/dev/games

A conference born within the university

/dev/games is the Italian conference on game development held in Rome, the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region. The venue is the conference hall of the Department of Engineering at Roma Tre University, located at Via Vito Volterra 60, in the Ostiense-Garbatella district: an academic setting that has given the event its most recognizable identity—that of a technical and educational gathering rather than a commercial trade fair.

Launched in 2024, the event has already become a benchmark for those working in or looking to enter the Italian video game industry. There is no exhibition area for the general public: the focus of the day is on stage presentations, professional exchange, and direct interaction between students, independent developers, and production studios.

Topics covered

The program spans all disciplines involved in modern video game production. Each edition alternates highly technical sessions with others dedicated to career paths and workflow organization:

• Programming and game engines: Unreal Engine, build pipelines, optimization, resource management;
• Graphics and rendering: from classic techniques to neural rendering and ray tracing;
• AI applied to gaming: NPC behavior, generative agents, and AI that actually makes it into production;
• Game design: tutorials, learning curves, and player engagement mechanics;
• Career and industry: how to enter the sector, the transition from AAA productions to indie development, and the relationship between young talent and companies.

Speakers and the international scene

The /dev/games stage has hosted professionals with experience at studios such as Ubisoft, Epic Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Warner Bros., and The Multiplayer Group, alongside founders of Italian independent studios. Talks are held in both Italian and English, and most are published after the event on the conference's YouTube channel: a choice that has turned /dev/games into a freely accessible training archive.

Indie showcase and networking

Since 2025, the conference has added an indie showcase dedicated to Italian independent games alongside the main stage, designed to give visibility to emerging teams. The breaks and common areas of the Engineering Department serve as a networking hub: many participating studios attend specifically to meet candidates and collaborators, and it is common to see students from Roma Tre and other universities in Lazio presenting their projects to guest developers.

Why it is worth attending

Compared to large trade events aimed at gamers, /dev/games has a distinctly professional focus: you go to learn concrete skills and build relationships. It is the most accessible opportunity in Central Italy to understand how video game production really works, in a city—Rome—where the sector has grown significantly in recent years, thanks in part to dedicated university courses and the support of organizations like Lazio Digital.

The setting: Ostiense and Garbatella

The venue is located in one of the most vibrant areas of contemporary Rome. Just a few minutes away are the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the working-class Garbatella neighborhood with its 1920s housing blocks, and the former industrial area of Ostiense, now dotted with murals, bars, and cultural spaces like the Centrale Montemartini. Visitors from out of town can easily combine the conference day with a walk through one of the capital's most photogenic districts.