INDIE Hub

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 This Sunday it’s time again for the Indie Developer Stammtisch (INDIE Hub Meetup)! Join us for a relaxed evening of networking, meeting fellow devs, and chatting about games, development, and everything in between. All details & registration: eventbrite.de/e/indie-develo… See you there!

Indie Hub and the @goetheinstitut 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚 are joining forces for a new international initiative within the framework of 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. The objective of this collaboration is to strengthen connections between the African and European games communities, increase the visibility of creative talent, and establish sustainable exchange formats between developers from both regions. The initiative stands for collaborative work on equal footing, meaningful cultural exchange, and a forward-looking games economy where innovation is not limited by geographic boundaries. We look forward to shaping this journey together.

We’re happy about this step because it’s more than a tooling change — it’s a partnership between two companies from North Rhine-Westphalia. INDIE HUB and vivenu (based in Düsseldorf, NRW) are joining forces to keep value creation in the region, strengthen the local ecosystem, and support the creative industries in NRW and beyond. With @vivenuhq , we’re working with a modern ticketing platform built to give organizers more control over their ticketing setup — including brand and processes — so we can keep improving how we run and scale our events. We’re looking forward to this next chapter — and to continuing to grow the indie and creative scene together! More Informations: vivenu.com/de/about

Our new IndieHub website is live → indiehub.de Huge thanks to our amazing team for making this happen. The site will grow with us and showcase how diverse our community is. Check it out, explore upcoming events & tickets, and let us know if you spot any bugs 💜

The Indie Developer Stammtisch is back! We’re starting again with both Cologne (in-person) and Online meetups. Come by to meet fellow indie devs, chat about projects, get feedback, and just have a relaxed hangout. Cologne (in-person) — 17:00 As always, we’ll meet at Wohngemeinschaft (Köln). Dates: 22.02 • 26.04 • 28.06 • 23.08 • 18.10 • 27.12 Online — 19:00 (here in discord) Dates: 25.03 • 27.05 • 22.07 • 23.09 • 25.11 Tickets / links: We’re currently working on a new website + ticket shop, so the links will be posted a bit later. We’ll share everything here as soon as it’s live. See you soon!

Dear INDIE Hub Family, wild creatives, dreamers, pixel warriors & coffee-fueled chaos agents, 2025 was a ride. Some prototypes died beautifully, others suddenly grew legs and started sprinting across the show floor at Gamescom. We laughed, cried, gave feedback until 3 a.m., drank questionable amounts of energy drinks and coffee… and somehow, together, we moved mountains. Now the door to 2026 is standing wide open — and it looks pretty damn exciting. Our wishes for you (and all of us) in the new year: - May your craziest ideas finally get the space they deserve, - May your playtests one day produce “holy shit, this feels good” instead of “…uh… interesting”, - May that one email with the subject “Funding confirmed” actually land in your inbox, - And may we keep lifting each other up, giving brutally honest feedback, and celebrating like mad when things finally click, - Thank you for being here., - Thank you for making things., - Thank you for pouring so much heart, madness, and stubborn passion into this beautiful, messy thing we call indie game development., Let’s make 2026 louder, weirder, brighter, and just a tiny bit more unhinged — together. The @INDIEHubNetwork will stay your home for all of it: the regular meetups, campus sessions, late-night feedback marathons, Indie Game Fest energy, and those glorious “please tell me if this is complete trash” panic moments. Here’s to a new year full of brave moves, killer games, and people who believe in your vision — just like we do. Happy New Year, you absolute legends! May 2026 carry your games out into the world… and bring us all a little closer together. Stay wild. Stay real. Stay INDIE. Your INDIE Hub Team

INDIE Hub 2025: A Year Full of Spotlight, Community, and New Paths The year 2025 was a year of highlights for INDIE Hub, giving indie developers a variety of platforms to shine. A Pitch-Powered Start to the Year In February, we kicked things off with the Pitch @ gamescom LAN. This format allowed indies to present their projects not just to industry representatives and the press, but also to the public, all while practicing their pitches in a relaxed setting. It was the perfect way to gain experience and receive valuable feedback. Actively Shaping Diversity: Girls’ Day Stream On Girls’ Day, we organized a dedicated livestream to raise awareness of the many career paths the gaming industry offers for women. The stream focused on visibility, role models, and concrete job opportunities beyond development alone, highlighting how broad and diverse the industry truly is. By actively contributing to conversations around inclusion and representation, we used this day to encourage young women to see games as a space where they belong and can shape the future. The Big July Festival Weekend In July, we turned Cologne into an indie paradise: The Indie Game Fest offered a stage free of triple-A distractions, where newcomers and seasoned indies alike could showcase their games. With events like the Pitch & BBQ, the networking brunch, and the aftershow party, we emphasized that the indie community stands strong together, even in challenging times. INDIE Campus and Media Meets Games: Sharing Knowledge and Building Bridges Our INDIE Campus, whether online or on-site, was our passion project to introduce newcomers to the business side of the industry. At the end of the year, the Media Meets Games Conference brought together the worlds of games, TV, and film to create synergies and explore new horizons together. INDIE House and International Connections The INDIE House provided developers with a home during gamescom, fostering a sense of community and stronger networking. Our collaboration with Canada, such as the INDIE Reveal, opened up new international opportunities. The Industry Tour during gamescom further highlighted the value of connecting different media sectors. A Strong Community at the Core Our Indie Developer Stammtisch on Discord is the beating heart of INDIE Hub. With over 500 new members this year, we’re approaching the 2,000-member milestone, showcasing how vibrant and connected the scene has become. It’s a place where the community thrives and celebrates each milestone together. Looking Ahead to 2026: Moving Forward Together In the coming year, we will continue to offer diverse opportunities for indie developers, from Ask Our Expert sessions to new formats. To sustain the INDIE Hub, we’ll be introducing community-supported funding through platforms like Patreon. We believe that by staying anchored in community spirit, creativity, and resilience, we’ll continue to be a trusted hub for the indie scene in 2026 and beyond

Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary @Indie_GameFest #indiegames

It is almost time ⏰ Last minute tickets are available for only 20 EUR (one day) or 30 EUR (weekend), grab yours now! indiegamefest.de/tickets #gamedev #indiedev

🎮 Ich bin beim Indie Game Fest 2025 in Köln dabei – als Creatorin & live vor Ort! 😍 📍 11.–12. Juli | Wasserturmhotel Köln 📺 Stream: Freitag, 16:30–19:30 – direkt vom Event! Wen treffe ich dort? 💐 @INDIEHubNetwork #IndieGameFest #indiegames (Werbung)

Noch mehr Infos gewünscht? Nicht vergessen: Eintritt ist kostenlos 💸 eventfrog.de/de/p/diverses/…

Leo Rothkopf-Hütten • @INDIEHubNetwork 😉

Wochenende schon durchgeplant? 🤔📝 Dabei nicht vergessen: ⌚ 31. Mai, 12:00–19:00 📍 Feierabendhaus der BASF, #Ludwigshafen Gaming Connect, der etwas andere #CareerDay, organisiert von @BASF und der lokalen #GamesIndustry! Noch nicht überzeugt? Dann lies weiter 🧵

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐃ü𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐟? Only 4 rooms available for the period June 5th–8th! For just €475, you can secure a room last minute. Perfect for spontaneous guests – just send us a message! #Dokomi2025 #Cosplay

Do you want to #network with fellow #indiegame developers, but can't (or don't want to) make it to an IRL event? We have the solution: our #IndieDeveloperStammtisch regularly convenes online 🧑‍💻 ⌚️ May 21st, 19:00 CEST 🔗 discord.gg/KycxDwR Meet you in a breakout room! 🤙

Are your #gamedev calendars filled up yet? 📆 If you love #indiegames as much as we do—and would enjoy a weekend in Germany—you should also consider visiting our very own #IndieGameFest! 🎟️ Get tickets: indiegamefest.de/tickets 🎮 Register a project: indiegamefest.de/register

📚 Ask Our Experts 🗨 With Jakub Mamulski, Head of Agency at @HeapsAgency, letting us in on his marketing know-how. 🖥️ discord.indiehub.de 🕕 April 23 at 18:00 CET Come and ask all your questions! #gamemarketing #indiegames #indiedev #visibility #launchstrategy #networking

🎮 𝐖𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐮𝐟 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡! 🟣 Kommt vorbei und hängt mit uns ab 👉 twitch.tv/indie_hub Taucht mit uns ein in die Welt der Indie Games, spannende Gespräche, coole Gäste!