2025-11-11 –, Iberico
Games can be more than finished products—they can be living classrooms.
In this session, Sarah Spiers (Senior Producer of Threadbare, former Development Director at EA, Forbes 30 Under 30) and Will Thompson (open-source developer, Endless Access) will share how collaborative development with Godot can transform game-making into a pathway for new creators.
Sarah will frame why open-source practices matter for the future of the industry and how collaborative models give new voices a way in. Will will showcase Threadbare, Endless Access’ open-source narrative adventure built in Godot, where learners and contributors from around the world are shaping the game. Attendees will see how the project is structured to welcome contributors of all levels, what challenges and successes have emerged, and how Godot powers not just great games but inclusive, community-driven learning.
This 25-minute talk will highlight how Endless Access is using Godot as both a development engine and a platform for collaborative, open-source learning.
Speakers:
Sarah Spiers, Senior Producer at Endless Access and former Development Director at EA, brings deep experience in studio production and a vision for collaborative, open practices in the games industry.
Will Thompson, a long-time open-source developer and core contributor to Threadbare, bridges technical expertise with a mission to expand digital inclusion.
Content & Flow:
Introduction & Context (Sarah) – Why collaborative game development matters, how it reimagines the studio model, and what it means for opening pathways into game-making.
Case Study: Threadbare (Will) – Demonstration of the open-source game in development, built with Godot and shaped by a growing global community. He will show contributor pathways, onboarding practices, and lessons learned from engaging first-time coders, artists, and writers.
Takeaways – Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how open-source models can be applied in their own projects, practical insights on structuring community-driven development, and inspiration for using Godot to support inclusion and learning.
The talk combines industry perspective with an active case study, designed to resonate with both professional developers and educators seeking to expand access to game-making.
Will Thompson has spent his career at the intersection of open-source technology and digital inclusion. After more than a decade building Linux distributions and desktop tools to help close the digital divide, he now develops open-source games with Endless Access. As a core developer on Threadbare, he uses Godot not just to build a game but to create an entry point where learners and first-time contributors can practice real-world skills in coding, art, and collaborative development.
Sarah Spiers is a seasoned game producer who believes in the power of games to open doors for new creators. She is the Senior Producer of Threadbare, Endless Access’ open-source narrative adventure built with the Godot engine and shaped by a growing community of learners and contributors. Before Endless, Sarah was Development Director at Electronic Arts, where she led the simulation team for Project Rene. Her work has been recognized with a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Games (2022) and induction into the Women in Games Hall of Fame (2021). Outside of production, Sarah channels her creativity into surrealist fantasy-horror writing. She also serves on the Board for the Boston Public Library Fund, always connecting her professional craft with a passion for accessible, community-driven creativity.