🎮 ECHO Winter School: Game Jam Edition
February 16–18, 2026 | Funcom HQ, Bucharest
Ever wondered what it’s really like to be a game developer?
This winter, you’re not just attending an event, you’re stepping into a real game jam, where ideas turn into playable games, teams form fast, and creativity meets deadlines. Welcome to ECHO Winter School, a 3-day crash course into the world of game development.
If you love games and you’re curious how they’re actually made, this is your chance to experience the pressure, the fun, the chaos, and the magic behind the scenes.
🕹 What’s a Game Jam?
A game jam is where developers, artists, designers, and storytellers team up to build a game from scratch in a limited time.
You’ll brainstorm ideas, divide roles, prototype, test, fail, fix, and iterate, just like in a real game studio.
This is game development IRL.
📅 When?
February 16–18, 2026 (Monday–Wednesday)
🕘 09:30 – 18:00, every day
📍 Where?
Funcom HQ – America House Offices
Șoseaua Nicolae Titulescu 4–8, Bucharest
👾 Who can join?
We’re inviting 50 high school students (16+) who are curious, creative, and excited about games, whether you’re into art, code, design, storytelling or just want to try something new.
No previous game dev experience required. Curiosity is enough.
💻 What do you need?
Bring your own laptop or tablet.
We’ll bring the challenges, mentors, and game dev vibes.
🎤 Learn from real game developers
Throughout the game jam, you’ll get guidance, feedback, and insights from industry professionals and ECHO lecturers, including:
Răzvan Safta – Head of QA @ Funcom
Ionuț Codreanu – Head of Studio @ Funcom
Miruna Bercaru – QA Producer @Funcom
Amir Darouiech – Lead Programmer @ Funcom
Lucian Tilinschi – Programmer @ Funcom
George Munteaun – Lead Concept Artist @Gameloft
Iulia Tivig – 2D/3D Artist @KillHouse Games
Robert Șerban – Indie Game Developer
More mentors will be announced soon.
Expect real feedback, real studio stories, and real-life advice about working in game development.
🚀 Why should you join?
And here’s the key takeaway:
👉 This is a taste of what life as a game developer looks like.
At ECHO School, this is exactly what you learn to do: professionally.
🛑 Good to know
Drinks and snacks are on us. Lunch is your side quest (plenty of options nearby).
Coming from outside Bucharest? You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation.
✅ Ready to play?
Register now by completing the form.
Spots are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Build games. Meet devs. Discover your future.
Welcome to ECHO Winter School – Game Jam Edition.
Fill in the form below to register for the event.
