Adam Clewes-Boyne

Adam is a games programmer, designer and neurodivergent advocate, who works tirelessly to create space and opportunity for people in the UK video games industry. He is the co-founder of BetaJester Ltd, a 10 year old, majority neurodivergent games studio, prioritising empathy and neuroinclusion in development. Adam is also the founder of Playing Attention, the first community in the UK games industry specifically dedicated to supporting people with ADHD. Since its inception in 2022, Playing Attention has hosted an active online community, resource library, virtual talks and several in-person events. Finally, he is also a co-founder of the IGDA Neurodiversity in Game Development SIG, a group of people who advocate for neurodiversity inclusion in the global games industry. Adam frequently speaks at events about neurodiversity in games and beyond, including at Develop:Brighton (hosting the roundtable “Accessible Communication and Managing a Neuro-diverse Studio”) and the internationally renowned Game Developers Conference on the subject of neurodivergent Intersectionality. He is also an online tutor for Falmouth University and frequent facilitator for the graduate competition Tranzfuser, supporting students entering the industry for the first time. Adam also works to support marginalised people and those entering the industry. Since 2020, Adam has been a mentor for Limit Break, a mentorship program aimed at marginalised people in the UK games industry. As of 2024, he has also been a committee member working with the accessibility team. Furthermore, he was also selected as the third most influential disabled person in the UK in the field of science and technology at the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 2024. Overall, Adam is a key player when it comes to providing support to the neurodivergent community in the UK games industry, as well as providing support and advice for people trying to enter the industry wholesale.