Hand Eye Society’s June Newsletter: Toronto Games Week Edition
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Note: Events may be cancelled, or change form, like a transformer, or like a popsicle in the sun.
Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!
You can also submit news about Toronto/GTA games and events to calendar@handeyesociety.com at any time before the month in which the event takes place (preferably with a week to spare), post to our Facebook Group (as long as it’s relevant to local games/playful media and doesn’t violate our Code of Conduct), or @ us on Twitter for a RT.
#ICYMI
Thursday June 1, 8pm-10pm
Toronto Games Week Kick-off
Special guest Ryan Clark (Crypt of the Necrodancer, Phantom Brigade) will be doing a talk about market fit and 20 years of making indie games, followed by a social. Hosted by Dirty Rectangles. FREE!
Night Parkcade
Pop-up arcade in a park after dark! We’ll be projecting videogames for people to play near on the tennis courts close to the Queen St. W. Entrance of Trinity Bellwoods. We’ll start at sundown and go until our batteries run dry! Featuring queer games curated by Sagan Yee and Lee Wilkins. FREE.
Saturday June 3, 1pm
Preservation Through Play: Different Ways to Save Videogame History and Context
Toronto Public Library (Fort York branch)
Collector and preservationist Derek Quenneville and game curator Chris Young will give a talk on various approaches to keeping videogame history alive, including 3D scanning, cultural context, and hands-on play.
Attendees will get to try ancient artifacts of Nintendo, including the Game Boy Sewing Machine (2000), Game Boy Camera and Printer (1998), the Family BASIC keyboard (1984), and the Nintendo Virtual Boy game system (1995). Hosted by Derek Quenneville. FREE, but registration is required.
Saturday June 3, 1-4pm
Walking on the Web: An Introduction to Unity through Personal Walking Sims
We’ll discuss the tools Unity has to offer, as well as games as a form of autobiographical expression. No game development experience necessary, you’ll leave this workshop with a personal digital museum created by you & playable in a browser. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their creations in an online exhibition during Vector Festival 2023.Tickets required. Hosted by InterAccess.
Saturday June 3, 3-6pm
Indie Superboost: Refining Your Game Hook Workshop (Interactive Ontario)
Ryan Clark (Founder & CEO at Brace Yourself Games) will be joining us to discuss refining your game hook. Members of the indie dev community are invited to bring their game ideas and trailers to this interactive workshop where Ryan Clark will walk people through his thoughts on market fit and game hooks, offering critiques on how to improve. Hosted by Interactive Ontario. Supported by CMF and Ubisoft Toronto. Register here.
Saturday June 3, 7pm
NextGen Showcase
A showcase of some of the most promising young creators from York University, Sheridan, OCAD, and others, selected by visiting curator Susie Buchan. Zuraida Buter, a veteran curator of world-renowned festivals A MAZE. / Berlin and IndieCade EU, will be giving a short talk geared to advise young creators on how to get their games into international showcases, and why they may want that. Hosted by Yifat Shaik and supported by Digital Media at York University. FREE!
Sunday June 4, 1pm
Nuville Augmented Walking Game
Nuville is an augmented walking game for smartphones with a cyberpunk twist. You are a hacker (obviously), disguised as a tourist (?!), scrambling the data of the AI building the megapolis Nuville. This process is a no-code operation. Use your whole body and observational wits as you execute a series of whimsical prompts hidden in an out-of-this-world podcast.
Nuville is a Raaralab production, made in partnership with the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Center and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and Myseum of Toronto. Find out more at nuville.net/ and sign up here.
Sunday June 4, 3-5pm
Pekoe Tea Party & Cribbage with Grandpas
Come meet the creators of two of Canada’s coziest videogames, the upcoming Pekoe releasing at the end of June (stay tuned!!) and Vancouver’s Cribbage With Grandpas!
Bring a blanket and some tea (literally and/or figuratively), we’ll dish on a variety of cozy subjects and even play some cribbage together!
Sunday June 4, 7-9pm
WE ARE RACCOONS Book Launch with International Game Pals
Six game designer friends get a non-player character to work in each of their very different games—and accidentally create the first superintelligence in the process. Sci-fi novelist Jim Munroe will be launching his seventh book WE ARE RACCOONS and signing copies. (Conveniently located right next door to the following screening event!)
Sunday June 4, 9:30pm
Saturnalia talk and Blood & Black Lace screening
A talk by Pietro Righi Riva, the Italian director of the survival horror videogame Saturnalia, followed by a screening of a classic of Italian Giallo cinema that influenced its visual style, Blood & Black Lace. Supported by the Italian Cultural Institute of Toronto and the Sardegna Film Commission Foundation. Hosted by Rue Morgue and Stompbox. Click here for more information and tickets.
Monday June 5-7, 10am-4pm
Game Arts International Assembly (GAIA)
GAIA is a three day professional development symposium serving 20+ international game curators, festival directors, and community organizers hailing from almost a dozen countries. Hosted by Game Arts International Network and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Hosted by Game Arts International Network (GAIN).
Monday June 5, 6:30pm
“If You Don’t Like the Game, Change the Rules” Comic Launch
Palmerston Public Library Theatre
Join us for a lively conversation about games and work! At the launch of a comic exploring alternative labour modes like co-ops and unions, attendees will read the comic and then participate in a panel discussion with co-op studio workers and union organizers.
Hosted by Marie LeBlanc Flanagan (Game Arts International Network) and featuring Pablo F. Quarta (Matajuegos Coop, Argentina), Michael Iantorno (Concordia University), D. Squinkifer (Soft Chaos cooperative, Montreal), Skylar Hinnant (Zenimax Workers United – CWA, USA), and Daniel Korn (Game Workers Unite Toronto). Supported by CMF.
Tuesday June 6, 7pm
Branching Stories: Unraveling Narrative Design (IGDA Panel + Meet & Mingle)
George Brown College, Room 240
Discover the captivating stories behind your favourite games as we bring together a stellar panel of esteemed narrative designers! Nuha Alkadi (she/her), Josh Labelle (he/him), andKait Tremblay (they/she) will delve into the realm of narrative design and its many permutations and processes across different studios and games. We’ll then move across the street for drinks and snacks, our usual monthly meet and mingle.
Moderated by narrative designer Franci Dimitrovska, we’re excited to bring you an engaging exploration of the storytelling craft that shapes the very fabric of gaming. Whether you’re an industry veteran, an aspiring narrative designer, or curious about the magic behind unforgettable stories, this panel is not to be missed! Join us for a celebration of the rich narratives that make gaming an art form.
Don’t be shy. First-timers are definitely welcome! These events are FREE to attend and YOU DON’T NEED TO BE AN IGDA MEMBER. If you’re planning to come, please RSVP in advance so we can prepare our headcount and after-drinks venue.
Wednesday June 7, 6:30pm – 12am
IO Connect: Summer Showcase
Artscape Daniels Launchpad, 4th Floor
Join the Ontario video game industry for the IO Connect: Summer Showcase closing off Toronto Games Week. The event includes food, drink, networking, and the showcasing of a selection of Ontario Indies, including several 2023 Toronto Game Jam participants. The event will also feature the launch of Endlight, from Toronto’s Bigpants Studio. Hosted by Interactive Ontario. Tickets here.
Bonus Stage is BACK!
BONUS STAGE IS BACK!🎉
Join us June 13th, 7PM – 12AM @ Clinton's!
🍻Good drinks
🍔Good food
🤗Great atmosphere & a supportive community!
😃Chill talks @ 8:30Get all the event info here: https://t.co/oFZtLtkfCr
RT's appreactied!#toronto #gamedev #torontoevents #BonusStageTo pic.twitter.com/z3bqAW3DrE
— Bonus Stage Toronto (@BonusStageTO) May 30, 2023
BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES
Twin Swans is hiring! Lead Producer, Lead Artist, Environment Artist, Character Artist and a 3D Animator
Sticky Brain Studios is looking for a Junior Game Dev!
Tursiops Truncatus Studios is looking for a Community Manager!
Sketchbook Games is looking for a Writer!
Astra Fund is looking for a Producer/Associate Producer!
Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.
