You nosy bastards asked for it: here’s some Fancily Asked Questions we get, questions you’ve screamed into our chauffeur’s ears as we scramble out the back of our limousines, hastily swatting the gold-flaked caviar from our designer sweatpants. This is all you need to know about the Society Ball and how we’re turning the Masonic Temple into an arcade wonderland for one night this October.

What the hell is this?

Our Society Ball is a chance to buttonmash with the best-dressed gamers this side of Norm Kelly’s house.

Expect indie video games from Toronto and around the world, live DJing, wearing the classiest attire you could buy on sale that you’ll probably return tomorrow, mysterious chanting, blood oaths to shadow organizations… So yeah, typical Friday night.

Why are you doing this to us?

We pulled it off last year, and gosh-dammit we’ll do it again! NO COURT WOULD CONVICT US. NO JURY WOULD DARE. It helps that y’all seem to be into this. Last year, over 600 people showed up and we sold out two weeks in advance. This year, we sold over 100 tickets in the first 12 hours. You might want to get tickets soonish…?

Do I gotta be a grown ass adult wearing grown ass clothes?

Yeah, you’ve got to be over 19 & we’ll be checking IDs. The theme is fancy, so might be a good time to blow the dust off your grandpa’s top hat or polish your distant ancestor’s cursed pearl necklace that’s been passed down for generations and has brought nothing but failed crops into every village it stays in.

But there’s no mandatory dress code. Donning a monocle and squeezing into those size 3.5 glass slippers is totally optional.

How much? C’mon. Cut me a deal.

$25 a ticket, get yours here and RSVP on Facebook. Existing Hand Eye members get a free drink. If you sign up for a yearly membership now, you’ll get a free ticket!

Is that the only way to get a free ticket?

You can also volunteer your skills to help us make this happen & score free entry! You can either work prior to the event with street team or tech setup, or work half the event. Let us know what you’d like to do on this form!

Why should I care?

This is a fundraiser for us, your friendly neighbourhood videogame arts not-for-profit. Your ticket money goes towards supporting Hand Eye Society programs like Game Curious and Wordplay, our interactive fiction festival. Both serve to engage folks who don’t typically identify as gamers and give everyone in Toronto a chance to explore games as mediums for creative expression. You’ll also be contributing to future year-round workshops, such as the Artsy Games Incubators, which have helped numerous aspiring game artists to go on to great things!

Who else cares about this?

Right now, here’s what the buzz is about the Society Ball:

• “[The Society Ball] bridges the gap between the high culture of the art world and the city’s indie videogame scene” — Luke Simcoe in The Metro
• “This might have been foretold on the US $1 bill…” says @BenjaminRivers, who knows too much
• “A fancy video game party at the Masonic Temple? Yes please!” –@yeahtoronto

Will this be a safer space?

We’ve got a safer space policy that will be enforced, to keep the Society Ball safe and comfortable for all attendees. We encourage everyone to read our policy before partying. (This is our first event with it in place, so feedback welcome.) If you are interested in joining the Safer Spaces team for this event, please fill out the volunteer form.

Accessibility Information?

The Society Ball will take place in the Masonic Temple, a wheelchair-accessible space with an elevator. Overhead room lighting will be used in all spaces, but may be dimmed or turned off. Various games make loud noises and live music will be playing throughout. The event will take place with a bar and alcohol being served. Should it not interfere with access to the event, we ask for all attendees’ participation in making the conference fragrance-free. If you have access needs that would ensure your attendance, please contact us.

*First date voice* SO TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

The first Fancy Videogame Party was at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It looked a little like this.

That party was kind of a big deal. Not only did we wake up with a massive hangover and a cryptic latin tattoo, we somehow got media love too, including coverage by VICE, Toronto Star, and the National Post.

All right so what kinda games?

We’ll be making announcements on this very newsletter/blog in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!