Workshops - XP Game Summit

workshops

KEY INFO

The XP Game Summit is proud to be hosting 3 expert-led workshops this year.

• The workshops are priced at $299 CAD each

• June 11 from 10AM – 4PM.

• Lunch is included and served at 12:30PM

• LIMITED quantity so REGISTER today to save your spot

Workshop #1: Building Game IPs & Brands – Critical Decisions

Led by	Christian Fonnesbech, CEO & Head of IP at Leverage
Overview	Explore the key pillars of creating valuable and lasting game IPs and brands in this hands-on workshop. Together, we’ll tackle real-world challenges like crafting uniqueness, ensuring ownability, building emotional connections with players, and positioning against competitors. This collaborative session invites participants to apply insights to their own projects, with open discussions that respect confidentiality.
Who Should Attend?	Game developers and publishers aiming to drive long-term value for their games.
Key Takeaways	- Understand the interplay between creativity, market demands, and sustainable value-building. - Identify and navigate the unique challenges of building and positioning IPs in competitive landscapes. - Gain actionable insights to strengthen the emotional and market resonance of your projects.
Session Format	Interactive workshop designed to spark collaboration and strategic thinking.
About the Instructor:	Christian Fonnesbech, Head of IP at Leverage, specializes in building lasting game IPs and global brands. With clients like Bandai Namco, Supermassive, and Raw Fury, Christian focuses on transforming artistic vision into enduring, world-class properties. Previously, he led IP development at Nordisk Games and directed over 35 game projects spanning entertainment, learning, and advertising.

Workshop #2: Game UX and Cognitive Science Masterclass

Led by	Celia Hodent, UX Expert and Former Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite)
Overview	Creating games that captivate players is challenging in a competitive market. This hands-on workshop explores how cognitive science and UX principles can give your team a critical edge. Learn how the human brain perceives, learns, and engages with games, and apply this understanding to craft experiences that are both usable and emotionally resonant.
Who Should Attend?	Game designers, artists, gameplay/UI programmers, producers, junior UX practitioners, and anyone looking to improve their understanding of UX and cognitive science.
Key Takeaways	- Understand the main characteristics and limitations of the human brain (in terms of perception, attention, memory, motivation, and emotion), and how they impact game development. - Learn what makes a game engaging (in terms of motivation, emotion, and game flow) and how to foster these components in your game. - Have a clear and concrete understanding of what having a UX mindset and developing a UX strategy entail.
Workshop Structure	Part 1: Cognitive Science (2.5–3 hours) - Understand brain capabilities and limitations with real-world examples from games. Part 2: Usability and Engageability (3–5 hours) - Break down usability principles (e.g., intuitive design, accessibility) and engageability factors (e.g., motivation, onboarding). Optional: UX Strategy (30 min–2 hours) - User research, analytics, and ethical considerations, including strategies for indie studios and free-to-play games.
Session Format	This interactive workshop adapts to attendee expertise and specific challenges, ensuring practical, tailored learning.
Testimonial	“Celia Hodent truly opened our eyes on how gamers perceive information and what drives them to play. Her excellent examples sparked many conversations around our studio, from UI layouts to player onboarding. We look forward to bringing her back!” — Brian Allgeier, Director of Experience, Insomniac Games This session offers invaluable insights into UX and cognitive science, empowering teams to build more intuitive, engaging games.
About the Instructor:	Celia Hodent, PhD in psychology, is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience and cognitive science in the game industry. Through her 16-year experience in game studios (Ubisoft, LucasArts, & director of UX at Epic Games), she has contributed in advancing the topics of UX strategy, inclusion, and ethics in games. Author of the critically acclaimed book The Gamer’s Brain, Celia is the founder of the Game UX Summit & Ethical Games, and works today as an independent consultant.

Workshop #3: Vibe Coding – Make Worlds, Tell Stories, Build Faster with AI

Led by	Richard Rispoli, Director of Innovation, co-founder at Back to the Game
Overview	"Vibe Coding" is a revolutionary approach to rapidly creating interactive content and experiences by using natural language to orchestrate AI, data, and tools. This shifts the focus from traditional coding to achieving desired outcomes quickly. In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn to express creative intent through prompts, guide AI to generate assets and logic, and iterate rapidly. We'll build simple web front-ends to display AI-assisted creations and explore adding visual flair by focusing on data and prompts. The goal is to build, visualize, and share your creations faster than ever.
Who Should Attend?	This workshop is for creators, builders, and technical professionals looking to accelerate their workflow using AI. This includes Tech Artists, Game Developers, Creative Coders, UI/UX Designers, Content Creators, Storytellers, and AI Practitioners. Attendees should be curious about using AI as a creative partner to build tangible outputs faster. Basic programming knowledge is preferable but not mandatory.
Key Takeaways	* Master a Free "Vibe Coding" workflow: Use natural language prompts to orchestrate the best free AI models, control your data, and tools to build tangible things. * Learn to treat AI-generated code as rapid, disposable scaffolding for achieving creative and technical goals (stories, visuals, prototypes, pipelines). * Gain hands-on experience crafting prompts specifically designed for making – generating content, transforming data, and controlling simple visual outputs. * Build simple web pages (HTML/CSS/JS) using AI assistance to instantly display and share your generated content and interactive pieces. * Explore practical techniques for adding visual interest (e.g., AI-driven styles, basic generative patterns) by focusing on prompts and data, not deep coding. * Understand how to rapidly iterate on creative ideas by focusing on the outcome and letting AI handle much of the implementation detail. * Critically evaluate when Vibe Coding is most effective and how to use it responsibly to enhance your creative power.
Workshop Structure	This is a full-day, hands-on workshop divided into three sessions: 1. Morning Session: Focus on core Vibe Coding concepts and initial hands-on exercises. (2h 30m + QA) 2. Afternoon Session: Deeper dive into practical applications and building more complex projects. (3h 00m + QA) 3. Closing Session: Review, advanced topics/examples, and final Q&A. (1h 00m + QA) At the end of the day, you will have created your own world, and be a different person.
Workshop Format	Outline 1. Morning Session (2h 30m + QA) * Introduction to Vibe Coding and AI Orchestration * Setting up the Vibe Coding Environment (using free tools) * Basic Prompting for Content Generation * Hands-on: Generating Text-Based Content (e.g., stories, dialogue) * Introduction to AI-Assisted Web Display (HTML/CSS/JS basics with AI help) * Hands-on: Displaying Generated Content on a Web Page * Morning QA 2. Afternoon Session (3h 00m + QA) * Prompting for Data Transformation and Structuring * Hands-on: Transforming Data with AI * Introduction to AI-Driven Visuals (basic concepts, prompting for styles/patterns) * Hands-on: Creating Simple AI-Assisted Visuals/Data Visualizations * Integrating Generated Content and Visuals * Hands-on: Building a More Complex Interactive Piece * Afternoon QA 3. Closing Session (1h 00m + QA) * Advanced Vibe Coding Techniques and Examples * Exploring Different AI Models and Tools * Responsible AI Use in Creative Workflows * Future of Vibe Coding * Final Q&A and Wrap-up
Requirements	* Participant Requirements: * Laptop with a modern web browser (Chrome/Firefox recommended). * Stable internet connection. * (Recommended but optional) Installation of VS Code with GitHub Copilot or Cursor AI extension (or equivalent). Web-based alternatives (e.g., Replit with AI) will be fully supported. Account setup for AI tools may be needed beforehand (guidance provided). * Basic understanding of programming concepts (variables, loops, functions). Familiarity with Python or JavaScript is helpful but the focus is on the AI interaction. * An eagerness to build, experiment, and partner with AI!