Creata Games Day
Creata Games Day, part of AI MONTH. Creata Games founders David Tuganov and Hicham Nouhou open it with their strategy for growing game development in Central Asia, followed by six keynotes from studios, universities and digital rehabilitation, three hands-on workshops and networking. Free entry; registration gets you a badge and an after-party invite.
Starts01.10
- Dates
- 1 October 2026 · 14:00–21:00 · 14:00–21:00
- Where
- Astana · Astana Hub · Event Hall C4.6
- Format
- offline
- Partner
- Astana Hub
Programme · 1.10
Programme for 1 October
From 14:00: the Creata Games opening, six keynotes, three workshops and networking. Where a speaker is not yet named, the organisation is shown.
Free entry. Registration lets us prepare your badge and invite you to the after-party.
Register ↗Opening · Creata Games: how we will grow game development in Central Asia
The founders of Creata Games on the studio's strategy and on growing game development in Central Asia. Later in the day: keynotes from studios and universities, three workshops and networking; the Digital Creative Zone opens on 2 October, with panels and pitches on 3 October.
speakers
- David TuganovCIAQ · Creata Group
- Hicham NouhouCreata Group
Keynote · ChillBase: ONESTATE and working at a studio
ChillBase on its game ONESTATE and on how work at the studio is organised: which roles the team needs and what they look for in a candidate's portfolio.
- ChillBase
Keynote · Mytona
Mytona is a group of video game development companies, working since 2012. The topic is to be announced.
speakers
- Irakly PetrovMytona
Keynote · Game development at university: the GameLab KBTU experience
GameLab KBTU is KBTU's video game development and research lab. How a university trains game developers, and what the lab shows on booth B in the zone.
speakers
- Nazym ZhumabaevaGameLab KBTU
Keynote · Growing the game industry through education: universities and schools
The head of GameDev Center at Astana Hub on growing the game industry through education: what universities and schools can offer, how game jams and mentoring bring people into the profession, and where studios find future developers.
speakers
- Elina KimGameDev Center · Astana Hub
Keynote · OGames: bringing AI into game development
OGames is an Astana studio making mobile driving simulators; its most popular project is Car Parking Multiplayer, and Car Parking Multiplayer 2 is on booth C in the zone. Vladimir Belousov leads the adoption of AI systems in the studio's development.
speakers
- Vladimir BelousovOGames
Keynote · Digitizing rehabilitation with AI and serious games
Bio Impaktiv is building a digital rehabilitation platform: a standardised assessment and a training game for every skill, an AI layer that adjusts difficulty to each patient, and EEG for VR and AR headsets that adapts training to focus, stress and fatigue. The first games are launching in Kazakhstan on Yandex Games / Playhop. In English, with a short live demo.
speakers
- Gilbert AntakiBio Impaktiv
Workshop · AI in game development: putting it into practice
Moving from one-off prompts to systematic use of AI: working with Codex and Claude Code, connecting to Unity via MCP for code, scenes and automation, 3D models in Tripo and preparing them. Tokens, context and cost — how to manage information and spend. The focus is on delegating tasks, checking the result and speeding up development without losing quality control.
speakers
- Daulet TurgalievFrontlineVR
Workshop · Game mechanics for people who don't make games
Why do people finish the series, push the progress bar to free delivery, and refuse to break a streak in an app? Large companies took these mechanics from games long ago. Using well-known examples: what makes a person come back and pay, what of it works at any scale — from a chain to the café around the corner — and why most loyalty programmes fail entirely. For founders, product managers, designers, marketers and educators.
speakers
- Malika IgibaevaSHU LLP · CIAQ
Workshop · AI without the hype: putting it into PC game development
From talk to practice: how a real production went from first tests of neural networks to full integration into a PC game pipeline. Which tasks AI actually saves hours and budget on, and which it does not. The technical and legal pitfalls a team hits when working with generative models.
speakers
- Sergey SyskinLipsar Studio
Networking
Speakers, studios and guests of the day meet and continue the conversations from the workshops. Registered guests are invited to the after-party.
Speakers
Speakers of the day
Speakers and participants are published as they confirm.
Curator of Day 3, moderator of the GameDev and investment panels.
Speaker profile →
19 years in the games industry, from artist to art director. Runs a workshop on 1 October and sits on the pitch jury on 3 October.
Speaker profile →
International expert in video games and esports: almost 20 years of international experience, 15 of them in the video games industry.
Speaker profile →
Game producer and artist, 13+ years in the creative industries. Runs a workshop on 1 October and moderates the creative-economy panel on 3 October.
Speaker profile →
GameLab KBTU is the video game development and research lab of the Kazakh-British Technical University.
Speaker profile →
3D artist and indie developer, creator of the horror adventure “By Your Name”. Chief expert of the “3D Digital Game Art” skill at WorldSkills Astana 2026 and a game jam co-organiser.
Speaker profile →
Leads the design of Therapeutic Games, a digital rehabilitation platform built on neuroscience and clinical expertise. Teaches and does research at Université Saint-Joseph (Beirut).
Speaker profile →
Leads the adoption of AI systems in game development at OGames.
Speaker profile →
7+ years in commercial game development, 2+ of them on a game with more than 15 million players. Runs a workshop on 1 October.
Speaker profile →Getting there
Two venues in the EXPO complex
1 October — Astana Hub, pavilion C4.6. 2–3 October — the forum hall at the EXPO IEC. They are about 800 metres apart.
Astana Hub · Event Hall C4.6
Pavilion C4.6, 55/8 Mangilik El Ave, Astana
The Creata Games opening, keynotes, workshops and networking, 14:00–21:00. Free entry with registration.
Open in maps ↗EXPO IEC · AI & Digital Bridge forum
EXPO complex, Astana
The Digital Creative Zone and the VR tournament; on 3 October, panels in Steppe Hall and pitches in the Pitch Zone. Entry with a forum ticket.
Open in maps ↗