About us
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
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September CGDA Meetup - Anastasia Caldwell
EPIC Innovation Center, 78-100 Manchester St, Christchurch, NZWelcome to the September 2026 Christchurch Game Developers' Meetup!
Location:
EPIC Innovation, 106 Manchester St, Christchurch 8011The meetup will also be streamed online at:
[Link to be added on the night!]Don't forget to check us out at:
Website: chch.gamedev.co.nz
Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/chchgamedev.bsky.social
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/christchurch-game-developers-new-zealand
Discord: discord.gg/68YqqFZ
If you like our meetups, consider supporting us on Patreon:
patreon.com/CHCHGameDev
***This Month's Speaker: Anastasia Caldwell
Having recently returned to the workforce following maternity leave and family
business, Ōtautahi - Christchurch-based Anastasia Caldwell brings years of
operational support for the indie game industry, including support and QA for the
Cloudfire Studios team through the development of Starport Delta and previous
unreleased titles. Anastasia brings a solid understanding and ability to facilitate
collaboration and mentorship to others through the game development process. In
her spare time, Anastasia enjoys volunteering to support her children's primary
school, indulging in her Nintendo fandom and whipping up delectable treats from
around the world.5:30 PM - Playtesting
BYO devices and get some hands-on feedback from other game developers!6:15 PM - Community Micro-Talks
Hear updates from local developers' projects, and casual presentations on topics of interest by the community, in a short format with Q&A.You can submit your Micro-Talk here:
https://forms.gle/CLeLAc5Ma8J5bx4C96:45 PM - Pizza
Enjoy some refreshments (AKA pizza) and catch up with/meet other game dev enthusiasts.7:10 PM - KICK OFF
Welcome to the Christchurch Game Developers Meetup, with news from around New Zealand!7:15 PM - CODE NZ Crash Course
The session is a CODE crash course. Anastasia will introduce you to the team, what
CODE does to support the game development industry here in NZ and her role here
in Christchurch. She will also share some of the perspective and takeaways from
Gamescom 2026 and how NZ fits into the global industry. Regardless if you are a
brand new dev or a seasoned vet on the indie journey, Anastasia and CODE hopes
this talk will help to prepare you for future opportunities and next steps.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/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
Leigh Beattie
Leith Caldwell
Samantha Cook
Robert Oram
Nik Scarr
Ian Shephard
Alexander Swords
Carl de Visser6 attendees
Past events
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