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Horizons Season 2026-2027

IndieCade Horizons provides academic and educational resources, a spotlight for student work, and opportunities for connections for both students and educators in game development and design throughout the year. Join us this 2026-2027 Season for IndieCade Horizons Programming.

View the Horizons 2026-2027 schedule preview pdf.
Download for print.

How to Participate

Are you a representative of a school or institution that is interested in participating in Horizons 2026-2027? Learn more about joining as a Horizons Academic Participant HERE or contact us directly at horizons@indiecade.com with your questions. 

Are you an individual interested in participating? Many of the Horizons events and opportunities are also available to individual IndieCade Members, including our Student membership tier.

Annual Events

  • Creators Retreat

    DECEMBER 8-9 2026
    (in-person) An IndieCade creative retreat with a focus on bringing together gamemakers of all genres and backgrounds for intensive dialogs, inspiration, knowledge-sharing and networking. Includes the IndieCade Festival Honorary Awards. LEARN MORE

  • Student Game Festival

    JANUARY 2027
    (online) A fully dedicated Horizons festival for student games in compliment to the main IndieCade Festival. Includes the Horizons Game Festival Awards! LEARN MORE

  • Game Educators Summit

    APRIL 30, 2027 
    (in-person and online) The Game Educators Summit is a professional development opportunity for educators and provides a meaningful program for sharing, learning, networking, presentations and participation. Includes the Faculty of Excellence Awards! LEARN MORE

  • View the Horizons 2026-2027 schedule preview pdf.
    Download for print.

Monthly Events

  • Game Club

    EVERY FIRST THURSDAY
    (online) “It’s like a book club, but for games!” In an effort to expand their game “diets” and experiences with a range of games of different genres, formats, and objectives, each month we invite game students to join together to explore a new game. Free for everyone in September! LEARN MORE and SIGN UP.

  • Third Thursdays Sessions

    EVERY THIRD THURSDAY
    Monthly sessions featuring expert panels, conversations with working alumni, author interviews, and talks to address key questions games students grapple with as they move from school to industry. Free for everyone in September! LEARN MORE

Student Game Festival

JANUARY 2027
(online) A fully dedicated festival for student games, in compliment to the main IndieCade Festival.

Member schools nominate games to be included in the festival. Qualifying games are created or completed within the past academic year and primarily developed by students.

The games are a range of three categories:

  • Games developed for coursework (6+ months)
  • Games developed for coursework (under 6 months)
  • Extracurricular student projects (clubs, independent teams, etc.)

Nominations close in late October.

This is an opportunity for students to stream, to play one another’s games, and for awards. Games nominated by the schools before August 1st are automatically entered into consideration for the upcoming IndieCade Festival!

Stay tuned for programming details.

Game Club

EVERY FIRST THURSDAY (Online)

“It’s like a book club, but for games!” In an effort to expand their game “diets” and experiences with a range of indie games of different genres, formats, and objectives, each month we invite game students to join together to explore a new game.

These are opportunities for students to connect with their peers both within their home institution and across others, to hear directly from the creators and to have fun.

Each first Thursday we will discuss the previous game of the month and introduce the next game. Students are encourage to play the games each month and join us for scheduled streams of the games. Steam keys are available for Horizons participants!

Complete this form if you would like to join the mailing list to receive updates about the Horizons Game Club!

Apply to be a Horizons Game Club streamer HERE.

Chat about this month’s game in the #game-club channel on IndieCade’s Discord server! If you’re new to the server, JOIN HERE!

    Sign up for the Game Club here!

    THE GAME OF OCTOBER

      The Zone is a tabletop RPG for 1-6 players about lost souls on a surreal play-to-lose journey to the center of an alien place that manifests their phobias and obsessions until everyone mutates and only one survives. Play the free digital version HERE.

      UPCOMING GAME CLUB SCHEDULE

        • OCTOBER – THE ZONE
          Session: Thursday, October 1st, at 6:00pm PDT.
          • Discussion of Patrick’s Parabox
          • Introduction to the game of October: The Zone

        • NOVEMBER – WE ARE OFK
          Session: Thursday, November 5th, at 6:00pm PST
            • Discussion of The Zone
            • Introduction to the game of November: We Are OFK
        • DECEMBER – ASOCIAL GIRAFFE
          Session: Thursday, December 3rd, at 6:00pm PST
          • Discussion of We Are OFK
          • Introduction to the game of December: Asocial Giraffe

        • JANUARY – OUTER WILDS
          Session: Thursday, January 7th, at 6:00pm PST
            • Discussion of Asocial Giraffe
            • Introduction to the game of January: Outer Wilds

        Third Thursdays Sessions

        EVERY THIRD THURSDAY
        (online) Monthly sessions featuring expert panels, conversations from working alumni, author interviews, and talks to address key questions games students grapple with as they move from school to industry.

        Join us online for an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of the authors of the articles, books, and videos most commonly taught in game programs. IndieCade members are welcome to request specific speakers.

        OCTOBER SESSION

          On October 15th we’re speaking with Richard Lemarchand, author of A Playful Production Process. 

          Learn how to achieve a happier and healthier game development process by connecting the creative aspects of game design with techniques for effective project management.

          Award-winning game designer Richard Lemarchand (Uncharted series) shares lessons he’s learned over the course of his 20+ year career creating videogames. This book covers the videogame production process from start to finish, giving the reader strategies to plan appropriately and avoid the uncontrolled overwork known as “crunch”.

          UPCOMING THIRD THURSDAYS SCHEDULE

            • DECEMBER SESSION
              Thursday, December 17th, at 6:00pm PST
              • Third Thursdays greatest hits and community chat

            • JANUARY SESSION
              Thursday, January 21st, at 6:00pm PST
              • Speaker TBA

            Schools and Institutions

            • Our goal is to make this program a BENEFIT to Institutions, Students, Faculty, and Administrators. We work hard on this program so you do not have to. We welcome input, requests for speakers, games, and more from all involved. This is a community initiative.

              Horizons Mission: To highlight, level up, support, and provide benefits and connections in the educational and academic game industry, programs, and all of its participants.

            • Benefits

              Participating schools and institutions receive access for their students and/or faculty to all of the Horizons programming:

              • Annual Horizons Events
                • Student Game Festival
                • Game Educators Summit

              • Monthly Horizons Events
                • Game Club
                • Third Thursdays Sessions

              Additional benefits can include:

              • Access to Video Library of all past developer interviews, presentations, conventions, past Third Thursdays, and past IndieCade conference sessions.
              • Moderated Discord
              • Ambassador opportunities: For students to get leadership experience, serve as communication and management of relationship with Horizons. Includes mentoring opportunities.
              • Promotional Opportunity for institutions at IndieCade Festivals (online) and/or in-person IndieCade events.
              • Complimentary Festival Submissions and discounts.
              • Opportunity for participation in the Creators Retreat.
              • Priority IndieCade internships and summer game design internships.
              • And more…

              Above benefits are provided based on specific membership tier.

            • Participation Tiers

              Institutional Membership / Participation:

              • For small institutions, starts at $500 at our “Group” membership tier.

              • For larger institutions we have customized opportunities to participate on the Gold, Silver, and Platinum level. This includes representation and visibility at the Festival (game and company placement), for both live and online events, as well as speaking opportunities and more!
                Please contact us directly at horizons@indiecade.com for these packages or any customized benefits or reach out via the Academic Partnership Interest Form.

              Individual Student / Faculty Membership:

            PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS – Past and Present

            Abertay University
            American University Game Center
            ArtCenter College of Design
            Ball State Computer Science: Game Design & Development
            Boston University
            Bradley University, Department of Interactive Media
            Clark University, Becker School of Design and Technology
            Columbus College of Art & Design, Game Art & Design
            DePaul University Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
            Falmouth University Games Academy
            Hostos Community College
            Indiana University Bloomington
            Kent State University at Tuscarawas
            Miami University
            Michigan State University

            Michigan Technological University
            Northeastern University
            NYU Game Center
            Parsons School of Design
            Purdue University
            Santa Monica College
            School of Interactive Games and Media at RIT
            Sheridan College
            University of California, Irvine
            University of Canterbury
            University of Miami Department of Interactive Media
            University of Tulsa
            University of Utah, Entertainment Arts & Engineering
            USC Games
            Western University

            Alumni Signup

            Are you an IndieCade Alumnus? We want to know! If you've been a speaker, organizer, juror, or presented your game at IndieCade or any IndieCade-related showcase (ex. IndieCade @ E3, IndieCade @ SIGGRAPH, etc. - doesn't need to have been a finalist) we'd like to be in touch.

            https://www.indiecade.com/alumni-signup/