Level up your game: LSBU students connect with industry experts
London South Bank University (LSBU) is a hub for the gaming industry, hosting conferences on campus that bring the worldwide gaming community right to our Games Design and Development BA (Hons) students’ doorstep.
Recently, our students took part in AdventureX - the UK's only convention dedicated to narrative-driven gaming, which was hosted on campus. The experience let them gain hands-on experience, make connections, and explore new ideas in the world of games design and development.
Jana Radulaski explains why she took part: “I have always enjoyed going to games events and festivals and wondered what it was like running them, so I gave it a go and loved it!” For Jana, the highlight of the weekend was the after-parties, where she could relax, connect with other volunteers and organisers, and meet game developers to discuss their work — a perfect chance to grow together.
Jana was particularly inspired by the talk “The Delicate Art of Making Depressing Games” by Florent Maurin and Pierre Corbinais. “Sometimes a story has to be told through a video game rather than a film, as it enables the player to take part in the experience,” she said. The experience strengthened her event management, communication, and collaboration skills, and inspired ideas for her own narrative-driven projects.
It was wonderful to see students connect with the big world of games development, not only from the UK but from across the globe.
Munashe Kudakwashe, another student volunteer, enjoyed meeting other game designers and learning from their experiences in the industry. “It was inspiring to see other game designers and their work, and I wanted to help at the LSBU booth,” he said. He also reflected on talks about storytelling and project compromises, noting how important it is to balance creativity with practical decisions — a key skill to find your place in the industry.
Olivia Taylor, who volunteered for the first time, highlighted the networking opportunities and the chance to experience talks outside her usual comfort zone. “I’m quite shy, so this was out of my comfort zone, but it’s good to go outside of it sometimes and improve upon it,” she said. Olivia was particularly fascinated by talks on conflict-less stories and innovative games, like one featuring a cat on a table printing outputs, which gave her ideas for her own final-year project. These experiences helped her learn what works.
I'm quite shy, so this was out of my comfort zone, but it's good to go outside of it sometimes and improve upon it.
All three students agreed that LSBU’s role in hosting the conference and supporting networking was invaluable. “It was wonderful to see students connect with the big world of game development, not only from the UK but from across the globe,” Jana said. Students left the conference with new insights, strengthened skills, and renewed inspiration to create games that tell powerful stories.