Game Jam 2025 has started at Satbayev University, bringing together game developers to create multi-punk universes

PUNKVERSE Game Jam SU 2025 festival started at Satbayev University for the fourth time, bringing together hundreds of participants who created games at the intersection of cyberpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk and biopunk in 48 hours. The event became the largest festival in Central Asia for game development innovators, strengthening Kazakhstan's position as a growth point for creative industries.

Opening the event, Satbayev University’s Rector Meiram Begentayev emphasized the importance of the own space for young developers:

"Game Jam is a territory of freedom. We want there to be no boundaries for creativity here. You're really cool, and I'm glad that you're creating the future of gaming technology. This is the fourth time we have gathered here, and each time you prove that you are capable of more," said Rector, addressing the participants.

Festival turned the university into the space of full creative immersion. The teams work day and night, exploring how revived technologies, dystopian worlds and post-apocalyptic motifs can become a source of new game mechanics. The organizers challenged the participants to create projects in the strictly limited time of 48 hours that can go beyond the usual and show a wide range of ideas - from hardcore mechanical worlds to organic bio-systems of the future.

The jury chairwoman Yelizaveta Morozova, a well-known game designer and developer in the industry, who contributed to Fortnite, World of Warcraft and Devil May Cry 5, addressed the participants with a motivational speech about complexity of the path and the value of opportunities provided by the festival:

"When I started, there were no courses, there was no industry, there were no mentors. I had to learn by myself. And today you have the equipment, knowledge, community and people who are ready to help you. Use this opportunity. Gamejams raise your level very much - this is a real skill upgrade," she stressed.

After receiving this year's recommendations, the teams left to develop games in real time. The jam will culminate in a series of pitch sessions where the teams will present their games to the experts and partners of the festival. The best projects received large prizes: 1 million tenge for the victory, as well as additional awards from partners and sponsors with a total fund of 3 million tenge.

PUNKVERSE Game Jam SU 2025 is being held with the support of Science and Higher Education Ministry and industry partners, continuing to strengthen Satbayev University's position as a leading technical hub in Central Asia, providing the creative youth with a platform where new ideas and future commercial projects in the gaming industry are born.