Even Gaben Will Betray You: Escaping Platform Timebombs

What happens when Steam collapses? How do we prepare for enshittification? Where can you stand, when it all falls down?!

Much like social media and the rest of the internet, the games industry has become increasingly reliant on centralized platforms that wield enormous power over how we make, sell, and play our games. As benevolent as our current overlords may seem, storefronts change, APIs disappear, business models curdle, and digital "ownership" remains conditional. Nothing lasts forever.

This talk is a practical (slightly paranoid) field guide to building for the exit. Explore delightful experiences from creators blazing the trail for a new independent games movement, and discover how portable identities, player-owned data, and interoperable communities can help you survive the inevitable downfall of platform monopolies by creating a more free, fun, and resilient future for games on the open web.