Successful Premiere of Portside Game Assembly: the Indie Conference on the Water Returns in June 2026

On June 26 and 27, Gamecity Hamburg, as part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, celebrated the successful premiere of Portside Game Assembly. A B2B conference for indie studios with 100 selected studio directors from 15 countries on a ship cruising through the port of Hamburg. The event provided a confidential setting for studio executives to exchange ideas and gain new perspectives. The list of attendees is carefully curated, allowing only management-level representatives from indie studios that have successfully published at least one game on board. In addition to the conference, three other Portside Game Assembly events facilitated interaction between industry members of the Hamburg games industry and international guests, as well as additional networking with conference participants, publishers, and game studios.  200 additional games industry peers met with the conference attendees in three other extraordinary Hamburg locations for networking and exchange. Following a successful premiere and receiving very positive feedback from attendees, the second Portside Game Assembly in Hamburg is scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2026! 

“We saw a gap within the calendar of international games industry B2B events and decided to go for it. With the Portside Game Assembly, we are creating a space in which leaders of indie studios can exchange ideas confidentially and on an eye level. By curating the list of participants, we guarantee that participants get new impulses for their business and make relevant new contacts without distraction. We develop the content of the program in close exchange with the participating studios and always for the perspective of studio directors and founders. We are overjoyed with the feedback from the attendees on the premiere and are starting to plan the second Portside in June 2026”, explains Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg.

“With companies that have been successful for decades and a diverse and growing indie game scene, the games industry is an important part of Hamburg’s creative industry. With Portside Game Assembly, we have developed another key element that strengthens the importance of Hamburg as a games location by bringing important studio heads and industry contacts to Hamburg and thus promoting international exchange”, comments Egbert Rühl, Managing Director of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.

Quotes from Participating Studios

“There was a great atmosphere, and the curation was a good mix of profiles and range of companies. It was easy to get in touch with people at the different locations. I’d recommend Portside Game Assembly to network, meet other indies to connect, ask questions, and share knowledge”, Thomas Pfeiffer, CEO & Co-Founder Evil Empire.

„Portside is not your typical conference, It’s something special. No business cards, no distractions, just studio heads having real, honest conversations. Everyone in the room has been through the same challenges, and that shared experience creates a rare level of openness. Ideas, insights, and best practices were shared freely, and I left with a notebook full of actionable takeaways. Absolutely worth it”, Jeroen Janssen, Studio Head & Founder Happy Volcano.

„Portside Game Assembly provided a wonderful ‘Free Port’ for me as an Indie Dev Executive to meet with likeminded leaders from the industry.
Good, deep, conversations about what works – and what doesn’t”, Christian Nyhus Andreasen, Partner & COO Fair Games.

The program of Portside Game Assembly included a keynote on the Triple-i Initiative, short impulse talks and roundtables focusing on thought provoking and subsequent discussions. All of this on a conference ship cruising through the port of Hamburg and along the river Elbe.

After a keynote speech by Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire), the two conference tracks (impulse talks & roundtables) provided numerous opportunities for input, exchange and insights from speakers like Philomena Schwab (Co-Founder Stray Fawn Studio), Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Games), Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen), Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses), René Habermann (Director Bippinbits) and many more.

Participating studios at the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly included Bippinbits, Bolt Blaster Games, Byterockers’ Games, Chasing Carrots, Cipsoft, Color Gray, Cybernetic Walrus, Digital Cybercherries, Digital Sun, Evil Empire, Fair Games, Foulball Hangover, Gamious, Ghost Ship Games, Grizzly Games, Happy Volcano, Hutlihut, Indoor Astronaut, Kafi, kaleidoscube, Keen, Maschinen-Mensch, Megagon Industries, Mooneye, Osmotic Studios, Overhype Studios, Paint Bucket Games, Rockfish Games, Spellgarden Games, Stray Fawn Studio, Studio Seufz, Styrax Studios, The Game Kitchen, The Good Evil, Tiny Roar, Torpor Games, Toukana Interactive and Young Horses.

All speakers of Portside Game Assembly 2025: https://portsideassembly.com/program/

At the three accompanying  events of Portside Game Assembly, the 100 conference attendees exchanged ideas with 200 people from the local and international games industry. The Opening Mixer the evening before kicked off the series of events with a relaxed networking session, followed by a morning networking brunch in the Hamburg HafenCity. The closing Games Industry Party after the conference brought all participants together on the culture ship MS Stubnitz for an atmospheric final.

Sponsors and partners photon and Twin Harbour Interactive were on board to support the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly.