The GDC 2025 Starter Pack

The GDC 2025 Starter Pack

March 18, 2025

The Game Developers Conference is an annual international gathering of the brightest minds of the gaming community. Whether you’re there to boost your intelligence attribute through the conference’s many sessions, enjoy a long rest with the wide variety of entertainment, or grow your party through the numerous networking opportunities, there’s so much for a video game enthusiast to do. There’s no save scumming at this conference—don’t go into the week without a plan! You only get one shot at making the most of your GDC experience, so let us teach you how to attune the basics!

Getting Started

GDC access can be purchased at several tiers, ranging from the basic Expo Pass to the premium all-encompassing All-Access Pass. Each tier has its perks, but for the sake of those looking to start their GDC story for the first time, everything we’ll be describing here is available at the Expo Pass. With that in mind, here are some pointers you’ll need to start up your GDC campaign!

Purchase Your Pass

Passes can be purchased onsite or on the GDC website. Buying passes well ahead of time will allow you to pay the much cheaper Advanced and Early Bird rates, but you can still get a slightly cheaper rate by registering online a few days in advance.

Download the App

Can you imagine navigating GDC with a tool that organizes all the information like a well-designed game menu system? With the GDC Mobile App, you won’t have to! View sessions, locate exhibitors, and manage schedules with ease.

Download the app for iOS or Android.

Attend GDC 101

To help first-time adventurers, GDC is hosting a session called GDC 101 on Sunday night, March 16 and Wednesday morning, March 19. Learn the basics from the showrunners themselves, including how to choose sessions, network, and find your way around the event.

Choosing Sessions

There are so many amazing sessions at GDC that it’s impossible to go through them all. Feel free to look through the session viewer to put together your ideal comp, but here our some of our favorites if you’d like some inspiration:

Exciting Events and Experiences

There’s plenty of spectacle to go along with the substance at GDC! Check out these events to add some fun and excitement to your week!

Music and Festivals
  • GDC Main Stage: A Developer’s Concert
    • “Following the success of 2024’s inaugural GDC concert, composer Austin Wintory will return once again in 2025 with a whole new slate of both classics and deep cuts. Springing from the theme of “Connecting the World through Games,” the music will come from all corners of the gaming world, with lots of surprises and special guests.”
    • March 19, 2025  12:30pm – 1:30pm PST
  • GDC Nights
    • “Introducing GDC Nights, an after-hours experience designed to bring the game development community together for two unforgettable evenings. […] we’re bringing you a festival of fun, connection, and creativity – right where the industry gathers.”
    • March 17 and 20, 2025  6:30pm – 10:00pm PST
    • Note: You’ll need to pay a little extra to get into GDC Nights. Add it to your GDC pass or purchase a standalone GDC Nights pass!
Workshops
  • Thriving Players Summit: Prosocial Design Workshop
    • “Using methods from the Digital Thriving Playbook, this two-part workshop introduces how to design for prosocial behavior in games.”
    • March 18, 2025  9:30am – 11:50am PST
  • The Climate Crisis Workshop
    • “Use Your Game Developer Super Powers to Fight the Climate Crisis! This full-day interactive workshop returns for its 4th year to teach teams and individuals how to effectively integrate climate change and climate resilience messaging into their games.”
    • March 18, 2025  10:00am – 6:00pm PST
Awards Shows
  • Independent Game Festival (IGF)
    • “The Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards is the biggest annual celebration of indie talent – encouraging innovation within game development as a medium and recognizing the best independent developers from around the world.”
    • March 19, 2025  6:30pm – 7:30pm PST
  • Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA)
    • “The Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) are the premier, globally recognized accolades for peer-recognition in the video game industry. […] Finalists are honored and winners announced during the annual ceremony in San Francisco, held during Game Developers Conference (GDC).”
    • March 19, 2025  7:30pm – 8:30pm PST

Networking Opportunities

GDC is the place to find treasure chests of opportunities, and the masters of unlocking you need to open them. Some of these opportunities could be direct, while others might come by happenstance. Either way, it’s important to be in the right places at the right times. Here are some ways to maximize your chances to make valuable connections.

Career-Focused Sessions

Many sessions at GDC are directly focused on helping you take the right steps to further your game development career. Not only do these sessions have the potential to jumpstart your career, they may also give you opportunities to connect with the experts behind the wheel:

GDC Encounters: Speed Networking

From Wednesday to Friday, March 19-21, attendees can join GDC’s speed networking event in the Expo Hall in hour-long timeslots on a first come, first serve basis. Queue into quick conversations with professionals, potential co-workers, or just fellow gamers who love the industry. Who knows who your next conversation partner might be?

Connect with Off Base Productions (Us)!

We won’t be an exhibitor, but Off Base will be at GDC to connect with friends and colleagues—both old and new! We’ll have a small team of talented folks, including CEO Greg Off, ready to fill up the IRL chat logs. Look for us in the lobby of the Four Seasons, or if you’d like to schedule a meetup with us, ping our kickass producer Bella Flowers directly on LinkedIn!

NEWS

Need some intel?

We’re the industry’s experts, but cheat codes are meant to be shared! Join our party and you won’t have to grind for our hard-earned insights.