About Game Dev Local
Game Dev Local is the UK’s home of grassroots brilliance.
A community built by developers, for developers, proving year after year that talent doesn’t need permission to thrive.
What started as small meetups has become one of the most respected indie ecosystems in the country, powered entirely by the energy, ambition and wild creativity of the people in it.
We don’t chase hype. We build things that last.
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The UK’s Leading Jam Hub
For five consecutive years, Game Dev Local has hosted the largest Global Game Jam site in the UK.
No other organisation in the country has matched our consistency, scale or community impact.
And we’re not just big here.
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We’re big everywhere.
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In 2024 our site ranked No.2 in the world out of 790+ jam sites across more than 100 countries. That makes GDL one of the most influential jam hubs on the planet.
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Across 2021 to 2025, over 1,500 creators joined our GGJ sites, producing nearly 300 original games in just 48 hours.
Many of those prototypes went on to become university capstones, portfolio showpieces and even commercial pitches.
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We did it without paid ads.
Without PR teams.
Without corporate backing.
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Just a network of fiercely collaborative universities, community organisers and thousands of devs who show up, build, share and grow together.
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A Collaborative Powerhouse
Our GGJ ecosystem brings together some of the UK’s most active institutions in one shared creative arena. Goldsmiths. ACM Games Academy. LSBU. Westminster. UWL. Sheffield Hallam. LCC (UAL). SAE. College of Esports. ICMP. And more joining every year.
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This is the largest collaborative jam network in the UK.
A proven talent pipeline that has launched students into studios, indies, internships and lifelong creative partnerships.
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GDLX: The UK’s Fastest-Growing Indie Expo
GDL is more than a jam scene. It’s a stage.
Across just three editions, GDLX has welcomed 1,100+ attendees, showcased 40–60 carefully curated games each year, and received well over 100 submissions annually. In 2025 alone, more than 50 independent studios and companies were represented.
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GDLX has earned recognition as:
• “The UK’s premier indie game development event”
• “The fastest-growing UK indie games expo”
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We built career stages. Talk stages. A Networking Extravaganza.
And we gave out 340 complimentary tickets to students, newcomers and underrepresented talent, because a strong industry is an inclusive industry.
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No velvet ropes.
No gatekeepers.
Just access.
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Why It Matters To Us
Numbers are nice.
But numbers aren’t the point.
The point is what they mean.
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This community has proven something powerful: when you build with intention, put creators first and give people space to grow, they rise higher than any marketing budget could ever push them.
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Game Dev Local stands as proof that the UK indie scene is stronger together than siloed apart.
That collaboration outperforms competition.
That opportunity multiplies when it’s shared.
And that the future of this industry isn’t in boardrooms.
It’s on jam floors, showcase stages and Discord calls at 2 AM.
This is the UK’s indie engine.
Grassroots. Relentless. Homegrown.
And it’s just getting started.
About Our Founder
Stuart De Ville is the force behind Game Dev Local, part community builder, part chaos merchant, all-in on helping indie game developers succeed.
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In 2020, Stuart co-founded what would become Game Dev Local alongside Jade Leamcharaskul and Adam Clewes-Boyne.
United by a deep love for the UK indie scene and a shared frustration with how isolated, burnt-out, and unsupported many devs felt, they set out to build something better, a space where creativity, community, and actual care could thrive.
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What began as a local meetup has since evolved into the UK’s largest indie game development community.
Under Stuart’s leadership, GDL has become known for its bold events, real talk, and unwavering support for the underdogs of the industry.
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Stuart’s no stranger to the indie grind.
As the founder of Fribbly Games, he runs a studio of his own, and knows first-hand the late nights, the financial strain, the creative highs, and the crushing uncertainty that comes with building something from scratch.
That experience fuels his empathy, sharpens his advice, and keeps GDL grounded in the real-world needs of developers.
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He also heads up GDL Biz, the consultancy wing of Game Dev Local, offering tailored support to help early-stage studios avoid the pitfalls that kill 9 out of 10 indie teams.
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Whether he's mentoring new founders, helping someone navigate a pitch, or staging his own live-action murder mystery, Stuart leads with fire, humour, and radical belief in people.
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Raised in a working-class home and self-made through creativity, chaos, and community, Stuart knows what it means to build without a safety net. Game Dev Local is that safety net now, and he's still right here, helping weave it together, one dev at a time.
MEET THE CREW
Video Editor
Game Designer, IG50 Winner, and survival games enthusiast.
