Pocket Gamer Connects 2026: Tips for Other Indie Game Developers

October 27, 2026 · Gaming Couch

Last week we spent two days showing Gaming Couch at Pocket Gamer Connects: Nordics in Helsinki, at a table in the Big Indie Zone. The table and our tickets cost us nothing.

That surprised a lot of the fair visitors we talked to. Many didn't know PGC runs an indie programme at all. So this wrap-up is less about us and more about how other small studios can do the same.

Thank you, Steel Media

A big thank you to Steel Media, the team behind Pocket Gamer Connects, for giving us a free indie table and tickets to attend.

For a small studio, a booth at an industry event is a real cost decision and programmes like this are what make it possible for teams like ours to be in the room at all.

Tip for indie devs: check the indie programme before you buy a ticket

If you're a small studio planning to attend any PGC event, look up its Big Indie Zone page first. Here's how it worked for PGC Nordics 2026, per the official terms:

• Who qualifies. Independent game studios with fewer than 10 people.
• What you can win. A free conference ticket, or a free expo table that includes two tickets.
• What a table includes. One showcase table, two chairs and two indie tickets with full access to the MeetToMatch meeting platform.
• How tables are given out. At random, daily, to eligible studios that have applied, until they run out. Applying early matters.
• What you bring. Everything else. No guarantees are made about table position or equipment, so pack your own screen, cables and power.

Two more things worth knowing. PGC also runs the Big Indie Pitch, where you pitch your game to expert panels and get feedback on the spot. And the indie programme isn't just a Helsinki thing. PGC runs events in London, San Francisco, Malmö, Barcelona, Shanghai and Jordan, and each has its own Big Indie Zone page.

What two days at a free table got us

Over two days, 85 people played 464 rounds of Gaming Couch at our table. That's more than five rounds per player. Visitors joined from their own phones in seconds. No downloads, no controllers to hand out, no queue. Judging by their phones, players came from around 10 countries, from Estonia to Spain to the US.

The most played game was Chowboys: The Ring (45 rounds), followed by Protostellar: Impact! (43), Pop It: Desert Island (40) and Space Race (40). The usual group was four players, with larger parties going up to seven players.

What the numbers don't show

The part that isn't visible in the numbers was the atmosphere. Players yelled, shouted and cheered at each other while they played, and the excitement around the table was the best feedback we could have asked for.

What we'd tell other indies exhibiting

1. Apply early. The organisers review applications on a rolling basis. The sooner you apply and hear back, the more time you have to order flyers, business cards and stickers, book travel and hotels, and get everything else ready.
2. Pack like there's nothing there. You get a table and two chairs. Screens, cables, roll-ups and everything else is on you. We also packed our own extension cords, since we knew we'd need extra sockets for phone chargers.
3. Cut the time from "hello" to playing. Every extra step between walking up and playing is a chance for a visitor to walk away. For us, phones as controllers did the heavy lifting. But like any face-to-face interaction, you still need to sell your game. Ask people standing nearby or walking past to play a few rounds. Many visitors wanted to watch from a distance before stepping up, so we ran a 30-second trailer on loop on a second monitor for the whole event, with the games on the main screen.
4. Measure it. We tracked every party hosted from our booth laptop, so we know exactly what two days at the table produced. It makes the next decision about events much easier.
5. Talk to the other indies. The Big Indie Zone is full of studios at the same stage as you. Some of our best conversations happened between tables. Shoutout to our neighbours at Football Parents and their hilarious microphone-based football coaching game, and to BRAMBLEFORT, who brought VR to the Big Indie Zone.

See you next year

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, played a round, or asked us about building games for the platform.

• Want to play? Gaming Couch is free in your browser at gamingcouch.com. Grab a few friends and their phones.
• Building a party game? Join the developer waitlist at gamingcouch.com/developers.
• Small studio heading to a PGC event? Check the Big Indie Zone page and the possibility for a free indie develeoper table!