In this issue:

What’s on | Highlights of upcoming events.

Chapter Events | Meetups, talks, and other events we’re hosting.

#NYMakesGames News | Game launches and other updates from local creators.

Around Town | A community calendar of events from across the city.

Jobs & Opportunities | The latest posts from our notice boards.

IGDA Resources | Discounts and other benefits for IGDA members.

Chapter Resources | Where to go for more info.

What’s On This Month

• The second iteration of Playcrafting’s monthly NYC Indie Dev Night with BrookLAN will be on April 25th!

• Wonderville is turning FIVE and they’re kicking off the birthday weekend on May 3rd with a launch party for a brand new arcade cabinet – DYEBREAKER!

• Save the date for the annual NYU Game Center Spring Showcase on May 16th. Students will be showing playable demos of their work made over the course of this past year.

On the Horizon

• The Tribeca Festival is happening June 5th-16th! Make sure to stay tuned for the reveal of the Games and Immersive Experience lineup on April 25th!

• Save the date! The 2024 Games for Change Festival will take place June 27 – 28, 2024!

The IGDA recently issued a call to action to studio leadership to prioritize sustainable efforts in order to prevent layoffs.

Among the listed resources catered towards developers, the following were included with more to come:

• Unionization Information as well as the IGDA’s recent Worker Empowerment & Unionization Panel from December

• Stronger Together in Games Resources

• Amir Satvat’s Games Jobs Resources

• Mental Health & Layoffs in Games by Take This

Access the full list of resources here

The Virtual Exchange is a development program for grantees from underrepresented communities worldwide. With access to coaching, industry veterans, and game companies – the program uplifts, educates, and empowers the next generation of video game leaders.

The 2024 Virtual Exchange program will host grantees from across the globe in these three cohorts: Next Gen Leaders supports mid-career game industry professionals as they look to transition to leadership roles in the industry. Velocity is for professionals looking to transition into the game industry from non gaming-related careers or industries. International Scholars selects grantees from colleges, universities and institutions (including HBCU and HSI) globally who are currently enrolled or recently graduated.

The IGDA is hosting a 2024 New Year, New Developers sponsored membership drive to support developers in need. By sponsoring an IGDA membership for others, you help us provide its many benefits to those in need at no cost to them.

This year, our goal is to help 1,000 new developers get a free IGDA membership, which provides access to 160+ Chapters and Special Interest Groups, impactful and meaningful mentorship experiences, the full IGDA resource library, and more!

Each sponsorship tier comes with an additional benefit for the sponsor! Please tell us how many developers you wish to support by completing this form.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jakin Vela, IGDA Executive Director at jakin@igda.org.

Monday Afternoon Co-Working on Discord

IGDA NYC Discord

Every Monday, 1pm – 4pm

Come join us at our new regular co-working hours on our Discord channel!

We’ll be working camera optional/mic off on the Events Voice Channel. But our new Lounge Channel will be right next door for anyone who wants to show off what they’re working on, ask some questions, or just hang out.

Taco Tuesday with Coexist!

*RSVP Required*
Coexist Gamehouse

Tue, April 23rd @ 6:00pm

Join us at the Coexist Gamehouse for a casual social with Tacos, games, drinks and music!

RSVP required for free entry!

Share your NY game news here or tweet #NYMakesGames.
Section Editor: Mattia Sicuro

Making Waves

• Applications for the next NYU Game Center Incubator cohort are opening on May 7th! RSVP for the Q&A session on May 1st, plus check out other key dates and info here

• For those who might have missed the live talks from ThinkyCon 2024, you can catch up with the VODs here

• The Game Devs of Color Expo still has two deadlines remaining for showcasing your game at the 2024 expo! Submit your game for any/all available showcases here

• Crossword Con, presented by Puzzmo, is a first-of-its-kind half-day conference about crossword puzzles with all talk now available on their Youtube channel

Launched

• Concrete Visions by DOSMan Games and Voxpop is a first-person psychological thriller video game with survival horror, FPS and beat’em up elements.

• Outer Terror by Salf & Pixel and VoxPop is a horde shooter where you hold out against massive quantities of otherworldly cosmic creatures.

Crowdfund

• Bitter Silver is a Cowboy Bebop-inspired visual novel where you track down bounties with your misfit crew.

• Spellstorm is a tactical deckbuilding card game where you choose one of eight wizards with wildy asymmetrical powers

• Secret Levels is a new art organization holding a crowdfunding campaign for it’s inaugural exhibition NYC in Video Games 86-93. Take a look at the unique relationship the city has with video games during this era, specifically the beat em’up genre!

Ongoing Initiatives

• Applications to join GUMBO are open! GUMBO is a non-profit collective of indie game creators located in Dumbo, Brooklyn formed to inspire and motivate each other, stay current in the indie game makers community, and expand an already amazing skill-sharing network.

• In support of Wonderville, consider becoming a member on WithFriends to help to keep the arcades working and pay for parts and maintenance!

• ANNY Exchange is a Talent Connect Initiative for Animation Nights New York. Want to participate and be added to the database of Animation Talent from all around the world? More info here

• Animation Nights New York (ANNY) is always accepting submissions for Animated Short Films, AR Animation Experiences, VR animation Experiences, and Interactive Media (including Video Games). More info here

• Coexist Gaming is a subscription-based gaming lifestyle company that provides an inclusive ecosystem for community, culture, connection and opportunity. Including a gaming lounge, optimized networking experiences and accessible resources for Devs, find out more and become a member here!

• Support the Game Devs of Color Expo’s mission to uplift marginalized voices in game development by signing up for their monthly Ko-fi subscription! Your support ensures ongoing grants, events, and community programs.

• Support GUMBO on Patreon for exclusive digital content, free event access, and more!

• The New York State Digital Game Development Program is designed to accelerate and attract economic development by offsetting some production costs associated with producing digital games in New York State.

Unless otherwise noted, events are (probably!) free to attend. Follow @GameDevNYC for event alerts. Contact nyc@igda.org to add your org’s events.

Saturday, April 20th

Build a Board Game in Under 2 Hours – Learn the art of rapid prototyping and hone your game design skills with the workshop group!

Sunday, April 21st

Where There’s Smoke: VIRTUAL experience – Columbia DSL in collaboration with DAM zine present a special virtual performance of “Where There’s Smoke” an immersive storytelling project by Lance Weiler

Tuesday, April 23rd

Women in Games Coexist-ing! – Join Coexist for an event focused on bringing together femme-identifying individuals to discuss and explore the art and industry of game development.

Tournament Tuesday: Tetris X Nothing Good Can Come of This – Wondervilles’ monthly tournament series continues with a double-dose of arcade action!

Animation Nights New York at the Gutter Spare Room – Animation Nights New York is a monthly screening event and annual festival showcasing the very best animated short films, virtual reality animation experiences, and interactive games from all around the world.

Wednesday, April 24th

Breakthrough in Storytelling Awards Virtual Event – The awards program recognizes achievements across the spectrum of media that rely on digital technologies, including film, video, journalism, advertising, marketing, games, art, fiction, theater, VR, AR, and experimental narratives.

Thursday, April 25th

NYC Indie Dev Night with Playcrafting – Indie devs, gamers, publishers, industry vets and students – this is the place to come meet others in the community, network and talk shop – and check out what games NYC is cookin’ up!

Saturday, April 27th

Donut Academy: SP -404 Training with Nothing Neue – Nothing Neue is your professor for this intensive on how to elevate your SP 404 skills to expand live performances into a transformative experience for the audience.

Sunday, April 28th

Animation Nights New York Virtual Events – Watch a curated program of animated short films from all around the world!

LAN Party Book Launch ft. Aftermath – Come celebrate the release of merritt k’s book LAN Party with a conversation between the author and the crew of the worker-owned video game and culture site Aftermath!

Play By ear at Wonderville – Play by Ear is a showcase featuring games about music and karaoke! Come sing your favorite songs and play some awesome games!

Tuesday, April 30th

Monthly Tuesday Hacker Hours – Free office hours for coding help—any programming language, all levels of experience!

GUMBO Show & Tell – Working on something cool? Want to see what other NYC Game Makers are working on? Come to GUMBO’s Show & Tell night!

Wonderville’s last Tuesday of the month PLAYTEST – Come to Wonderville to playtest in production games! If you’re a developer, bring your game! No signups required.

Wednesday, May 1st

NYU Incubator 2024 Q&A – Interested in applying to the NYU Game Center Incubator 2024? Join this casual question and answer session with Incubator Admin Matteo Uguzzoni.

NYC Indie Games Social – The NYC Indie Games social is a monthly gathering for indie game devs of all stripes to mix and mingle in a casual, relaxed setting.

Friday, May 3rd

Wonderville Turns Five! + Dyebreaker Launch Party – Dyebreaker, the competitive “air hockey platformer” inspired by screen print poster art, is moving to Wonderville!

Sunday, May 5th

ITP New Arcade 2024 Showcase at Wonderville – Come check out four brand new arcade cabinets made by students in NYU’s New Arcade class.

Thursday, May 9th

NYVR Meetup – The NYVR meetup is a community of people interested in the development and application of virtual reality technology.

Wednesday, May 15th

Building and Using VR in Education – A meetup to connect educators and others in the VR space!

Long Island Game Dev Virtual Meetup – Network with other Game Devs based in and around Long Island!

Thursday, May 16th

NYU Game Center Spring Showcase – The Showcase will feature projects from all graduating Capstone and Thesis students, as well as a selection of digital and non-digital games made in a range of design, studio, and development courses at the NYU Game Center.

Monthly Thursday with Hacker Hours – Free office hours for coding help—any programming language, all levels of experience!

View or submit a listing for free.

Jobs

• Project Manager, Digital Game Development at Empire State Development

• Senior/Mid Environment Art, Tech Art and Design Roles at Roar Games

• Editorial Project Manager at IGN

• Email Marketing Manager at Rockstar

• Art Director at Normandie

• Assistant Arts Professor at NYU

Exhibit/Speak/Publish

• Want to bring your game to Playcrafting & BrookLAN’s NYC Indie Dev Night? Fill out this form! BrookLAN has PC’s for you to use, space for tabletop as well as space for you to bring your own set up if needed!

• BXStart is a platform dedicated to fostering the intersection of game development and entrepreneurship in the Bronx community. Sign up to showcase your game at their Indie Game Night held every third Friday of the month! Apply here

Volunteer

• Want to contribute to the social impact gaming community and get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Games for Change Festival 2024? Volunteer! Sign up here

• If you’re interested in helping make Black In Gaming a supportive and inclusive community for black game creators to thrive, consider joining the Community Team to help drive online engagement and initiatives!

Education

• TP Camp is a crash course and playground for creative and techy people who want to shake things up. Every June in New York City, makers, artists, musicians, programmers, fabricators, and creatives of all sorts are invited to join the ITP community to make stuff, hear speakers on the cutting edge, and collaborate with people from diverse disciplines.

Funding/Programs/Contests

• The t*gh GameChangeHERs // Women’s Innovation Hub seeks not just to fund and support women-led gaming ventures but also to foster a community that champions diversity, innovation, and success in the gaming industry. By providing targeted resources and opportunities, the program aims to empower women entrepreneurs to turn their visions into thriving businesses that contribute to the richness and diversity of the gaming world.

• The Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge is presented by Games for Change in partnership with Google Play and HP. Game developers worldwide are invited to submit completed or beta versions of Android games to the Challenge. Submissions will be reviewed by panels of expert judges. Finalists will receive financial resources and capacity-building support, including funding, mentorship, and marketing and promotional opportunities.
  

• Oculus Publishing Ignition is a lightweight and rapid prototyping fund to support newly formed studios banding together through the current challenges in the game industry. Interested teams can apply starting now through this form up until September 1, 2024, or when the fund is exhausted..

Benefits for IGDA members.

Join here. Log in for all member discount codes and details.

• Event discounts: IGDA Members save 10% on tickets to GI Live: Online – visit the Discounts page for details!

• Education discounts: 10% off all General Assembly classes and workshops. Browse NYC classes.

• Software discounts: 20% off Buildbox. Details.

• IGDA Career Center: Job listings open to all; early access for members. Careers.igda.org

• IGDA Crowdfunding Collection: Member projects featured on Kickstarter. Submit.

Follow us for updates:

• @IGDANYC on Twitter
• Facebook page

Connect with the community:

• Discord server
• Facebook group
• Meetup group
• LinkedIn group

Visit our Jobs and Opportunities board to view or post listings for free.

Want to help us do things?

Learn about volunteering with the chapter.

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