Growing up, July meant melted ice cream, forgotten sunscreen, and days spent indoors, screaming at my TV while my cousin’s chipped PS2 sputtered through a bootleg Kingdom Hearts 2. Nothing’s changed much now. I’m still all about that Laura Secord Rocky Road and not about that SPF, only nowadays I’m spending my time yelling at my computer screen about Kingdom Hearts 3. Oh yeah, and writing this digest.

If you want to liven up your summer, check out the latest in Toronto games, events, journalism and more. And keep an eye on our handy Google calendar throughout the month for events to be added as they are announced.

A snapshot from Manidoonsug: Little Spirits

PLACES TO BE

Thursday, July 2 – Saturday, July 4
Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge Street
Everyone’s favourite place to read second-hand manga and mooch Wi-Fi just got cooler. The Toronto Reference Library will be holding a free three day Arduino workshop for teens. Arduino is open-source hardware that you can tinker with to do damn near anything (even build your own video game console, like the Gambuino). Tickets are going fast, so reserve while you can.
Why you should go: You’re young, you’re broke and you want to make a video game/robot BFF.

Saturday, July 11
Alterconf
862 Richmond Street West
The traveling conference about diversity in video games will be making its first pit-stop outside the States right here in Toronto at Bento Miso.
Why you should go: The worlds of equity and video games rarely collide, so if you’re into anti-oppressional frameworks and bleep bloop stuff, hit this up. It’s possibly the most inclusive and accessible gaming event this city’s ever seen – gender-neutral washrooms, wheelchair access, live-captioning AND American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters? Colour me impressed! – and features a ton of local organic free-range speakers, among them Leisha Riddel and Gabriela Aveiro-Ojeda.

(Full disclosure: Will be a blogger for Alterconf. If my stylized keyboard smashing hasn’t grated on your nerves yet, you’ll be able to check out my recap of the conference soon.)

Monday, July 13
SKETCH Working Arts
180 Shaw Street, Suite 201
The latest from FLAME’s free art programs is FLAME: Digital Storytelling, a program for queer and trans young people under 29. They’ll be exploring many mediums for online storytelling with artists Sonny Bean, Shane Hiroto Camastro, and Cherish Blood. ASL and snacks will be provided.
Why you should go: If you’re into Tumblr as much as you’re into community-building.

Sunday, July 26
Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay W
The Hand Eye Society, aka the shadow organization publishing this lovely digest, are doing a series of street games down by the waterfront on the last weekend of July. If you’d like to volunteer to help run the games, email david@handeyesociety.com.
Why you should go: You love us and you love life, or you’re looking to earn your Hand Eye membership through volunteer hours!

Ken putting his bulging biceps to work. Much <3 Ken.

Anytime, hell, right now even
May Cafe
876 Dundas St. West
The Torontorons’ conquest of our fair city continues, with an arcade machine now at May Cafe.
Why you should go: You can get a cuppa Vietnamese coffee and buttonsmash at this community hub and pub. Chances are, they’ll be playing some sweet tunes too.

PEOPLE TO SEE – Meetups and Socials

Torontaru – Monthly meetups for anyone into video games. Every last Wednesday of the month.
Next meeting: July 29, The Get Well at 8 p.m.

Dames Making Games – Community and workspace for women, trans, queer, and non-binary people making video games. Frequent meetings, workshops, and speaker panels.
Next meeting: AlterConf on July 11, Speakers social on August 8.

Toronto Gaymers – LGBTQ video game community. Next meetup is a quiz night, so put your thinking cap and pondering armour on.
Next meeting: July 5, Fox and the Fiddle at 2 pm. Board game night will be on July 11, 7 pm.

PAPER TRAILS – Gaming in the Media

E3. I’m sick of it, you’re sick of it, but bear with us because there were Toronto developers slinking around this year. The Toronto Star profiled Benjamin Rivers, 13AM Games, XMG Studio, and Metanet Software, while The Globe and Mail did Hinterland Games.

Indigicade was featured in the Toronto Star. Made in collaboration between The Indigenous Routes Collective and Dames Making Games, the program connects Indigenous girls and women with game-making tools and mentorship. Their games will be showcased in October, during the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. One participant’s game is about a potato beating an evil cherry. There’s no way you don’t want to play that game.

Daniel and Arman stumble around a Toronto cemetery in the latest installment of Built To Play, a video game podcast run out of Ryerson’s Scope radio station. They also interview Matthew Ritter about Boon Hill, his graveyard simulator to be released in August.

Ookpixels launched today. The brainchild of veteran game journalists Jim Squires and Eli Cymet, Ookpixels will feature in-depth profiles of Canadians and the games they make. As opposed to clickbait gaming journalism sites that churn out stories like they’re gunning for a high score in bloating the Internet, Ookpixels seeks to output two long-form articles per month. Ookpixels relies on donations to keep running, so check out their Patreon if you want to help out. (As a bonus, their promo video features an 8-Bit cover of Oh Canada that’ll earworm itself into your skull.)

#ICYMI

#Sheridan – Sheridan College held a playtest of four developing games by students on June 18. The four projects — Empyreum Ascension, Botley’s Quest, Manidoonsug: Little Spirits (pictured above), and Weather Crown — are stlll in pre-alpha, but will have an industry showcase in August. For the time being, players will have warm memories of that day: half-baked games and (hopefully) fully-baked free pizza.

#Neurodiversont – Every1Games won first place at Philanthropitch, a Toronto pitch competition for charities and non-profit organizations. The initiative helps autistic and neurodivergent youth work and play in the videogame development spheres.

#TMACWoes – The Toronto Media Arts Centre (TMAC), to make a long story short, isn’t getting space promised to them and should rightfully be theirs. This affects gaming initiatives like Dames Making Games. An open letter is being shared around explaining what’s up and a video’s up of folks talking about how important TMAC is to them.

MVP

Andrew Farnsworth is this month’s MVP. The farmer, soundsmith and Twitter user @Afarnsy tweeted they’re offering composing services for free for video game developers. Why did they decide to be the best person ever? “Because you need it and I love making music.” Faith in humanity +1. He’s also doing the music for YYZ Gameshow episode 2. Faith in humanity +2.

A BREADWINNER IS YOU – Jobs and Gig Opportunities

Torn Banner Studios is looking for an Enviroment Artist and a Senior Multiplayer Level Designer. Lots of the usual technical know-how needed, but apparently “Love of the Medieval Era and melee combat” is a plus for them.

Drinkbox Studios is looking for a bookkeeper. If you’re interested, let them know. Make it snappy though: they want email answers to be 8 sentences or less.

Uken Games wants a couple interns, a junior game designer, a UI Artist, and a backend engineer. They have catered breakfasts and lunches. Why aren’t you sending them your resume already?

Last Minute Update from DMG and Bento

Due to TMAC stuff, I’ve neglected to send an events update for July. We’re pretty quiet (due to sun and whatnot), but have a couple of things on the docket:

At the Pan Am Games Ontario Celebration Zone:

July 18-25, 2-10 p.m.: DMG arcade cabinets housing DMG Gym Jam games, at the Ontario Celebration Zone at Harbourfront Centre.

July 25, 2-6 p.m.: Gym Jam tournaments. Prizes include consoles customized by artists from the DMG community.

At Bento Miso:

July 23: Secret Loves of Geek Girls Panel and Reception

Celebrate the successful Kickstarter for Hope Nicholson’s latest book, featuring stories and comics by Margaret Atwood, Mariko Tamaki, and a whole bunch of DMG members including Jenn Woodall, Soha Kareem and more!

July 30: Planet IndigenUS Launch Party

The event will feature the games of Indigicade, DMG’s multi-week game development workshop in collaboration with Indigenous Routes, as well as some of the best games rooted in Indigenous cultures from around Turtle Island. The evening will be a celebration of cultures, nations and games.

We also have an Arduino/infinity mirror workshop coming up in July or early August, but the date has not yet been finalized.

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As always, this calendar is brought to you by the Hand Eye Society, a Toronto video game arts organization. You can become a member by volunteering over 10 hours or donating $7 a month. Perks include bragging rights, one free game a month, discounts at the coolest joints around town, and more. And if you like what you’ve read or want to see your game/event/initative featured, let us know at calendar@handeyesociety.com or @handeyesociety!