Game Maker's Sketchbook Returns for 2026

From the games scene, the Game Maker's Sketchbook has announced its fifth annual showcase, with selections for 2026 now set. Backed by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and iam8bit, the project puts the spotlight on pre-production art that helps shape the look and feel of interactive entertainment.

The showcase includes concept art, environment art, character designs and storyboards from Pragmata, Borderlands 4, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Monument Valley 3. The works were chosen by a jury of artists and industry professionals, and they are available in an online gallery.

The selected pieces will also be shown at Summer Game Fest: Play Days in Los Angeles from 6 to 8 June. Prints can be pre-ordered from the iam8bit store until 25 June, and each purchase supports non-profit initiatives led by Day of the Devs and the AIAS Foundation.

Meggan Scavio, president of AIAS, said the Sketchbook exists to honour the artists whose work defines how players experience games, including the images, worlds and visual identities that stay with them for a long time. She also thanked the jurors and supporters whose contributions help fund charitable programmes that benefit the people and communities behind game art.

For readers following game preservation and art history, the Sketchbook is a useful reminder that the creative process matters too. Concept sketches, design documents and storyboard work are primary sources, not just promotional extras, and they help show how a game's visual identity develops before release.

For more RetroShell coverage of game history and industry news, see our News tag page. You can also keep up with related stories through our retro gaming coverage, including preservation, art books and archive-minded features.