LVL: Your starting point for making games in northern Bohemia and the Czech–German–Polish border region
The Liberec Video Game Laboratory (LVL) is a place for anyone who wants to create and publish their own games in the Liberec Region and beyond. In the historic setting of Linserka, we are building a hub where ideas become playable games and talented people can pursue game development without leaving the region.
We connect neighbours across borders, bringing together enthusiastic beginners, students, experienced developers, and regional and international partners from Czechia, Germany and Poland.
Would you like to work with us, give a talk or involve your school or institution in LVL’s activities?
Join our Discord community.
Get in touch or drop into Linserka for a coffee:
📧 Email: lvl@linserka.cz
📍 Find us at: Linserka Cultural and Creative Centre, Liberec, in the Czech–German–Polish border region.
Laboratory 1.0 is a six-month project run by the Liberec Video Game Laboratory, whose activities are supported by Linserka Cultural and Creative Centre.
It will simulate a real game studio. Over six months, participants aged 18 and over will develop and publish a computer game with guidance from mentors.
The project offers first-hand experience of working in the games industry, a chance to gain or deepen practical development skills, and the opportunity to create and release a complete game.
As in a real studio, developers will work in teams responsible for different aspects of development:
The art team looks after the game’s visuals and sound: how the game looks.
The technical team handles programming and makes all parts of the game work: how the game functions.
Game design determines what players do and how: how the game is played.
The production, testing and marketing team handles the other tasks involved in developing and releasing a game: project oversight, quality assurance and promotion.
Participation is completely free. All you need to invest is your time and effort. By the end, we will have released a game together that everyone can add to their portfolio — a valuable asset when applying for work at a professional game studio.
The team may even become a professional studio during the project and go on to develop further games commercially after the Laboratory ends.
LVL aims to kick-start the games industry in the Liberec Region and across the Czech–German–Polish border region, so that talented people do not have to leave to study or work and, in future, actively seek game development opportunities here.
Laboratory 1.0 is therefore open to applicants from the Liberec Region and neighbouring parts of Germany and Poland.
Apply here:
ENG https://forms.gle/H5VtXKGShhank64i8
DE https://forms.gle/tR17SuUGnatrMNbx7
Want to make games but unsure where to start? This workshop introduces the accessible yet powerful Unity engine and helps you take your first steps towards making your first game.
What to expect:
A hands-on workshop in Unity
Finding your way around the engine
The basic principles of working with Unity
Time to experiment and ask questions
The satisfaction of creating your own game!
You must bring your own laptop with Unity 6000.3 LTS installed to take part.
Test your gaming knowledge against other players.
What to expect:
A quiz about video games
Questions spanning different genres
Friendly competition
A chance to meet the gaming community
Suitable for individuals and teams
To take part, please complete the registration form.
Game development combines programming, visual art, music and storytelling. The Liberec Region and neighbouring border areas have no shortage of creative people, but have lacked a place that brings them together and offers expert guidance. LVL fills that gap, linking education with practice.
Learning in schools: We are building close partnerships with secondary schools and universities to help introduce game development subjects into their curricula. In future, we also plan to develop creativity and technical skills among primary school children.
Keeping talent in the region: We are creating conditions that enable students and young creators to set up independent game studios here.
A community across three countries: We connect Czech, German and Polish creators, invite industry professionals, and give developers from across the border region opportunities to present their work.
A step-by-step guide to making games: We are developing clear learning pathways that guide creators through the whole process, from an initial idea to final testing.
Whether you are trying to make your first game or refining a more complex project, LVL can help you move forward.
We are working with universities and secondary schools to bring game development education to our region.
Can you make a game in a single weekend? Game jams show that you can. Over three intensive days, participants create playable prototypes they can try out straight away. Our longer-term Laboratory 1.0 will develop and release a complete, fully functional game over six months.
We regularly present work by local creators and developers from further afield. At our play sessions, visitors try projects in development while their creators share the stories behind them and get direct feedback from players. We invite Czech and international experts to give talks and practical workshops.
We support developers already working on games, offering advice, sharing knowledge and connecting them with experts and game studios.
Want to learn to make games, find teammates or test a project you are working on?
Come to an event: Follow Linserka’s programme and drop in for a talk, a showcase or a workshop.
Join a game development weekend: Put your skills to the test in an international team with guidance from experienced creators.
Stay connected: Join our community and get useful feedback on your game idea or prototype.
Help us develop a modern, creative and technological sector in the Liberec Region and across the Czech–German–Polish border region.
Game development in schools: Represent a secondary school or university? Let’s develop game-making subjects together.
Supporting primary schools: Help us prepare clubs and educational programmes for the youngest generation.
Event and workshop partnerships: Support young talent through educational activities and cross-border competitions.
Expert and international collaboration: Offer your experience, talks or equipment to emerging creators from Czechia, Germany and Poland.
Expert talks, courses and workshops on game development, production, design and testing.
A place to meet, share knowledge and form new teams.
Project support, mentoring and the gradual creation of conditions for a sustainable game studio.
Students interested in making games
Both new and experienced game creators
Anyone who wants to explore the games industry
To spark local interest in the games industry and the process of creating video games.
To bring together talent from the region and build a sustainable game studio in Liberec that:
creates compelling projects,
contributes to the region’s development,
raises the profile of northern Bohemia in the Czech games scene.
The Liberec Video Game Laboratory is opening the way for northern Bohemia to become a place where ambitious games are made and local talent can thrive close to home.
Our first year is a chance to launch ideas, try them out and learn from the community.
We are planning:
6 specialist events (talks, courses and exhibitions),
a Game Jam (ages 8+),
a game development lab (ages 18+).
We are finding out what participants need and what interests the wider public. These insights will shape our long-term development plan.
Tereza leads QA testing at the Czech game studio GoldKnights. She also coordinates the games programme at Anifilm, the international animated film festival, and works on children’s development through the online platform Playful.
Let’s get together the way we know best — online.
#LVLcommunity