After attracting more than 43,000 passers-by during its very first edition, the Festival Ludique International de Montréal (FLIM) is back from July 24 to 26, 2026 with an even more ambitious, festive and unifying program. Completely free, the event will take place on Boulevard De Maisonneuve, between Saint-Denis and Sanguinet streets, for three days dedicated to the pleasure of playing together.
This year, FLIM is heading towards going green. The board game thus becomes a fantastic tool for raising public awareness of nature, biodiversity and eco-responsibility. Because taking care of the planet can also be fun, the festival will offer a host of activities that demonstrate that entertainment and environmental commitment go hand in hand.
Supported by around fifty volunteer facilitators, around twenty exhibitors and around twenty guest artists, this second edition will offer an accessible and diverse program, combining demonstrations, giant games, conferences, original performances and even live podcast recordings.
Among this year’s guests, the public will be able to find Andy Saint-Louis, Jérémie Larouche, Dave Bélisle, Jean-François Provençal, Guillaume Perreault, from the worlds of games, humor and creation as well as our international guests: the illustrator Melody Leblond and the YouTuber Simon Murat from Passe-Temps.
Here is an overview of what awaits festival-goers:
Friday July 24 4:00 p.m. – Hitster ROCK with a live musician. 5:00 p.m. – Game presentation by Schmidt 6:00 p.m. – Conference with illustrator Mélodie Leblond – The importance of representing nature through games. 7:00 p.m. – “Blind Test” hosted by illustrator Mélodie Leblond 8:00 p.m. – Dungeon & Dragons with a post-apocalyptic theme with Jean-François Provençal and Dave Bélisle of the Appendices
Saturday July 25 1:00 p.m. – Skyrift game presentation by Origames 2:00 p.m. – King of Tokyo Godzille game presentation by ILO 3:00 p.m. – Discussion on the environmental impact of the game with Scorpion Masqué and Maxime Tardif 4:00 p.m. – Earth Express presented by the author Maxime Tardif 5:00 p.m. – Presentation of Until 20, a fun group game by Drei Magier 6:00 p.m. – The big Eco-Quiz presented by the FLIM Green Brigade 7:00 p.m. – PLI Gala – International Ludique Prize, presented by Es-tu Game? : recognition of the best French-speaking games of the year.
Sunday, July 26, 1:00 p.m. – Presentation of the game Manoir Bizarre by Bombyx 2:00 p.m. – “Play local”: conference by Simon Murat, from Passe-Temps, on the importance of local shops. 3:00 p.m. – Tribute to Matthieu D’Epenoux: Contrario avec la public, hosted by Christian Lemay. 4:00 p.m. – Presentation of Cup the crab and Trait Rapide by Pixie Games 5:00 p.m. 00 – Action Bonus: podcast on independent role-playing games and their approach to eco-responsibility.
Beyond its main programming, FLIM will offer a multitude of continuous activities throughout the site. Walking activities, spontaneous role-playing games, Quebec author signing sessions, a toy library offering free loan of games that our team of volunteers can explain and even a few frozen treats will punctuate the festival-goers’ experience throughout the weekend.
Creation enthusiasts will be able to attend a 24-hour Game Jam, during which a game must be created from A to Z and presented by Next Move, as well as the prototype competition organized by G1ID Games.
Fans of immersive experiences will be delighted by murder and mystery activities, a terrifying animation of the Haunting game, a brand new escape game in a dark basement, as well as an immersive Werewolf show orchestrated by the La Rocambolesque improvisation troupe.
This year, the FLIM Green Brigade will occupy a central place in the programming with workshops on the creation of eco-responsible games in collaboration with Réno-Jouet, a kiosk dedicated to sustainable transport in an event context as well as several tournaments and presentations of games with an environmental theme.
Young and old alike will be able to participate in the new FLIM fun passport. By taking part in the various activities and collecting the punches spread across the site, festival-goers will have the chance to win numerous prizes.
A large continuous board game bazaar will also be organized in the festival headquarters: 209 Ste-Catherine Est. The place will be specially designed and several activities will be held before, during and after the festival, including the immersive experience sessions already mentioned.
A temporary catering space will be provided by Omnivore, while the Halte Ludique boutique will allow visitors to leave with their favorites discovered during the festival.
Three days of festivities, discoveries and meetings await the Montreal public this summer. The FLIM confirms more than ever its desire to make the game a formidable vector of gathering, creativity and, this year, commitment to the environment.