Join us on Saturday, May 16, 2026 for a full day of talks by experts in visual novel development, game design, voice acting, and more. You’ll learn practical techniques, explore new ideas and concepts, and learn about cutting-edge developments in the visual novel space.
Wow your audience
This year’s theme is “wow your audience”! We want to celebrate and share the art of creating unique, impactful games that stay with your audience long after the credits roll, and show ways you, as developers, can elevate your skills and games even further.
Schedule
The event will be held on May 16, 2026, in a private stage within the DevTalk Discord server.
| Event | Eastern Time | Pacific Time | UTC |
| Welcome & opening remarks | 10 a.m. | 7 a.m. | 2 p.m. |
| Feature talks (2) | 10:10 a.m. | 7:10 a.m. | 2:10 p.m. |
| Lightning talks (2) | 12:20 p.m. | 9:20 a.m. | 4:20 p.m. |
| Lunch social hour | 1 p.m. | 10 a.m. | 5 p.m. |
| Feature talks (2) | 2 p.m. | 11 a.m. | 6 p.m. |
| Lightning talks (4) | 4:10 p.m. | 1:10 p.m. | 8:10 p.m. |
| Feature talks (2) | 5:40 p.m. | 2:40 p.m. | 9:40 p.m. |
| Closing remarks | 7:50 p.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 11:50 p.m. |
Purchase tickets
The event will be held in a private stage within the DevTalk Discord server. Attendees will receive a Discord role allowing them to view the stage automatically after purchasing a ticket.
Tickets are $15 USD, and can be purchased on Ticket Tailor or in the “server shop” within the DevTalk Discord server.
Submit a talk idea
We’re looking for visual novel developers who want to share their expertise in a lightning talk! Applications for lightning talks are open until April 11, 2026.
Lightning talks will be 15 minutes long, followed by an additional 5 minutes for Q&A. All lightning talks should share an actionable idea, concept, or technique that other visual novel developers could benefit from learning about.
Lightning talks should align with this year’s theme, “wow your audience”.
About VNDN
The Visual Novel Developer Network (VNDN) is a combination of community owned and operated websites, chats and services with the goal of helping people make their art, write their stories, speak their truth, and earn their livelihood through their passions.
VNDN is best known for DevTalk, the narrative game development Discord server. It also operates the VNDev Wiki and many visual novel jams.