Norwich Games Festival is a non-profit event run by The Forum Trust, the self-financing charitable organisation which manages The Forum building in Norwich. All money raised by the festival is invested back into the event.
Our History
Norwich Games Festival started life as Retro Arcade in 2012, as a way of offering something free, interactive and unique to young people and families during the Easter holidays.
The event proved popular, and from this, and working with colleagues at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), and the University of East Anglia (UEA) the event was broadened to encourage local independent game developers to showcase their games and skills, and to offer an insight into the game development industry to the public.
2017 saw over 60 developers showcasing their games. It changed names to Norwich Gaming Festival which then became Norwich Games Festival in 2019.
The Festival has grown year on year, with the addition of retail, a more structured platform for independent developers and the gaming industry, and plenty of talks and workshops for visitors to learn more about gaming, programming and also the study and career development options available.
