Breaking news: After many months of discussion both internally and with our stakeholders, the Hand Eye Society will be undergoing an extensive revision of its mandate. Our focus will no longer be on the cultivation of local videogame arts and culture. Instead, all future activities shall be directed towards appreciating the high-stakes sport of competitive cheese rolling, in which participants chase a large wheel of cheese down a hill in a glorious display of both physical prowess and —

— Oh, it’s not April 1st any more? Does that mean I can drop this charade now, before writing an entire fake newsletter about an obscure English festival complete with cheese-themed updates instead of gaming arts news? Great, although I may have accidentally left a photo in there… Google Calendar may be disappointed (they love a ripe Camembert), but you can still count on them to keep track of all the dairy-free events this April!

WHERE TO JAUNT – EVENTS

April 3

The eighth Gamecon is happening! More information here.

April 4

It’s that time of year again, and the Level Up Showcase is here to show us all the fantastic student games that have been worked on! Come out and support student work!

April 10

There’s a brand new Video Game Review Club in town! New members are always welcome, and can help pick the next game even if they didn’t have a chance to get to this month’s game. This month’s game is Transistor. Doors open at 7:00.

April 10/17

Want to dip your feet into adding some flash to your game or alternative controller? Trinity Square Video is hosting a workshop about electronics. You’ll learn to use sensors, motors, and LEDs!

April 12

Armand Mech is giving a talk called The Great Impact of Small Details at TMAC for Toronto Game UX meetup. Armand will be discussing lessons learned from 3D art design, common pitfalls designers find themselves in, and how players are keen to pick up on smaller details. Doors open at 7:00.

April 24/May 1

Are you interested in learning how to make alternative controllers? Arduino is a great place to start and Trinity Square Video is running some workshops on everything you’ll need to get started!

April 26

Little Dada is putting on AfroScanned: A Make Friends Monthly Workshop hosted by PAERE. Learn about the history of photogrammetry and colour vision as related to race, computer vision and colour in film. Following this, the participants will be able to 3D scan themselves and we will critique what it feels like to have a virtual self!

April 21

Come learn about Establishing Scene: Crafting the Beginning of a Game with Taylor Bai-Woo at Electric Perfume, from 1 to 4! Learn how to guide player expectations of your world by meaningfully combining design, narrative and mechanics. HES members get a heads-up as to the exact date tickets go on sale, and we’ll have a very special blog post with all the details!

April 29

Not enough learnin’ for ya? Come out to our next game design workshop, Forget Virtual Reality, Try Actual Reality (click the link for tickets)! Hosted at Electric Perfume and taught by 1/4 of the Gloam Collective Damian Sommer, you’ll learn the fundamentals of social and physical game dynamics in a screenless environment. Workshop runs from 1 to 4 pm!

Don’t forget, HES members get a $15 discount on all of our Experimental Games Workshops.

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

April 5

It’s time for 9AM Breakfast Game Audio Club! As always it’ll be happening at Black Cat Espresso Bar.

April 6

There’s a Unity Meet and Greet happening at The Office, doors open at 7:00.

April 17

The Toronto Unreal Meetup is back! Head out and meet other people working with Unreal, there’s going to be talks and networking galore! Doors open at 6:30.

April 25

It’s time for Torontaru! Head out to Get Well and do some socializing!

April ???

Eat Play Mingle will be happening sometime this month, so keep your eyes on their page!

#ICYMI

Hand Eye Society Mississauga ran a computer hardware workshop for young ‘uns at the Sheridan Library!

And that wraps another EGLX. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Industry Mixer we co-presented, and congratulations to all the artists and devs who showcased their games and spoke over the weekend!

HES had a little booth going at this year’s first What the Film Festival bazaar, featuring thematically appropriate vaporwave-meets-Smash Bros. jam game VHS vs Betamax by Adam R. and Max H. For more cinematic celebrations of contemporary cult, genre and indie fare, keep an eye on the Laser Blast Film Society. They do good work.

Antifa Game Jam took place in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Brazil, online and elsewhere — and the deadline just got pushed back a couple weeks, so still plenty of time to finish your project. Much thanks to OPIRG for hosting our instance of the event!

Did you see this logo on a sticker at GDC and wonder what it meant? Game Workers Unite is a currently-forming anonymous and horizontal organization of people dedicated to advocating for workers’ rights and the crafting of a unionized games industry. Check out their comprehensive Resources page, which includes a PDF zine riffing on Nintendo Power and featuring Sonic the Hedgehog (who is apparently pro-union and anti-Nazi, as all recent appearances suggest).

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

Kitten Cup Studio is a new Toronto indie collective made up of Saffron Bolduc-Chiong, Dani Jones, and Alanna Predko (our very own communications and tech assistant)! They’re currently working on a game about brewing tea and mental health. Find them steeping on FB and Twitter!

Ontario’s first Manga Cafe needs your help! Akiba Kissa is the GTA’s first massive manga/anime cafe, equipped with a gaming room and screening room, where you can hang out and enjoy a mix of popular Japanese snacks and specialty drinks. After having opened just over a year and half, they have started a GoFundMe Campaign to help sustain the business as they are looking to relocate possibly in Toronto?? (Currently they are located in Markham). Check out their Facebook page for updates and also a schedule of their specialty nights like their Arcade Versus Weekly and Karaoke nights.

The organizations of the Toronto Media Arts Centre (TMAC) have moved into their brand-new space on Lisgar Street, and they’re looking for partners ASAP! Got big ideas and/or want to support Gamma Space and Dames Making Games in the very near future? Fill out this form to apply for a partnership.

PAPER TRAILS – GAMING IN THE MEDIA

Evil chose the wrong way to double dip: Drinkbox Studio announces Guacamelee 2! We’re so excited, it looks beautiful!

A big shout out to Laundry Bear for A Mortician’s Tale‘s honourable mention in Excellence in Narrative and nomination for the Nuovo Award at the IGF!

GeekDad has helpfully compiled a list of 11 mostly Canadian indie games featured at last month’s EGLX, including Toronto’s very own Cococucumber, Reptoid Games, Oddbird, Fractal Phase and much more!

In more Canadian indie game news: Mate Makes Games’ Celeste won the IGF award for Excellence in Audio, and our friends in Vancouver have just launched Holoscope, a cybertwee visual novel about a magical girl/hacker.

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

April 9

OMDC applications are due! Get that funding to make all your wonderful games 🙂

April 15

TO Jam Registration closes! Register and come out to George Brown College to jam May 4-6

ConBravo! is looking for indie game submissions! It’s free and you’ll be provided with an 8′ x 8′ booth space.

April 30

Game Slice exhibitor registration closes. The event is in London Ontario and is for game developers to showcase to other developers. Here you’ll get feedback and exposure for your game, check it out!

April ???

Interactive Ontario Apprenticeship Program is providing week-long paid placements at leading IDM studios for emerging interactive digital media (IDM) professionals who are currently underrepresented in the industry. There are spaces for 3 Black youths, 1 each at Groupe Média TFO, Ubisoft Toronto, and Magmic, 1 women in games at Ubisort, and 1 Francophone Women in Digital Educational Media at Groupe Média TFO. Participants will spend a week at the company job shadowing, in meetings, workshops and networking, receive $1000, a pass to the iVenture conference, and a dinner with fellow participants and networking contacts upon completion of the program.

Toronto Skill Swap is looking for lectures and workshops about games for their programming!

May 4

While technically next month, QGCON has submissions open now for games about the intersection of LGBTQ+ issues and video games.

*deep breath in*

Luis Hernandez (of Necrophone Games, the studio that brought you cult comedy hit Jazzpunk), is looking for Ontario-based 3D animators for a brand new project! Send your portfolios and demo reels ASAP!

Gameloft is looking for a Technical Game Analyst, a 3D Artist, a Game Design Intern, and a Narrative Designer

Rockstar is looking for a Junior Gameplay Programmer, a Technical Artist, a Animation Dev Assistant, as well as a Gameplay Designer

Blue Isle Studio is looking for an Unreal Engine 4 Gameplay Programmer

Ubisoft is looking for a QC Programmer and a Video Game Project Manager

Interaptix Augmented Reality is looking for a Game Engine Programmer

The Toronto Film School is looking for an Admissions Advisor and Program Director for their Video Game Program

Sheridan is looking for three Professors of Game Design

Clipwire Game is looking for a Game Designer

Secret Location is looking for a Games Creative Director

Prodigy is looking for a Design Lead and a QA Lead

Big Viking Games is looking for a QA Manager and an Art Director

*Phew!!*

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Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com