Brand new gaming experiences, board games, and family fun is returning to Bradford this March.
The Yorkshire Games Festival takes place between March 7 and 10 March at venues across Bradford.
It will be taking place at venues across Bradford, as its usual base - National Science and Media Museum - remains temporarily closed due to refurbishment.
A full programme of events has now been announced with tickets on sale.
What's on at The Yorkshire Games Festival in Bradford
The festival celebrates all things gaming and returns with a packed programme of gameplay, talks, workshops, and networking events featuring high-profile industry speakers along with the popular Let’s Play family weekend.
You can delve into speaker events at the Jubilee Centre on Jermyn Street in Bradford city centre and enjoy free family activities at the Broadway.
This year’s festival will kick off with Game Talks at the Jubilee Centre, featuring an impressive line-up of high-profile industry insiders to help attendees further their knowledge and employability in the fast-moving sector.
It is a chance to hear from international games companies such as Larian Studios – creators of 2023’s ‘Game of the Year’ winner Baldur’s Gate 3 and Square Enix, the studio behind the iconic Final Fantasy series.
Hosted by Alex Earle, Producer at Radical Forge, this year’s talks will explore the path from education to making blockbuster games; dive into how to create compelling characters and stories; as well as give insight into how to level up designs, plus much more.
The festival will also include a special in-conversation event and Q&A with actor Samantha Béart, one of 2023’s stand-out performers in video games, voice and performance actor for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 and BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.
The popular Let’s Play family weekend will return this year from 9-10 March with a different look, as it takes over the Broadway Shopping Centre with free family gameplay and activities.
Families will be able to test new projects from Northern developers and experience brand new games made in Yorkshire alongside free activities like code cracking and button bashing.
Visitors can also create their own games characters or challenge friends to classic couch co-op favourites.
For the first time, the festival will also feature adults-only activity during the weekend, with an evening takeover of The Studio next to the Alhambra on Saturday, March 9.
Visitors will be able to play a large selection of board games, as well as compete on the big screen in multiplayer challenges and more.
Sally Folkard, head of screen and cultural engagement at the National Science and Media Museum, said: “We’re thrilled to deliver another packed Yorkshire Games Festival to celebrate all things gaming.
"This year the festival spreads across Bradford venues while the museum and Pictureville Cinema are temporarily closed.
"The programme not only welcomes an impressive lineup of industry experts working across the gaming sector to inspire the next generation, but also offers families opportunities to discover the industry with free gameplay and activities.”
While the museum’s Pictureville Cinema also remains temporarily closed, the Yorkshire Games Festival will be doing a special screening at The Studio on Saturday, March 9, with a gaming-related Kid’s Club film as part of the Pictureville Presents programme.
For more information about this year’s Yorkshire Games Festival and to book tickets, visit www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/whats-on/yorkshire-games-festival
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