Game Maker's Sketchbook announces selections for 2026 showcase

Game Maker's Sketchbook has announced the selections for its fifth annual showcase, with a strong focus on concept art, environment art, character design, iconography, and storyboards. The 2026 lineup includes work from Pragmata, Borderlands 4, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Monument Valley 3, and a range of smaller projects, so it’s not just a blockbuster-only list.

For developers, especially artists and art leads, this is a decent barometer for what kinds of visual work are being celebrated publicly: clear silhouette design, readable environment storytelling, strong key art, and presentation pieces that communicate tone fast. The showcase is also a reminder that a lot of “game feel” starts long before implementation, in the art and pre-production layers that shape player expectations.

The selections were reviewed by a jury made up of game artists, curators, and people from animation, film, and fine art, which suggests the curation is aimed at craft and presentation rather than pure commercial visibility. The works are already in the online gallery and will also be exhibited at Summer Game Fest: Play Days in Los Angeles from June 6 to June 8.

There’s also a fundraising angle: prints can be pre-ordered from the Iam8bit store until June 25, and proceeds support non-profit initiatives led by Day of the Devs and the AIAS Foundation. That makes the showcase part portfolio exhibit, part charity drive, and part industry signal about what visual work resonates beyond the studio.