What we’re about
The Christchurch Game Developers Association frequently offers events in person or digitally to create conversations and share stories, encourage community growth, connection-building and the sharing of knowledge and expertise.
A typical meetup includes:
- A Guest Speaker or Panel presenting on a core topic
- An opportunity for Q&A with our Guest Speakers
- Games Industry News and Events from around New Zealand
- Screen & Games Industry Job Opportunities
- Casual networking over pizza
Originally founded in 2015, the Christchurch Game Developers Association (CGDA) is an organisation dedicated to supporting the local Ōtautahi Christchurch Game Development Community.
CGDA works with local sponsors and tertiary institutes to provide monthly Meetup Events, featuring a wide variety of Talks from local and international guest speakers. We also facilitate Canterbury sites for Game Jams (weekend-long collaborative game creation events) and Playtest Exhibitions, with the goal of showcasing local talent and illuminating pathways into the Game Development Industry.
Check us out on:
Web: https://chch.gamedev.co.nz
Discord: https://discord.gg/68YqqFZ
Facebook: fb.me/CHCHGameDev
Twitter: @CHCHGameDev
Help us grow on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CHCHGameDev
Upcoming events (2)
See all- August CGDA Meetup - Leigh BeattieJohn Britten Building, Christchurch
Welcome to the August 2025 Christchurch Game Developers' Meetup!
Location:
John Britten 102 Conference Foyer, University of Canterbury Ilam CampusThe meetup will also be streamed online:
[Link to be added on the night!]Don't forget to check us out at:
Website: https://chch.gamedev.co.nz
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CHCHGameDev
Facebook: https://fb.me/CHCHGameDev
Discord: https://discord.gg/68YqqFZ
If you like our meetups, consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/CHCHGameDev
***Speaker - Leigh Beattie
Leigh is an industry veteran with over 10 years of experience ranging from indie titles all the way to AAA. He works in tertiary education in game design but is also creating a project on the side called Surreal 98. An expert at wearing most hats, with an incredibly diverse background ranging from infrastructure programming and design all the way through to VFX work and art production.6:15 PM - KICK OFF
Welcome to the Christchurch Game Developers Meetup, with news from around New Zealand!6:30 PM - Surreal 98 and Sustainable Programming Practices
A showcase of my in development product, Surreal 98, a runtime retro game transcoder, along with a talk about how good development practices can help you stay on track and deliver on complex projects.7:20 PM - PIZZA
Enjoy some refreshments (AKA pizza) and catch up with/meet other game dev enthusiasts.Event Photography Notice: The CGDA occasionally takes photos and/or videos at our events for promotional purposes. If you would prefer not to have your image recorded for marketing purposes, please make your wishes known to the photographer, and/or reach out to a committee member, and we will accommodate your request. Thank you!
***Massive thanks to all our supporters for making our meetups possible!
Our Corporate Supporters:
Yoobee College of Creative Innovation - a tertiary institute committed to developing creative and technical talent across New Zealand.
https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/HIT Lab NZ - a multidisciplinary, Human-Centred Research environment that collaborates with industry.
https://www.hitlabnz.org/CerebralFix - a Christchurch-based game development studio specializing in work for hire from some amazing companies.
https://cerebralfix.com/Screen Canterbury NZ - a Canterbury-based film office helping creatives get their projects delivered to the screens of their choice, providing fantastic resource-sharing & advocacy for our screen production industry.
https://www.christchurchnz.com/screen-canterburynzAnd our awesome Patreon Supporters:
Matt Barton
Leith Caldwell
Samantha Cook
Nik Scarr
Carl de Visser
Alexander Swords - August - Game Playtest EventTuranga (Central Library), Christchurch
Welcome to the August 2025 Game Playtest Event!
Meetup Location:
Auahatanga | Creativity, Level 4, Tūranga - Computer Labs
2 PM - Doors Open
4 PM - Event EndsHave you got a game that needs playtesting? Or do you want to playtest a bunch of games? Then this event is for you!
If you have a game that needs playtesting please fill out this Playtest Form.
You can come as either a play-tester or as a game-maker.For game-makers:
- There will be devices available at the venue, however, non-windows PC devices are not guaranteed (so you may need to bring your own device if your game runs on something other than Windows.)
- You will need to register interest beforehand, by filling out this Google form: Playtest Form (Unregistered games won't be able to run on the Library computers)
- You can bring any project you like: personal, commercial, student work, or a game jam!
For play-testers:
- Feel free to show up and have fun playing some games, and be prepared to give feedback to the game creators!
- You can confirm your interest by RSVP-ing here on Meetup.com!
- Bring some friends!Big, BIG thanks to our Patreon supporters for making our meetups possible!
Our Corporate Supporters:
Yoobee
Check out their Diploma in Game Art and Development: https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/game-art-development/diploma-in-game-art-development
HIT Lab NZ
Multidisciplinary, Human-Centred Research environment that collaborates with industry.
https://www.hitlabnz.org/
CerebralFix
Christchurch-based game development studio specializing in work for hire from some amazing companies.
https://cerebralfix.com/
Screen Canterbury NZ
Canterbury-based film office helping creatives get their projects delivered to the screens of their choice, providing fantastic resource-sharing & advocacy for our screen production industry.
https://www.christchurchnz.com/screen-canterburynzAnd our Patreon Supporters:
Matt Barton
Leith Caldwell
Samantha Cook
Jeremy Craig
Dean Newberry
Robert Oram
Nik Scarr
Carl de Visser
Michael Lang
Ian Shephard
Y'all are amazing!
