Tobias Schnackenberg is a indie game developer and co-founder of Square Glade Games, known for Above Snakes and Outbound. He is also part of the Game Bakery.
Tobias organises the Indie Game Dev Meetup in Groningen every month.

At LevelUp, Tobias will present “Released. And Now? Growing Game Sales After Launch”, exploring what happens after a game launches and how studios can continue growing its audience and revenue. He’ll share practical examples covering discounts, bundles, updates, marketing beats, and other post-launch opportunities.

Martine Spaans is a long-time games industry professional and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. With over 20 years of experience across publishing, events, and industry development, she has been a driving force behind the growth and professionalisation of the Dutch games industry. She is also active at European level through the European Games Developer Federation and is involved in events such as INDIGO.

At LevelUp, Martine will present “Evolving with the Industry”, sharing lessons from her own career and exploring the importance of staying flexible in a rapidly changing industry. She’ll look at how unexpected opportunities can shape a career and provide insights into how the Dutch games industry has evolved over the years.

Rami Ismail is an award-winning independent game developer and co-founder of Vlambeer, known for games such as Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers, and Nuclear Throne. Beyond game development, Rami is a passionate advocate for the global indie game community, sharing knowledge, mentoring developers, and working to make game development more accessible around the world.

At LevelUp, Rami brings “The Rami Talk”, an interactive ask-me-anything session about the challenges and opportunities of independent game development. Rather than a fixed presentation, the session gives attendees the opportunity to ask Rami their own questions and explore the topics that matter most to them.

Norman Andres Lista De la Cerda is a Game Production Strategist focused on helping game studios build sustainable ways of working and growing. Drawing from his own experience building and running a studio, including producing and releasing Duck Paradox, he brings a practical perspective on production, scope, and the realities of running an independent studio.

At LevelUp, Norman will explore “How to Build a Financially Sustainable Game Studio”, looking at how studios can move beyond relying on talent or a single successful release. He’ll cover production systems, scope management, release strategies, and a practical roadmap for building a studio that can finish, release, learn, and create again.

Iris Tutea is an Art Director with a passion for visual development and creature design. Her work combines artistic skill with a strong focus on the creative thinking and problem-solving that goes into turning an initial idea into a compelling finished design.

At LevelUp, Iris will present “Live Creature Design: The Creative Process Explained”, taking a fantasy creature from the first sketch to a finished painting in real time. Throughout the demo, she’ll share the creative decisions behind each stage, offering an inside look at how a professional artist approaches challenges and develops an idea into a final piece.

Fanny Weidner is a Technical Artist specialising in tools, procedural workflows, and art pipelines. She recently completed her Master’s in Game Technology at Breda University of Applied Sciences and previously worked at Ubisoft. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between art and technology, developing tools and workflows that make game production more efficient.

At LevelUp, Fanny will present “Frankenstein It! — The Mad Science of MacGyvering Tech Art”, exploring what happens when the tool you need doesn’t exist, the problem is too complex, or the documentation is useless. Using Houdini APEX and a giant mechanical character as a case study, she’ll share how to experiment, combine existing technologies, and navigate unknown problems when you’re the lone pioneer.

Sébastien Croteau is a creature voice actor, vocal coach, and CEO of The Monster Factory. With over 19 years of experience, he has voiced more than 400 creatures across films and video games, while also working as a casting and voice director. His expertise lies in extreme vocal techniques and bringing monsters and creatures to life through voice.

At LevelUp, Sébastien will present “Creature Voice & Sound Design: Building Believable Creature Performances for Games”, taking attendees through the complete creature voice pipeline. From vocal archetypes and specialised casting to voice direction, recording, and sound design, he’ll share practical methods and production insights for creating compelling creature performances without relying on words.

Bertine Van Hövell is a Studio Head of Lost Again with a passion for games that explore challenging ideas and push the boundaries of interactive storytelling. Her work and experience have given her an interest in how games can approach darker and more transgressive subjects while still creating meaningful experiences for players.

At LevelUp, Bertine will present “Playing With Fire: A How-To for Transgressive Narratives”, exploring how to use boundary-pushing ideas without them becoming cheap, crass, or unintentionally silly. She’ll examine game narratives that ventured into the darker sides of humanity, why some succeeded, and how developers can prepare players for intense experiences without crossing the line into genuine harm.

Igor Kovacevic is a game and tools programmer at Ripe Render, working on Teeko. His work focuses on developing gameplay systems, tools, and technical solutions that support the development of games. He is particularly passionate about solving complex technical challenges and creating tools that make development workflows more efficient.

At LevelUp, Igor will present “Coding in easy mode - How to catch and log errors like a pro”, a practical session focused on making debugging more efficient and approachable. He’ll cover error handling, logging, and practical debugging techniques that can help developers spend less time hunting for problems and more time solving them.