Yorkshire Games Festival 2017

8–12 November 2017

We’ve pressed play on preparations for the 2017 Yorkshire Games Festival. This year’s event will bring an inspiring conference programme, a weekend of family-friendly gameplay, and a day just for schools. Read on for our first programme announcements.

WiFi Wars

On Sunday 12 November, Pictureville Cinema will play host to WiFi Wars—the live comedy game show where everyone gets to play along! Audience members just need to log in with their smartphone or tablet to compete in a range of challenges and win prizes. Hosted by comedian, TV presenter and videogame pundit Steve McNeil, WiFi Wars has proved a huge success as part of the Royal Institution's programme, and is even responsible for breaking the Guinness World Record for ‘Most People Playing a Single Game of Pong’!

Tickets are available now, priced at £10 (concessions £8), and can be booked online. Find out more on the WiFi Wars website.

Schools’ Day

This year’s programme will kick off with a special day dedicated to schools on Wednesday 8 November. KS2 students can enjoy talks, workshops and activities covering all the elements that make a great game, from coding to story and design. Events for KS3 students will be announced soon. To book or register your interest, email learning@scienceandmediamusem.org.uk. 

Iki Ikram

Bradford’s own Mohammed Ikram—or Iki, as he’s known in the industry—cut his arty teeth at Bradford College and went on to be one of the top VFX artists at Naughty Dog, winning awards for two of the most critically acclaimed games of all time—Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us. We’re excited to welcome Iki back to his hometown as a keynote speaker: he’ll talk about growing up in Bradford, rebelling against cultural and community expectations, and how he came to be one of the most sought-after artists in the games industry. 

Oli De-Vine and Phil Duncan, Ghost Town Games

Oli and Phil had been designing and making games together at Frontier Games for 5 years before striking out on their own and forming Ghost Town Games. Their debut game Overcooked was a roasting success, taking home the BAFTAs for Best Family Game and Best British Game. Oli and Phil will be joining us to discuss the decision to start their own studio and what it's like to design BAFTA-winning games from your lounge.

Yorkshire Games Showcase

Our exciting weekend of gameplay will feature a zone dedicated to new games produced in the Yorkshire region. If you’re a game designer and fancy beta-testing your latest work with a family audience, please fill out the booking form and return it to us.

About the festival

The Yorkshire Games Festival is a five-day extravaganza celebrating games culture, design and production. There’s a conference programme packed with special industry guests, workshops and master classes, plus a fun-packed weekend featuring exciting hands-on demos and games the whole family can play together.

Yorkshire and the Humber is a huge player in the global games industry, with more than 9% of the UK games industry based in the region. The Yorkshire Games Festival is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the great games created here and welcome guests from across the UK and overseas.

Tickets and passes for this year’s festival will be on sale in September.