The IGDA has 111 local chapters around the globe, each serving their local game developers with events, community networks, and other resources. This week we would like to feature the hard work and efforts of our Chicago Chapter.

2019 has been a very busy year for IGDA Chicago. The chapter has concentrated its efforts on community building and concentrated collaborations with local organizations, colleges, and businesses.

In March, IGDA Chicago hosted three GDC related events. First, the chapter hosted a workshop at Columbia College to prepare first-time attendees of GDC for their time in San Francisco. Next, IGDA Chicago organized a Midwest Mingle at GDC to facilitate networking and connections during the conference. Finally, the chapter hosted a GDC postmortem so that GDC attendees could share lessons learned with one another and plan for attending next year.

The Summer was devoted to connecting with their membership and the Chicago game development community at large. They made large improvements to their social media presence and launched a new Discord Channel, Twitch Channel, and website at www.igdachicago.com. The website includes new features like an updated jobs board, event calendar, and will soon host a history of Chicago’s contributions to the video game industry.

Most recently, IGDA Chicago participated in Chicago’s largest arcade festival pop-up, Bit Bash. This public showcase of over 80 independent games was held this weekend at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in western hemisphere, and drew an audience of thousands.

IGDA Chicago contributed to this groundbreaking event by showcasing a selection of games from its most recent game jam. These games were inspired by the Atari-era of gaming, and were featured on authentic period-accurate hardware. Made by students from Columbia College and DePaul University, these games demonstrated how video games are a medium that foster creativity, collaboration, and community.

The year is not over yet, and IGDA Chicago is just getting started. It has a variety of events planned for the remainder of the year, and several initiatives planned for the Fall designed to increase value to our membership, our partners, and their local community. Be sure to follow them on social media for more updates!