Some events have great music. Some have good food. The ones people remember give them a reason to move around, join in, and talk to someone they did not know when they arrived.
That was the energy at The Art of Games Fest on 25 July 2026 at Barking Riverside, London. As a current Neegma pilot partner, The Art of Games is already bringing its own ready-to-run game experiences to the platform. But this was more than a chance to talk about templates. It was a chance to see what happened when an in-person crowd got to play together.
The afternoon opened with sunshine, music from the DJ booth, food, and a steady flow of guests. By around 2:30 p.m., people were already gathering, chatting, and settling into the space. There were other partners in the room too, but the mood was relaxed rather than formal. It felt like a summer social first, with games giving the afternoon its shape.
The icebreaker that got people moving
The first Neegma moment was Social Bingo. The host opened a Neegma session on a laptop and put up a QR code for guests to scan. Around a dozen people joined the first round, each receiving a number and a card with 12 spaces to fill.
The rule was simple: to fill your card, you had to go and speak to other people. Guests introduced themselves, exchanged their numbers, and entered them into their own cards. It made a natural conversation starter because there was a real reason to walk up to someone new. Before long, the room was full of people asking, "What is your number?" and trying to work out who was holding the number that would complete their card.
The competition arrived quickly. People were comparing progress, joking that they had the winning number, and racing to fill all 12 slots before anyone else. As more guests arrived, they scanned the code and joined the same session from their phones. And because Social Bingo saves a player's card, guests who stepped away or reopened their browser could return without losing what they had already collected.
Blue versus green, round by round
The Festival also had a rivalry that had been building before the day itself. In the virtual trivia night held the Friday before, the Blue team had taken the win and arrived at Barking Riverside with an early point on the board.
At the venue, guests received blue or green wristbands as they arrived, making the teams easy to spot and giving the room an immediate sense of friendly competition. The on-site challenge became a five-round contest.
Blue took the opening ball-sorting race, then added a second win in the blindfolded cup-and-ball stacking game. Green regrouped. After a quick strategy meeting, they came back to take the colour-sorting round and the cup-stacking challenge. The final round was a relay-style fill-the-jug game, where teams passed cups through hoops and barriers to get water to the other end. By the end of it, Green had taken the on-site contest 3-2.
The screen-free games brought a different kind of energy from the earlier digital play, but they worked for the same reason: people had to cooperate, cheer one another on, and care about the outcome together.
When the numbers started being called
Partway through the team challenges, the host returned to Social Bingo for the calling stage. This was the moment the room's earlier conversations turned into anticipation. Numbers were called out one by one, and guests waited to see whether their carefully collected cards would come together.
There was no automatic reveal to take away the suspense. Guests tried to persuade the host to call their numbers next, and each winner was invited to the front for a gift. The prizes gave the game a satisfying finish, but the better result was the way the room had already warmed up before the call began.
Watch the highlights
For a look at the sunshine, team games, Social Bingo, and the energy on the day, watch the Art of Games Fest highlight reel on Instagram.
A partner event, and a proof point
The Art of Games Fest was a useful reminder of what Neegma is designed to do. The platform works just as naturally at an in-person event as it does online. A host can set up a session, share a QR code, and let guests join from their phones. The game does not replace the atmosphere in the room. It gives people a reason to take part in it.
For The Art of Games, it also showed what a Neegma partner can bring to the marketplace. Their sessions are built around the kind of games and pacing that make a social event feel intentional, whether the room needs an icebreaker, a lively team challenge, or a full game-night flow.
If you are planning a community event, a summer social, or a team gathering, explore The Art of Games' templates, browse all Neegma session templates, or see how Neegma can support your next live event.
Do you create game nights, workshops, or experiences for other people? Apply to become a Neegma partner and sell your own ready-to-run session templates.