WordPlay 2020: Call For Talk and Game Submissions!
Hand Eye Society’s Twitch Stream Free
Saturday, November 21st & 22nd 2020!
DEADLINES AUGUST 31ST 11:59PM
Hand Eye Society’s WordPlay Festival is on its way and it’s…a bit different because of *gestures* our current earth’s issues. But have no fear, the festival is just taking on a new form and we’re already cooking up some exciting things for the 8th year of the festival that celebrates the most interesting uses of writing and words in contemporary games. This year theme of WordPlay is “Empty Words”. Throughout the year it has been statement after statement after statement on just… everything. Games is going to ‘finally’ get rid of abusers, big brands marketing off of Black Lives Matter statements, human right violations by the state, promises of ‘meaningful change,’ defunding and abolishing the police; the list of empty promises goes on and on. Things don’t move forward and are just washed over by the constant stream of 2020’s ever-growing list of shitty and awful events. So let’s highlight these conversations and celebrate the resistance and perseverance needed to create a better, more equitable society. Be they angry, joyful, tired, hopeful, or otherwise, we want to hear from you! We’re open to a broad interpretation of this theme, so feel free to pitch anything you’ve got. We’re so thrilled to be able to have this event. We may not have a physical space, but the show must go on! Check out the applications!
Look at Xalavier Nelson Jr. having so much fun at WordPlay wow what a great time!
Submit a Speaker Application!
Firstly, we’re opening up the submissions for speakers. We want you to submit your talk, panel, workshop, round-table, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it. If it deals with the subject of interactive fiction and writing in contemporary games, it’ll be right up our alley. We want to hear about new and innovative ways to combine storytelling, digital media, interactivity, and the craft of writing into potent new forms of creative expression. What experiments are being conducted to change the face of interactive fiction? In what ways are the boundaries being pushed? We want to know! Interested? Take a look at our WordPlay Page see what presentations we’ve put on for past WordPlay festivals. Then check out our Speaker Proposal Form below and submit your idea! Don’t delay, the form is only active until August 31st, 2020. Artist fees of $500 CAD will be paid for 1-hour talks and workshops. As WordPlay is entirely online this year some content will be prerecorded based off of the nature of selected speakers.
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WordPlay 2019, Everyone Playing all the games.
Submit a Showcase Game!
Would you like to submit or suggest a showcase game? What we’re looking for are games with exceptional writing or that uses writing in an integral way. Please do so via the form below before midnight on August 31, 2020. You can submit your own game, or a game you feel strongly about. There is no submission fee and Toronto-made, Canadian, and international games are all welcome. We will be selecting between 12 and 14 games from everything entered through the Game Submission Form below. Game creators with games accepted into the showcase will receive an artist fee of $250 CAD. Depending on the nature of submissions, games selected to be in the WordPlay 2020 showcase will either be presented as a pre-recorded Let’s Play to be hosted on our Twitch channel, or be made available for free online for the duration of the festival. We will work directly with artists to figure out the format best suited for their project.
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Laura Michet doing her talk at WordPlay 2019.
Apply for a Commission Game!
New this year, we will be commissioning games specifically for WordPlay 2020! We are commission 3 games that are long the curatorial theme of “Empty Words”. If you want to apply please do so via the form below before midnight on August 31, 2020. The proposal can be of any length; we really want to give folks free reign of the things they want to discuss, whether it is long form or short. The game should be in a playable state for the festival, though it doesn’t need to be done. Overall the proposals just need to be in some way interactive fiction or writing in contemporary games. We have a pretty broad definition for that; it could be a physical game, LARP, Twine, Renpy, or any system you want. Any projects that fall along the spectrum of playful experience are welcome! Artists selected will receive $1000 CAD for their game, split into two payments of $500 each over the months of October and November. Please submit through the Commission Submission Form below!
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Stay tuned for more announcements coming soon about the showcase jury, workshops and special guests!
About WordPlay
WordPlay is our free one-day festival celebrating the most interesting uses of writing and words in contemporary games. Now in our 8th year, we will once again host a curated game showcase, talks by creators about their craft, and ways for the public to try their hand at making games. This year, we are supported by the following organizations: 
