10:15am: "Welcome to IMPACT! Indie Games 2026!"

Why I'm here, why you're all here & general event housekeeping!

Ash Gwinnell // Founder, IMPRESS.GAMES & Co-organiser, IMPACT! Indie Games

10:30am: "Accessibility for indies"

Accessibility can be challenging for the largest studios, but what about development without a big budget? Harriet discusses the basics of game accessibility, why and how it's relevant for indies, and gives pointers for easy accessibility wins that won't break the bank (or the roadmap)

Harriet Frayling // Senior Games Accessibility Specialist

11:00am: "New Tools, New Rules? Implications of AI in Indie Game Development"

Lawyer Mike Ahyow explores the legal and practical issues surrounding the use of AI in game development, and what indie developers need to know when considering use of AI tools.

Mike Ahyow // Partner, RWK Goodman

12:00pm: "Insert Credits Here: VGEC and Passing the Cultural Test"

This talk aims to assist indie developers with navigating the certification process essential in claiming the Video Games Expenditure Credit. Leveraging experience as a Certification Analyst at the BFI, the talk will outline avoidable common mistakes to ensure the assessment process is as streamlined as possible for developers. Additionally, each section on the application form will be broken down point-by-point, from eligible in-game settings to required documentation. Developers will be advised on how to structure their application to best suit individual projects. After this talk, attendees will possess the knowledge and confidence to apply, setting their studio up to later claim VGEC.

Jacob Heayes // Certification Analyst (Games), BFI

12:30pm: "Meet the IMPACT! Indie Showcase!"

Ground Shatter founder and veteran indie gamedev, James Parker sits down with some of the IMPACT! Indie showcase to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of getting an indie game to market. A real-time look at the current landscape from those in the thick of trying to make their indie dreams a reality.

James Parker // Founder, Ground Shatter

2:00pm: "Indie Insights: Lightning Round – Market Research, Content Strategy, & Engaging Influencers"

At IMPACT! we're all about, well, impact. So we're introducing an exciting new lightning talks session where three experts will each deliver 10 indie game marketinng insights in 10 minutes. Nothing but meaningful takeaways on critical topics. Hear from IMPACT! regulars, Abi Le Guilcher on engaging influencers, Claire Barilla on market research and Najmah Salam on content strategy. That's 30 high value takeaways in just 30 minutes, not to be missed!

Claire Barilla // Publishing Producer, Freelance

Najmah Salam // Director, Small Loan Studio & Freelance Marketing Alchemist

Abi Le Guilcher // Influencer Marketing Specialist, Future Friends Games

2:30pm: "How a small indie hit #1 New & Trending with a Steam demo: lessons from a horror game!"

In this talk, Helen breaks down the full, unfiltered data behind the public demo launch of Forbidden Solitaire, a retro FMV horror card game that hit #1 in Steam's New & Trend ing Demosand broke into Trending Free without a publisher or external marketing agency

Helen Carmichael // Marketing, Narrative & Game Design, Grey Alien Games

3:00pm: "You matter as much as your game"

Making games is hard. Making games while burned out is harder. Even if you achieve the success you have always dreamed of, is it worth the cost of your long term health and wellbeing? As an ex-indie developer and publisher, Steve has lived though the emotional rollercoaster of game launch many times, surviving highs and lows, successes and failures. In this session he'll share how he has learned how to stay happy and healthy in amongst the chaos.

Steve Stopps // Founder, Team Lumo

4:00pm: "How We Grew a Niche Indie Game to 120k Wishlists"

In this session, award-winning accessibility advocate and Head of Communications at Happy Volcano, Jarvs Tasker, breaks down how one indie title grew to over 120,000 wishlists by focusing on sustainable systems rather than hype-driven tactics. This talk goes beyond surface-level advice to explore what truly moves the needle on Steam: store page optimisation, community momentum, festivals, creator alignment, and iterative improvement based on player behaviour. Using real examples and data from the campaign, Jarvs will walk through the decisions that worked, the ones that didn’t, and the lessons learned along the way. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how wishlist growth actually happens, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to build momentum in a way that’s accessible, repeatable, and aligned with their studio’s values. This is a practical, honest look at what it really takes to grow visibility on Steam without burning out your team or your community.

Jarvs Tasker // Head of Communications, Happy Volcano

4:30pm: "Everything you need to know about game showcases"

Game showcases have become an increasingly impactful opportunity for game discoverability in recent years. But how do they come about, how do you get your game featured and why is it important? We sit down with a panel of experts from leading game showcases, Convergence and PC Gaming Show for a behind the scenes look at showcase curation, reach, optimisation and more.

Rich Keith // CEO, Fourth Floor

Jake Tucker // Editorial Director, PC Gaming Show (Future)

Mark Cantwell // Starcairn

5:00pm: "The Indie Publishing Landscape"

So what's the deal with indie game publishing in 2026? We'll go straight to the source and explore the current landscape, common pitfalls and what the future of publishing holds for indies in this fireside chat with Curveball Games.

// Curveball Games

Simon Byron // Yogscast Games

5:30pm: "Indie Knowledge Showdown"

Is there a better way to wrap up a day of indie dev insights and shenanigans than testing our collective knowledge on all things indie games? Let's find out...

Jonas Gawe // Program Manager, Limit Break & Community Manager, Electric Saint