gaming chatter, pizza and sodas.
Day 5: The last day is always bitter-sweet. We headed out to Moscone center to do a last sweep of the expo floor, but some goodies from the GDC store and say goodbye to all the new friends we made. We capped it off with a quickly growing yearly tradition at Gamokratic - lunch at Fogo de Chao - all you can eat brazilian steakhouse. Overfull and barely awake we closed out GDC week happy and content.
Secret Squirrel Stuff
So, the team may have stumbled onto something in the wake of GDC Week... a renewed sense of passion? Fresh ideas for Arcade Asylum? A lingering hangover?
We're making some really exciting changes at Gamokratic and we can't wait to show you! Stay tuned on social media & the Gamokratic Discord for some teasers soon!
Until next time!
- Gamokratic