August’s Agreeable Awakening: Monthly Newsletter
August is rolling in on a beautiful breeze of gaming events, launches, and get togethers! Shake off that humidity with the much-anticipated arrival of Spooky Squid Games’ Russian Subway Dogs, a Unity game jam for multiple CRT monitors, an interactive fiction writer’s circle for Black creatives, festivals on missions to light up North York and rock the Gardiner Expressway, and all the other workshops, camps, socials, and brouhahas that can possibly be crammed into the last breath of summer.
Meanwhile, there’s Google Calendar, peering deep into their crystal ball. They whisper prophetically, “You think August is busy? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet…”
Don’t forget: You can also submit news about Toronto/GTA games and events to calendar@handeyesociety.com at any time before the month in which the event takes place (preferably with a week to spare), post to our Facebook Group (as long as it’s relevant to local games/playful media and doesn’t violate our Code of Conduct), or @ us on Twitter for an RT.
WHERE TO JAUNT – EVENTS
August 3
Humber Summit Library is running workshops on making video games using Twine! You can sign up here.
August 4
Our friends at Little Dada are putting on the Long Exposure Festival! In North York’s Flemingdon Park starting at 6 PM, a festival of lights, photography and all things glowing will light up the night. The Long Exposure Festival will feature explorations of light in all of its formats, from wearable technology and performance art to interactive sculptures and take-home long exposure photography. All ages.
August 7
Secret City Adventure is running a beta test of a new game! You can sign up to be a part of it here.
August 12
Are you a Black creative interested in digital storytelling? Writing While Black is partnering with Hand Eye Society to bring you an interactive narrative workshop! Twining While Black will be using Twine, an open-source tool for creating a non-linear, choose-your-own-adventure style video game. This is an introductory workshop; no coding or gaming experience required! Margin of Eras Gallery, 1 to 4 PM.
This workshop is a Closed Black Space. Non-Black writers can look forward to announcements about WordPlay 2018 soon.
August 13
Know a kid between 10 and 13 that’s interested in learning to make games? TinkerBuilderGamerPi is running a camp just for them.
EDIT: August 13 to 17
Hand Eye Society is proud to bring Camp Make-a-Game to Maria A. Shchuka Library at Eglinton and Dufferin. Mornings are spent indoors learning how to make videogames using point-and-click creation tools. Afternoons are spent outdoors, playing physical games like tag and soccer and then learning to design unique rule sets. By the end of the week, participants will be game makers! For participants age 8-12, registration required.
This program is made possible thanks to the support of our fantastic Studio Members: Capybara Games, Reptoid Games, Stitch Media, Rocket 5 Studios, DrinkBox Studios, Little Guy Games, Longbow Games, Globacore, Dave Burke, Get Set Games, Phantom Compass, Uken Games, Asteroid Base, and newest supporter VRGEN!
August 14
Interested in learning how to use Twine for game making? You can join others at the Humber Summit Library at 6pm!
August 18
Did you see that GIF going around of the multi-CRT game? Did you know it was made by the fantastic Ryan Mason, and there’s a game jam for learning how to make it yourself? The Cathode MK1 is a game console that plays Unity3D games across multiple CRT televisions. Locally designed and built In Corktown Toronto using free software and open source hardware. Check out the workshop here at Electric Perfume!
August 20-24
Know a kid between 7 and 9 that’s interested in learning to make games? TinkerBuilderGamerPi is running a week-long beginner-level Unity workshop just for them!
There’s also Codezilla, which has spots for kids between 8-14.
August 25
In 1958 the Gardiner Expressway opened to the public. In 2018, the Gardiner Expressway opened for the public! We’ve teamed up with the Bentway Block Party to bring you an open air arcade of three outdoor games by local artists (soon to be announced in their own blog post), along with a ton of other activities, installations, and live performances, all under the Gardiner Expressway.
August 25
The August Speaker Social is happening at the DMG! Come listen to Ubisoft’s Coley Caverley talk about Intentionality through Level Design. The event starts at 6:30. Interested in becoming a speaker? Sign up here.
August 29
Interactive Ontario presents the closing keynote to their Arts Futures series, Art and Video Games! With experience teaching artists how to program in his book Game Programming for Artists, with teaching non-artists how to make art in his game Art Club Challenge(iOS), and with his background in education, speaker Jarryd Huntley will share tips and suggestions when exploring a new field. TMAC, 6 to 8:30.
August 30
HYPERGAME STORYTIME: TEACHES OF PEACHES is a a live choose-your-own adventure experience that crudely smashes together elements of tabletop RPGs and improv comedy, accompanied by elaborate projected visuals and a musical score assembled on the fly, happening at Electric Perfume. Doors open at 7pm.
WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS
August 2
Check out the Breakfast GA Club, every first Thursday of the month at Black Cat Espresso Bar!
August 9
GMing Club is happening at Dames Making Games in TMAC. A follow up session will be happening August 23, so keep an eye out! Stats at 6:30pm
August 16
Toronto Game UX meet up will be meeting at TMAC for “Stop The Game I Have To Check My Facebook Notifications” with me, your newsletter writer! Doors open at 7pm!
August 23
The follow up to GMing Clud, Tabletop Game Night: Dungeon World is an one shot session of Dungeon World! Bring your own snacks, the game starts at 6:30pm
August 29
It’s time for Torontaru! Come grab a beer at Get Well and talk about games!
COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS
Raise the woof: The much-anticipated Moscow transit canine simulator Russian Subway Dogs by Spooky Squid Games has launched! Buy it on Steam, Itch, and eventually a bunch ‘o other platforms. 10% Launch discount, plus $1 of every game during launch week goes to doggo charity!
Asteroid Base has partnered with Super Rare Games to make a limited physical collector’s edition of Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime for the Switch! There’s only 3000 copies available. Get it while it’s hot!
Did we mention that Metanet’s N++ has been released on the Nintendo Switch since May? Well, no harm in saying it again if we did! You can grab it here.
Fairland Funhouse is going to be opening sometime in August. Keep an eye out on it!
#ICYMI
Vector Festival kicked off with all sorts of great talks, awesome panels, and some fantastic art! Even if you missed it, you can still check out Born Digital at Inter/Access until the 18th, and Vector’s online exhibit Local Host is available anywhere the Internet can be found.
Bit Bazaar and Yami-Ichi showed up a ton of great Toronto work from awesome video games, to beautiful patches, and some great installations. Already looking forward to the next one!
Maker Festival kicked off the beginning of the month and we had a ton of fun! It’s always great to meet new friends and old to see all of the awesome projects they’ve been working on.
BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES
August 1
The Hand Eye Society returns to the Mississauga Comic Expo 2018! Submissions are open until September 21st. You can submit your games here. Want to volunteer with us? Email our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@handeyesociety.com.
August 4
Friendship Garden is working on a booth for marginalized game devs to showcase their work on the main floor of Play NYC on Aug 11 and 12. Exhibitor fee of $0-350 (contingent on sponsorships). Submissions open until midnight.
August 7
Hand Eye Society Ball submissions are still open for a few days! This year, we take the fun to 918 Bathurst, a former Buddhist temple turned arts and culture sanctuary in Toronto’s Annex Neighbourhood. Apply here for with your games. Consider signing up for being a volunteer, you’ll get a ticket for the event! Please email our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@handeyesociety.com. You can also consider sponsoring, shoot us an e-mail at ball@handeyesociety.com to start a conversation. More announcements very soon!
August 10
Interested in giving a talk at GDC in 2019? Submit your ideas here.
August 31
Out of Index is an experimental games festival in South Korea and they’re taking submissions!
Night in the Woods
