SAE Institute Milan Hosts the Global Game Jam for the Second Year

Following last year’s success, SAE Institute Milan hosts the Global Game Jam for the second consecutive year. It is the world’s largest international event dedicated to game development, created in collaboration with IGDA Italy.
An unmissable event if you love video games, board games, and want to challenge yourself by building a game project in just 48 hours.

The Global Game Jam 2026 will return to Milan from Friday, January 30th to Sunday, February 1st, 2026. It brings together developers, students, enthusiasts, and industry professionals for an intense experience of creativity, learning, and networking, right inside the SAE Institute Milan campus.

What is a Game Jam?

A Game Jam is a 48-hour event where participants of all levels can come together—in teams or solo—to design and develop a game based on a shared theme, which is revealed at the start of the event.
Beyond development, the Global Game Jam is a major opportunity for discussion, learning, and networking with the international game dev community.

Schedule and Useful Info

Dates
From Friday, January 30th to Sunday, February 1st, 2026

Location
SAE Institute Milan
Via Trentacoste 14 – Milan
(M2 Lambrate / M4 Argonne)

Schedule

 

• Check-in: from 2:30 PM on Friday, January 30th

 

• Opening Panels: from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Friday, January 30th

 

• Game Jam: from 6:15 PM on Friday, January 30th to 6:00 PM on Sunday, February 1st

 

• SAE Institute Opening Hours: from 8:00 AM to 1:30 AM

On Friday afternoon, we will host educational opening panels designed to give you creative and technical insights for your projects. The panels are free, reservation required, and not mandatory to participate in the Game Jam.

What to expect from Global Game Jam 2026

 

• Opening panels packed with educational and inspirational content

 

• 48 hours of development to build a playable prototype

 

• Networking with people who share your passion for game development

How to participate

The event will take place in a hybrid format, thanks to the support of ADAPTA Studio.
If you want to join online, you don’t need to book an Eventbrite ticket: just sign up on the official Discord and follow the instructions provided during the event.

Participation is free with mandatory registration at this link.
The maximum on-site capacity is 170 participants. For this reason, we ask you to book an Eventbrite ticket only if you plan to attend in person for the entire weekend.

IGDA Italy reserves the right to exclude from future Game Jams anyone who books a ticket but fails to show up at the event.

Event Partners

This event is made possible thanks to the support of:

 

• Main Partner & Location Partner: SAE Institute

 

• National Sponsors: GameMaker, Tambù

 

• Technical Partner: DGT Info

 

• In collaboration with: AIV – Accademia Italiana Videogiochi, Okashi Lab, ADAPTA Studio, Packt

 

• Media Partner: RoundTwo

 

• Community Partner: Cotoletta 8bit

To stay updated on the schedule, panels, and upcoming events, make sure to follow IGDA Milan’s social channels, including their official Telegram channel.