[BIC 2026] Evolving from a 'Site of Discovery' to a 'Site of Play' for Indie Games

[BIC 26] 인디게임 ‘발굴의 장’에서 '놀이의 장'으로 진화

gamemeca • Shin Jae Yeon 게임메카 신재연 기자 2026.08.14 19:53 UTC+9

AI Summary

BIC 2026 opened at BEXCO on August 14, blending indie gaming with the Busan International Liquor Expo. The event features improved accessibility with detailed booth info and live translations for global visitors. Attendees can enjoy both festivals with a single ticket through August 16.

The Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026—a summer staple for indie devs and gamers alike—kicked off its proceedings at BEXCO, Busan, on August 14. While previous iterations focused primarily on scouting and showcasing global titles, BIC 2026 has pivoted to something more, let's say, spirited. By partnering with the Busan International Liquor Expo, the organizers have woven these two disparate worlds into a single, cohesive community hub. We hit the floor on day one to capture how developers and visitors are mingling, and frankly, the added layer of 'refreshments' has done wonders for the atmosphere.

▲ The doors to BIC 2026 swing open at BEXCO on August 14 (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ Attendees were greeted by the conference schedule and speaker lineup right at the entrance (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ The area near the entrance featured a B2B lounge alongside various event booths (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ The floor plan was quite logical, featuring large central booths flanked by smaller setups on either side (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ Fresh faces, including the recently launched Toei Games, were spotted making their debut among the rows (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ Regional support agencies and university groups were clustered together, making it a rather fascinating exercise to compare the distinct creative approaches of these different dev hubs (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ General booths were neatly categorised into Connect Pick, Rookie Pick, and General Pick (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ The signage above each booth was surprisingly detailed, listing the game title, English name, developer, keywords, country of origin, and development stage (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ The development stage, in particular, was helpfully represented by a progress gauge for immediate clarity (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ A sea of booths, each decorated with individual flair and fully equipped with demo stations (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ Tucked away at the far end of the hall, the conference stage featured live simultaneous translation, ensuring the content remains accessible to our international friends (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ The area surrounding the busy conference hall was packed with plenty of side exhibits to keep the eyes occupied (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ If you find yourself with a spare moment between game demos, the adjacent exhibition hall is well worth a visit (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ Thanks to this collaboration, a single ticket grants you access to both events, which sounds like a rather cheeky way to spend a weekend (Image Source: Gamemeca)

▲ You can catch BIC 2026 at BEXCO in Busan until August 16 (Image Source: Gamemeca)

매 여름마다 열렸던 인디게임 개발자와 게이머들의 축제 ‘부산인디커넥트페스티벌 2026(이하 BIC 2026)’이 14일 부산 벡스코에서 막을 올렸다. 기존에는 다양한 국가의 인디게임 확보와 소개에 박차를 가했다면, 올해 BIC 2026은 부산국제주류박람회와 협력하며 서로의 장르를 오가고 자유로운 시간을 보낼 수 있는 하나의 '커뮤니티'로 엮어냈다. 개발자와 참관객이 긴밀하게 호흡하고, 새로운 놀거리를 더해 기존의 경험을 보강한 BIC 2026 첫 날 현장을 사진에 담아보았다.