The first step of recruitment is the decision not to hire at all. If you, however, decide on recruitment, come and listen to how an indie studio can do it while staying focused on great people and keeping its retention high. In this talk, it will be shown how the book "The Effective Hiring Manager" is put into practice in Monster Couch, with strong emphasis on the team manager's role in the recruitment process.

Ways of narration: Old narrative tropes unexplored even today. Players love things that are familiar yet somehow unknown. But have you asked yourself: What is the unknown to the modern world? During the talk, you will learn multiple tropes in narration that intrigued us were called innovative yet we don't see them present in most of the games. This tool might give you leverage to check if your game has something unique to offer or create new ideas based on the presented thinking patterns. The partner of the talk is the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk CZ.

This report is reflection of personal experience and over 40 interviews with top narrative experts of the industry conducted as part of the bigger project. We will discuss what hints and tips are used by many interviewed Narrative designers, what software is their favorite and why, what books do they advice to use and what do they advice to colleagues the industry. Together we will discuss insights and learn from industry veterans.

The best and bravest of GDS Prague Indie Expo will present their pitch decks in lightning rounds of presentations, followed by questions and discussions with a professional jury. All to compete for a prime spot of the most appreciated pitch of GDS Prague 2025!

How can you benefit from national public and private funding opportunities in other EU countries? In this panel, EGDF board members will discuss the funding instruments available in their countries and how you can benefit from them.