GDC Resources | EGD Collective

Students @ GDC

Your Community at the Game Developers Conference

Funding Your Trip & Resources

We all know GDC is extremely expensive. We're here with tips and tricks to cut costs to raise your chances of being able to attend! The first half of this guide is going to assume you didn't manage to win a scholarship or get selected to be a Conference Associate. The second half is going to tell you where to find those scholarships and the CA application!

What to Buy

BADGE: STUDENT

Unfortunately, in a terrible move for everyone, pass prices have changed. We are working on potentially getting $200 passes, but that is TBD. The following are the official GDC prices for early-bird:

$349 - Student/Educator - must purchase pass using .edu email and show a valid ID at door
$449 - Startup/Indie - you can get away with this if your project is formally incorporated as a company.
$649 - Everyone Else.

Accommodations

If you're not lucky enough to have a friend's couch to crash on, we can't recommend hostels enough. Most students in the US don't know about them, but they're extremely popular in Europe - and a great option for students and solo travelers! They are dormitory-style, so for the cheapest option you'll need to share a room with others, but there's places to lock up your stuff, group events, and recreation areas - and at the price point they have, totally worth not having privacy. Here are some of our recommendations:

HI Hostel - with 2 locations, one closer to Moscone (Downtown) and one up at Fisherman's Warf (join us!), HI is a very well known chain.

ITH San Francisco Pacific Tradewinds - a bit farther but in a nicer area than HI Downtown.

The Urban - more expensive but mainly singles, and very nice! Has some doubles to share with a friend. Easy 15m walk to Moscone.

The Green Tortoise - if others are full, this is an independent hostel that's not terribly far (20m). More lived-in than HI or ITH but solid.

Orange Village Hostel - Good solid option, generally cheapest that's close (though HI Fisherman is cheaper). It is on the edge of the Tenderloin, which is an area you should be alert in during the evenings (if you're from a big city, it's nothing crazy).

Transportation

Flights are always going to be the worst of your cost. Try to get your flight as early as possible to avoid the price hikes. Take red-eyes if you're comfortable, but avoid coming in super late the day before your first conference day. GDC is exhausting, you won't survive on no sleep. To avoid paying baggage fees, pack clothes that are safe to re-wear (like jeans) or spend $5 washing your clothes halfway through the week. Definitely better than $50 for a carry-on bag! And if you buy anything, you can ship it back home.

If you're not planning on going sightseeing, you won't need to pay for public transit other than the BART to and from the airport. If you do plan on getting around or going to parties you can't walk to, download the MUNI Mobile app to purchase bus/cable-car tickets. Ubers are also not crazy expensive, and can sometimes be cheaper than transit if you're carpooling with others.

Food

If you're strategic about this, you might not have to pay for a single meal at GDC. Many external events give out free food, as well as exhibitors in the hall, and sometimes special things happen where food randomly pops out on different floors of Moscone or on the way to Moscone (shout out to the crypto bros last year giving out free pastries and coffee outside --without having to listen to the pitch-- every single day). Sub in some Target shelf-stable things, and you're good to go!

Assorted Tips

Clothing

Games is a hypercasual industry, and this is an international event. You'll see people in shorts and tshirts, some people in full business attire, and some people in cosplay. Wear what makes you most comfortable! The only thing not to do, is wear game or studio clothing - or else you'll be asked if you work for the studio all day.

Title/Company on Badge

Do not put "student" on your badge. If you have a project you are working on, you should put your role and the project title. If you don't, you can put your role and then "Independent" for the company. If you've gotten a scholarship, it's usually ok to put that as your affiliation (Example: GGP Scholar, Gay Gaming Professionals). But unfortunately there is a stigma against students at GDC, so putting "student" might deter some from having conversations with you. Let your skills and projects be your best foot forward.

Stuff to Do

There are a LOT of external events, which are honestly the best place to network! Free is always better than paid, and it's actually true for this. The external festivities begin on Sunday and go all the way until Saturday.

GDC has changed their entire format, so most of our advice on how to tackle the conference is no longer applicable. As we get more information, we'll add tips.

Free Badges

There are many ways to try and get a free badge!

1. Conference Associate - work GDC, get money. In addition to a badge, you get paid hourly which can help cover that pesky airfare - as well as really good chances to network. A lot of well-known folks in the industry were once CAs, and many professionals still choose to CA, so you'll never know who you'll run into! Apps are usually up in early December.

2. Volunteer - Groups like the IGDA and other organizations usually have a volunteering program where you spend some time helping them run their expo booth in exchange for a badge. Watch out on their socials!

3. Scholarships - You can find them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Discords, and also GDC has a list they usually post of organizations that participate every year. Additionally, Amir Satvat has a lottery that he organizes!

4. Equal Opportunity Attendance Program - Intended for those with significant financial need. Opens in January.