GDL Chapters
Bring Game Dev Local to Your Community
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Game developers are everywhere. Great local communities aren't.
GDL Chapters gives passionate game developers and community builders the opportunity to bring the GDL community to their own town, city or region, with the backing of an established UK-wide network.
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You bring the people. We help you build the community.
You Don't Have to Build It Alone!
Starting a local game development community can be incredibly rewarding.
It can also be a lot of work.
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Finding people.
Promoting events.
Building a recognisable identity.
Figuring out venues.
Managing social media.
Getting people through the door.
Keeping them coming back.
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GDL Chapters exists to make all of that easier.
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As a Chapter Organiser, you become part of the wider Game Dev Local community.
You get the support, experience and reach of GDL behind you, while building something genuinely local and personal to your community.
What you bring
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Passion for game development and your local community
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The enthusiasm to bring people together
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A willingness to organise and host events
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Your knowledge of your local area
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What GDL brings
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An established brand you can build under
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Marketing and social media support
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Access to GDL's existing community and reach
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Support from the GDL team
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Advice and experience from running communities and events
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A network of other Chapter Organisers
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The freedom to shape your chapter around your local community
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You're not starting another meetup from scratch.
You're starting a GDL community hub.
What Does a Chapter Organiser Actually Do?
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There isn't one formula for a GDL Chapter.
That's intentional.
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Your community might want a monthly pub meetup. It might be coffee and conversations, coworking, talks, game jams, portfolio evenings, or simply somewhere developers can come and meet other developers.
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Your job is to bring people together and create the opportunity for those connections to happen.
GDL can help with the rest.
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As your Chapter develops, you'll work with the GDL team to promote your events, develop your community and make sure your local chapter feels connected to the wider GDL network.
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Meet a GDL Chapter Organiser​
Bhagath | Farnham & Guildford
Bhagath is one of the first GDL Chapter Organisers and has already established a thriving local community across the Farnham and Guildford area.
Since launching his Chapter, he has organised several successful meetups, building a reputation for welcoming, well-organised events where local developers can meet, share ideas and build relationships.
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Working closely with the GDL team, Bhagath has become an integral part of the wider community, collaborating with our Community and Social teams to promote his events and grow his local network.​
"If you’re an ambitious student, graduate, or industry professional
looking to build a serious network and stand out, do it." - Bhagath
Hear From Bhagath:
What made you want to become a GDL Chapter Organiser?
I’ve always believed that the most groundbreaking ventures happen at the intersection of community, technology, and execution.As a founder and technical artist who was already building startup and tech networks in Guildford through Innovact, stepping into GDL was a natural expansion.
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I first connected with Stuart (GDL Founder) at an event, and immediately aligned with GDL’s vision of decentralizing game dev hubs across the UK.
I wanted to establish Farnham and Guildford as a premier regional powerhouse for indie developers and creative technology talent.
What has surprised you the most?
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The velocity of what a high-agency team can execute.
What began as regional meetups quickly scaled into co-producing GDLX at UCA, one of the UK's most significant indie game development expos.
Seeing hundreds of developers, technical innovators, and studios converge under an infrastructure we built from scratch proved that when you build real value, the entire industry rallies behind it.
What support has GDL given you?
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Working alongside Stuart and the GDL core team has been an invaluable masterclass in communication, event leadership, and business strategy.
From negotiating with venues, vendors, and universities to marketing and operations, the backing from GDL gives you the confidence and framework to run professional-grade events.
Stuart’s guidance and the team’s constant support turn ambitious ideas into reality.
What would you say to someone considering starting a Chapter?
If you’re an ambitious student, graduate, or industry professional looking to build a serious network and stand out, do it.
Leading a GDL Chapter places you directly at the centre of the industry, connects you with founders and studios, and accelerates your career in a way few other opportunities can. You aren't just attending the scene, you're shaping it.​​
Could You Be Our Next Chapter Organiser?
We're looking for people who want to make a difference to their local game development community.
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You don't need to be an established event organiser.
You don't need hundreds of followers.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
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You just need to care about your local game developers and want to bring them together.
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We're particularly interested in building Chapters across:
London & Greater London.
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And if you're somewhere else?
Talk to us anyway.
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Your Area. Your Community. Backed by GDL.
Imagine being the person who makes it possible for the developers around you to finally find each other.
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The artists who have been working alone.
The programmers looking for collaborators.
The students trying to break into the industry.
The indie developers who need someone to talk to.
The experienced developers who want to give something back.
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They might just be waiting for someone to bring them together.
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That someone could be you.
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Become a GDL Chapter Organiser
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Tell us a little about yourself, where you're based and what you'd like to build. We'll take it from there.