July 2022 Update

Jul 1st, 2022 by Tim Cullings

Hello Indies!

We’re officially halfway done with the year – whoa, time flies doesn’t it? Hope you’ve had a good first half and are looking forward to the second. We certainly are, because..

Upcoming Events

Seattle Indies Expo 2022 is getting closer and closer! While the applications are closed, judging has started and we are still looking for volunteers and sponsors. This will feature both in-person SIX happening at Motif on 9/4/22 and SIX Online.

Check out the official site: https://six.seattleindies.org/

IGDA Seattle Summer Picnic 2022 returns SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022 AT 11 AM – 8 PM at Madrona Park.

Here’s the full event info and signup.

Say good-bye to summer together with the annual IGDA Seattle Summer Picnic (2022 edition)! You’re welcome to bring kids, family, and friends along as well. We’ll have burgers, hotdogs, soft drinks, and snacks. Feel free to bring your own favorite dishes to share!

NOTE: Alcohol is not permitted at the park.

You can also bring yard games for friends to play! If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we can hide in the shelter instead.

~Schedule~

We will be grilling at two times for those arriving earlier or later in the day:

-Lunch, 12pm-2pm

-Dinner, 5pm-7pm

~Vaccinations~

We highly encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated ahead of the event to help everyone stay safe and healthy during the picnic. Washington residents can visit the WA Vaccine Locator website to find their nearest available vaccination site.

Hype Intensifies! Hype Jam – the game jam for game trailers – returns July 30th to August 6th. You’ll have 1 week to make a game trailer for a game that doesn’t exist. If you’re interested, join us on itchio and discord! https://itch.io/jam/hype-jam-2022

Emerald City Comic Con 2022 Indie Games Showcase (Aug. 18-21) is now accepting applications until July 13th! Here’s the Singup Form

Are you an indie video game, mobile game, board game, or TTRPG designer or publisher in the Pacific Northwest? We’re looking for you! Know friends that fit this description?

The Game Devs of Color Expo is happening online again this year, save the dates: September 15-18, 2022. Follow them on Twitter or visit their website for the latest information. “Our mission is to amplify the creative power held by people of color in games. We do this by organizing revolutionary events, uniting our vibrant community, and building access to knowledge, funding, and opportunities.”

Tokyo Game Show is also coming up on September 15 – September 18 (ignore the dates in image above, that was for last year). The applications do not seem to be open yet with full info. The event tends to be a bit more pricey, but keep an eye on the Sense of Wonder Night – it’s an opportunity for indies to showcase games which are  “experimental and creative, and that cannot be called conventional or traditional.” So if you’re working on something out-of-the-box, add it to your calendar!

Monthly Events

Discord Social is happening July 6 at 7pm right on our (surprise surprise) discord! Can’t make the in-person socials or just want to hang out? Come join us every first Weds for the Discord social!

Indie Coffee Break – Once a week, take a Coffee Break with our Discord community, and chat with your local game devs! Meet new folks. Talk about games. Share your work. Ask for help / feedback. Commiserate over problems. Collaborate on solutions. Give high-fives. We’re a weekly social work group for game devs of all levels and disciplines. Join us on Discord every Saturday from 1pm to 7pm! Drop by anytime; folks usually drop in and out throughout the day. Coffee Break also happens on an impromptu basis throughout the month so if you see folks hanging out in the channel feel free to drop in and join the conversation.

The Game Club this month will take place on July 20, 7 PM – 9 PM and will focus on Jazzpunk – here is the event link. What a book club is to a discussion of literature, this event is to a discussion of game design. Every month, we agree to play a game, then meet to discuss and analyze its design and presentation.

Indie Co-working Support Group  in-person will take place Saturday, July 2, July 16 and July 30, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM PST, at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment.  Masks will be enforced and vax cards will be checked at the door. Seattle Center wifi will be available for use. Please bring everything you need to be productive. The online Coffee Break session will still be available to anyone who isn’t ready for in person events yet or doesn’t have the ability to attend the in person event. We will be meeting every other Saturday at AIE going forward. We have also added a Co-working voice channel in Discord for people to use any time they want a quiet space to work alongside their peers.

The Northside Social will take place Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 6 PM to 8pm  at  Distant Worlds Coffeehouse. It’s time to get together and swap stories. Put down your keyboards and brave the outdoors. Let’s meet for a coffee/tea, a bite to eat, and some good conversation!

The Eastside Meet & Drink is happening at  Eastside Beer Works on July 5 at 7pm! Keep in mind it happens  on the first Tuesday of every month. It’s time to get together and swap stories. Put down your keyboards and brave the outdoors. Let’s meet for a drink, a bite to eat, and some good conversation!

Seattle Indies Social IRL will take place on July 19, 7-10:30pm at Optimism as always! Join us in Capitol Hill for some well-deserved mingling, drinks, and socialization! Make some new friends, catch up with old ones, and find out what the community’s up to.

Local Dev News

Chel launched a new album today, matching Bandcamp’s Juneteenth donations to the NAACP for each sale!  Check it out here.

Andrew also shared their lofi project “ippi” ! They recommend Midnight Bodega, At Dusk (for a chippier sound) and Nomad! 🙂Here’s the Spotify Link

noobtiger released their first game on steam today, a turn-based RPG with a unique twist.

Get it Right Here on Steam!

Ty released Freshly Frosted, a two-time Seattle Indies Expo game about creating the world’s most adorable donut factory! It’s out on Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, and Epic and here’s the launch tweet with more info and links!

Dvdfu also released their mobile game Chiki’s Chase on iOS & Android! Tweet with download links + a silly trailer right here.

Fkkclojd revealed ETERNIGHTS during Sony’s State Of Play! It’s a dating action game where you try to make the most out of life during the apocalypse. Wishlist on the Steam Page!

David also shared Cornucopia, a heartwarming indie farming RPG. Grow crops, plant fruit trees and berry bushes, make friends, get married, raise and breed animals, pet assisted combat, card quests, fishing, racing, fun mini-games, a custom soundtrack and much more! Here’s the Steam Page to wishlist!

Ooyu shared One Just Night – “Just Night is reluctantly willing to give Billie the day to see if they can find common ground to make the prophecy come true – after all, who can argue with fate?” Check out the Itch.io page!

Harassment Policy, AAPI, Black Lives Matter, and Resources

Seattle Indies stands with the AAPI community. We are here for our members who have been affected by the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes both locally and nationally. For further resources to educate yourself on the issue and how to take action, here is a useful link: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

Seattle Indies is starting to have in person meetups again and we need everyone to get vaccinated and boosted against the COVID-19 virus as soon as you are able. The Washington State Department of Health has this website for information on where you can get vaccinated in your area.

Seattle Indies believes the stories of the victims of sexual harassment and assault in the games industry that have been shared. We strongly condemn the actions by people in power preying on the dreams of vulnerable people trying to make their way in the industry and strive to build an inclusive community that welcomes all minorities to provide a safe environment and a better vision for the game industry.

While our code of conduct states a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind we are especially sensitive to the daily challenges faced by womxn due to the ingrained sexism that has existed in the structure of the games industry for far too long. We are actively working to build a better community of game developers and we all need to do better.

Additionally, Board Member August Belhumeur has offered to be a personal resource for anyone who needs help, someone to talk to or some guidance on next steps if you have experienced harassment in the industry either at our events or elsewhere. She can be reached at august@seattleindies.org.

Our friends at Take This Org have compiled valuable resources for anyone in immediate need of professional help for their situation.

Lastly, Seattle Indies and Diversity Collective+ support Black Lives Matter. Here are some resources compiled by Diversity Collective+ for how you can offer support, whether this is financial, contributing to petitions, preparing for protests, or getting informed. If you have additional resources, comment below and we will add them.

As always, keep an eye on our Discord for any last-minute news and discussion, and let us know about any projects you’re working on that you’d like shared on our Steam or Itch collections or tweeted about from  @SeattleIndies!

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