IGDC 2025 Recap: Second Quest, BYOG & Indian Game Development
Discover the key takeaways from IGDC 2025. Kinshuk Sunil shares insights on the event's energy and the historic success of BYOG.
This was a very special year for IGDC as the premier Indian game developer conference moved to Chennai for the first time. Going to IGDC has always been like homecoming for me, and this year was no exception. It is a celebration of the Indian community and an annual congregation for all of us to come together and share our experiences, learn from each other, and build a better future for the Indian game industry.
Our entire founding team made the trip, and in many ways, it felt like standing at the intersection of our past work, our present commitments, and the future we’re collectively building. Each member of our team contributed to the event in their own meaningful way — through community leadership, organisational responsibilities, BYOG, panel discussions, and the many invisible threads of work that keep our ecosystem moving forward.
It was a weekend that celebrated both our studio’s journey and our long-standing commitment to nurturing the next generation of Indian game creators.
GameDev India’s historic BYOG 2025
GameDev India is India’s oldest and largest game developer community that most of our founding team helps steer. BYOG or Build Your Own Game is the oldest game jam in India and has been running since 2010. One of the most gratifying moments heading into IGDC this year was seeing BYOG 2025 reach new heights.
Built to give Indian developers a space to experiment, collaborate, and grow, BYOG hit record numbers this year:
1,000+ jammers
200+ game submissions
The winners were celebrated along with the IGDC Awards giving young developers visibility and momentum.
This growth feels especially meaningful because the entire Second Quest team contributes to GameDev India: Yadu and I as co-founders, Vivek as Program Lead, Shubhank on the BYOG jury, and Shagufta leading media and communication.
BYOG continues to remind us what’s possible when community truly comes first.
Kicking off IGDC with the Pre-Event Mixer
IGDC truly begins the night before at the mixer, where the formality drops away and the conversations become honest and open. We caught up with all our friends, developers we’ve known for years, met students attending their first-ever conference, and reconnected with educators, studios, platform leaders, and long-time collaborators.
One of my favourite moments from the mixer was watching Vivek surrounded by a cluster of young developers and was just on fire, walking them through the messy but wonderful realities of building their first games. It really reminded me why these spaces matter: the best knowledge gets shared informally, just talking, without the need for slides or stages.
The mixer set the tone for the three days that followed—full of learning, connection, and community.
Engaging Sessions, Panels & Conversations
IGDC delivered a strong mix of sessions this year, and our team made the most of them, ranging from design and production insights to publishing, community building, and talent development. Each conversation reinforced just how quickly the Indian games industry is evolving and how much potential the next few years hold.
A major highlight for me was seeing Vivek represent Second Quest on a panel focused on helping students transition from college projects to professional game development. It was an excellent conversation, cutting through the noise alongside speakers from DigiPen, Whistling Woods, and Lakshya Digital, to focus on what genuinely matters for early-career developers.
Vivek brought such a grounded, builder’s perspective, drawing from his own journey across tools, prototyping, game jams, and now leading development here at Second Quest. He spoke candidly about the importance of working on small, complete projects, learning to collaborate early, and building portfolios that show real problem-solving rather than just polished screenshots.
The panel drew one of the most engaged student audiences at IGDC, which was a great reminder that the next generation is paying close attention and is eager to build with real intent.
Looking Ahead
IGDC 2025 was truly exceptional. The collective energy was palpable, exceeding even the success of BYOG. I was struck by the sheer number of young developers, who radiated a new level of confidence, ambition, and remarkable clarity of purpose.
Walking through the expo reminded me of the early days of the industry in 2009-2013, when India’s “indie scene” was first taking root and only a few teams dared to pursue original IP. Now, seeing the Indie40 showcase and the wider exhibition filled with creators dedicated to building PC and console titles with an unwavering conviction underscored the immense progress the industry has made.
This year’s IGDC unequivocally confirmed a crucial truth: the country’s game development sector is undergoing an unprecedented acceleration, driven entirely by the strength of its community. What makes this journey so beautiful is the generational nature of this progress. Many of the developers I met were not even born when the story of Indian game development began. Each new cohort starts further ahead, propelling the industry forward in ways the previous one simply could not.
Having had the privilege of contributing to this vibrant ecosystem for nearly two decades, it remains my continued honor to build alongside all of you through efforts like Second Quest and GameDev India, and every collaborative project that shapes our collective future.
Here is to India’s games industry: growing, evolving, and thriving together.
To the creators, the dreamers, and the builders, here is to the next chapter.