Dutch Games Association

05/10/2026

Do good for the planet – using the games you work on every day.

Playing for the Planet are inviting all live games with existing audiences to join the Green Game Jam 2027. For the past seven years, the challenge has brought together titles from all over the games ecosystem, from MOBA smash-hits to match-2 classics and now they want you.

What is it? An annual challenge in which studios build themed content into their games to engage players on an environmental topic.

Why join? Participating games report higher engagement, longer playtime sessions, stronger social media buzz and increased revenue. At the same time, they’ve collectively raised over $2 million USD and planting over 4 million trees.

Want to hear more? Register your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdrjvPw8FEu5cAuBGeZhtcz4PmdiJqNGhnYD8Vu-7bNV6fug/viewform

02/10/2026

De Dutch Games Association heeft de afgelopen maanden intensief gewerkt aan de politieke zichtbaarheid van de Nederlandse gamesector.

Dat leidde onder meer tot landelijke media-aandacht voor de uitdagingen en kansen van de sector, met bijdragen op NPO Radio 1, Nieuwsuur, NOS en BNR Nieuwsradio. Ook tijdens gamescom was er aandacht voor de positie van Nederlandse studio’s en de internationale concurrentie.

Samen met sectorpartners zoals Videogames Federatie Nederland werd daarnaast de petitie ‘Videogames verdienen een plek in de digitale toekomst van Nederland’ aangeboden aan de vaste Kamercommissie voor Economische Zaken. Een dag later volgde ‘Gamen in de Kamer’ in Nieuwspoort, waar Kamerleden en beleidsmedewerkers kennis konden maken met verschillende Nederlandse games en vertegenwoordigers uit de sector.

De DGA blijft zich inzetten voor structurele erkenning van de game-industrie en betere voorwaarden voor Nederlandse gamebedrijven om te ontwikkelen, te groeien en internationaal te concurreren.

Lees het volledige artikel:

De DGA zet zich in voor structurele erkenning van de Nederlandse gamesector, met politieke lobby, een petitie aan de Tweede Kamer en ‘Gamen in de Kamer’.

30/09/2026

playdev.club: Still spaces available!

Have you signed up for the next edition of playdev.club yet? There are still spaces available for the fifth edition, taking place in Den Haag on 14 October!

Playdev.club is a meetup where game developers can bring their (early) prototypes, test them with fellow developers and receive valuable feedback from their peers. It's a great opportunity to try out your ideas, get fresh perspectives and see how others respond to your game.

The evening is hosted by Daniel Ernst and Ctrl+Space at De Besturing, with drinks, snacks and pizza provided.

When: 14 October, 18:00–22:00
Where: De Besturing, Saturnusstraat 91, Den Haag

Interested? Check out the details and sign up here: https://dutchgamesassociation.nl/2026/06/30/the-fifth-edition-of-playdev-club-takes-place-in-den-haag/

The fifth edition of the rebooted playdev.club will be hosted by Daniel Ernst and Ctrl+Space in Den Haag.

27/09/2026

Gaming in Parliament

This Wednesday, September 30, Videogames Federatie Nederland (VGFN) is organising ‘Gamen in de Kamer’ at Nieuwspoort in The Hague.

The event will showcase a mix of Dutch games, major international titles, serious games and retro games across several gaming stations. Policymakers and members of parliament can experience the games themselves and speak directly with people from the games sector.

The event aims to provide a practical perspective on games and the role they play in society, while putting topics such as online safety, young people, consumer protection, innovation, AI, talent, culture and the earning potential of the Dutch creative and digital industries into context.

Among the games and organisations taking part are Adriaan de Jongh (Hidden Folks), HackShield - Future Cyber Heroes, Extra Nice (SCHiM), Geofront (POLDERS) and Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid.

📅 Wednesday, September 30, 2026
📍 Nieuwspoort, The Hague
🕙 10:00–16:00

More information: https://www.nieuwspoort.nl/programma/gamen-in-de-kamer/

24/09/2026

The Dutch Game Awards, the award show for Dutch game developers, will take place this year during Dutch Game Week at Chassé Theater in Breda on November 19. Today, the Dutch Games Association announces the nominees in ten game categories!

Over the past few weeks, the eleven members of the Applied, Entertainment and Student jury have been busy reviewing all the games. Today, the organisation presents its selection of potential Dutch Game Awards winners. Below, you can find the three games nominated in each category.

The Special Award categories (Best Studio, Inclusion Award, Career Achievement Award and Best in Business) do not have nominees. The winners selected by the six members of the Industry and Inclusion jury for these awards will be announced during the award ceremony.

And the nominees are…

Best Game 2026
- Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime (Bonte Avond)
- Moonlight Peaks (Little Chicken Game Company)
- Town to City (Galaxy Grove)

Best Art
- Dark Pals: The 1st Floor (Skunx Games)
- Dobbel Dungeon (Gamepie)
- Moonlight Peaks (Little Chicken Game Company)

Best Audio (sponsored by Audiokinetic)
- Bandit Trap (PICOMY)
- Legacy of Orsinium (Veelpoot)
- Town to City (Galaxy Grove)

Best Narrative
- Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime (Bonte Avond)
- Moonlight Peaks (Little Chicken Game Company)
- SIRE (heartcase)

Best Technology
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - PC Version (Nixxes Software)
- Laptitude (Grendel Games)
- Outbound (Square Glade Games)

Best Game Design
- Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime (Bonte Avond)
- Moonlight Peaks (Little Chicken Game Company)
- Town to City (Galaxy Grove)

Best Applied: Playful Experience
- be buji (&ranj)
- Ritme Robot (Monobanda)
- Woordkr8 (Game Tailors)

Best Applied: Impact (sponsored by City of Rotterdam)
- Cel-CheckVR (Improvive)
- hackshield future cyber heroes (Hero Center)
- Laptitude (Grendel Games)

Best Student Game
- Don't Blink (Collateral Damage / HKU)
- Het Andere Oor van Sok (Silver Klapwijk / HKU)
- Spirit Cleansers (1derful / Breda University of Applied Sciences)

Best Debut Game
- Dobbel Dungeon
- Duck Side of the Moon (Starbrew Games)
- Legacy of Orsinium (Veelpoot)

Congratulations to all nominees!

Tickets for the award show are now available. Don’t miss this special evening filled with inspiring stories, new connections, and a celebration of Dutch game development!

18/09/2026

DGA MEMBER DEAL: UNWRAP FESTIVAL 2026

Unwrap Festival takes place in Kortrijk on October 29 and 30, bringing together professionals from games, film, VFX, music and media. The two-day event combines conferences, networking and opportunities to connect with companies and talent from across the digital entertainment industry.

DGA members get 15% discount on UNWRAP Combi Passes, valid until October 30.

New: Career Fair Booths
UNWRAP is introducing Two-Day Career Fair Booths this year for companies looking to recruit talent and connect with students and job seekers. A booth also includes access to the conference, afterparty and networking reception.

DGA members get 15% discount on Two-Day Career Fair Booths, valid until September 30. If you are a startup younger than three years (established in 2024, 2025 or 2026), you can even get a 50% discount on these booths!

DGA members can find all discount codes in the DGA Members Area: https://dutchgamesassociation.nl/dga-members-area/.

17/09/2026

REMINDER! DGA Pop-up Network Lunch in Breda next Thursday

The fourth DGA Pop-up Network Lunch will take place next Thursday, September 24, in Breda. The lunch is organised in collaboration with B'GAME, Breda’s game incubator supporting talent and startups in entertainment games, serious games and esports.

The event takes place from 12:00 to 14:00 at Carré Chassé, Chasséveld 3A, 4811 DH Breda.

There are still free tickets available, as well as a few showcase spots for developers and artists who would like to present their game or artwork during the lunch.

Click here for tickets or to sign up for the showcase: https://dutchgamesassociation.nl/events/dga-pop-up-lunch-september-2026/

What is the Dutch Games Association Pop-up Network Lunch?
In addition to the monthly DGA Network Lunches at dotslash in Utrecht, DGA organises pop-up editions with organisations in other parts of the Netherlands. These events do not follow a fixed schedule, but several are organised throughout the year. The lunches provide an opportunity to meet others from across the Dutch games ecosystem, exchange knowledge and ask for advice. Developers and artists can also use the showcase sessions to present their latest games or artwork.

16/09/2026

---PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED---

Waar ligt de grens tussen wie je bent en wie je speelt?

Op vrijdag 25 september duiken we tijdens 'From pixels to people' in NEMO Science Museum in de wereld van games, identiteit en online communities. Vanuit de tentoonstelling Game On gaan we een stap verder: hoe beïnvloeden digitale werelden de manier waarop we onszelf zien, uitdrukken en met anderen verbinden?

Wetenschappers, gamemakers en fanatieke spelers gaan in NEMO in gesprek. Het panel:
- Mary Flanagan – hoogleraar, gamedesigner en auteur, die onderzoekt hoe games ons kritisch laten denken en onszelf en de wereld kunnen veranderen.
- Martine Spaans – general manager van de Dutch Games Association en veelzijdige professional in de gamesindustrie. Zij weet als geen ander hoe games worden gemaakt en hoe de industrie zich ontwikkelt.
- Irene I. van Driel – onderzoeker aan de UvA, die kijkt naar inclusiviteit, representatie en de rol van games en sociale media in identiteit en verbondenheid.
- Simone van Galen – gamedesigner, kunstenaar en educator, die games inzet om verhalen te vertellen en thema’s als identiteit, eenzaamheid en onzekerheid bespreekbaar te maken.

Dit gesprek vindt plaats in het Engels en wordt gemodereerd door Marsha Simon.

Een avond vol scherpe inzichten, verschillende perspectieven en natuurlijk: gamen in Game On!

Info & tickets:

Achter elke avatar zit een keuze. Tijdens dit Engelstalige panelgesprek in NEMO praten wetenschappers, gamemakers en spelers over games, identiteit en wie je wordt zodra je inlogt. Inclusief toegang tot de tentoonstelling Game On.

08/07/2026

During the last Dutch Games Association General Assembly, our new board member and Division Manager Games Business Koen Deetman and our new Treasurer Kees van der Zwet CMA CFM were accepted in their new roles.

Koen is founder and Game Director of KeokeN Interactive, the studio behind the Deliver Us space trilogy, released across PC and console. Having built, nearly lost, and rebuilt his studio through both international acclaim and the hard realities of games financing, Koen focuses on the business of growing Dutch studios — mid-size and scaling up — whatever form that business takes, and on getting Dutch games discovered by uniting the country behind a stronger, shared identity.

Kees has been active in the game industry since 2023, when he joined Total Mayhem Games. In his role, he is responsible for Finance and provides board and business support.
As Treasurer of the DGA, Kees is committed to ensuring the organization's financial operations remain well managed. He also aims to use his extensive Business Finance experience to support the DGA's healthy growth, help the organization achieve its goals, and contribute to the continued development and support of the game industry in the Netherlands.

Please join us in giving them a warm welcome!

As we welcome Koen, this also means we're saying goodbye to Laurens Rutten who has been our board member Entertainment for five years! We want to thank Laurens for his dedication and hard work, and for everything he has done for the Entertainment sector as a member of our board. Thank you, Laurens!

Kees will be taking over the role of Treasurer from Viktor Wijnen effective September 1. Viktor has served in this role for the past three years, and we would like to thank him for his dedication and hard work in keeping the DGA's financial affairs in excellent order and ensuring the books were always accurate. Thank you, Viktor!

30/06/2026

The fifth edition of the rebooted playdev.club will be hosted by Daniel Ernst and Ctrl+Space in Den Haag.

Important details:
When: 14 October, 2026
Where: De Besturing, Saturnusstraat 91, 2516 AG Den Haag
Start: 18.00h
End: 22.00h

The hosts will provide drinks, snacks and pizza.

How to sign up?
To be able to sign up, you have to bring a prototype. Click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/3YngKASjhch7E3Fd9

Once the event is full, it’s full. Extra sign-ups will then be waitlisted. Due to the limited space per event, we unfortunately have to limit students to one person per meetup.

What to expect?
Playdev.club is a meetup where game developers can have their (early) prototypes tested by other game developers and receive valuable feedback from their peers.

Everything is under FrieNDA. Since these events are hosted at small venues, there is a limited maximum capacity. Therefore, we allow one person per team, so that as many teams as possible can participate in playdev.club.

About the artist
Daniel Ernst is a new-media artist recognized as a pioneer in VR art. Since 2012, through his studio The Shoebox Diorama, he has created VR dioramas and installations, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to explore the space between the real and virtual. His work has been showcased internationally at the Venice Film Festival, Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, A MAZE., IFFR, and SXSW, earning multiple awards, including a Golden Calf. He is currently working on the mixed-reality project Monsieur Loyal and the story-world project The Great Orator.

About the space
Ctrl+Space is a cultural playground located in De Besturing. We aim to create a DIY, community-driven space where people can experiment, share their work, and simply enjoy being together. Ctrl+Space is (slowly) being built from the ground up and is constantly evolving. The team, residents, and friends are working together to create something truly unique. Let us know if you want to get involved—more information coming soon.

About playdev.club
Playdev.club is the brainchild of developer Adriaan de Jongh. He wanted to create a kind of ‘platform’ for Dutch developers to show their prototypes and receive feedback and other thoughts on them—in the form of a meetup. In 2025, the event was rebooted by the Dutch Games Association.

Want to host your own playdev.club?
If you want to host your own playdev.club, please contact us.