Name: Agneta Canadas Pujadas

What do you do: I’m a second-year university student currently studying game design, animation and art in video games, but I really want to work in game design and animation specifically.

When did you decide you wanted to work within the industry? A few years ago, when I was about to finish secondary school, I had a thought: “People who create games must have got their knowledge from somewhere, right?” So I started researching and found out that in Barcelona there’s a university specifically for studying video game creation, and I made up my mind instantly.

What is your biggest motivation for working in the games industry? I want to create things that people can relate to and be comforted by. I want to make connections and make things with people. Projects that will bring a wide group of people together.

What video game got you into gaming: When I was 5 years old I got my first console, a Nintendo DS, and it came with a couple of games. My favourite by far was Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. It was the game that got me into Pokémon and the gaming industry.

What is the last game that had an impact on you? It was Inscryption by Daniel Mullins. I got it recommended by a teacher at university and didn’t have many expectations, but it blew my mind. It led me to meet amazing people and also to work on some really significant projects within the community, both fan-made and officially.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? A gamer is someone who believes that art can be found in all kinds of media. Gaming is a form of art, and those who play it are like visitors to a museum gallery. You choose what you like to play and that shapes part of who you are as a person.

What is your biggest achievement: I won a contest my university hosted for the best game of my year! And I strive to win even more contests in the future!

What advice would you give to your younger self? Never stop creating, and never be ashamed of the things you liked just because they were seen as weird or different. There are people out there who really enjoy what makes you you.

Name: Sam Scaife

What do you do: I’m an indie developer.

What video game got you into gaming: My Game Boy and Pokémon Yellow was the first console I had and I got so hooked, but for years growing up I’d always stare at arcade cabinets and pretend to play the games. Just the idea that there’s a world for you to explore was so cool to me.

What is the last game that had an impact on you? I played Children of the Sun at WASD and the opening 30 seconds are amazing. The build had a super-fast stylised cutscene that gave you all the backstory you need and a reason to care about the world in what felt like 10 seconds. As someone making games, seeing a game do such a good job of getting me invested right from the start was very inspiring – I’d love to try to do the same in my own games.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? Anyone can be a gamer. To me it’s just a group of people who really like games and can appreciate them as a medium or even as art.

What is your biggest achievement: Creating and releasing my first indie game, CorpoNation, in 2024. Creating games was a long-time dream for me and my wife, and after a long time working towards it, actually releasing our game feels like a massive achievement.

What advice would you give to your younger self? I’m super happy with my life so I wouldn’t want to change a thing in case that younger me ended up making different choices! But as that’s kind of a cheat, I’d want to remind my younger self how powerful and how much potential he has. I spent so long doubting myself and being scared of failing, only to learn as I gained more experience that I had the skills all along. Failing is not a bad thing – it’s just part of the journey.

Name: Anni Valkama

What do you do: I’m a Senior Brand Manager for Pantaloon, a new indie game publisher looking to publish weird and wonderful indie titles.

What video game got you into gaming: I have been gaming for as long as I’ve been old enough to hold a controller. One of my fondest childhood memories is playing Crash Team Racing on the original PlayStation with my late granddad. He’d always play as Dingodile because he found the Ozzie accent very funny, and he’d beat me every single time. He passed away in 2012 and I actually have a tattoo in his memory of Dingodile in his kart, with Penta Penguin over his shoulder and the kart’s licence plate showing the date of his passing.

What is the last game that had an impact on you? Resident Evil: Requiem. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, playing through the game was pure nostalgic joy from start to finish. There’s a section in the latter part of the game that did actually make me tear up.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? “Gamer” is a difficult word for me, mostly due to the history of how heavily gatekept it’s been and the connotations it has with GamerGate. I don’t typically call myself a gamer – more “someone who loves video games” – although if I were to assign a definition to the word, it’d be just that. For me, gaming is a fundamental core part of my identity. I don’t think it necessarily needs to be for someone to be considered part of the gaming community, but it certainly is for me. I have met friends, developed valuable skills and been able to escape an occasionally difficult reality to the world of games.

What is your biggest achievement? The people I have been able to help throughout my career. I have built my career in the indie gaming space and, despite some of the rightful negative connotations with games publishing, my favourite part of my job is being able to help passionate developers get their games in front of people’s eyes. Beyond my day-to-day job, I have been able to use my network to raise money for numerous charitable causes and put together initiatives that have enabled people to network and connect beyond the London/South UK bubble. I do what I do to make a positive difference in the industry and the wider world, and I’m proud that I have been able to do just that, even if only in small ways.

What advice would you give to your younger self? People around you are going to tell you a lot that you’ll never make it because of your background. They’ll call you weird and your hobbies weird. Don’t listen to them. Be passionate about the things you are passionate about and let that passion shape and drive your future, because it will lead you to do things you could never have imagined doing as a young working-class child living in Finland.

Name: Jay

What do you do: I am currently registered disabled, so for me, gaming is a big part of my life. Gaming gives me access to the outside world when I am unable to physically leave the house, or on a high-pain day when I really need a distraction other than trying to sleep the pain away.

What video game got you into gaming: Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive, I definitely age myself there! I loved that little blue hedgehog and his ability to go super fast. I could never beat Dr Robotnik at the end of the game and loved sitting there watching my dad take out all the bosses I couldn’t. It’s not the most exciting game to some people, but it was the game that got me into gaming. From there, my mum got me a PlayStation that was meant for me and my sisters, but they never really played it, so I quickly commandeered it and was always playing something…usually when I was meant to be sleeping!

What is the last game that had an impact on you? The original Life is Strange game. It was the first indie game I ever played. It was on sale for about a pound and I thought nothing of it. But the story of two teenage girls trying to navigate life: school, step-parents, discovering something different about themselves – and the importance of the butterfly effect really resonated with me. Getting to the final part and having to decide whether to save Arcadia by sacrificing myself hit home. There are so many times in life where we have to make impactful decisions that affect so much more than just ourselves. I just resonated with it at that time in my life. The Life is Strange franchise is now one of my favourites.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? The word gamer means someone who enjoys a challenge and who likes interacting with their entertainment. To me, the word has changed meaning as I got older. Originally, being a gamer was something “boys” did, so it felt rebellious to be allowed to like it. As I played more games, it just became something enjoyable to do to pass the time, like an interactive movie, as I’ve always found just sitting and staring at the TV boring. At this stage in my life, the word gamer has evolved to mean enjoyment as well as community. I have found some of my favourite people by being a gamer, because I can interact and play with them in online multiplayer games. Being a gamer means so much more to me than just playing games.

Name: Harry Milner

What do you do: I’m currently unemployed, though my dream job is to be involved in character design and illustration in the entertainment field, especially video games.

What video game got you into gaming: Pokémon Blue, when I got it alongside a Game Boy Color and Tweety’s High Flying Adventure. It was something me and my older sister bonded over when we were little.

What is the last game that had an impact on you? Freedom Planet, as it is a very inspiring game for me, given its origins as a Sonic fan game. I was familiar with the original incarnations of its main characters through DeviantArt back in the mid-to-late 2000s. I had my own fan characters back in the day that I later reworked into original characters for a personal project of mine, and seeing how these characters went on to star in two games and be well received was very motivating. I’m glad to be part of its passionate fanbase and to have interacted with its creator, Sabrina DiDuro, through her Twitch streams as her VTuber persona SpaceyBat.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? Someone who is unapologetic about their love of video games. How it connects them to other people, how it helps them combat their personal woes, how they want to share that experience with others without gatekeeping.

What is your biggest achievement? Completing the National Dex in Pokémon X. Though my original cartridge ended up getting chewed up by my dog, which was heartbreaking.

What advice would you give to your younger self? Don’t be so upset or angry if you keep losing in a game. Remember, it’s just a video game.

ame: Jade Cee

What do you do: I class myself as a part-time cosy streamer. Sometimes I stream cosy games (right now it’s Pokopia and Coral Island) and sometimes I do diamond paintings. Outside of streaming, I volunteer at my kids’ school and help organise SEND coffee mornings with other parents to help them feel supported and share our experiences with one another.

What video game got you into gaming: It’s really hard to pinpoint a specific moment that got me into gaming, all I remember is that we always had a games console. I do however remember being very young and hearing the sounds of my uncle and aunty playing Sonic on the Sega Mega Drive. I also remember coming home from school one day, much older, and seeing a Nintendo 64 and playing Super Mario 64 with my mum. Her being a gamer encouraged my love for games too, and I will definitely be continuing the trend with my children.

What is the last game that had an impact on you? The last game that had an impact on me has to be Stardew Valley. I went through a rough patch after having my second child, and when I discovered this game it gave me the space to slow down, escape the stress of life and focus on something for myself after a busy day with the kids. It was my first proper cosy game and now I can proudly say I have almost 2,000 hours across multiple devices…yes, I did play it on mobile too! I loved how everyone in the game had a different story and different vibe. I loved the inclusivity the dev built into the game, and he continues to improve it. It’s definitely one of my favourite comfort games.

What does the word “gamer” mean to you? The word gamer is someone who can sit back and immerse themselves in a world outside of their own. It’s about enjoying yourself and finding a passion for games. For myself, I really enjoy indie, cosy or sandbox games — something to help me relax and unwind after a stressful day.

What is your biggest achievement: I know this is going to sound really clichéd, but my biggest achievement is having my kids. Watching them grow up with their different personalities, and at the same time seeing them enjoy some of my favourite things such as gaming and Sailor Moon.

What advice would you give to your younger self? I would tell myself to stop worrying about what other people think. You have your own free will to do whatever you want. If it makes you happy, then do it. Just enjoy your life and be unapologetically you.