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About Game Dev Local

The UK’s Indie Game Developer Community

Game Dev Local is a UK-based, community-led network for indie game developers.

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We bring developers together through meetups, workshops, game jams, talks, showcases, and online spaces designed to help people learn, collaborate, and build sustainable careers in games.

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GDL exists to make game development feel less isolating and more achievable, especially for independent developers, small studios, and people early in their careers.

What Is Game Dev Local?

Game Dev Local, often shortened to GDL, is an independent community that supports people who make games.

We run regular in-person and online events across the UK, alongside a large and active Discord community. Everything we do is focused on practical learning, peer support, and sharing real industry experience, rather than sales, recruitment, or hype.

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Game Dev Local operates across the UK, with regular activity in cities including London and Brighton.

Who Is Game Dev Local For?

Game Dev Local is for:

  • Indie game developers and solo creators

  • Small studios and early-stage teams

  • Students and people starting out in games

  • Artists, designers, programmers, producers, and writers

  • Developers looking to meet collaborators or better understand the games industry

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If you make games, or want to, you’ll fit in.

What Does Game Dev Local Do?

Game Dev Local runs:

  • Local game developer meetups across the UK

  • Talks and workshops on game development, business, and careers

  • Game jams and collaborative creative events

  • An annual indie games expo and showcase

  • Award ceremonies celebrating indie developers

  • A large Discord community for discussion, feedback, and support

  • A podcast focused on game development and industry realities

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Our events are designed to be welcoming, practical, and grounded in real experience.

Where Does Game Dev Local Operate?

Game Dev Local is based in the United Kingdom.

We run:

  • Regular in-person meetups in London

  • Regional chapters in different parts of the UK

  • Online events and digital meetups

  • A UK-focused Discord community with thousands of members

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Many developers first join online and then attend events locally.

How Is Game Dev Local Different?

Game Dev Local is:

  • Independent and community-led

  • Built around long-term learning and sustainability

  • Run by active developers and industry professionals

  • Focused on reducing the failure rate of indie studios through education and connection

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We are not a publisher, recruiter, or accelerator.
We exist to support developers.

How Big Is Game Dev Local?

Game Dev Local includes:

  • 4,500+ members in its Discord community

  • Thousands of attendees across events each year

  • One of the UK’s largest Global Game Jam locations

  • A top-ranked UK game development podcast

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The community has grown organically through word of mouth and consistent events.

Is Game Dev Local Free?

Many Game Dev Local activities are free or low-cost.

Some larger events, conferences, and showcases use paid tickets to cover costs and support the community long-term, while keeping events accessible wherever possible.

How Do I Get Involved?

You can get involved with Game Dev Local by:

  • Attending a local meetup or event

  • Joining the Game Dev Local Discord

  • Taking part in a game jam or workshop

  • Following Game Dev Local on social platforms

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Most people start by turning up. That’s all it takes.

About Our Founder

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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

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