May 2024 Update
Hello Indies!
Can you believe it’s already March? Things are moving fast, and events are coming up… read for more details below!
Upcoming Events
The annual Game Developer Conference is slowly sneaking up on us again. It will take place March 18-22 in San Francisco, and you can read all about it here.
There will also be a Pre-GDC Meetup at Dolores Park on Sunday, March 17 at 3pm. If you’re going, it’s a GREAT way to meet a bunch of really cool indie devs, so put it on your calendar!
PAX East is also coming up, taking place March 21-24 in Boston. Learn more about the show here.
FYI if you want to get a list of all upcoming game event shows and get ready early, The Indie House has published this fantastic list of upcoming festival that’s exactly that. Well worth a bookmark!
Monthly Events
The Eastside Meet & Drink is happening at Pint & Pie Public House on March 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!
Northside Social is taking place March 14, 6pm at Distant Worlds Coffeehouse this month! 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!
Seattle Indies Board Game Meetup is happening on March 17, 3pm at Phoenix Comics and Games. Come play board games with Indie Game Developers!
Seattle Indies Social is happening on March 12th at 7pm at Stoup Brewing (formerly Optimism) in Capitol Hill. Join us 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. NOTE: The social is happening a week earlier than usual this month to avoid conflicting with GDC.
The Game Club is happening on March 20 at 7pm right on our Discord 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. This month we are playing and discussing Pizza Tower.
We’ll be having a Show and Tellon March 21 at 7pm at Spaces in Belltown. Bring your laptop and show off what you’re working on at the Seattle Indies Demo Night. Use this event to get feedback on your game and to network with other game devs. Pizza will be provided. Please bring everything you will need to demo and record feedback for your game.
The Writer’s Room is taking place on March 28, 6:30pm right on our discord. Bring your scripts, flowcharts, character bibles or whatever you’re working on to share and get feedback on your storytelling.
Indie Co-working Support Group in-person will take place every Saturday, from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM PST, at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. Seattle Center wifi will be available for use. Please bring everything you need to be productive. We will be meeting every Saturday of the month 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 Diversity Collective+ is happening on March 24th at Distant Worlds Coffee House on 6401 Roosevelt Way NE · Seattle, WA. Come to network, socialize, and discuss issues related to diversity and inclusion in game development! Folks that identify as an underrepresented minority in the game industry are welcome. Stop by to get a free coffee or tea from us for this month’s social!
Feedback Circle is OFF this month. Usually, it’s a time to stop coding, animating, making art or audio or adding that amazing new feature you thought of while you were falling asleep last night and come to Feedback Circle to get some real responses to what you have been working on from game creators in our community like yourself.
Local Dev News
Bilgem just released an official alpha reveal trailer of their next-gen MOBA game, Steel Swarm: Apocalypse, and did a soft launch in Turkey. The alpha will be available in U.S. in a few months. Watch the Trailer!
Wolf just released their first steam game Melon Madness, take a look!
Corey Kemper Worked really hard on this video covering the trials and tribulations of being a Game Developer in 2024, Watch it Here!
Michael Shephard shared ome footage from their VR shooter game featured (as an encore at the end) in a VR game showcase, watch it here!
Tom Goulding shared Undersapce – playable demo! Big monsters! SPACE! Check it out
Larry J. put together a Release Date Announcement trailer for their sci-fi detective game called The Curse of Grimsey Island! Coming out this April 30, 2024. Watch it here!
Joey Kalitovic is a Designer and recently launched Alpha for their game, Eighth Era!
(The Alpha is only available on iOS devices). It’s is free to play, turn-based RPG (the Alpha is 100% free) and there is a physical reward for the first people to complete Hard mode (around 15 remaining). Check it out!
RedVonix shared that latest console ports from their console porting studio, Cerulean Games, is NOW AVAILABLE!!! Go get you some tasty horror with Cannibal Abduction and pack in title The Night of the Scissors, available now on everything. Check it out here.
MrYeis wanted to share latest demo for Desktop Explorer, an exploration-puzzle game set in a retro-style operating system. Solve puzzles by interacting with built-in software features, immersing yourself into a realistic late 90’s computer experience. Check it out here!
Enji shared the new demo for their rogue-like deckbuilder Tendryll! A tactical grid-based card game, set in an obscure world with strange creatures. Play it here!
Logan Wang just released their very first game EVER on Steam a couple days ago– it’s a multiplayer rock-climbing game with a unique movement system. Think of it like a cuter, slightly less frustrating version of Getting Over It, which you can play with your friends! Take a look here!
Mony Dragon shared Beyond the Infernal Door – dive into the depths of the unknown, now available on Itch.io! Embark on a choice-driven journey where every door holds the key to redemption or damnation. Face the trials of Wrath, challenge your morality, and discover the fate of damned souls. Play it here!
slimomo just released their game Becca – In this interactive story you follow Becca’s daily routine for a few days and get a peek into some of her inner thoughts. Let’s help Becca move forward through the first month at her new school – and find new happiness. Good luck, Becca! Here’s the Link!
Toby M. shared new trailer for RAM! They also just did a major demo update, check it out 🙂
Michael Betts shared the playable demo for Ambrosia, their 12-years-in-the-making Metroidvania/Mega Man! If you like either genre, check it out.
Alice Bottino shared their fast-paced styalized rhythm game! Please check it out, share it around, and don’t forget to wishlist!
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 having 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 ourcode 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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