March 9–13 • Moscone Center • San Francisco, CA
We’re thrilled to announce that the Sacramento Developer Collective (SDC) is an official partner of the GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 — an expanded, city-wide celebration where game creators from around the world come together to learn, connect, collaborate, and shape the future of gaming.For over three decades, the Game Developers Conference has been the must-attend event for professionals across game design, programming, art, audio, business, production, and more — bringing thousands of developers, speakers, partners, and innovators under one roof.
This year’s GDC Festival of Gaming (March 9–13, 2026) continues that legacy with:
✔️ World-class sessions on craft and industry trends
✔️ Deep-dive workshops and roundtables
✔️ Curated networking events to expand your community
Every year, the Game Developers Conference (GDC)is the place where the game industry gets unusually accessible. It’s a week where the people who build games, fund games, publish games, market games, and support development all show up ready to talk shop. For indie developers, that’s rare. For the Sacramento Developer Collective community, it’s even better because it’s close enough to feel doable, and big enough to genuinely change what your year looks like afterward.
GDC 2026 runs March 9–13 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, and it’s leaning hard into a “Festival of Gaming” approach that blends conference sessions with meetups, show floor discoveries, and nightly events that make it easier to actually meet people instead of just sitting in talks all day.
You Get Real Answers From People Who Have Shipped
Indie teams are always solving problems under pressure. Technical challenges, scope issues, marketing confusion, funding uncertainty, community building, hiring, production planning, you name it. GDC is useful because it puts practical knowledge in one place, across the whole lifecycle of making a game. The 2026 program is structured around 14 tracks, including independent development, design, narrative and performance, discovery and marketing, business strategy, production, and tools and tech topics.
It also includes “Summit Communities” that are meant to give you a home base during the week. If you’ve ever felt like your discipline gets lost in the shuffle at big conferences, these communities are designed to solve that. Independent Games is one, but there are also communities around things like UX, narrative, tools, game AI, level design, and more.
Networking Is Built In, Not Left to Luck
People joke about networking, but at GDC it’s not just “talk to strangers and hope it works out.” The event is intentionally structured around connection, with curated matchmaking, lounges, and meeting formats that make it easier to talk with purpose.
For SDC folks, this is where going together becomes a superpower. You can split up and cover more ground, compare notes at the end of the day, and introduce each other to people instead of doing everything solo. Even a small group makes the whole experience less intimidating and more productive.
The Festival Hall Is a Cheat Code for Getting Oriented
If you’re an indie dev, the show floor is not just for playing demos. It’s where you can see the ecosystem up close. Tools, services, platforms, partners, and communities are all represented, which makes it a great place to get clarity on what’s worth your time and money this year.
GDC is also calling out a dedicated Indie and Education neighborhood in the Festival Hall, with its own stage for microtalks, fireside chats, and community meetups. For newer studios, that kind of focused space matters. It makes it easier to find your people and easier to learn in smaller, more approachable formats.
The Independent Games Festival is part of what makes GDC feel indie-friendly. In 2026, the IGF Pavilion runs from March 11–13, and the IGF Awards happen on March 11. Even if you are not submitting a game this year, IGF brings a real spotlight to independent work and attracts attendees who are specifically there to discover new games and new teams.
It’s More Affordable Than Ever
GDC has always had a “big conference price tag” reputation, but the 2026 structure offers more entry points than people realize.
There’s a Festival Pass with an early rate price, and there are also application based passes that are clearly aimed at small teams and students. The Early Stage Indie and Start up Pass is designed for studios and self employed professionals that have been operating less than five years, and the Academic Pass is available for verified students and faculty. There’s also a Digital Pass for people who cannot make the trip but still want the content and some networking access through the event app.
On top of that, SDC members can take 10% off using our discount code SDC10, which helps take some of the sting out of pass pricing.
For SDC specifically, the group discount is also worth paying attention to. If you can get 10 people going, there’s a discount on current Festival or Game Changer pricing, which is the kind of thing a community can actually pull off.
Why This Matters for SDC, Specifically
A lot of communities talk about “building connections,” but SDC is already doing the hardest part. People are making things, sharing work, showing up, and helping each other improve. GDC is a multiplier on that energy because it plugs a local scene into the wider industry for a week.
It also fits the practical reality of Sacramento. You are not flying across the country; you are making a short trip to San Francisco, and you can come back with fresh relationships, clearer plans, and new ideas you can share with the rest of the community.
If you want this to have maximum impact, the move is simple. Go in with a plan, and come back with a debrief. Pick a few focus areas, decide what “success” looks like for your week, and then share what you learned with other SDC members afterward. That’s how a conference trip turns into a community upgrade.
Ever wondered what goes into making a rhythm game that breaks the mold? We sat down with the developer of Beat Heart Beat, the upcoming absurd rhythm-platformer that challenges you to slash your way towards your withered Heart. This game immediately stands out with its bold, collage-like visuals and a distinct alt-rock soundtrack, steering clear of the genre’s usual electronic dominance. In this interview, the developer dives into the surprising inspirations behind the game—from the frenetic action of Katana Zero and the flow of Rayman Legends to the unique aesthetics of shows like Madoka Magica —and reveals how they tackled the challenges of merging rhythm with physics-based action. They also share the development journey, the crucial impact of playtesting, and the exciting roadmap leading up to the Early Access release in early 2026.
Describe Beat Heart Beat in one sentence for someone who’s never heard of it.
Beat, Heart, Beat is an absurd rhythm-platformer about tearing a path towards your withered Heart.
One of the first things I noticed about Beat Heart Beat is its striking visuals—the mix of 3D and 2D elements, the expressive character designs, and the collage-like aesthetics are all incredibly bold. It vaguely reminds me of the work of Yugo Limbo. What were some of your inspirations for the art direction?
I’m incredibly humbled by the Yugo Limbo comparison; I’m certain they’ve subconsciously affected my direction—especially their character design! I’ve always been drawn to mixed media for its capability to highlight uncanniness and dissonance as something beautiful and appealing in its own right. The work of Sodikken, Joel Guerra, and Felix Colgrave comes to mind as the biggest inspirations, as well as Madoka Magica‘s witch scenes, Coraline, and the HBO show Crashbox.
On a related note, what does the workflow or production pipeline look like for art creation in Beat Heart Beat?
As for the pipeline, I’ll be fully transparent and say that I am NOT an artist in any formal capacity, so production usually consists of a cycle of concept, iterate, rough asset, iterate, until we have something that we all like. My art direction could be described as “vibes-based,” or in other words, “a disaster”, so I’m very thankful my artists Benji, Annalivia, Annie, and both Andrew(s) can transform the junk in my brain into what you see on the screen.
Musical Inspirations & Production
Another standout element of Beat Heart Beat is its soundtrack. The rhythm game genre is often dominated by electronic music, but The Wacy took a distinct alt-rock approach. What inspired this musical direction? And building on that, how is the music in Beat Heart Beat produced? Is it commissioned, licensed, or created in-house?
It’s a little embarrassing but fun background, but during quarantine and being pretty miserable for several reasons, I found myself listening to a lot of super sappy alt-rock, grunge, and Midwest emo. Those genres continued to stick with me long after, and arguably led to the creation of Beat, Heart, Beat. In general, I also felt as though there were so many underrepresented genres in rhythm games, and I wanted to showcase something new. As for references, Glass Beach, Bedroom, Surf Curse, and Car Seat Headrest come to mind.
As far as sound production, our lead composer Sophie quite literally does it all—SFX, in-house composition, and pulling from her own personal albums. A lot of our guest artists were gracious enough to permit us to use their tracks, and a few friends have composed specifically for us.
Haha, that’s awesome! I am a huge Surf Curse fan, saw them in Reno a few years back, was a great concert! I got to say, I’m really looking forward to the soundtrack. When I first heard the main trailer, I was immediately hooked, and the song in it, “Did it Hurt When You Fell From Heaven?” was in my playlist for a while after!
When settling on the game’s visual and audio aesthetic, were there any alternate styles or directions you experimented with but ultimately moved away from?
Finding a balance between a maximalist, multimedia visual style and a legible gameplay scene is very tough and has required lots of iteration. We’ve leaned very hard into collage at times, and very hard into line art in earlier drafts. You could even say we’re still trying to strike a balance! Luckily, the style and tone of BHB were nailed down quite early, so it was less about what it would look like and more about how far we could push each aesthetic.
As I mentioned before, the audio aesthetic predates the game itself in many ways, so the direction was pretty clear to us from the start. I’d say the biggest change is actually that, over time, I opened myself up to other genres being in the game. I originally wanted an entirely grunge soundtrack, but we have some bonus tracks like Sivee’s “Loser Girl” and Allen Cai’s “See the Sun” that explore different genres like electronic and pop!
Core Mechanics & Design
The demo lets players chain attacks together, soaring through enemies and building momentum to the beat. How did you land on that as the game’s core mechanic?
It’s actually a pretty wild story. The first doc written for BHB dates back to February 2021, two years before it actually began development! At the time, the game was a pure platformer where, every beat of the song, a Heart would drop obstacles onto you, and you’d try to chase it. I shelved the idea as I finished up college, but I distinctly remember flying home for the holidays one time, listening to a pre-downloaded Spotify playlist, and reimagining a little guy platforming through a level and just slashing through enemies with crazy air combos to the music. I could see it vividly enough to the point where I wrote a preliminary doc on my notes app that I would then propose to my co-lead after graduation. The mechanics themselves were deeply inspired by Rayman Legends’ music levels, the combat of Muse Dash and UNBEATABLE, and the call-and-response mechanics in Rhythm Heaven.
I noticed that Rayman Legends’ influence when I played the demo. There is a sense of speed, responsiveness, and enemy placements that’s very reminiscent of it. How do you design enemy encounters, level layouts, and movement systems to keep that sense of rhythm and flow alive rather than breaking it?
Through blood, sweat, and playtesting. I mean, in all honesty, it’s largely thanks to my co-lead, Andrew, for developing a preliminary version of the in-game level editor within the first month of development. Which is nuts to do, by the way. Most of my ideas wouldn’t have come to life without his help, so I’m especially lucky for his contributions.
After that, I remember taking whatever songs I was listening to at the time, dropping them into the game, and charting tons of “fan levels,” I guess you could call them. I was a bit indulgent in how many I made, but it let me test the high-end potential of difficulty, discover my own charting principles, and let me tweak a lot of physics values to make it feel right. For charting specifically, I’ve found that pattern repetition and variations are your best friend, and a lot of the time it’s more important to find the “feeling” of the chart than making it as objectively accurate as possible. I will also note: a lot of my early charts were HOT garbage. I don’t have a charting background, so most of it was lots of practice and playtesting from family members and friends of different skill levels. Thanks, Mom!
Were there any surprising influences—musical, cinematic, or mechanical—that shaped how you approached those systems?
I think the most surprising influence that comes to mind is probably Katana Zero. I really wanted to capture that visceral feeling of seeing a group of enemies, forming a plan, and just executing something crazy. My favorite rhythm games are ones that incorporate context and character into their mechanics, where it feels like you’re actually interacting with the game world and not just clearing notes on the screen, like in Hi-Fi Rush or Patapon. While those games hybridize 3D action-platformers and RTS, respectively, I suppose the subconscious pitch of BHB was a personal take on seamlessly combining Devolver Digital-style action with rhythm.
When developing the rhythm-combat mechanics, were there any prototypes or ideas you loved conceptually but found just didn’t work in practice?
I originally really wanted the up and down slashes to be momentum-based, where instead of traveling to the note, you follow through it. This would’ve added more interesting physics gameplay, but it was unbelievably annoying for sightreading since there was so much variation in where Peccori would travel when slashing. While it wasn’t the right fit, the pogo and launcher enemies are a few spiritual successors to the idea that try to add a bit of physics-based movement. Oh, there’s also the Dasher enemy. We recently showcased the Tinktonk enemy, which is an improvement on the idea, but there is an evil, unused enemy lurking in our project files. Maybe one day I’ll throw a rogue one into a chart, who’s going to stop me?
Development, Tech, and Roadmap
For players looking ahead to the full release, what new mechanics, boss fights, or musical moments are you most excited for them to experience?
I’m very, very excited to see people react to the Story Mode. We’re planning on introducing new mechanics, enemies, characters, and a ton of weird nonsense that we think players will love. I think I’m most excited to see how people react to the party members that help Peccori along the way and how they might affect gameplay. Perhaps you’ll be able to meet them pretty soon!
How long has Beat Heart Beat been in development, and how has your vision evolved from the early prototypes to what players see today?
We started development in late 2023 and just released our second demo as of September 2025! I think the biggest change between the early game and now is the physics. Peccori used to have this REALLY awkward jump that stalled it in the air by default at a fixed height, and it wasn’t doing the platforming part of our rhythm-platformer any favors. Another major addition is slopes, where our levels used to be tile-based and completely flat. We really want to obfuscate that what you’re playing through is a “chart” and add more natural height and movement, and we have plans to push that even further in the future.
Has player feedback from demos or playtests led to any major design changes or surprising insights?
Yes! Player feedback is just about the most helpful thing out there. I think one underlooked thing that meant a lot was hearing about ways we could improve accessibility, especially since our game is visually, sonically, and technically pretty intensive at times. We just did a massive bugfix patch using the Discord bugs list as a basis, too—if you voluntarily report bugs as a player, you are my hero.
Some of my favorite player insights come from in-person tests, too. It always feels oddly affirming when people really clock my inspirations, like the Heart and Peccori’s rapport resembling the King of All Cosmos and The Prince from Katamari Damacy, or asking us if we’ve heard Glass Beach or seen Madoka Magica or something. When someone compares your work to something that you, as a creator, deeply respect, it feels especially rewarding.
From a technical standpoint, what does your development pipeline look like? What tools, engines, or plugins do you rely on most to bring your ideas to life?
We develop in Unity with GitHub for source control and FMOD, an audio middleware that allows us to sync music and do some fun dynamic music/SFX stuff. Andrew works on the backend, like the level editor, cutscene system, etc., and I do technical frontend design, like enemy implementation, creating environments and levels, and other random bits of scripting. I am the de facto producer on this project (and de facto many other things), which has been a great learning experience, but our pipeline is pretty informal and changes based on our needs for an upcoming milestone. I use Figjam, Evernote, and Milanote for my documentation and production, which I really enjoy, but I think my teammates are going to kill me if they have to create another account.
What’s the roadmap moving forward—upcoming features, release goals, or new levels and tracks you’re excited about?
I am super excited to announce that Beat, Heart, Beat will be entering Early Access in early 2026, featuring a user-level editor and the next chapter of the Story Mode. Expect new songs, backgrounds, enemies, characters, and more!!
Our penultimate question comes from the Born in Reverie developer, Axial Escape. They asked: What is your favorite part of developing your project, and what aspect do you most dread having to work on?
I think I’ll start with what I dread to not end on a bummer. I think marketing and project management can be really stressful at times, and it’s one of those things you don’t really even think about when you’re going into indie development. If I had to pick something from specifically the development process, I think I personally struggle knowing when to refactor old code or redo a level environment or something—basically anything that pokes at my perfectionism and OCD.
My favorite part of development has to be the process of crafting mechanics that recontextualize gameplay, like new enemy types or hazards. I think that’s my favorite part of design in general: once the framework is there, you can twist and push different parts of the design in ways you hadn’t originally anticipated. Outside of design, I’ve had a surprising amount of fun with creative writing for the Story Mode and designing modular systems on the programming end. There’s something satisfying about finally seeing the moving parts of a script click nicely, which is something that I could attribute to writing or programming!
What would you like to ask the next SDC Game Spotlight recipient?
Has a real-life experience or piece of non-game media influenced or inspired your work in some significant way? If so, how do you think your design philosophy, aesthetics, etc., have changed as a result?
Finally, how can players follow your progress, support the game, or get involved in the Beat Heart Beat community?
Beat, Heart, Beat has a demo on Steam that you can play and wishlist RIGHT NOW!! Sharing the game in general is so, so helpful and very much appreciated. If you want to chat about the game or give feedback, you can check out our Discord as well!
From physics tweaks to story design, this conversation provided a fantastic look at the passion and iteration driving Beat Heart Beat‘s development. We learned about the happy accident that led to its core air-combo mechanic, the importance of finding the “feeling” over objective accuracy when charting levels, and the ongoing evolution of the game’s visuals. As the team finalizes the Story Mode and prepares to launch into Early Access in early 2026, players can look forward to new content, party members, and a user-level editor. If you’re excited to see this unique blend of action and rhythm come to life, be sure to check out the demo on Steam and connect with the community via their Discord to share your feedback.
Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to slow down, grab a blanket, and play something low-stress while the leftovers cool. Cozy games are ideal here. They are gentle, colorful, and built around simple goals like tending crops, decorating a home, or caring for characters instead of chasing high scores or sweating through ranked matches.
The best cozy games for Thanksgiving work in short bursts between family moments, but can also quietly turn into “whoops, we just played for three hours.” They are also easy to share, whether that means couch co op, passing the controller, or just watching someone else build the cutest farm on the planet.
Here are five cozy games that fit the Thanksgiving mood and are great picks for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
1. Stardew Valley
If you only pick one cozy game for Thanksgiving, it should probably be Stardew Valley. You inherit a rundown farm in a small town and rebuild it at your own pace. You plant crops, raise animals, go fishing, mine in the nearby caves, and slowly get to know the villagers.
The magic of Stardew Valley is how flexible it feels. Want to zone out on the couch after dinner while you water crops and pet chickens? It works. Want everyone to play together? Local co op and split screen let multiple players share the same farm and divide chores, which is perfect for siblings, partners, or cousins who all want in.
It also hits that Thanksgiving vibe in a subtle way. You cook with ingredients you grow, share gifts with your neighbors, and watch the town change with the seasons. It feels like spending time in a tiny holiday town where nothing too bad ever happens and everyone remembers your birthday.
Best for: Families or friend groups who want a low pressure co op game that can fill the whole weekend.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is comfort food in game form. You move to a quiet island, set up a tent, and slowly turn that island into a small, personalized paradise. There is no real “win” state. You decorate, collect furniture, catch bugs and fish, and chat with your animal neighbors.
New Horizons is especially cozy on Thanksgiving because of how gently it moves. The game runs in real time, so your island has its own soft little version of autumn. It is easy to hand the controller to someone who does not play games much and let them pick fruit, talk to villagers, or rearrange furniture.
If you have multiple people with their own islands, visiting each other is a great couch activity. One person plays, everyone else shouts opinions on where to put the next pumpkin patch. It is a chill way to hang out when everyone is full and half asleep.
Best for: Mixed age groups and anyone who wants something gentle and zero stress.
3. Disney Dreamlight Valley
If your household includes Disney fans, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a very easy win. It is a life sim and adventure game where you live in a shared valley with classic Disney and Pixar characters. You cook with Remy, fish with Goofy, go on quests with Moana, decorate your house, and help restore the valley after a mysterious event called the Forgetting.
Compared to Animal Crossing, Dreamlight Valley puts more emphasis on character quests and storylines. There is always another mission to help a familiar character, another area to unlock, or a new seasonal event to check out. That makes it a nice “let’s keep this running in the background all weekend” type of game, because you can always hop in for one more quest before dessert.
It is also very watchable. Younger kids can run around and talk to favorite characters while adults help with tougher tasks or steer the story. The result feels like an interactive Disney special running quietly in your living room.
Best for: Disney and Pixar families who want cozy vibes plus story and familiar faces.
4. Fae Farm
Fae Farm is what you get if you blend cozy farming with fairy tale fantasy. You move to the enchanted island of Azoria and build up a homestead, but you also use magic, craft potions, and explore dungeons filled with whimsical creatures. The game is built as a farm sim RPG for one to four players, which means co op is a core feature rather than a tacked on extra.
This is a great Thanksgiving choice if you like the idea of Stardew Valley but want more spells and exploration. Everyone can take a role. One person farms and decorates, another dives into dungeons, another focuses on crafting, and so on. It feels like running a magical little commune together.
It also looks exactly like a cozy game should look. Soft colors, friendly characters, and lots of customizations for outfits and home design make it easy to get attached to your world.
Best for: Groups who want that farm sim feeling with a little more magic and exploration.
5. Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
Spiritfarer is the most emotional game on this list, but it is also one of the coziest. You play Stella, a ferrymaster to the deceased, sailing a hand-drawn boat across peaceful seas. You build cabins, cook meals, garden, and craft while you care for spirit passengers and help them come to terms with their lives before they pass on.
On the surface, Spiritfarer is a management game about building and upgrading your boat. Underneath, it is a story about grief, memory, and the small acts of care we offer the people around us. It is surprisingly comforting, especially around a holiday that already revolves around food, stories, and family.
Local co op lets a second player join as Daffodil the cat and help with chores. That makes it a nice choice for a quiet late night session when most of the house has gone to bed and you are down to just one or two people still awake.
Best for: Solo players or pairs who want something cozy with a bit more emotional weight.
Choosing The Right Cozy Game For Thanksgiving
Each of these cozy games brings a slightly different flavor to the table, so it helps to match them to your group.
If you want one game to leave running all weekend, Stardew Valley or Fae Farm are both perfect long-haul options.
If you are playing with kids or non-gamers, Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Disney Dreamlight Valley are friendly and approachable.
If you are mostly playing solo and want a meaningful story, Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition delivers a cozy experience with real emotional depth.
However you spend the weekend, cozy games are a great way to keep the room relaxed, connected, and just a little bit magical while everyone works through that second plate of leftovers.
