November Came Here… Fast! Monthly Newsletter
*Turns away from the campfire*
*Puts down my 3DS*
Oh, hello. Didn’t notice you there! I’m Royel! Most of you may know me as Rokashi, and ICYMI, I’m the new Communications Manager here at Hand Eye! Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the Sonic memes and references… for now. Anyway, it’s nice to meet ya and I’m looking forward to getting to meet more of y’all! Let’s be friends!
I don’t know about you but anything less than 25ºC is cold and let’s be honest, I don’t think November has any surprises for us in that regard, BUT there are tons of events and socials to attend to keep those buns as warm as possible in our chilly climate!
Let’s do our best to November a less-cold one by coming together for VIDEOGAMES.
Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!
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 a RT.
WHERE TO JAUNT – EVENTS
November 1 – December 21
Our own Kadeem Dunn has an event in Mississauga showcasing Blacks in Gaming’s past and present. Details, here!
November 2
Come learn how to make physical games at the library with Hand Eye friends! Space is limited, so make sure to register asap!
November 3 & 4
Want to learn how to LARP? Well now’s the time! Our friends at DMG are having a LARP jam! Details can be found here.
November 6 & 7
iVentures is back, baby! If you’re part of the interactive digital media community or looking to put your foot in the door and meet new friends, this is it, folks!
November 8
Storytelling with Twine! (Northern District) (A great intro to using the Twine engine to make games!) An amazing experience, especially if you’re going to our WordPlay event 2 days later…
November 10
IT’S WORDPLAY! Our annual festival dedicated to the world of wordy games! We’ve got speakers from all corners of the world, including Brazil, the UK, and of course right here in Toronto. From Southern Gothic anthologies to elderly romance and anti-Brexit interactive fiction, we bring the best in contemporary writerly and narrative games for one day only to the Toronto Reference Library.
You can find details of our speaker lineup here and our list of games here! Oh, and don’t forget to RSVP to WordPlay on Facebook!
November 13
DMG is hosting their second tabletop night with *dramatic echo-y voice* Apocalypse World~. Should be fun! Deets here.
November 14
Want to make a game controller that can be squished, stretched, stroked, or smooshed? Heck yeah you do! Check it!
November 16
Join Hand Eye Society and TMAC for a cozy evening with the Snapchat team, as we explore the new Lens Studio Augmented Reality platform! Meet a Snapchat developer as they demonstrate the process of importing your artwork, crafting your interactive experience using Lens Studio templates, and finally publishing your finished Lens to Snapchat. There will be a Q&A, followed by drinks, mingling, and a chance to talk with the Snap Lens Studio folks; possibly even a Lens scavenger hunt!
This event is FREE, but spots are limited and we’re over 50% booked at the time of this posting. Reserve your place here!
November 28
Always wanted to learn how to use Unity? DMG is hosting an intro session! If you want to make games using a different engine, now’s the time!
December 4 (Okay, okay, it’s not November, but close enough!)
OCAD is hosting a student-run artist’s alley! If you’re still looking for a gift for someone, maybe you can find it here? 🎅🏾🤔
December 4
Storytelling with Twine! (Brentwood) (A great intro to using the Twine engine to make games!) An amazing experience, especially if you’re going to our WordPlay event on Nov 10.
WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS
November 8
Speed networking! Finally, an event for me! But seriously, There’s an Indie Mixer happening and if you want to meet other indie friends to befriend and/or make a game with, this is it!
November 10 & 11
Next Level is another Canadian videogame convention! (I’m glad we’re getting so many! Take THAT PAX!) Engage with like-minded folks and compete in eSports tournaments featuring various games with prizes of $5k+! 👀
November 12
Friends Play Games No. 115! Play games with friends over at TMAC!
November 20
Power Up Game Bar is hosting Bonus Stage–hosted by Eat Play Mingle and 13AM Games! Come out and meet some new like-minded friends! Starts at 6:00pm and goes till 9:30pm. Everyone is welcome, students encouraged!! Bonus: (see what i did there?) It’s their 2-year anniversary! 🎂 And they’re looking for folks to do a 5-minute talk. The theme? The future!
~
Dames Playing Games No. 7 is here! Tons of games, activities and refreshments await you!
COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS
November 5
Vintage Tech Hunters premiers on Discovery Canada at 8pm! Co-hosted by the lovely Shaun Hatton and Bohus Blahut! I wonder what kind of tech they’ll find…
November 12 & 13
If you’re near Montréal, perhaps MIGS (Montréal International Games Summit, fyi) is up your alley?
#ICYMI
Kait Tremblay released a new Twine! If you know how I feel about Twine games, you already know how excited I am for this one! Also, all October proceeds are being donated to a women’s shelter! Kait is amazing!
https://twitter.com/kait_zilla/status/1053721830597558272
Jonathan Levstein has a new game! Go play! Go go go!
Announcing:
💀A Boring Museum💀
My latest prototype is a small game about digging up the bones of forgotten monsters and putting them on display. Guess the correct exhibit and you'll start receiving fan letters from the town's shy villagers.https://t.co/LuDxacMzXz pic.twitter.com/OCDVurL5MI
— Jonathan Levstein (@JLevstein) November 2, 2018
We were at this year’s EGLX! Check out some tweets from the show floor!
All set up at the @HandEyeSociety booth at #EGLX with lots of Russian Subway Dogs and They Bleed Pixels goodies! pic.twitter.com/6zKNZOuv5F
— Miguel 🦑 Sternberg (@spookysquid) October 28, 2018
Sunday's Devs at @EGLX at the @HandEyeSociety booth pic.twitter.com/Z6ugzoOPLJ
— Ken Cho (@KenCho416) October 28, 2018
Trap Labs surprise booth @EGLXofficial. Thanks again to @HandEyeSociety for letting me show off Trap Labs. Super appreciative of them supporting local indie game devs! #gamedev #IndieGameDev #indiegames pic.twitter.com/KnhTyE8Up1
— Trap Labs (@TrapLabsGame) October 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mr_Tedders/status/1056709108101976064
Local indie company Laundry Bear Games has their game Mortician’s Tale featured in a ~spooky~ bundle with other rad devs!
BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES
Capybara Games is searchin’ for a Gameplay Programmer!
Get Set is looking for Programmers! Also, it seems that they’ve also partnered with Gearbox Publishing! A secret project, huh? Hmm…
The Really Serious Game Company is looking for a Junior Background Artist!
Ubisoft is looking for a Level Designers as well as a bunch of other careers!
Uken Games is on the prowl for a Software Developer!
IM EXCITED FOR JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!
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 before the month in which the event takes place.
