<<nobr>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "VN")>>
<<set $a to $list.length + $list.length%2>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $a; $j+=2>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="300"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j>>
<</nobr>><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/SuMix2023.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText"> The Hand Eye Society's Mixtape Program showcases short and experimental game experiences from across the games Community. For Super FESTival 2023, we've chosen thse quirky experiences for our newest mixtape! </div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "Mix")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/VN.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText"> Visual Novels have an significant history for telling deep and profound stories through games. Come see how the medium has genre has evolved and what the new generation of the visual novel tradition has in store!</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "VN")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/18+.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText"> <b>TRIGGER WARNING!</b> All games in this category deal with sensitive and violent subject matter that can be triggering for some players. This, however, does not take away from their value as art. These games are only to be played by those who are 18 and up.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "18+")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Arcade.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">We all have fond memories of games and the many battles and adventures they gave us. Now experience new arcade experiences and RPG adventures through this section of the showcase.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "Arcade")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Canada.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">All games are important, but as a Canadian organization, the Hand Eye Society is spotlighting games created in our country while accepting that we stand on Indigenous land. See what diverse experiences Canadians are capable of.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "Canada")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table>[[All]]
[[Visual Novel]]
[[Arcade]]
[[Puzzle]]
[[Experimental]]
[[Narrative]]
[[18+]]
[[Canada]]
[[SuFestMixTape]]<a data-passage="Games">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/All.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="VisualNovel">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/VN.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="Arcade">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Arcade.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="Puzzle">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Puzzle.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="Experimental">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Experimental.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="Narrative">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Narrative.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="18+">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/18+.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="SFMixtape">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/SuMix2023.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><a data-passage="Canada">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Canada.png" height="45px"></div>/*Name*/</a><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/SteamIcon-Black.png" style="width:70%"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/itchio-logo-black.png" style="width:70%"><div class="category"><img @src=$catImage class="catBanner">
<main class="gallery">
<<set $GameList to Story.lookup("tags", $topic)>>
<<for $i to 0; $i lt $GameList.length; ++$i>>
<<silently>>
<<include $GameList[$i].title>>
/* SIMPLE FORMAT: [img[$me.imageName][$me.passageName]]
<<print "[[" + $me.artistName + "|" + $me.passageName + "]]">>*/
<</silently>>
<div class="category_container">/* vendor_container*/
<a data-passage=$GameList[$i].title class="category-item">/*Profile Image*/<div class="category-image"><div class="land_profile"><img src=$GameList[$i].img ></div></div>
/*Name*/<h1 class="land_name">$GameList[$i].title</h1>
</a></div>
<</for>>
<<unset $GameList, $i>>
</main>
[[<< Back->Start]]
</div>
/*-------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
/*Changes location property on Sidebar*/
<<set $Location to passage()>>
/*-------------*/
/*EXTRA TEMPLATE CODE*/
/*jQuery Code to change the background color/image and font color. Can be adapted to alter more things such as font. Loads all content first and applies layout changes. Color is font color.*/
/*Uncomment below code to use*/
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
<<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {
$("body").css({ "background-color": "#111111", color: "white"});
});
<</script>>
/*Audio killing code if desired*/
/*<<audio :all stop>>*/<div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Experimental.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText"> At the Hand Eye Society, we love when people experiment and push the definition of what a game can and should be. These experimental games showcase new takes on game creation with profound results.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "Exp")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j, $cols>>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto;">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Narrative.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">Games have always been a unique breeding ground for story experimentation to tell wild interactive tales. Spin a great yarn with these titles and experience there groundbreaking stories.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
/*Vendors*/<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<<set $vw to Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth || 0, window.innerWidth || 0)>>
<<if $vw lt 900>><<set $cols to 1>><<else>><<set $cols to 2>><</if>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "Nar")>>
<<set $r to $list.length + $list.length%$cols>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $r; $j+=$cols>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
<<set $g to $list[$i+$j]>>
<<set $t to $g.description()>>
<<set $imgurl to "https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/" + $g.title + "/cover.png">>
<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img @src="$imgurl" width="250"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0 && $cols == 2>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
<</for>>
</div>
<</for>>
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<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/categories/Puzzle.png" width="250px"></div>
<<nobr>><div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">Everyone loves a good challenge and having their 'eureka' moment. These Puzzle games are sure to tease your mind as you attempt to solve their mysteries and challenges.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
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<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include AllIcon>></td></tr>
</table><div class="Title">''A Heart of Butterblue''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Heiden
/*Location*/ Maryland, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hc7a5lzKl3I" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://heiden.itch.io/a-heart-of-butterblue" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://heiden.itch.io/" target="_blank">Dev Itch Page</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/GamedevHeide" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.tumblr.com/heidengamedev" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A Heart of Butterblue is a horror Visual Novel with farming sim elements. Play as city girl Phebe as she forages, farms and interacts with the villagers of Edgefield all in an effort to find her missing grandfather.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a></br>
----
<h3>Exhibitor Interview</h3>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I am a solo developer named Heiden! I've taught myself art, programming and writing and over the past ten years I've been making quirky VNs, RPGs, weird little games that allow me to express myself!
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
I'm a solo developer who is a full time health care provider! I love making games and being artistic, it's a nice break from what I do all day at my day job.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
2023 marks the 10th year since the release of my very first game! It's simultaneously felt like no time at all and also like it was forever ago. I've learned so much since then, and I still have so much left to learn!
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
I always make work that I, personally, would want to play. Growing up, it felt like I was always retrofitting all these stories and games into things that would account for people like me. It was like I was always just ever so slightly out of frame. You still sometimes hear ghosts of that sentiment nowadays, you can be there but you just have to be really quiet. But since I'm making my own games by myself and I don't have to worry about sponsors, audiences, funding-- any of that, I can make the types of games that could have looked baby me in the eye and say "Here you go! Just what you wanted" with no shame. It's fun! I can finally make the things I always wanted to play.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
I gotta say a specific section in Act IV where some string music fades in over an optional dialogue with Orby. I won't spoil it, but that chat was something real emotional for me to write, and I'm really happy it came together the way it did.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
If you asked me some 4, 5 years ago? big tentpole games. Stuff that has raw manpower thrown at it y'know, those things are inspirational from a ""here is the absolute limits of how hard we can push these devices""
Now? I look to smaller more personal projects, stuff that is made by one or a few people at most, ones with rough edges that they taped over. Those are where some real beautiful works can be found, as you see people showing their hearts on their sleeves, and if you find the right person, the right game, the right time - you have a really powerful connection.
And honestly I've been looking elsewhere for inspiration - books, plays & so on. I honestly think I've played 'enough' games in my lifetime to have that inspiration sorted, so looking elsewhere at other mediums is fresh to me.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
Mechanics or physics that force you to learn - eg Dirt Rally or Dark Souls - and the reward is you learning how to overcome an obstacle.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
Someone who designs a game that can be added onto in a way that's open to story beats, or one-off mechanics, and so on. Doing all that whilst keeping the game approachable for less-able gamers is a hard skill to learn, but super important.
And if you can manage designing a system that allows for the story to weave it's way into the mechanics (or vice versa), you got some magic brewing.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
Just thinking of game ideas as a kid a lot. Then putting it into practice with making lot's of pretty rubbish games during/post uni, and then you fail/learn/fail/learn/fail/oh hey you got something!
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Too much.
The learning never ends.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
"Sticking to my guns of making a truck-sim/visual-novel hybrid. It _does_ work, and is so niche we're basically stuck in the gap between two bricks in a wall, but it does work.
(There were a couple times where I was considering to have an option to support disabling all story and ignoring it, but I'm happy the team talked me out of it.)"
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
In context of the idea of ""you drive around, chatting, then fix buildings, then talk to Orby""? not much
On a slightly more granular level, the game is SO MUCH LARGER than any of us had anticipated:
- minigames
- a dozen other characters
- each Act has a custom ending
- composed music for the finale
- all the bugs
- on foot segments with lot's of detail
- unlockable stories in the main menu
and so on, let alone the actual writing density. It was exhausting, but I think absolutely worth the time and thinking we put into it. Every time we get another lovely review from someone who resonated with the characters? worth it worth it worth it.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
As I'm a developer as well, I take an approach where I try to make stuff that helps me out in the future with coding new features. With that in mind, I take an approach where any given mechanic or system can work in isolation of one another, then they combine in different contexts or presentations to make new twists.
With that, I also try to make stuff where the gameplay is approachable, whether that's through simplicity or through being able to 'fail forwards' through a puzzle.
Otherwise it's gut instinct really, and watching/taking player feedback carefully according to design/narrative pillars for the game.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Getting all the input bindings working and sensible on a gamepad whilst supporting driving/crane input with a visual-novel dpad input. Painful!
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
When me & freya did a full-playthrough test of the game, I was in awe that we had actually _made a functional story_ across 8 hours, and we didn't want to cut anything.
As we got closer to release, that kept hitting me most personally: we've made a story with an arc that works, and has beats across a ton of writing that all leads to a strong ending. This was my first time working on a game with this much complexity of writing and beats, so to have it... work. And see people resonate with those beats? Heart broken (in a good way).
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
It all really bubbled from a notion of ""I want to make a story about how guys need to really spend time working up to talking about an inner anxiety or fear, as we're conditioned to not ever do so unless it's in jest""
Then, as we made it, in a way this game helped me 'come out to myself' more as a gay fella, and across a few conversations between Freya & I, we ended up making a game about robots with personalities being crushed by a corporation, where a key part of that was you & Orby having a secret gay relationship being a core part of that.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
I think it's headed to AAA-level games becoming subscription or as-a-service based; where below that Indies or smaller studios are going to find it harder and harder to be noticed.
That said, we're seeing tools get democratised that anyone (with effort & good tutorials) can make a game, so the potential for personal stories that resonate with a specific audience (that will then champion it) is higher.
The hard part as always is marketing/discovery, so unless services or storefronts can improve their tooling, we're going to keep seeing failing studios.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
Right now I work FT and make personal projects in my free time, where part of my monthly payslip goes towards paying collaborators.
In the future I hope to go FT into my own game studio, but that requires quite a bit of income.
/*EXTRA CODE*/
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<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
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$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
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data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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</script><div class="Title">''Lysogenesis''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ LC3
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game10/cover.png" style="width:400px">
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://lc3.itch.io/lysogenesis" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://lc3.itch.io/" target="_blank">Dev Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://snotwurm.neocities.org/" target="_blank">Neocities</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
You need to take the ship apart to put yourself together. Play as a seed of intelligence rapidly developing the ability to sense the world around you.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
We are Sunny Evans and Leah Case, and Lyso is an experimental art game about the birth of consciousness. Lc3 is Leah's game-making handle, but we also work together under the name Snotwurm (with other cool collaborators).
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
We have both been creating games since about 2017, or shortly thereafter in Leah's case. I (Sunny) showed Leah how to use Twine and she immediately became much better at it than I ever was. Since then we've collaborated on a number of projects.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
We try to make weird games! Sometimes they're a bit cute, sometimes they err more on the horror side, but we try to make things we don't really see, and chase after ideas we think are interesting, rather than ideas we think will be interesting to anyone else. It is perhaps not the best marketing strategy, but as a tiny team focussed on having fun and improving our skills, it works great.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
I don't think there's one thing that makes a good designer specifically, but I think the ability to collaborate is really important. Game design teams are often interdisciplinary by nature, and the ability to communicate with the people you're working alongside is vital.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Some of the things I (Sunny) first envisioned, we were able to execute on. I wanted the space when you initialize or... first "come to life" to be really bewildering and abstract. To feel like there were concepts coming into existence, starting from a state of nothing and then adding to that. But for the content beyond that, Leah really enriched the game by expanding ideas of what it could look like, how the view inside the ship might function, and what the player could Do inside the ship. Basically Leah ideated and implemented the parts that feel most like a game.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Folders for this game on Sunny's PC are labelled "daygame" because we originally intended to make it in a single day. It actually took us about a week from start to finish, proving that goal was a bit lofty! We struggle with scope on every project.
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Click Here''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Jason Allen / JdotGames
/*Location*/ Oxford, Ohio, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O1JZ9-KhLYA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://jdotgames.itch.io" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://jdotsonallen.myportfolio.com" target="_blank">Portfolio</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/JdotsonAllen" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href=" https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdotsonallen/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A simple puzzle game with unsettling secrets. Carefully click in the right location on the screen, or you'll end up face to face with an unsettling psychological horror tale. </td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My name is Jason Allen and I am a student at Miami University studying games and simulation. I am a professional narrative and game designer, storyteller, and esports broadcaster. My goal is to create the types of media that I wish I could have experienced growing up queer. My game, "Click Here," is a simple point-and-click puzzle horror game built in GBStudio. You play as a person who is raising money to live on their own, due to their unfortunate living situation. "Click Here" teaches that through all of the highs and lows of life, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I have been making games for as long as I can remember! The earliest memories I have of doing so involve using a website to create Hearthstone-like cards and forcing my parents to play some made-up game with me. I didn't think I could turn games into a career until a year into college, where I discovered our school's program and was gravitated towards it. Ever since, I feel like making games is where I belong.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
The guiding principle for my work is all about telling stories that I wished I could have read growing up with a queer identity. I truly believe that the queer experience of "coming-out" can be made less lonely if we surround people with the joy and love of our identity.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
My favorite part of "Click Here" is the last ten levels, so I hope you can make it all the way there! I wanted to create a real challenge for the last few puzzles, so I added a small, but very relevant twist to change up how you think about the game. Simply changing the background color from white to black creates a ton of new possibilities that force players to think critically.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
I'm always inspired when a small indie game makes it big. Games like "Hollow Knight" or "Rain World" are some of my all-time favorites. Something about these games make you feel so immersed in a world that feels home-brewed by only a select number of folks.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Since making my first game, I've learned so much about the process of iteration. Play-testing and communicating with others about your game are super important. I used to feel so shy about the work that I created. However, I now feel confident enough in myself to share my work with others and be able to accept feedback with grace.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
My number one design principle is that there's nothing better than a pencil and some paper! There are some concepts that just require me to blurt out senselessly without severe organization, and a pencil and paper is just perfect for that.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
I think the industry is slowly starting to trend more towards success in indie titles. Especially with the writers and actors strikes, I believe now is the best time to find success on a small team of like-minded individuals, without big studio-heads in the way.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
After college, I would love to work for an indie studio focused on making awesome queer games that spread joy. My goal in life is to help people understand and appreciate the beauty of queer art, and I think indie studios are the perfect place to accomplish that!
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Out of Bounds''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ N.B. Spiders
/*Location*/ Germany</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NYt131ezFSI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr> <td style ="width:15%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://spiderzone.itch.io/" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:85%">
/*Description*/
A playable essay about the history of flight training simulators, video game engines and play outside of the boundaries of binary worlds.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Spiders and I make strange and unusual and often quite queer games that I publish on itch.io! My game (Out of Bounds) is a kind of playable essay about the history of flight simulators, but also in the form of a flight simulator.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I think I've been making games for about 15 years or so? It's sometimes hard to tell when drawing and making weird things on the computer because you're bored turns into "I want to make a game!", haha. But the first game I ever released was in 2012, that was a Flash game on Newgrounds!
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
The first game I ever made was done with a really old version of Powerpoint. I just loved messing around with it and drawing shapes and adding sound effects. At one point I figured out that you could add hyperlinks onto shapes and have them jump between slides (kind of like Twine! But I don't think that existed back then...). So I made a really crude point and click adventure with clip arts and janky animations. I guess I've always been curious to use tools in unexpected ways and test out their limits!
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
The origin of the game came from the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator in 2020. At the time I was really fascinated by the concept of basically connecting the flight sim mechanics with a photogrammetric map dataset like Google Maps or Bing Maps – a simulation that was "boundless" but also quite broken and bizarre at times. My original response was a smallish, janky flight sim that I made just for fun in a couple of days. But during that process I did more research on the history of flight simulators and some adjacent technologies and was really enchanted by this strange interweaving of histories. And also by the different approaches (or almost philosophies) to representing the world, or at least a world, digitally. I knew then that I wanted to document these things I found.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
If I were to make the game again I probably would just add more content. There were a lot of segments or ideas that I cut because I didn't want the game to become too unwieldy. One of those cut stories was about how the first flight simulator was built using organ bellows by a company that produced self-playing musical instruments. I'm still a bit sad not to have included that part as it did inform my making of the soundtrack quite a lot.
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
The design process was in a way exploratory. By that I mean I just added systems on top of existing systems in the game engine as I found they were needed or would add something to the experience. This enabled a lot of opportunities for lucky accidents, like the clickable progress bar that came about because I wanted an easy way to replay segments without the need for complicated menus. But having built the game this way it also means it is kind of a hot mess, haha. But I think the concept or the system of a 'playable essay' still has a lot more potential and it would be interesting to develop it further.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
Out of Bounds was specifically made to be submitted as part of the Queer Games Bundle, an initiative to support queer game makers. I was blown away from the response my work got when I first participated in the bundle in 2021. This mutual support system is something I am extremely appreciative of and wish would have existed like this when I started out making games.
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
Aside from making games I am working freelance as an artist and educator. My artistic work involves DIY electronics a lot and I sometimes travel to do workshops were I build small electronic musical instruments or also DIY game controllers using Arduino. I think this work has greatly informed my game making, and the other way around as well.
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
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data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''The Trials of Goodbye''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Yasmine @baegho
/*Location*/ California, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game13/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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<a href="https://baegho-707.itch.io/the-trials-of-goodbye" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://baegho-707.itch.io/" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/baegho_707" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:85%">
/*Description*/
You are the reaper of Death. This is the final person on Earth. You must decide if they go to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. You may choose to befriend this person or not. The choice is yours.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My name is Yasmine and I run under the handle (and variants of) @baegho. I'm twenty four years old living in California and I created this as my submission for the Gameboy Showdown 2023.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I have been making games for the last two to three years for a series of game jams hosted on itch.io. This was largely with friends and classmates who've helped out on art, music, programming, writing, game design, and plenty of moral support. I'm not an experienced programmer by any means and even less of a musician, so I've always been grateful to have this support (plus 3AM calls on Discord are funny). It's my first time though working on a solo project and boy was it a learning process!
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Originally created as a game where you as the Reaper would judge the final three people and send them to Hell, Heaven or Purgatory, due to many technical reasons involved me not correctly reading the documentation correctly (ha ha), it ended up only following the story of the final person, Tala. I still have artwork of them on my Twitter handle though if anyone was curious to check.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
For me, ensuring that the player must make a conscious decision (choosing Hell, Heaven, or Purgatory) despite differing dialogue choices that slightly alter the narrative. Playing tons of visual novels, many of them focus on smaller choices that lead to winding paths, which work greatly in romance games, but since my game presents a heavy decision, I felt it was appropriate that players should consciously decide the fate so that it relies heavily on their own morals and interpretation of the narrative.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
I unfortunately don't have a system yet. A lot of my ideas come free-flowing and I usually write them down in Notion or Google Docs or even Notepad sometimes. I have a perfectionist problem, but writing down whatever comes in my mind first is more helpful in the long term as I don't feel bogged down creatively.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I would love to create larger-scaled visual novels games with more interactive elements to really immerse the players in the world and character that they're inhabiting, ideally with a few more people on my team as part of my "ideal studio."
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}
</script><div class="Title">''Video Game Fables''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Momiji Studios
/*Location*/ Delaware, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v6ljQO_LyXA?si=npgt5uwgHl2JGmO9" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1577690/Video_Game_Fables/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="http://momijistudios.net/" target="_blank">Website</a></div>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/videogamefables" target="_blank">LinkTree</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/MomijiStudios" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="http://momijistudios.net/press/sheet.php?p=video_game_fables" target="_blank">Press Kit</a><br>
</td>
<td style ="width:85%">
/*Description*/
Funny, lighthearted RPG with fast, unique, challenging, turn-based combat set in a creative, colorful, abandoned game world that hasn't had a player in decades. Explore a world full of strange monsters, fight bosses that break the battle system, and meet lots of weirdos.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Matt, a solo indie developer. Video Game Fables is a fun, unique, satirical game about an RPG video game world that hasn't had a player in decades. I've been a big RPG fan since I was a kid; I made it for other RPG nerds, but I know lots of other people will love it too! It'll make you laugh, challenge you, you'll have a ton of fun, and you'll meet tons of weirdos.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I started making games when I was about 11 years old. I found RPG Maker and from that point on I realized it was possible to create my own games.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The humor. My goal was to make people laugh, and I am happy that I've succeeded with that.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
Someone who makes games they want to play.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
All of the complex systems that come together. I am really proud of the RPG battle system I made and all the unique twists in there. Not only that, but there are insane boss battles that completely break the battle system or layer other types of gameplay on top of it.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
They have to be fun. No matter what, I want a game to be fun.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Just finishing it, and following through with marketing, DLC, and promotion regardless of sales numbers. Being proud of something I worked extremely hard on for years to finish.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
I work a day job doing software development and IT work for my brother's business. I also teach game development independently, as well as doing some contract work and odd jobs on the side.
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div.innerHTML = `
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</script><div class="Title">''Dropped Connection''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Moleworks
/*Location*/ USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game15/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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<a href="https://moleworks.itch.io/dropped-connection" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://moleworks.itch.io" target="_blank">Dev Itch Page</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/moleworks_games" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
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/*Description*/
On a sleepless night, Kiki browses her message history and overthinks the hints she still isn't sure were actually hints, wondering what could have been.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Mole, and I serve as the artist, writer, and lead developer for Moleworks. In the case of this particular game, that means I did pretty much everything, save for creative commons assets and freely available code frameworks that were credited accordingly in the game. This game, Dropped Connection, is about the inherent ambiguity of text and the often delicate, fleeting nature of online relationships.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Aside from myself, I don't really have a consistent team, but I can tell you that everyone I've had the pleasure of working with is amazingly talented! You'll always hear me singing their praises every time a new game is released. For example, for this game I reached out to a friend of mine to provide her voice for the main character, Kiki. It was her first time doing any sort of voice acting, but she provided such a perfectly fitting and naturalistic voice that I couldn't imagine anyone else voicing her.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
My first game release, '<3', was in 2009. Ever since then I've been making games intermittently.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
That would have to be the art direction. The game was made for the "O2A2" or "One of Any Asset" game jam, which put inherent constraints on the artwork I could use. This forced me to take a rather unique presentation for the game and lean more heavily on the GUI to tell a story. I think the result is quite unique.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
I've learned so much! Developing games has been a crash course in project management since it seems like every one is a little bigger than the last. I've had to learn to make a game plan ahead of time, to allocate duties and resources when there are things I just can't do, and how to sort essential features from ones I'd just like to have. As my project scopes get bigger, I have to learn how to make them as lean as possible. Some games do that better than others, but I think it's a process I've gotten better at over time.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Very little! Once I had the story down, I found the rest of the pieces fell into place very easily. This isn't usual for me, as most of my larger projects are a product of iteration. With a game jam game, I had no time for that, but the result is something very raw and personal that I think works better for it.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
For the most part, no. There were some minor technical issues due to the engine itself that, while they did get reported and fixed within the span of the jam, I didn't have time to loop back on and react to. While the game would have been better with those issues already addressed, it would only be barely so. All things considered, I'm very satisfied.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
It was a mix of jam constraints and personal experience. I knew right away that, with so few art assets available to me, I'd want to do a short, self-contained story that lent itself well to being told mostly through the GUI. This led me to think of my many bittersweet experiences on the Internet that were probably similar to so many others. After that, it all fell naturally into place.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
Just how incredibly difficult it is! Any creative work is an ordeal, but games combine all the hardships of every medium into one giant package. Even a game that takes only minutes to play probably took months of work, and I think that's something most people don't realize. It's so easy to brush off a game that's a little short or a little rough around the edges as "low effort", but in reality you have no way to know how tough it was just to finish it at all. I wish more people would appreciate that.
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</script><div class="Title">''Windows Defender''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Rianna Suen and Dan Pugsley
/*Location*/ London, UK</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game16/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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<a href="https://vividfax.itch.io/windows-defender" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://vividfax.itch.io/" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/vividfax" target="_blank">VividFax Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DanPugsleySound" target="_blank">Pugsley Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.cassinisound.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:85%">
/*Description*/
In Windows Defender you drag and drop windows around a desktop to defend the downloading folders. It’s a bit like Vampire Survivors but you play as windows fighting for control of a desktop.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
We are Rianna Suen and Dan Pugsley. Rianna is the designer and programmer on the game, and Dan is the sound designer and composer.
In Windows Defender you drag and drop windows around a desktop to defend the downloading folders. It’s a bit like Vampire Survivors but you play as windows fighting for control of a desktop.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Rianna’s the best. She’s great at putting lovely cohesive little games together, she's super collaborative and she’s a pleasure to work with! 10/10
Dan is an absolute professional. He’s always excited to jump in on a project and offer his expertise. The soundscapes he comes up with feel distinctly unique every time, yet fit each game perfectly.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
DanP - I’ve been making audio for games for over a decade but it’s only really in the last 4 years that games have become my main focus. I started off doing bits of freelance work on AAA projects and then slid over into the cosier indie side of things a bit later.
Rianna - I’ve been making games for about two years now, and I try to make and publish one game a month.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Rianna - In the process of making lots of small games I’ve gone through the gauntlet of game development from ideation to marketing and promotion many times. I think it’s important to make it through the entire life cycle of game development, gradually increasing scope with every game. I’ve found I’ve learned a lot by scoping my games and finishing them, and by doing this I’ve built an internal framework that I know will get a game actually made. For weekend long game jams, I’ve learned that the second day is entirely for polish, so you need to have a minimum viable product completed in the first day.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
DanP - I’m pretty happy with the daft music I wrote! The look and feel of the game took my back to that Windows 95 era as that’s when we got our first family PC. Hearing the iconic Win95 jingle by Brian Eno so many times has seared into my brain, so that little bit of music felt like a good jumping off point. I chopped up the jingle and remixed it with some beats to start the soundtrack off, and then took it in a couple of different directions to make it long enough so that it didn’t become too repetitive. As a little technical exercise I tried to recreate the Win95 sound from scratch. You’ll hear it when you beat the game!
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}
</script><div class="Title">''Time Bandit''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Joel Jordon
/*Location*/ Montreal, QC, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ug4Uokxc1F0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481910/Time_Bandit/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/pumbertop" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://pumbertop.github.io/presskit/timebandit/index.html" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A who̴͊leso̶̬̙̍me real-time adventure with a dark secret. At your relaxing new job managing resources and collecting crystals, everything you do seems to take ... much, MUCH longer than it should. In retro 3D cutscenes, uncover a company's conspiracy--and sneak around at work to steal back your time.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I am a game designer with a focus on experimental and political work. Other than Time Bandit, I have previously worked on interactive theatre and hybrid digital/physical works. My game Boss Battle, a work of interactive theatre about negotiating a work contract and unionizing against unfair wages, was featured at the Come Out & Play Festival in New York City. Besides working on Part 2 of Time Bandit, I am currently collaborating with Hang Wu on a documentary videogame about mountain climbing.
Time Bandit is a real-time adventure game. Place down a robot to push a box for you, for example, and it will take an actual half an hour to finish. While at first your slower-paced job may seem like a nice retreat from the world that you came from, you soon begin to uncover a dark conspiracy behind the company you're working for.
Time Bandit is a dark comedy that deals with themes of labor exploitation, both through its real-time mechanics and its storytelling. By saving the game and coming back later, you are invited to make as much or as little progress as you like, to make playing it a kind of habit or meaningful ritual, to welcome addictive gameplay loops or instead explore how to break them while watching the real-time sunsets. An explicitly anti-capitalist drama unfolds slowly over actual days and weeks of playtime, to inspire continuous reflection -- both while you are playing it and while you are not -- on how social and historical conditions shape our subjective experience of time. It tells a story of how our time does not belong to us and how we can take it back.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
The time mechanics in Time Bandit were originally inspired by Michael Brough’s VESPER.5 and, believe it or not, Animal Crossing. I was surprised to have this really meaningful experience with VESPER.5 where the moment each day when I played it became important to me. Then I was searching for a replacement for that feeling once I finished the game, and I started playing Animal Crossing. I quickly found all of the more work-y parts of the game tedious and didn’t want to engage with them, and so I started to check in on my town every day for no more than 10–15 minutes just to talk to my villagers, listen to the music, and do small things like water my flowers and walk along the beach. That made me start to think about how the real radical potential contained in Animal Crossing lies in the way that it entices you with all the traditional kinds of game loops but at the same time offers significant alternative aesthetic points of interest. To me the fact that lots of commodity exchange elements are there makes the choice of not engaging with them much more powerful than in a game that only treats you to a more relaxing experience, because at some point the game poses the question to you with alarming force: how do you want to spend your time? At the same time, I was thinking about how our experiences of time are shaped by our economic system. So really Time Bandit started from the idea of using the real-time mechanics of Animal Crossing in a more goal- and story-driven adventure game that would explore themes of temporality explicitly in the context of labor and using an expressly anti-capitalist narrative.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
I'm less interested in a traditional concept of ""fun"" than I am in creating interesting and worthwhile experiences. Nevertheless, despite what you may think from the real-time mechanics, Time Bandit actually has a quite traditional and, judging by the reactions of some of its players, addictive game loop. The game basically involves slowly solving puzzles over time, sneaking out the time crystals once you’ve gained access to them, and then selling them for money in order to buy fuel to solve more puzzles and collect more crystals. And I would push back against the suggestion that just because you’ve extended a game loop in time you’re doing a better job of respecting the player’s time – it seems to me that you might just be increasing the player’s anticipation by making them wait (look at free-to-play games or Animal Crossing).
But real-time mechanics create an unusual link with the player’s experience of time and everyday life, so I think they offer a unique opportunity for making players think about why they experience time as they do and how they would like to experience it. Despite the imperative for games to be ""fun,"" I think that people often seek out experiences in games that feel like work, and I think it makes sense that they do. Work is actually enjoyable, the part of capitalist work that’s not enjoyable is just the fact that the work and the products don’t belong to us. Unfortunately I think a lot of games coming out nowadays resemble the latter kind of capitalist work in that you are often just being given a list of tasks to check off instead of approaching the game like your own project to complete. I also think that people love getting caught up in loops and doing things repetitively – they seem not only to tolerate but to positively enjoy nearly unending amounts of repetition in these things called videogames – but it’s interesting to me when players actually complain about a game being too repetitive. What exactly tipped the scale there? Why do people like walking back and forth between destinations in Death Stranding, but why don’t they like Chulip, a recent favorite of mine and a game in which you venture out to the same places each day and wait for things to loop around to the right time of day (it has a day-and-night cycle, though not real-time), even catching the train on schedule? My thought is that it has to do with when the game makes it too transparent how you’re spending my time.
When I meet people who don’t like Time Bandit, they have a surprisingly visceral reaction to it – they can’t believe the game works like this, but I suspect that they’ll turn around and go play the most addictive game ever that just doesn’t make it as obvious to them what they’re doing because it has more numbers going up. I abhor that kind of repetition, but I think there is a valuable kind of repetition that gradually unfolds different ideas, and I tried to design Time Bandit’s real-time mechanics and story to do that. Honestly, I think people’s love of repetition in games and life shows that they don’t actually need very much to be happy, and it’s a failure of our economic system that so much of the repetition that people engage is the kind that’s the most tedious and pointless and wasteful, of resources and of our time.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
I’m most most excited about two things that Time Bandit offers to players: 1. a compelling temporal experience that invites the player to integrate the game into their life in a way that’s quite different from what can be found in the majority of other games; and 2. a story that provides context for this experience and for thinking about how we spend our time, with characters who are all developed to be shaped by their response to their precarious economic circumstances. I’m proud of the game dealing with these themes above all because it’s a kind of storytelling that I believe to still be rarer than it should be in videogames.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Time Bandit has a big story, and I took advantage of the real-time elements as much as I could in structuring it. The value that I found in this type of narrative was that I had an unusual amount of control over the pacing of the story. Basically the way it works is radio conversations are used for a lot of the main plot points, and they act like real-life phone calls in the sense that characters will pay you these calls on the basis of the number of real-time days you’ve checked in on the game. So this allows me to introduce something and know that it will be, for example, at least another 2 real-time days before the player will receive the next phone call. This is important to me because I wanted to create space for the player to reflect on the story’s ideas, and I can have some sense even of how much time they’re being given for each idea. I think this shows some of the expressive power you can get out of noninteractivity, not just in taking control away from the player but even when they’re not playing the game at all. I’ve taken a lot of other narrative techniques from Brechtian theatre, like developing all of the characters as representatives of their precarious economic situation and how they respond to it, but real time is a pretty unique tool that I had for getting players to integrate the game into their life and remind them of the real world all the time.
It also struck me that players are already pretty accepting of being spoken to directly by videogames. I love the way that characters in Metal Gear Solid will, without skipping a beat, just nonchalantly drop what buttons you have to press to perform an action in the middle of an otherwise totally normal conversation (the fact that it’s voice acted makes it even more uncanny). And I find games like The Beginner’s Guide, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, and Jack King-Spooner’s Blues for Mittavinda really inspiring for going further and holding a direct dialogue with the player to a dramatic effect. I think this has quite a bit of untapped political potential.
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data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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</script><div class="Title">''Betty & Earl''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Giant Light Studios
/*Location*/ Easthampton, Massachusetts, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/moA-Kg0XpIU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1624550/Betty__Earl/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/giant_light" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://giantlightstudios.com/presskit/betty_and_earl/index.html" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Betty & Earl is a relaxing and thoughtful puzzle game where you control everything at the same time in order to reunite the two main characters. The world is connected, and whenever you move, everything follows. Find a way to reconnect Betty & Earl in a world that constantly gets in the way.
</td>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Giant Light Studios, founded in 2018 by Matthew Brelsford, makes games with simple but deep mechanics that challenge players to grow through experimentation and discovery. In 2023 we founded Tiny Mass Games, A Massachusetts based collective of developers who are creating games with small timelines, focused scope, and big impact.
Betty & Earl is a relaxing and thoughtful puzzle game where you control everything at the same time in order to reunite the two main characters. The world is connected, and whenever you move, everything follows. Find a way to reconnect Betty & Earl in a world that constantly gets in the way.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
For Betty & Earl, all of the design, programming, music, sfx, and most of the art was done by Matthew Brelsford, with some art direction by Helvetica Blanc.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I've been making games since I was a teenager and first got access to Flash back in the early 2000s, but have pursued games more seriously for about 15 years.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
I think games are possibly the most spiritually connected artform, given it's ability to share experiences. Most of the work I do tends to have some spiritual component, or tries to communicate some 'big idea'. In the case of Betty & Earl, it's about how we're all connected. In recent work it's about how adversity and hardship helps us to grow and evolve.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The last set of levels in the game is a pretty big shift, and was actually really hard to pull off. I think it's the thing that really sets Betty & Earl apart from other puzzles of this type, and I think really helps illustrate the bigger metaphor of connection that I was exploring.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
I really enjoy games that make me feel changed, or explore something in a way that I've never seen before. I think currently I'd say that Outer Wilds is the best game ever made, but I also really love games by Michael Brough (Cinco Paus!), roguelikes, and deckbuilders.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
I really like a game that forces me to become better in order to be successful, which means I really like roguelikes that don't have much (if any) metaprogression. I love the feeling of mastery, and enjoy when I can see myself improving. I also really love exploration and experimentation, rather than being told what to do or where to go.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
As a programmer, I spent a long time feeling discouraged by my lack of artistic and musical ability, so I'm actually really proud of the games art and music. I think 10 years ago I would have never thought I'd be able to make something that looks and sounds as good as Betty & Earl does.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
The last zone of Betty & Earl is kind of a "big reveal". There's a new mechanic that's introduced that pretty radically alters the way the game is played. If I could do it again, I'd probably introduce that mechanic a bit earlier. As it is, lots of people probably drop off before seeing one of the best parts of the game!
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I'd love to find a way to make lots of smaller, more experimental and creatively fulfilling projects. I find the 2-7 year development cycle to be pretty grueling and limiting, and I have *so* many ideas that I want to try out. Doing something like the Sokpop collective would be pretty ideal to me.
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const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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}
</script><div class="Title">''The Legends of Tynedale''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Ed Den Gaming
/*Location*/ Newcastle upon Tyne, UK</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BklUbS_F6ps" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1417590/The_Legends_of_Tynedale/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/EdDenGaming/media" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="http://www.thelegendsoftynedale.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
The Legends of Tynedale is an action-adventure game, inspired by classic top-down, 2D games. Explore an interconnected, secret-riddled overworld, discover increasingly complex dungeons and puzzles and exciting tools and weapons that aid you in defeating terrifying monsters. Tynedale needs a hero, can you be it?
</td>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My name is Tom and I am the solo, self-taught programmer and designer of The Legends of Tynedale. I decided to start learning to programme after my grandfather's death, naming my studio after him. I taught myself using video tutorial, stack overflow, unity guides and books and a hobby whilst working, and continuing to work as a full time teacher.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
My team is just me! I am completely self taught too! My educational background does not include any programming but I have just been tenacious with tutorials and learning through reading articles and books.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I started teaching myself in 2014, after learning about scratch during a school training session. I've released a few games but this is definitely my most ambitious!
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
For me, games have become too supportive, or 'hand-holding', in their guidance for players. I enjoy the challenge of learning your environment and navigating it mentally and figuring it out by reading and remembering what, for example, NPCs say or having seen it earlier in the game. I love hidden secrets, puzzles and light-bulb moments. I try my best to design my games to match this philosophy.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The story's twist. I also like the hidden puzzles and secrets. And the Easter egg references to my other favourite games too. I also like my dungeons and bosses as I think they get tougher and more intricate each time.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
The Legend of Zelda, particuarly the 2D Gameboy ones and especially The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening. I am also a huge fan of The Last of Us (even naming my son after Joel). I am also inspired by brilliant character design, such as Sonic, Banjo-Kazooie, Link, Solid Snake, many Pokémon characters, Fox McCloud. Games with great lore are also inspiring, such as Fallout, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Baulder's gate and Elder Scrolls.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
For me, good games have good pacing and world building with interesting characters, especially with a character arch. I would say good pacing is one that offers flexibility to the player. For example, the player they may follow the main game or side missions when they wish. It's fun to take your fancy. Or the main story is simple to follow but the player can dive deeper if they want to by speaking to NPCs, reading or exploring. A fun game has intriguing and rewarding secrets; it enhances the experience for the players who want more without excluding those who do not want to explore further.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
I think this is a complex question because good game design takes many forms. I suppose I would say it depends on: good pacing that keeps engagement without creating confusion; fairness, with no extra hidden paywalls in design; respectful in that the player is being challenged with achievable gameplay; fun because you can pick it up at any moment, change course or feel immersed and enjoy the game.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
I had a training course in school on Scratch in 2014. I really enjoyed it and went home to play around. I then discovered App Inventor on MIT. I made a couple of games for Android that were free but felt I was a little limited with the system. Since I had started on Android, I moved to Android Studio and Java. I learnt a lot and even made another game (called Life Simulator: Prohibition Mafia on Google Play) which has over 25,000 down loads. But I found Android Studio limiting again. I then found Unity and made The Legends of Tynedale.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Wow! I don't think I could actually scale it! Everything? Would that do? Not really as I still have so much more to learn. I guess my first game was mostly design and I learnt to code in Android Studio as that's all you could do. Then in Unity I learnt to animate, create more complex assets and other more tricky skills.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
Probably the grapple beam which functions like the hookshot: there weren't any tutorials out there and I had to completely program it from scratch, applying my own learning and making use of stack overflow and other resources. Also, because it is player controlled, it had to be dynamic and no work arounds.
If not that, then the dungeon 3 boss, which is very complex as it is made up of several smaller components to make the over all boss. It really pushed my learning!
I think I also like that there are a few optional side quests: a trade sequence, collectathon and hidden secrets. It's not all about the main game but those side quests are also rewarding.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
My game didn't change hugely from the original concept, although I had so much 'feature creeping' going on. I was always clear on what I wanted to achieve although I had to adjust some parts because of my limited knowledge. Generally, if I wasn't sure, I would be very persistent and do lots of research.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Fun, challenging, rewarding and fair. It makes me really happy to know someone is playing and having a good time with my game, especially when they review it.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Possibly this! To be involved in a festival feels very special. I hope I'm an asset!
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Time: being a father and in a demanding profession, finding solid, quality time to continue to develop my game is very frustrating. The other problem is my subject knowledge and expertise: being self taught means I often don't know how to optimise code or deal with rare, inconsistent bugs. I would love to work alongside real experts!
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
I use old fashioned pen and squared paper to draw out my overworld maps. When it came to the dungeons, I used post-it notes: each post-it note represented aa puzzle I wanted to use. This meant I could easily move it into new positions within a dungeon to help reflect the increasing difficulty, locked off rooms, where the new item would help, clues to progression, or even move them to a new dungeon because they needed building on. I then used that to map out keys and locks too. My enemies are all logged in a chart with what makes them different and where they are located so they feel spread out and progressively harder.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
I think I would have chosen a different art style. I think it would have made it stand out more. Perhaps vector art?
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
Just how complex and intricate developing games really is. I'm very proud of what I have learnt but wish I had the expertise of those in the industry!
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
I really like the story in Link's Awakening, not the idea of the windfish's dream but that the nightmares were in control. I wanted a twist that would surprise any player who was paying attention to the story but wasn't important if they player just wanted the fun. My story idea was also one that might offer re-playability as a player looks to foreshadowing in the game.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
The two things I had to fight hard to keep in the game were the hookshot and Laidly Worm boss as they were really difficult part to programme, especially as there weren't any clear tutorials and I had to piece it together myself.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
I think the industry is heading in an unimaginative and corporate direction: great characters of the past such as Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake and others don't exist. It's all about keeping player infinitely addicted. You can't complete games and bask in that experience, like an excellent book. Instead there's a new 'season' or 'loot box' or gimmick that keeps you hooked. People, especially kids, don't broad experiences of different worlds or develop problem-solving skills or even discuss story or secrets. Its all about the lasted football player or weapon to unlock.
I also dislike, as mentioned, the loot box systems, freemium models and other addiction-inducing designs. If you make a game for someone they should have access to everything. It's only fair. I also dislike the short bust gaming that is spoiling children's attention span as they are in and out of games like the hokey-cokey.
Thankfully there is the indie game market. Whilst I don't play that many niche games, I love that people push the boundaries with mechanics, beautiful art work or special stories. The indie games I like are more mainstream, such as Hollow Knight, City Skylines and Prison Architect because they are different but recognisable in their influences.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
My ideal, dream studio, at a minimum, would consist of three like-minded people: an artist, a programmer with significantly more expertise than me, and myself as the designer.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
N/A: I am a solo developer. My game tries to represent people with disabilities and of different ethnicities because it deeply upsets me that people feel marginalised. But, as a solo developer, I am the only person in my work environment.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
This is a big hobby project so it has largely been a lot of fun. But sometimes programming has been incredibly frustrating and I've had to step away to rethink and research the problem. I think when you're passionate and having fun, you want to come back anyway. Intrinsic motivation is powerful stuff!
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
I played a lot of Zelda and similar games. I love them! I also enjoyed the GM:TK Boss Keys series and KingK analyse too. But I generally look for 'things' in games that I respect and want to use in my games.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
I'm totally self taught and designed this myself so I am very grateful for any support offered! Thank you!
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
Just thank you for checking me out and I hope you get a chance to play my game! Get in touch on my discord:https://discord.gg/g5K3G6gt
I love hearing from players and their experiences or suggestions!
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div.innerHTML = `
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data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
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}
</script><div class="Title">''Her Name Was Fire''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Tissue Inu
/*Location*/ Barcelona, Spain</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KcVHge3i_DU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2083840/Her_Name_Was_Fire/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.tissueinu.com/" target="_blank">Portfolio</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Tissueinu" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TissueInu" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br>
<a href="https://tissueinu.github.io/hnwf-presskit/" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Her Name Was Fire is a Tarotpunk twin stick roguelike where you progressively unlock spells and upgrades to defeat hordes of void creatures. Survive the 5 stages of grief and vanquish the Major Allegories.
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
----
<h3>Exhibitor Interview</h3>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
We are a 2-person married team with a background in Software Development and Project Management. Our mission is to make games with new worlds that players can immerse themselves in. Her Name Was Fire brings themes of power, destruction and grief. Our objective was to give players the opportunity to interpret the meaning in their own way, as we believe it brings more interesting approaches.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
We've been making games in a professional setting for 3 years. Over this period, we have successfully launched one game, with two more currently in active development.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
At Tissue Inu we strive to craft worlds and experiences that inspire wonder, encourage curiosity, and bring us closer to the unconventional.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
For us, a fun game allows us to feel immersed in the experience and have the world disappear. We also love to be able to strategize and think about how our actions will impact the game.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
In 2018, we began dabbling in game development with an ambitious RPG project that we never completed. Motivated by our shared search for enjoyable co-op games, we decided to forge our own gaming universe. This exploration led us through various conceptual experiments on and off for a few years, but our consistent return to game development remained a defining aspect.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
That it's impossible to please all players, and that even though it's important to listen to feedback and learn from it to improve our offering, we still need to be true to our original vision.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
In Her Name Was Fire we implemented a subtle feature: when a specific type of enemy sustained damage, instead of the conventional visual response seen in other enemies, their skeleton became briefly visible. For us this was a small detail we are very proud of, however it wasn't noticed much by players.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Having experienced the entire game development cycle, from inception to publishing on Steam, as we've gained valuable insights and confidence to embark on our next project.
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
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data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''LesbiAnts: Our New Morphology''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Toni Catino (astoryinpieces)
/*Location*/ Florida, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game20/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://astoryinpieces.itch.io/lesbiantsgb" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://astoryinpieces.itch.io/" target="_blank">Dev Itch Page</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/astoryinpieces_" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
LesbiAnts: Our New Morphology is a retro RPG made for the Game Boy! It features easy-to-use, menu-based combat, top-down exploration, and player upgrades in the form of biotic evolutions. Taking between 30 minutes to an hour to complete once all the way through, LesbiAnts offers simple, yet rewarding combat against a wide variety of weird creepy-crawlies, as your colony of Sisters fight to secure the mysterious seeds in each of 4 explorable areas for their Queen. Try not to lose any Sisters, but even if one falls, the others must carry on and tend to both the Queen they love, and their new brood of rapidly-growing eggs~
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Toni Catino, and I make games and art under the handle "astoryinpieces". LesbiAnts is my first commercial video game release- an adult RPG on the Game Boy- and it's about a unique colony of ants that find themselves undergoing a rapid evolution when a crop of mysterious seeds begin affecting their tiny part of the world. Part sci-fi, part horror, part erotica, all ants~
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I've been making games for as long as I can remember, starting with board games and only seriously moving into video games about 3-4 years ago. But I've been interested and actively hacking my own stuff together since I was able to draw my own custom Pokemon cards in grade school~
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The art pieces that illustrate moments of evolving your ants, how they interact with each other, and what ultimately happens by the end. There are also little moments of writing that I really enjoy~
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Trying to do everything completely on your own from scratch can be a total fool's errand and most-often a disaster. No matter your chosen means of making games, there's plenty of help, assets, and tools out there to make your life easier and it's bonkers to ignore them for some sort of game-dev purity score.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Fitting everything into the frame of a Game Boy game, with the actual hardware limitations that involved, was a big pain sometimes. Tile limits, actor limits, huge slowdowns, unresolved crashes; it was a real uphill battle more than I'd like to admit! But getting to say that the game can be played on original hardware is just too cool, so it was worth it~
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
I would definitely devote more time to sourcing or commissioning at least 1-2 music tracks, as well as an extra smattering of sounds here and there. There's some touching-up of environments that I'd be happy to get to as well, and bugs that could be tackled now that I've got more experience and solutions to problems in my arsenal.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
The idea for the game about a colony of ants dealing with a strange infestation of messed-up insects in their area was kicking around for a while, but it really took off once the seed was planted that the ants should be represented as nude, human women in all the cutscenes. It was so absurd, and I just loved it. It made things seem more personal and easier to feel for this wild situation that was seemingly happening on such a small scale. Not to mention the art was a huge boost that was just fun to make~
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
I can't extricate my queerness or transness from my work. Period. Whether it's through color choices, character backgrounds, story threads, or overt sexuality, I want games to be more queer. It's not achievable in every game I make, but I'd sure like it to be~
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
Nothing that hasn't already been said by many other people in this industry. Stop hazing devs who use assets. Stop weaponizing reviews and refunds against indie devs. Sometimes things take more time than you want them to, and you need to be okay with that. No one's more disappointed when the game doesn't come as how it was supposed to than the devs and other team members involved.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
The full, uncensored version has artwork I'm really proud of! Whether it's your cup of tea or not, I encourage anyone to play it that way to give the story and the ants more life and character! And the best part is you can play it on anything that can emulate Game Boy games, for that extra genuine feel~
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</script><div class="Title">''Lungs To Burn''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Stara David
/*Location*/ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*//<img src=" https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game21/cover.gif" style="width:300px;">
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<a href="https://staradavid.itch.io/lungs-to-burn" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://staradavid.itch.io/" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/stara_david" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
lungs to burn was made for the may 2023 bitsy jam, and sprung from losing a queer sister of mine this past winter, as well as my memories of the 2021 wildfires causing my childhood asthma to relapse. at it's core, it's a story of queer connection and grief, how complicated relationships persist even with loss, and the aftermath of all those things.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Hello! i'm a writer, performer, storyteller, and small game maker. i was lucky enough to have been a sufest game jammer last year and since then completed code coven's intro to game making course in april 2023, while continuing to make small games along the way.
lungs to burn was made for the may 2023 bitsy jam, and sprung from losing a queer sister of mine this past winter, as well as my memories of the 2021 wildfires causing my childhood asthma to relapse. at it's core, it's a story of queer connection and grief, how complicated relationships persist even with loss, and the aftermath of all those things.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
since 2021!
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
I love any game that makes me want to figure out how the story works on a mechanical level. nothing gives me more joy than teasing apart each story element and trying to figure out the puzzle of how it all came together to tell a story!
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
perseverance. stamina. commitment. patience.
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</script><div class="Title">''SLASHER U: An 18+ Horror Movie Dating Sim''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Andi Santagata
/*Location*/ White River Junction, Vermont, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pGFpazNv2TA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2655620/Slasher_U_An_18_Horror_Movie_Dating_Sim_Act_1/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://suiteddevil.itch.io/slasheru-act1alpha" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="http://www.slasherugame.com" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1D-PFA84IVEobAnTnxUTgXaX6tFABTtZZ" target="_blank">Press Kit</a><br>
<a href="https://slasheru.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a><br>
<a href="https://discord.gg/X2Zgbp9XpN" target="_blank">Discord</a><br>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/slasheru" target="_blank">Linktree</a></div>
<a href="https://www.andisantagata.com" target="_blank">Portfolio</a><br>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/suiteddevil.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/SuitedDevil" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://Instagram.com/SuitedDevil" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
SLASHER U is an 18+, systems-heavy, reactive dating sim, set at America's Horniest Horror Movie University! Wrapped in a y2k mallgoth horror universe rife with emotional catharsis, with a full gamut of Kinsey scale romances, mechanically unique character-based full-blown sex minigames with complete ludonarrative congruence, and an “NPC Feelings” based core system that triggers story events and inter-character interactions in a modular way for a completely different playthrough each time, SLASHER U is a labor of love designed to be one guy’s ultimate whack at the perfect 18+ story-based RPG dating sim! With an open dev cycle putting out a new build out every 2 weeks, SLASHER U is here to take sex games as seriously as possible, and grows along with its playerbase to create the most inclusive and rewarding romance RPG experience I possibly can provide (for all my fellow freaks n’ geeks out there)!
</td>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Hi, I'm Andi Santagata! I'm a New York Times Top 10 bestselling cartoonist & indie game dev who makes the 18+ horror movie dating sim, SLASHER U! SLASHER U is a reactive, systems-heavy dating sim RPG with a y2k goth/horror vibe, extremely intricate story and character detailing, and (optional) full-blown sex and BDSM mechanics, all tying into the general narrative themes of friendship, love, trauma, and pure 90's college comedy antics. I'm a solo dev with 15 years of professional entertainment experience (7 years in games, 8 years in comics)!
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
I'm a one-man dev team making full-size 2D RPGs with modern mechanics! SLASHER U: ACT 1 has 16+ hours of content, five fully-fleshed-out major storylines plus a main quest, 26 characters with complete art and story, an open-world map, a proprietary story event triggering system, and unique character-based romance mechanics (including the infamous Makeout & Hookup minigames) alongside the primary RPG mechanics. It was made in 9 months with zero crunch on a $0 budget by one guy (me!). It's got an average 4.9/5 stars on itch.io! ACT 2 comes out in 5 parts, with Part 1 out October 7th!
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
The first game I ever worked on was a fan-made MUD in 2004, and I started working professionally in video games in 2008 at age 16 as a full-time PA in the design department at Petroglyph when I wasn't in school during the semester. I worked in game dev professionally all through college, where I went to 3 years of USC School of Cinematic Arts majoring in Interactive Media & Game Design, dropping out to work full-time again at Nix Hydra. I burned out in a fireball in 2015 after 5 shipped games, swore I'd never make games for anyone else ever again, moved on to become a bestselling award-winning cartoonist drawing for Scholastic Graphix (on the official Five Nights at Freddy's series), The Nib, Oni Press, and Mad Cave, then came back in 2022 to make SLASHER U for myself. So... professionally for 7 years and unprofessionally for 12? Jesus, I feel old. Am I old now?
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Tenth Circle (my one-man dev studio) has three major tenets: 1. We make story-rich dating sims & narrative games with an emphasis on systems and mechanics first, 2. No combat, ever, unless it's narratively necessary, 3. We make 18+ games for adults and we take that VERY SERIOUSLY, as designers. Er, designer, singular. That third rule probably sets me apart from most other devs! By setting a hard line in the sand that we make games for adults, by adults, I'm able to not just tackle adult topics like sex and truly explore the mechanical & systems design space with it, but OTHER difficult topics I find important to cover in my own storytelling without pulling punches, like PTSD & C-PTSD, trauma, abuse, mental health, and other topics in that umbrella.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The Hexecutioner slowdance sequence during Prom in Act 1! It makes me tear up a little. Look, just - he's tried so hard to be himself, but his dads plonked him in that metaphorical labyrinth, and he doesn't even WANT to be a monster but good boys should be good monsters, and he just wants to be a good boy SO BAD, okay?! Sniff.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
My biggest RPG inspiration is definitely Dragon Age: Origins, followed closely by the Fallout series with New Vegas fighting for the top spot. Fallout has my favorite worldbuilding of all time - it's the game series that got me into games! - and New Vegas is a beautifully elegant example of RPG narrative design in this layered, nuanced, colorful way that goes beyond yes or no decisions. SLASHER U is inspired by games like Monster Prom/Camp/Roadtrip, and other dating sims, except, you know, for all the boning. The boning comes from me critically examining Skyrim sex mods and wondering why horny randos could lovingly craft such intricate position menus and yet Alistair and I were smashing together like clothed Ken dolls in DA:O despite the game's explicit rating and actual inclusion of sex as a narrative element moving the story forward. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Vampire: the Masquerade (both Bloodlines and the tabletop game) for being masterclasses in emotional storytelling and environmental modular storytelling, respectively.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
The hookup minigames! Seriously. That sounds silly to anyone who hasn't played SLASHER U, but each sex experience is a carefully and lovingly curated narrative and mechanical experience designed to deepen your relationship with the character at hand and ALSO provide an amount of emotional and practical sex education. Sawyer, for instance, gently guides the Player through the hallmarks of safe and consensual BDSM, including safe words, limits, consent, and safety, all within kayfabe, before launching into some of the finest systemic and mechanical maths-based dominating I have ever designed. Each character has a bespoke behind-the-scenes system based on their personality, dictating their sensitivity/sexual thresholds and behavior, and tracking their feelings against their own personal limits and preferences - at risk of getting TOO risque in this answer, I'm super proud of reflecting every eventuality in real human sex and romance, including blowing it too early, edging, aftercare, and all the good stuff in between, using some for-reals nuts-and-bolts systems design!
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
I once watched a YouTube video where the Deus Ex: Human Revolution team taped their original GDD to a wall and reproduced every. Single. Thing. As written. This is my personal anxiety nightmare and I strive every day to use the rapid prototyping process and player feedback to keep Slasher U's actual mechanics and design up-to-date and fluid (probably a holdover from my QA days). Sorry, Deus Ex team, I just - get REAL ANTSY and believe in the power of constantly transforming my game like a Ship of Theseus. There's statements of guidance I adhere to for Slasher U, and core mechanics I won't gut, but in general? It's good to keep the game on its toes, I think.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
If the greybox is fun, the game is fun. I don't start writing until I play through a prototype of the greybox and finish the big sweeping tweaks! Obviously, sometimes I design the prototype BASED on a narrative idea, but I don't do any nitty gritty anything until I nail down the mechanics. Which I think everyone does, but it's definitely good practice in my opinion at least (ymmv).
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
The Student Disembody!! That's what I call the SLASHER U fanbase. They're also called Murderfuckers, but that word tends to get the game shadowbanned a lot of places (big surprise!). They're good people. We have a Discord! It's super active! People are actually making friends in there! Sometimes it feels like running a goth bar in the middle of Prohibition these days, which is kind of a sick vibe.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
I'm a massive, massive fan of paper prototyping - if you can design a game with pure mechanics and no bells and whistles (like art or writing) at this stage and have it be fun, you can then select the appropriate engine and make baseline choices for it that start at the foundational level. Once I'm happy with how the core mechanic of something will work - like sex minigames, or the puzzles at the Final Girl Ball, I start implementing them greybox style directly into the game. After testing them and nailing out the creases and bugs, and making sure the greybox is STILL FUN, I start applying the fun bits, like art and dialogue and sound. On the story side, it's a LOT more abstract - I pretty much just go into a sort of fugue state and start writing my own wish fulfillment about my own characters untangling their own romances. I've been doing this for so long now that I automatically browbeat myself into overcorrecting for editorial reaction, so a little self-indulgence (ESPECIALLY in a dating sim) is a really good thing.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
Please don't look at my scripting, oh god. It's a mess in there. I started making this game as a much smaller project and before I knew it I had a whole-ass RPG. My code is so spaghetti it's being sold in a can with tomato sauce. Forgive me.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
I wanted to get really, really honest and serious with certain topics, like Tate McGillicutty's abusive childhood, because it was critical for me to include those roleplay moments and elements to really flesh out Tate and the others as real people, but also for the Player to understand why he ends up being an Adderall-snorting Eldritch host. As Jo Knowles once said, "if it's happened to you, it's fair game to write about". I needed a way to make sure I wasn't using Tate's Eldritch horror as pure metaphor, but I ALSO needed a way to make sure I wasn't accidentally triggering people's actual, real-life C-PTSD & PTSD. I ended up including an optional content warning setting for things like Tate's backstory, and, in the future, Juno's slap and Neil's suicidal tendencies, so that players can choose to experience the story in full, or tailor their experience to be less triggering - story events don't change, but this setting deliberately alters certain actions and text to be much less triggering to those who have experienced these traumas IRL. I got you, fellow PTSD havers!
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
For a really, really long time, I thought there wasn't really a place in the industry for Taking Sexy/Adult Games Seriously as a Designer - both mechanically and narratively. When I started devving way back in the late 2000s, you couldn't even have 18+ games listed on Steam, and itch.io didn't exist. I thought I was going to have to fight to get people to take me seriously, but honestly? Mechanically/systemically serious sex games with a strong plot turned out to be something a huge majority of adults were clamoring for. I think the acceptance of 18+ games on major platforms like Steam is a HUGE step forward for visibility and corporate acceptance for games that discuss, explore, or try to simply express sex or adult relationships as an interactive media subject. In mainstream RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3, and older classics like Dragon Age: Origins, you're seeing a lot more creative ways to include sex as a narrative element, but I'm super excited for SLASHER U to keep exploring sex in BOTH a mechanical AND narrative way through novel systems and mechanics - all tailored to the experience of romancing specific characters, of course!
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I joke around a lot that I want Tenth Circle to one day be "The World's Most Ethical Game Company" - if that's even a thing that's possible. I started working professionally in dev in 2008 in the QA mines, worked through the GamerGate era, and a bunch of other classic scenarios where crunch grinds you into dust and you eventually burn out. I want Tenth Circle to be a place where we're NOT your family - work ends when the day's over. Crunch is a producer issue, so proper project management is key - I'd rather machete features than put anyone through crunch. Games might take longer, but guess what? In my personal experience, getting enough breaks and making sure there's enough people to work on a game means things really CAN come out in a timely manner without destroying anyone.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
I'm a solo dev who's a neurodivergent, mixed-race Cantonese-American, bisexual trans man, which puts me at a weirdly intersectional place when it comes to community management. Though I don't have a studio per se, I'm super conscious of the Slasher U community and implement feedback frequently not just in the game but in our Discord & Tumblr - instead of keeping it a "good vibes only" place, I like to acknowledge that everyone needs to express their lived experiences, so I pride myself on having channels that run the gamut from General to Fucked-Up, so everyone can set their own boundaries as to their own comfort level re: communication. I'm also super proud of my Discord mod, another member of the LGBTQ community, for fostering such an inclusive environment! You're nailing it, Seth!
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
SLASHER U has an egalitarian pricing scheme: The dirst 2/3rds of the story and all of the core game is free, so you can experience the entire world, with the complete edition of Act 1, including NSFW character artwork, coming in at $14.99.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
The sex stuff is ALSO totally optional! I harp on it a lot, but there's a MASSIVE amount of Slasher U players who play for just the romances and story, and a good portion of our players identify as ace, too! You can toggle off any and all sexual content in the Settings at any time!
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</script><div class="Title">''The Visionary''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Alex Blechman, Jamie Brew, Mike Gillis, Dave Kornfeld, David McQuary
/*Location*/ USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pw92NhDsizw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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You are an innovative thought leader in the tech sector. Run a boardroom meeting by stealing as many of your employees' ideas as possible while managing suspicion.
<br>
And remember, this company would be nothing without you.
</td>
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
The Serious Hats Only collective is a group of current and former Onion and ClickHole writers with an eye to exploring comedy in games. The Visionary, our most recent title, is a psychedelic rhythm ode to the genius of CEOs and all the brilliant work they do for their undeserving employees.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
We have veterans of both the games and comedy writing industries. So we're able to approach humor both from a written- and design-driven perspective. Most importantly, our team member Dave Kornfeld has a smile that could light up the room. As long as Dave Kornfeld and his ten-thousand-watt smile are still around, there remains hope for our world.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
It's a range for our members, but generally between 1 and 5 years. Ron Gilbert is also on the team, which would bring up that average. But he told us not to mention any of this and made us sign an NDA specifically saying that he could sue us if we said he worked on this game, so we probably shouldn't be writing any of this.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Comedy remains the neglected and deformed stepchild of the games industry. It's kept in an attic and only fed gruel in secret by Tim Schafer and Davey Wreden. Our hope is to break comedy out of this metaphorical prison and allow it to run amok through the town square, smashing the heads of terrified villages and hurling chaplains through church windows. Eventually, this will result in people laughing.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The relatability of the core gameplay loop — we've all had a boss steal our ideas in a meeting and get credit for it as his or her own. This game take that experience and puts you in their position, showing the ego-tripping rush that comes from sitting in the hot seat.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
The Stanley Parable, Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, No One Lives Forever
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Coding is hard.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
The special moves to distract your employees — banging the table, ordering pizza for them, replacing them all with AI. They all look great and we think they add a nice little spice to the core gameplay loop. Also, the spirit god animations in the final round.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Interactivity. Given our background as writers, it's important that we always make the player part of the joke. That means resisting some of our habits of putting the writer first, but it inevitably makes the final product better.
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
A ghost popped out and scared all of us. But then it went away and we went back to our regular routines.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
Our background in soul-destroying office jobs inspired us, for some reason, to make this a love letter to the CEOs who destroyed our souls.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
One goal we talk about often is creating a small studio with a writers' room, where great comedy writing is looked at as just as valuable as good design.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
It isn't as difficult as you might think! More people, especially from the comedy writing world, should get out there and try out making their own games.
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class="art_button"></div>
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</script><div class="Title">''Marcus Comes Out Online''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ littlerat
/*Location*/ GTA, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game24/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://littlerat.itch.io/marcus-comes-out-online" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://littlerat.itch.io" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://littlerat.house" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://littlerat.cohost.org/" target="_blank">Cohost</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A year after graduating from university, Marcus has just come out as a trans man to his family and one of his old roommates, Erin.
<br>
Finding that he needs some space to figure things out, he decides to spend a week downtown to work on his transition. The next step? Coming out to his old friends online.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Hi! I’m littlerat, and I make games about people figuring themselves out.
Marcus Comes Out Online is about a trans man named Marcus. He’s just graduated from university and has decided to spend a week downtown to work on his transition. He’s made a whole list of things he wants to get done, from legal paperwork to making medical appointments, but there’s one hurdle he wants to get over first -- coming out to all his friends online.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
When making Marcus Comes Out Online, I developed quite a few things that were more technically challenging than anything I had made before. The scrollable message box, the interactable to-do list, the lighting changes at different times of day... these are all things I had never made before, and I’m quite proud of them.
But if I had to choose one thing I was the most proud of, that would have to be the ending of the game. The game takes place over one full day, and at the end of the night, Marcus messages his friend Erin to tell her about the day he’s had. Every decision the player makes in the day is accounted for, and the player can choose how Marcus says he feels about what happened. The player can also end the conversation early if they feel he’s said enough.
But no matter what he says, Erin does not respond. It’s late, and she’s offline. The player gets the chance to decide what Marcus’s plans are for the next day, but the game ends with him going to sleep for the night, alone. Ultimately, it’s up to Marcus to process how the day has gone, and to carry on tomorrow.
It was a technical challenge to set up the messages so that they could account for all the player’s decisions without sounding stilted. But more than that, I’m proud that I felt able to end the game on this serious and uncertain note.
Up until Marcus Comes Out Online, all of my games had had at least one unequivocally happy ending. But ending this game on a happy note would have undercut the themes of uncertainty, hard work and loneliness.
I’d like to think I’ve struck a balance – it’s a more difficult ending than in my previous games, but it leaves room for hope about the future. I hope to continue refining my writing abilities in the future as well.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
When I was first designing this game, I really wanted to capture the frustration and loneliness that comes when you try your best to express yourself to people online, but they respond with ignorance and unkindness.
The central question in this version of this game was: “When people are sending you cruel and inconsiderate DMs, should you block them, ignore them, argue with them or try to educate them?” Regardless of what choices you made, Marcus would end up exhausted and frustrated, but he would do his best to carry on regardless. In one of the planned routes, he would get so angry at the people who didn’t understand him that he would blow up at Erin, his kind and supportive friend, and the game would end with them wondering if they would ever be able to repair their friendship.
I do think this would have made for an interesting game, and a lot of the major themes are still present in the final release. But the amount of raw anger and despair I tried to capture in the initial draft of this game made it emotionally exhausting and difficult to work on. Furthermore, according to playtester feedback, the general atmosphere of the game was very bleak and Marcus came off as unsympathetic. Part of the issue was that I had been trying to make the game in just two months for a game jam, and I simply did not have the time to capture the nuances I was hoping for.
Instead of releasing the game in that state, I ended up making a demo for the game jam instead. After that I spent a long while considering what I really wanted to do with the game, and how I could make it into something I felt good about releasing.
One thing I did was put a much stronger emphasis on Marcus’s trips outside. Originally they had only been represented by simple lines of text, but I added art and additional descriptions to all of them. This helped to balance the more isolating scenes of Marcus alone in his room.
I also shifted the concept of Marcus becoming increasingly hostile towards others with time, to one where he became more mentally exhausted over the course of the day, depending on how hard he pushed himself. Marcus can still express frustration to the people he messages throughout the day, but the choice of what he says (or whether he says anything at all) is put more firmly in the player’s hands, in the hopes of making it easier for players to empathize with his situation.
Overall, I changed quite a lot during the development of this game and it was a real challenge, but I definitely learned a lot in the process.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
In many ways, the story of Marcus Comes Out Online actually started with the story of its sequel, Peyton’s Post-Op Visits.
Peyton’s Post-Op Visits was a game about what happened after Marcus made a life-changing decision about his body – the choice to have top surgery. It was the first game I ever made about transition, so I was scared of how I would feel writing about something so personal and intense, and I was scared of how people would react.
That’s why I ended up making Marcus the way he is in that game – confident in his identity as a trans man, and certain that top surgery was the right choice for him. Making such a confident character made me feel braver about writing a story I had so many doubts about.
I’m proud that I made Peyton’s Post-Op Visits, but even while I was making it I knew I didn’t only want to tell trans stories about confidence and certainty. Transition can be full of joy and beauty, but it can also be full of doubt and exhaustion... especially when someone is earlier in their transition, and everything is new and overwhelming, and you don’t know who supports you and who doesn’t.
It would have been too much for me if I made my first game about transition about such a stressful period in a trans person’s life. But people were kind to me about Peyton’s Post-Op Visits, and so... I decided to go for it.
That was how I decided to make Marcus Comes Out Online, a game about Marcus when he was much earlier in his transition journey and had a massive list of things he was trying to accomplish, each vying for his attention, each involving decisions that could change his life forever.
Ultimately, the two games are part of the same story. Marcus Comes Out Online shows the many difficult decisions Marcus had to make during his transition... and Peyton’s Post-Op Visits shows what Marcus was able to accomplish through his hard work over the years. I hope that the combination of these two games helps people remember that struggling today does not mean joy cannot come in the future, and that someone’s joy today does not mean they haven’t struggled.
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</script><div class="Title">''Amarantus''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ ub4q
/*Location*/ Australia</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7GoIGvy3qs8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1941100/Amarantus" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://ub4q.itch.io/amarantus" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/pettyantics" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://ub4q.games/amarantus/" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://ub4q.games/amarantus-press" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Roadtrip across the country. Confront a tyrant. The revolution will be messy—but the relationships will be messier.
</td>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Ruqiyah, and I've been working on Amarantus for something like eight years! Amarantus is a visual novel about relationships, road trips & revolution: a group of characters travelling across their country to overthrow a tyrant, navigating their own messy relationship dynamics along the way. It's got a real focus on messiness and escalating poor decision-making.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
I worked on this game alone for years and years before I started asking my friends if they might be interested in contributing. That first Twitter DM I sent to Syd feeling out if they could do character art was terrifying! People came on one at a time, slowly evolving and growing our scope of possibility, the whole aesthetic and style of the game. Being able to work with all these people, helping me grow and create something that we could all be proud of, was an honour.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
I love moments where relationship decisions all snowball together in ways you might not have even realised the game was tracking. A character accuses you of avoiding someone if you've never spent a scene with them. If you get rejected by someone then accept someone else's advances, the player character reflects on whether he's genuinely interested or just on the rebound. Characters will quote your own choices back at you and challenge your reasoning. I love that stuff.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
I believe every story has a medium best suited to telling it. Years and years ago, I had a story concept that could maybe be a novel, and eventually I went, wait, no, this is a visual novel, a faux-dating sim where romance might not be the right goal. That was Amarantus, maybe fifteen years ago.
So I started looking into visual novels, and interactive fiction. I turned a short story I wrote into a Twine game, and from then on, most of the stories I wanted to tell found a home in games.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
This sounds a bit silly, because Amarantus is a visual novel and so of course the whole player experience is focused around reading, and I'm proud of the writing I did, but I'm REALLY proud of the way characters walk around on screen. As they move, they bob up and down and generate footstep noises that pan around to create an immersive spatial audience experience. One character walks with a cane, and you can hear her cane hitting the ground on every second step! Plus the sounds change based on the terrain.
I spent a good week or two wrangling the engine to pull it off. I certainly don't think it was critical for the game to work, but I think it adds a really immersive, special touch to the game's style.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
There are full scenes I wrote at the very start of development - or even before "development" started - that ended up nearly verbatim in the final game. Characters became themselves, the story and the cast became more sophisticated as an integrated system, but some of my favourite lines of dialogue never changed.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Make player characters feel uncomfortable, awkward, ill-at-ease, and let the player work out how they want to engage with that discomfort.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Coming home from work every day - the whole time I was working on Amarantus I was working full-time non-gamedev related jobs - and sitting down at my desk to hack away at my silly little script and code wasn't hard. It was just natural. The challenges were the stuff that wasn't that - asking my friends to be involved, learning Tiktok, submitting and not being accepted into events. Working on the game you can remember that you're doing for fun! The business of it, less so. But it was worth every thing I did.
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</script><div class="Title">''CATCH YOUR SACRIFICE''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ GLITCH CUBE
/*Location*/ Europe</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game26/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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<a href="https://bloodmachine.itch.io/catch-your-sacrifice" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://futureruins.itch.io/" target="_blank">FutureRuins Itch</a><br>
<a href="https://cavalcadeur.itch.io" target="_blank">Cavalcadeur Itch</a><br>
<a href="https://hexrae.itch.io/" target="_blank">Hexrae Itch</a><br>
<a href="https://bloodmachine.itch.io/" target="_blank">Bloodmachine Itch</a></div>
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Experimental horror first-person shooter. Wander the desert, grab your rifle, shoot the bad guys and win. :)
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
We are GLITCH CUBE, a digital collective of queer artists working on strange & experimental experiences. We're ghost (narrative design & art), HexRae (music & art), CavalCadeur (programming & tech art), and FUTURE RUINS (3D art).
Today we're presenting CATCH YOUR SACRIFICE, a very normal FPS where you kill the bad guys and win ;). It's a short, experimental horror FPS made in Godot for the Anti-Romance Game Jam. If you like PSX-style fever dreams, this might be your game.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
We challenged ourselves to try new tools & dimensions for this game. For most of us, this was our first approach to Godot & FPS mechanics & design. Learning & adapting our workflow to Godot's specifications was challenging, but very fun; it's a very lightweight yet powerful engine that gave us a lot of freedom to experiment and create weird things with very little hassle.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
We spent some time thinking about what constituted 'anti-romance'. We took 'romance' in this instance to be a type of metathought that we use, culturally, to describe or contain certain experiences or beliefs or opinions. A romantic view of love is different to a cynical view of love, but 'romance' and 'cynicism' are not feelings in their own right; they're meta-level concepts that describe how we relate to the world around us. With that in mind, we set out to tell a story in which 'anti-romance' is another type of metathought that describes our relationships to the world. If a romantic worldview is constituted by gauzy light and the soft blush of the sky at sunset, then anti-romance is the limit-break place where the sun never sets and never rises, where you find yourself in a disjointed fever dream, forever fractured. We owe a lot to Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, Panos Cosmatos's MANDY, and kittyhorrorshow's Lethargy Hill for their instructive examples on how to tell a story about the all-consuming thrill and horror of a limit experience. Hopefully we lived up to the task we set for ourselves.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
As a collective, we're pretty frustrated with certain aspects of the games industry. It seems like the industry is buckling under the crisis of capitalism (as is the rest of the world), and the opportunity pool for game developers, artists, and writers, is shrinking as massive industry studios find new ways to exploit workers for less and less compensation. This is perhaps most salient and obvious with AI - studio executives see AI as a cost-cutting tool that will allow them to create broader asset libraries without needing to hire new workers in the industry. Meanwhile, these same studios are equally hostile to players; they create massive games that extract capital in the form of endless subscription services. As the cost of living soars, it becomes harder and harder to afford to make games for a living, and equally hard to find the space, money, and time in life to play games. It's thanks to community initiatives like The Hand-Eye Society, Indiepocalypse, Queer Games Bundle, and many more charity bundles, that smaller games like ours can continue to exist in such ruthless conditions.
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
Everyone on this team brings something unique to the process. Across the board, we're into weird art, surreal stories, horror, and experimental media - which in turn informs the designs and aesthetics that end up in our games. In general, we like to explore horror for its relationship to abjection and reality distortion. Most of our work is queer, gloomy, and self-indulgent, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
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</script><div class="Title">''Slay The Princess''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Black Tabby Games
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IY07Vh7MEbg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.blacktabbygames.com/press-stp" target="_blank">Press Kit</a><br></div>
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/*Description*/
You're here to Slay the Princess. Don't believe her lies.
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Black Tabby Games is an indie studio founded by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard and her husband Tony Howard-Arias.
They're currently working on Scarlet Hollow, an ongoing episodic narrative horror game, and by the time this festival will have started, they'll have just released Slay the Princess, a surreal horror-comedy and romance visual novel about perception and making a difficult choice without enough information.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Our guiding principle is to always go the extra mile. If adding an extra branch to the story feels like it would make the narrative better, but it'd require extra work? We add that branch. If we think adding a few more sprites to a scene would make it more immersive? Abby draws new sprites. If we need yet another track of music, Brandon makes another track.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Quite a bit, though that also depends on what counts as the original concept. We did some pretty rapid iterations in the first day or two of work — there originally wasn't even a Princess at all, but that was so early on in the process and took so little time that it's hard to count that as the real starting point.
We put our our first demo in a couple of weeks, and when that really blew up, we realized we should commit more resources to the project, so its scope grew a lot — we went from originally having 6 variants of Chapter 2 in that first demo to having 10 variants in the full game.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
We like to go on long walks in parks and talk things out.We get a lot of conceptual work done that way ~and~ we get fresh air!
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
Everything, probably. If you're really pushing yourself on creative projects, you always wind up growing and improving, which means that, by the end of the project, you have all of these new skills and perspectives you wished you had at the beginning of it.
A pretty common creative pitfall is getting stuck in a development hell where you realize that you'd now be able to do part of your game or your art or your story even better, and then you go back and re-do it, and then by the time you're done with that you realize you can iterate on it even further. You've got to know when to let something be finished and focus your attention on where it needs to be focused.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
Slay the Princess started as a side project to Scarlet Hollow — it felt like Tony's time would be better spent working on a second project to cross-promote with the first than more standard yelling-into-the-void style marketing work.
So it came about very much as a "bottle episode" type of concept. What's a story we could tell that only had a couple of locations and only had one character on screen at a time? The original concept for Slay the Princess didn't have the fantasy angle to it — it was more of an SCP style concept where you were, with very limited information, told to execute a helpless prisoner in a basement and had to make a choice between listening to the unreliable and limited information you were given before the game starts, and listening to the equally unreliable information the prisoner gave you.
Abby suggested we called it "Save the Princess" to be cheeky, we then realized there wasn't really anything out there called "Slay the Princess" and it evolved from there.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
Across all sorts of entertainment spaces, we're seeing an overinvestment in blockbuster titles with 9 figure budgets. We don't think that's sustainable for movies, and I don't think that's sustainable for games. We think the future for games specifically lies in indies with passionate ideas they can execute with fewer people and in less time. And we like to think that we're a small part of that.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
Honestly, we're living the dream right now — self-funding projects that we care about and working with people who make amazing art!
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</script><div class="Title">''Chico and the Magic Orchards DX''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Daikon Games
/*Location*/ Massachusetts, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ltcNo4PslcE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://daikon.games" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://cohost.org/daikon-games" target="_blank">Cohost</a><br>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nickvv.me" target="_blank">BlueSky</a><br>
<a href="https://daikon.games/press/chico/" target="_blank">PressKit</a></div>
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/*Description*/
When Chico the chipmunk stumbles into a portal in the forest, he’s transported to a magical world! Here he finds giant walnuts galore, but getting them home won’t be easy! Solve puzzles and challenges across a variety of unique levels, gather a horde of giant walnuts, and help Chico get back to his forest!
</td>
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Chico was made by Daikon Games, a mostly-solo studio from Massachusetts! The game is a classic Game Boy inspired action-puzzler, where you play as Chico the chipmunk. As Chico you roll around giant walnuts through various worlds, solving puzzles and defeating bosses! The game was originally an entry for a game jam, but it was so popular that we decided to turn it into a full release!
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
The main developer for Daikon is Nick Ver Voort (me!). I've been making games since I was a little kid, as long as I remember it has been the main thing I've wanted to do. Now with Daikon and Chico I'm finally getting to live my dream.
I can't forget to shout out my other team-member, Joyce Lin, who is our QA extraordinaire. She can break a game just by looking at it funny. If it weren't for her help, Chico would have been a buggy mess at launch.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
I am constantly taking inspiration from everything I play, across a wide variety of eras, consoles, and genres. My first gaming experiences were on the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, with games like Zelda Link's Awakening, and Kirby's Dreamland, and those two games were heavy influences for Chico.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Chico was the first major game I've commercially released. The biggest lesson I learned from the experience was that gathering player feedback early and often is extremely useful. In the case of Chico, there are many things I've changed in subsequent updates because I watched people struggling with them after the game's initial release. I think more feedback earlier would have made a better 1.0, and I'm taking that philosophy to heart for my next game.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Designing levels was a big challenge in Chico. For future games I am striving to keep the level design process as simple as possible, for faster iteration and testing. In Chico it was painstaking to go back and change level layouts once they were created, which definitely hinders the ability to tweak and balance.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I would love to grow Daikon Games enough to hire a small staff, increase the scope of our games and put out more games more quickly. At the same time, I think the ideal indie game studio should stay small, stay nimble, and be able and willing to experiment with weird ideas and just make the things that keep you passionate, rather than chasing market trends.
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</script><div class="Title">''Stillwater''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Studio Clump
/*Location*/ USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QLX7r7t7jtU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2133930/Stillwater/?curator_clanid=43430276" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/studioclump" target="_blank">LinkTree</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/studioclump" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZQqmgT-bBmzTw8yCKUWuXPLyUoLo056o?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU"
<br>
Private Investigator Hugo Laurent was ready to busy himself with more paperwork until a young disturbed woman entered his office to request an investigation regarding her grandfather's safety. What danger awaits underneath the surface of this mystery?
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
We are a small team consisting of four friends making atmospheric games rich in narrative and visuals. Our game, Stillwater, is about Private Investigator Hugo Laurent, who gets reeled into a murky mystery entangled in lies, secrets, and a family curse. Stillwater is our first game we debuted in a game jam!
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Everyone on our team is super talented! By putting our talents together, we use this platform to showcase our combined visual insights and share with everyone our creative outlet!
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
We developed Stillwater within a month! It was tough, but it was definitely an experience we all look back fondly on.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
Honestly, it was very spontaneous! We all collectively decided to pick a story that one of us was developing and then we joined our first game jam together! Mainly this game was supposed to be a one-shot, but it has definitely grown to be more than just a single story!
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
More pets for dogs!
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''SokoChess White''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Daisy Games
/*Location*/ Czechia</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W3f1NlDXXL0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2185860/SokoChess_White/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://daisygames.github.io/Presskits/SokoChessWhite.html" target="_blank">Press Kit</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DaisyGames3" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A Chess puzzle game about moving and pushing your own pieces while overcoming various obstacles.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
The studio is named in honor of Daisy, an adorable German Shepherd Martin rescued in 2019. Daisy is still alive and well, despite of her old age of 14! Daisy Games was originally a one-man effort by Martin Firbacher. As time went on, his friends started joining him for some projects. This was the case with SokoChess White.
SokoChess White is a puzzle game about pushing Chess pieces into their destination and overcoming various obstacles.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
SokoChess White is an international team. Martin and Julieta (the core members) hail from Czechia, Mexico. Our friend Guy who helped us out this time is from Netherlands. We're all passionate gamers and love both playing and making games. All of us are self-taught when it comes to game development.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
Since 2021.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
When we settle on a project, we will always finish it. We make smaller, but fun puzzle games. We release at least a couple of games every year but we aim higher with each one and always try to improve our craft.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The flow. There's no needless waiting or loading, you can start playing immediately.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
Mostly old school titles from 90's. We enjoy how much they managed with so little.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
When I can lose myself in it for hours without realizing how much time passed.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
A good game designer avoids getting tunnel vision and always asks himself how other people might react to their idea when implemented.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
When I was a child, I couldn't program or even speak English, which meant I didn't understand most of the games I played, but that didn't stop me from grabbing a pen and paper and sketching all kind of game ideas.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Game development is a marathon not a sprint.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
Infinite undos. There's no reason to punish players for making mistakes. This feature allows them to experiment and reiterate on solutions more easily.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
SokoChess White was a spin-off title based on the original SokoChess, so almost nothing really. We went into the project with a very clear idea of what we want the game to be and what we want to put into it.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
We like to keep it simple and we go for quality over quantity.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
We are huge fans of the improved way you unlock levels in SokoChess White. You can unlock multiple levels at once, if they use puzzle elements you are already familiar with. You also don't need to beat every single level to progress. If you cannot beat enough levels to progress, you can also use the skip level button to unlock the next set of levels anyway. This allows you to play the game at your own pace no matter what and you can always revisit unfinished levels later.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Coming up with the levels and making each of them unique and worth playing, there is 70 of them and we didn't want any filler levels.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
We often get ideas during our normal daily lives. Then we sketch them down or talk about them before implementing them.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
Since SokoChess White we gained more experience in smoothing out the difficulty curve and tutorialising players, we would absolutely handle this part differently. The game picks up difficulty very quickly as it is right now, which can be off putting to some.
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
How different the game felt even though it's a spin-off. It does not make the original redundant which we are very happy about.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
Does not apply - we don't have story, just gameplay!
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
Level skip button, one of our team members was against it, but I (Martin) know from past games that some players really appreciate it!
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
Whatever makes the most money, so currently AAA titles, especially live service game. We do not fit into that at all, I don't think we even fit into the indie industry. We are just little tadpoles in a pond almost nobody knows about.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
Small team of 3-5, which we already achieved with this game, but right now our games don't make enough so we can't do this full time. :-(
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
In our case it comes from our human nature and passion. We love games and care about making good games, everything else goes aside. It doesn't matter what you look like or where you are from, if you love games, want to make one with us and you can contribute, you are welcome!
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
We are friends who chat often, we play games together and of course we encourage each other. When somebody does a good job, the others let them know.
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
I (Martin) always have the final say as I have the most experience with commercial titles, but I listen to others, especially when it comes to topics where I lack experience. So when it comes to art, I will always listen to our amazing artist Julieta.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
It's hard.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
It's challenging, but fair! If you find yourself stuck, don't let the game frustrate you, instead try another level and see how you fair there.
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Innchanted''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ DragonBear Studios
/*Location*/ Victorian, Melbourne, Australia</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DcZtVG3PJtI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1369720/Innchanted/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.innchanted.com" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Innchanted" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DragonBearGames" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Innchanted_Game" target="_blank">Game Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://innchanted.com/press.html" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Run a Magical Inn with friends! Yarrul’s family Inn has been stolen by an evil wizard landlord! Team up with friends to reclaim your family's legacy. Manage your inn, brew potions, fish, cook, and fight in this hectic & heartfelt magical adventure. Play solo or co-op for 1-4 players.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Treachery in Beatdown City: Ultra Remix''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ NuChallenger
/*Location*/ Atlanta, GA / New York, NY (and Seattle/TX for rest of team), USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LvvMXOmNJMI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/762180/Treachery_in_Beatdown_City/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="http://linktr.ee/beatdowncity" target="_blank">LinkTree</a><br>
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nuchallengerinc" target="_blank">TikTok</a><br>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shawndoublea" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/shawndoublea" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/beatdown_city" target="_blank">Game Twitter</a><br>
<a href="http://beatdowncity.com/press-2/" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Treachery in Beatdown City is an innovative Dark Comedy Brawling Action Tactics game, which released in 2020 on Switch and PC. In it you fight the worst people over ridiculous circumstances on your way to save president Blake Orama from Ninja Dragon terrorists. It was hailed as "The most relevant game of 2020" by the LA Times, and it was on Paste's The 40 Best Games of 2020.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
NuChallenger is a company that makes dope art and culture, with a focus on games that fight oppressive systems. Treachery in Beatdown City: Ultra Remix is a dark comedy tactical brawler where you fight the WORST people with an innovative fighting system that strangely emulates real fighting, creating a cathartic piece of speculative fiction.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The part where our class types and character types overlap to create systems driven narrative within fights.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
For Treachery in Beatdown City, our inspirations were Fallout 3's VATS system, Hybrid Heaven's combat, Double Dragon's (NES) combat and colorful vibes, Ninja Gaiden's storytelling and visuals, and Fire Pro Wrestling's overall design. There's also a bit of Killer 7 and Street Fighter 2 in there for good measure. But we're also super influenced by Key and Peele, Archer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mean Streets, Escape From New York, The Warriors, Blaxploitation filmms, Graffiti, indie rap, and the greater Hip-Hop history, which shows in our writing and world building.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
I learned so much about how much a designer needs to *fake* outcomes for players to make their experience enjoyable. Players often see this as a betrayal, not understanding that without the affordances we give them, many games would be TERRIBLE.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
Honestly, it's the fact that the game came out, and became this funny cult classic.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Our initial concept was a broader make the "best beat 'em up" which actually looked more like a beat 'em up mixed with shmup mechanics like waves, powerups, etc. It would have been a lot twitchier than our current slower paced, more turn based affair. The story also changed quite a bit, and Ultra Remix really fills in the end to the story that never quite existed, because we were going back and forth on what the scope of the game should be.
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
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$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Nameless - The Departed Cycle''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Fiendish Fiction
/*Location*/ California, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1JZ2mJTd1HI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2142810/Nameless__The_Departed_Cycle/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://fiendishfiction.itch.io/" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/FiendishFiction" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/fiendishfiction.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Something lurks in the Umbral Forest, its wicked tendrils snaking out to reshape the very woods themselves. Is this the beast Israh Almasi seeks to hunt and slay for the sake of his dying son? Or something even darker and more sinister than he ever could have imagined? Meanwhile, a mysterious man has made himself at home at Israh’s campsite. He calls himself Nameless… and he only comes at night.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''This Bed We Made''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Lowbirth Games
/*Location*/ Montreal, Quebec, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3SwEvhmM2_k" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1243850/This_Bed_We_Made/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://lowbirthgames.com/" target="_blank">Studio Site</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/lowbirthgames" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://lowbirthgames.com/presskit" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
This Bed We Made is a third-person mystery game in which you play as a maid in a 1950s hotel and snoop around strangers' rooms to uncover their deadly secrets. Discover what links guests together in this tale of love, heartbreak and murder!
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
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$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
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</script><div class="Title">''Venice 2089''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Safe Place Studio
/*Location*/ Marcaria, Lombardia, Italy</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7fa2K4qnss8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1508000/Venice_2089/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/safeplacestudio.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/SafePlaceDev" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://Instagram.com/safesplace.dev" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Explore a future Venice struggling with the effects of rising water slowly destroying the city as a bored teenager, with your hoverboard and your trusty drone.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Hi! I'm Giacomo Checchin, Narrative Designer of Safe Place Studio.
Safe Place Studio is an italian indipendent studio founded in 2021, and creators of award-winning game Venice 2089.
Venice 2089 is a narrative-explorative game set in a future Venice, ravaged by the effects of climate change and mass tourism. They play as Nova, a teenager coming back to their hometown for their summer vacation, suddenly having to deal with this new image of an abandoned Venice.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
The majority of us studied Game Development together, at Event Horizon School in Padua. We spent 3 years honing our skills in different branches of game development, working on school projects together and also generally spending time as a group. This became especially true back in 2020 when COVID hit, and we were forced to study/work from home, using our own server Discord ironically named "Safe Place".
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
Professionally, almost 3 years. Before that, I've been studying Game Design for another 3.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Well, our guiding principle is to create games that can create lasting impressions on players. The way we can do that is through our strenghts in Art Direction and Narrative.
It means a lot to me, to be able to tell different stories and making sure that what we're creating, is shown and told in a creative way.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The characters, hands down. We have a very colorful and diverse cast of peeps inhabiting Venice, each with their own stories, and manners and characteristics. And I don't mean to brag, but I sure love their dialogues and the way they speak. :)
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
I dropped out of high school in 2017, and I needed to figure out what to do with my life. I noticed that there was a school near me that was teaching about game development, so I mustered all my love for videogames and writing and decided to give it a shot.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
To be honest, not too much. Although in the first versions of the game there was no drone, we had a yo-yo that players could have used to approach different situations. It was a game mechanic that was difficult for us to work with, therefore we dropped it and opted for the loveable, Otamatome-like drone :)
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
It released. No joke, I personally believe that's the biggest success.
There's also winning "Best Debut Game" at the Italian Video Game Awards, but that came quite some time after the game's release.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
Better marketing and discoverability wouldn't have hurt at all, honestly.
But if we're speaking from a design standpoint, maybe an improved tutorial.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
While the groundwork for creating a story revolving Venice and climate change was already kinda there, back in September 2020 Venice was hit with a massive, record flooding that caused many problems. That was the thing that officialized the story of our game.
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</script><div class="Title">''DRACOMATON''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Gun Jumpers
/*Location*/ United States</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EIP_CopGWQA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2457890/DRACOMATON/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/gun_jumpers" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Dracomaton is a top-down roguelike bullet hell where you swap between multiple playstyles on the fly. Equip yourself with various Forms that have different strengths and weaknesses, OR Mod existing Forms with the characteristics of other ones!
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My name is Annie, I was the lead producer, lead writer, and UI/UX artist for DRACOMATON, as well as the one typing out all the answers to these questions! My team is a group of 14 UCSC undergraduate students who created this game for our senior capstone project! In the months after we graduated, we polished it up a little bit and released it on Steam.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Our team was actually one of the largest of the student groups in our year; we had to get special permission to have a group of that size.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
Together as a team, we've been making games for less than a year, but as individuals we've been making games for at least the entirety of our undergraduate career. And sometimes even back in high school and middle school for some of us!
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
The principles we came up with when we formed our team were primarily to reduce overwork and stress culture as much as possible, and communicate as much as we could. We also aimed to set attainable scope to try and achieve that from the beginning.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The fact that it came together at all. We were working on a very short timeline, and mechanics were still being reworked pretty deep into development, but luckily we finally hit a point where they all clicked and the game was fun to play, which was our main aim.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
We were definitely inspired by a lot of good roguelikes, like Binding of Isaac and Hades. We were also inspired by Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
Fun is a hard thing to define, but when it came to our game it was important that when playtesters failed to get through a section they didn't feel like it was impossible, and that they engaged with the mechanics to improve. A good sign was also when players began making their own unique builds that they preferred to use.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
One who isn't afraid to make an iteration that they think will work, and then also be willing to throw it out if it's not working for the game.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
This varies from person to person, but we all came into the game program in UCSC one way or another and continued to or started to work on games.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
DRACOMATON was our official first game as a team, but all of us were in smaller teams for a portion of the capstone class that was formatted in a game jam style. The main thing we learned from those game jam experiences is that it's extremely easy to be overambitious and fall short of those expectations.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
As mentioned before, our main objective was to make the game fun, and since that's the most nebulous yet important goal for a game, it's one we're very proud of. Outside of that, there are a lot of complexities to the forms and related modding systems, especially when stacking multiple mods at the same time.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Our game stayed the same at the core I think; we knew we wanted to make 2D top-down shooter. The idea for abilities and mods were something conceptualized early on, and even though the specifics of how those systems worked changed a lot, they stayed as a key part of the game. Items were added later down the line, and the narrative was also put together fairly late.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
There aren't any particular rules that we firmly adhere to, but we're big believers in playtesting your game at any opportunity to as many different types of people as you can manage.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
The fact that it feels like a self-contained project. It's easy for these types of projects to live in the development hell of "what if we add just one more thing" and bypassing that to learn how to release and publish the game was a good move I think. It doesn't stop us from ever formally going back to it if we really want to, but we get to show it off in a complete state.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
A combination of the short timeline and the subsequent burnout; it was hard for us to have reasons to not work on the game at any given point, but it lead to a lot of us being burnt out and learning that we needed to take time off of it.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
In our initial brainstorm session, I laid down some themes that people could base their ideas off of (for DRACOMATON, it was robots and roguelikes) and from there we let the game grow in the direction the creators wanted to take it. When it came to story, I created it after nearly everything else was done because I wanted to minimize contradictions between story and gameplay as much as possible without hindering the gameplay design, as that was our main focus from the start.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
I don't really have any regrets with DRACOMATON. A side effect of the story being created so late meant that cohesion between it and the art and music in particular wasn't as smooth as it could be, but I still wouldn't go back and have written it earlier for aforementioned reasons. I imagine that we would be able to clean up a lot of loose code leftover from our previous iterations of the game as well.
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
How fast everyone was! I had participated in capstones before but I've never had the problem of people making the game too fast the way I did with this team. Both a blessing and a curse sometimes.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
From the beginning when I put out the theme of "robot" I knew that sort of theme lent itself to a certain type of story, namely one about a sense of self. Once we landed on our secondary theme of "dragons" (during an art meeting, because we felt robot alone wasn't unique enough), and both the player and enemy were designed in that way, I really started to think about the implications of being created to fight other creations similar to you, and what kind of story that tells.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
Personally, I fought hardest as a producer and keeping scope and energy levels in check. As a UI artist I also fought the designers a lot about how much information should be shown visually at a time. But I would say the designers fought the most internally about basically everything, and it was pretty funny watching them switch sides in the argument about twenty minutes in (they did this constantly).
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
Considering that most of us aren't in the industry yet or are just breaking in, I don't know that we have a comprehensive enough view of the industry to talk about where it's headed. However, we hope that our game is remembered as a relatively short, but fun experience for anyone who is interested in playing it!
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
The dream is always to have that magical work-life balance where you enjoy your job of making games but also are able to rest properly and have a life outside of that.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
From the start when forming this team we made sure to include a variety of different people, and ensure that anyone else who joined would be willing to continue to keep our space a safe one.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
We made sure to have meetings at least weekly, as well as one-on-one check-ins every three months. We also made time to hang out outside of working times and play games together!
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
In addition to the games mentioned before, lots of us pulled inspiration from different places, and that all fed into the final game.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
There's a lot of Youtube videos along the lines of "Recreating x game in some short amount of time" and it's important for people to understand that the hard part of creating games is not just purely technical application; it's doing that and a ton of other things at the same time. Such as throwing away stuff you spent a long time because it doesn't work as an experience. Each game has countless weird, half-formed ideas that were scrapped, and making those things takes time, and are also important to spend time on because it leads developers to the game that is released in the end.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
We hope people enjoy playing it!
/*-----------------*/
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</script><div class="Title">''It's a Wrap!''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Chanko Studios
/*Location*/ Lyon, France</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQBWWxf_f5I" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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<table style="width:100%">
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<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1684270/Its_a_Wrap/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/chankostudios" target="_blank">LinkTree</a><br>
<a href="https://www.terminals.io/games/its-a-wrap" target="_blank">Press Kit</a><br>
<a href="" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
It’s a Wrap! is a challenging 2D puzzle platformer set in 1980s Hollywood, where you play both the director and the star of action-packed, low-budget films.
<br>
As the director, you need to synchronize the actors and props that are messing up their timings. Then, as the movie’s star, you need to remember your script and play out the scene—without getting crushed by that giant boulder!
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
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</script><div class="Title">''Grand-Nya''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/Sad Ghost Studios
/*Location*/ Australia</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game37/cover.png" style="width:400px">
</span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://sad-ghost-studios.itch.io/grandnya" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://sadghost.studio" target="_blank">Studio Site</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/sadghoststudios" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://itch.io/grandnya" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A soft, cosy visual novel about being queer and growing old (and also a catgirl)
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Madi Wander, and I make visual novels under my label Sad Ghost Studios! I made this game almost solo for Josei Jam 2023, and I love creating cosy spaces for queer people in my works!
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
As someone who writes romantic VNs, and is queer, it's really important to me to spotlight all parts of my community in the games, and not just the ones that appeal to a broader audience. Games are a big part of what helped me learn I was queer, and feel at home in all the facets of my queer identity; it's the least I can do to pay it forward and help people feel seen in the same way I felt.
Likewise, I don't make games about queer trauma. There are plenty of people exploring that space already, tons of whom are doing it better than I could, and I'm much better suited to creating cosy, safe experiences that feel inclusive (and while they may reference real world events, are still a place of refuge away from them).
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Tons! I learned really early that cutting scope was important, but that's the kind of thing you learn and relearn every project, I think, especially in the VN space. I've learned a lot about the engine I work with (Ren'Py) and been inspired by so many creators in the space, but most of all I think you learn that the development pipeline is a process that in itself you can become familiar with and good at navigating.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
I usually write my games and make the UI for them, but for Grand-Nya I was also able to make all of the character art myself as well! It's nothing groundbreaking, but I'm really proud of being able to bring my entire vision of the project to life by myself.
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</script><div class="Title">''A Knight in the Attic''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Mighty Yell Studios
/*Location*/ Toronto, Ontario, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qXEljmNStXw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div style="display: inline-flex; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div><div class="sponsor-tag" style="margin-left: 10px;">Event Sponsor</div></div></span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1318700/A_Knight_in_the_Attic/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.mightyyell.com/a-knight-in-the-attic/" target="_blank">Game Info</a><br>
<a href="https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/4297523073681259/" target="_blank">Meta Page</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/mightyyell" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@knightintheattic" target="_blank">TikTok</a><br>
<a href="https://instagram.com/mightyyell" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gBDmJQSaAIkkvXIzNulazBftBE-PPrH-?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
A Knight in the Attic is a comfortable VR game experience where players explore the mysterious contents of their grandmother’s attic, and discover a fantastical world living within a magical labyrinth board.
<br>
Take the world in your hands as you guide Guinevere through puzzle-filled levels, discover mysterious objects that break the boundary between worlds, and help save the kingdom by overcoming obstacles in surprising ways.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
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</script><div class="Title">''First Contact Department''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Mickey Sanchez / New Beings
/*Location*/ Portland, Oregon, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game39/cover.png" style="width:400px">
</span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://newbeings.itch.io/first-contact-department" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://newbeings.com" target="_blank">Studio Site</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Hey rookie! Congratulations on your new job at the First Contact Department: Earth's official welcoming committee™. First Contact Department is a sci-fi office work sim where your job is to make first contact with aliens and translate their messages.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Hi! My name is Mickey Sanchez. You can learn more about my work at my website: https://mickeysanchez.com/
I made this game for a game jam where the theme was "mutation". It got me thinking about the game "telephone" and how messages mutate as they get passed on from one person to the next. I wanted to try to make a game of singleplayer telephone, and this is the result. Thanks for playing!
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<<audio ":all" stop>>
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Homo Ludus''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Ocean E.T.
/*Location*/ Tucson, AZ, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game4/cover.png" style="width:400px">
</span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://hr-freud.itch.io/homo-ludus" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/HR_Freud" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Transmissions from the future, translated from rapid sub-supersonic squeaks clicks and whistles, transliterated into a visual novel.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My names is Ocean E.T, I'm a musician and cartoonist from Arizona and Homo Ludus is my first game! It's about a distant future where humanity has long since gone extinct and the new inhabitants of earth only knowing us by what we left behind. It's only a visual novel but i made it totally by myself and I'm very proud of it!
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
Getting the start screen to scroll smoothly took a lot of stress and finagling since I'm not much of a programmer but I'm so so happy with how it turned out, exactly as I envisioned it.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
I can't make predictions but I hope to see more small developers and local scenes popping up in response to the horrifying machinations of the industry at large. The world needs more art made by people who know what the real world is like and what normal people are actually going through out there, and less "art" that only exists to be commercial corporate profit machines.
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
All art I make is defined by my experiences, I wouldn't be able to stand making anything that's not the most authentic expression of my life and my thoughts I can muster. If I'm not putting my soul behind a work then it's not worth the ink or paper or electricity.
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
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}
</script><div class="Title">''The Mushroom Season''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Lote Vilma, Amber Hope, Ash K, Maks Loboda
/*Location*/ Riga, Latvia; Oakville, Canada; Enschede, Netherlands</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L9MPFx4SOrs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://ash-k.itch.io/mushroom-season" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/cis_ash" target="_blank">Ash K</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/fiddlemouth" target="_blank">Fiddlemouth</a><br>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lotevilma/" target="_blank">Lote V</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Experience a day in the life of a humble hermit living in a cabin in the woods. Go on a stroll through the forest, talking to its inhabitants, foraging mushrooms, noting what you find and taking in the ambiance.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Mushroom season was created for the Indiepocalypse x kuš! collaboration which paired game developers and comic artists. Ash, Amber and Maks have previously worked on Textreme 2 but it was the first time all of us had worked together. The game is based on Lote Vilma's comic Worms, Clouds, Everything in which a humble hermit living in the middle of nowhere sends you a letter about their life, passion and the world around them. In the game you live out a life in the day of that hermit, wandering the forest, chatting with its inhabitants, picking mushrooms, sketching what you find and taking in the ambiance.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
Lote: I really enjoy seeing my drawings move and make sounds, I am totally amazed that this humble hermits little world is gaining more and more depth, because he started out as a scribble. My other favorite part is the slow speech of the slug.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
Lote: For me, games that have a strong atmosphere are the best. I don't care about action much, but I very much need to have "a vibe" about the game.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
Ash: my dad was trying to get me into making games for most of my life but it only clicked after Maks invited me to do the first GMTK jam together!
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
Ash: The graphics! Having the forest be static made it feel not "alive" enough. In the end the color outlines wobble around a bit and every plant stretches up and out and slowly sways, all without having to draw more frames or tree variations.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Lote: Incorporating the art maybe, also gaining a sense of a strange forest atmosphere.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Lote: Since all of the art (except colors) is handrawn, it took a lot of time and work to prepare all of the artwork so it could be used in the game.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
Lote: Added more drawings, draw some of the details differently.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
Ash: To me foraging for mushrooms is mostly about paying close attention and seeking out mushrooms hidden at first glance. Initially there were hidden and revealed themselves when approached but that made it easier to get stuck, and adding non-diegetic hints felt wrong. In the end the mushrooms humm a melody with directional audio and subtly emit particles in the general area around them! Paying attention to subtle audio and visual hints to find them felt more fitting.
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
Ash: I have fond vague memories of foraging for mushrooms with my grandparents in the forest we lived next to. I tried to make the atmosphere of the game similar to that! Quiet except for sounds of birds and footsteps, checking bumps on the ground and next to trees for mushrooms hiding in them.
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
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`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Lost Nova''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Jon Nielsen
/*Location*/ Portland, OR</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X4whGG77e4o" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1603410/Lost_Nova/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/encifer" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="http://lostnovagame.com/press/" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Your spaceship crashed on an alien planet. Explore, salvage, craft, trade, manage and upgrade your way back home!
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''J-Town: A Visual Novel''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Star Town
/*Location*/ California, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FFczAXwcL8E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2413310/JTown_A_Visual_Novel/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jtownvn/" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/IszacStarTown" target="_blank">IszacStarTown</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/taylorweik" target="_blank">Taylorweik</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
J-Town: A Visual Novel offers an easily accessible avenue to learn more about the ins and outs of Japanese American culture. With hand-drawn art inspired by the the real world counterparts in San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles, explore our J-Town in this small slice-of-life narrative adventure. Talk to the community about real world issues like gentrification, cultural appropriation, and spatial preservation. And equally as important as the problems we face, come celebrate with us as we talk about cultural identity, our history, and more!
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<<set $Location to "Games">>
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Keyword: A Spider's Thread''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ City From Naught
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wXbow5Qsd7M" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
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<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1393320/Keyword/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/cityfromnaught" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VqA7qcgCrafQT0-izn4J716yO7cCqVjovbog-AHrSvg" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Become an investigator in Keyword: A Spider's Thread, a narrative thriller where you’ll depend on skills of logical deduction, hacking, and social engineering to solve challenging puzzles as the only means of finding your missing daughter. Play as Guo, a father with a complex past, who must use all the tools at his disposal to find his daughter.
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<<set $Location to "Games">>
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$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Little Learning Machines''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Transitional Forms
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bYtr0Klf2LA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div></span>
<<nobr>>
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<tr>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993710/Little_Learning_Machines/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machines" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/lovefearlearn" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div><br>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Little Learning Machines is a game about using reinforcement learning to train little robots to complete quests and challenges. By affecting their actual neural networks, players will be able to shape their personalities and quirks using LOVE (positive rewards) and FEAR (negative penalties). Explore diverse island worlds, tackle brain-bending quests, and bond with your evolving little learning machines, all while gaining a hands-on understanding of reinforcement learning!
<br><br>
/*IDM Badge*/ <a href="https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/interactive/interactive-digital-media-fund/idm-fund-production-and-concept-definition" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/OCBadge_IDM_Prod.png" style="width:300px"></a><br>
</td>
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</table>
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Transitional Forms is a studio lab that has been developing synthetic media projects that intersect AI technologies and interactive entertainment since 2018.
"Little Learning Machines" is a cozy life simulation game that allows players to explore the world of reinforcement learning. In the game, players nurture and customize adorable robots, training them to perform various tasks and shaping their behaviors using reinforcement learning principles.
The game provides players with the opportunity to craft and inspire the unique personalities of these little robots. As players train their robots, they witness their personalities, skills, and relationships evolving. This nurturing and training process takes place across diverse island worlds, each with its own stories and creatures, adding depth and variety to the gameplay.
Overall, ""Little Learning Machines"" is about the journey of training and customizing robots while also providing players with a hands-on experience of reinforcement learning and machine learning concepts.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Our team's journey with ""Little Learning Machines"" began when we ventured into the AI space with ""Agence,"" an interactive film where we introduced reinforcement learning agents as the main characters. Instead of conventional AI programming, we defined objectives and leveraged reinforcement learning to let these agents autonomously develop their behaviors.
This process was a learning curve, but it led to something truly enchanting. We discovered that nurturing, training, and interacting with these little agents became a genuine source of joy for us. We set their rewards and objectives in the evening, and by morning, we'd find entirely new agents with unique quirks.
Our team, consisting of programmers, illustrators, producers, and marketing professionals, all contributed ideas and hypotheses that we could test almost immediately. This collective creativity often led to breakthroughs in agent behaviors. We developed tools to involve everyone in the training process, emphasizing a collaborative approach.
""Little Learning Machines"" embodies our team's collective expertise and passion for exploring the captivating world of training agents. We aim to share our wonder, excitement, and the empathy we developed while training these reinforcement learning agents. Our journey, paired with diverse creative input, has made ""Little Learning Machines"" truly special.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Specifically for ""Little Learning Machines,"" we drew inspiration from design principles akin to Sasahiro Sakurai's approach with Kirby, aiming to provide optional depth. Our challenge was to strike a balance that caters to players ranging from those with little to no AI knowledge to those eager to dive deep and experiment.
To achieve this, we distilled the robots' motivations into the simple concepts of love and fear. This allows newcomers to engage with the game comfortably. However, for seasoned players familiar with AI, delving deeper unveils a richer experience, fostering hands-on learning about observations, intents, and networks.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
The most significant achievement in the development of ""Little Learning Machines"" lies in the remarkable speed of training. Historically, training reinforcement learning agents has been a time-consuming process, even in the realm of academic research. In our earlier project, ""Agence,"" it would take us several days to prepare an agent suitable for testing. Hence, a primary objective for ""Little Learning Machines"" was to dramatically reduce this time frame.
We embarked on an extensive journey of iteration, streamlining the agents' environment and observations. Tasks that initially required 30 minutes to solve were soon condensed to 20 minutes and then 10 minutes. However, the wait time for players to observe agent training remained somewhat substantial. Yet, thanks to a relatively recent breakthrough, we achieved a groundbreaking reduction to less than two minutes. A process that once spanned an entire weekend now takes mere seconds. This achievement was a resounding success, prompting us to redesign the game for improved speed and responsiveness, including a revamp of quests and tutorials.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
The primary challenge we encountered during the development of "Little Learning Machines" was the integration of highly advanced technology into a user-friendly and welcoming gaming experience. Behind the scenes, the game utilizes sophisticated software akin to what professional AI researchers employ to train neural networks. Our mission was to ensure that players could engage with this complex technology without feeling overwhelmed. We aimed to create an environment that made the technology accessible and inviting to a broad audience while maintaining its underlying sophistication.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
While there are many controversies surrounding AI, ""Little Learning Machines"" boldly addresses these concerns. Our game harnesses the power of AI, but does so with a unique and ethical approach. ""Little Learning Machines"" is designed to empower individuals, making them more familiar and comfortable with AI technology.
Many of these issues related to AI surrounds its use in various domains and sparked crucial debates. ""Little Learning Machines"" takes a radically different stance. It is a labour of love, entirely handcrafted, and designed to allow players to engage in the training of neural networks themselves. We encourage the player to create their own models instead of using pre-existing models, setting us apart from other approaches in the AI landscape.
Also, our game aspires to be more than just entertainment. Through hands-on experience, we aim to educate players about these technologies. By interacting directly with the training process, players gain a profound understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of AI. This firsthand experience is invaluable as it encourages players to form nuanced viewpoints about the technology, emphasizing its fallibility and the importance of responsible use. We hope that ""Little Learning Machines"" will not merely just be a game but a transformative journey that empowers players to navigate the complex ethical terrain of AI with confidence and empathy.
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''On the Peril of Parrots''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Spritewrench
/*Location*/ Kingston, Jamaica</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OOoFaYjtq9A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2137480/On_the_Peril_of_Parrots/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Take control of P.O.L.L.I - the Procedural Operating Layered Linguistic Intelligence - and put your skills to the test with 100+ challenging puzzles! Unravel a mysterious experiment overseen by the brilliant "Scientist", their trusted "Assistant", and the shady "Stakeholder".
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
My name is Glen Henry, face and fingers behind the Jamaican-based, Spritewrench Studios. I'm supported by Multi-Award Winning Composer, Chase Bethea - who created the games awesome soundtrack. We're also supported by a bevy of other faces from our various online communities including (but not limited to) the Jamaica Game Developer Society, and Black Voices in Gaming.
On the Peril of Parrots is a color-based puzzle game that sees the player guiding P.O.L.L.I - the Procedural Operating Layered Linguistic Intelligence - through 100+ challenging puzzles. In order to progress, their tasked with transforming all available spaces into a single color. Additionally, they have the option to skip puzzles, undo actions, or reset a challenge at any point in the game - all for the small cost of Cookies.
The name of the project was inspired by the research paper - ""On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?"" By Timnit Gebru, Emily M. Bender, Angelina McMillan-Major, Shmargaret Shmitchell and the narrative explores the some of the concerns currently being discussed with regards to Large Languages Models.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I have been making games in one way or another for over 10 years now. Chase and I have been working together for approx 3 years now.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
The guiding principle for my studio is to always strive to include some form of my heritage in each project. I want to explore and try to define what a "Jamaican/Caribbean" game can and should be.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The state of flow that the puzzle tease out of you. It's a very meditative and the music just adds to the whole experience!
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
I tend to mix and match ideas from a lot of games I play. For this one I was mostly inspired by a puzzle in the Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
The puzzle design and the music.
/*-----------------*/
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</script><div class="Title">''The Tower''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ pancelor and tallywinkle
/*Location*/ Vancouver, BC, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvMTYxODkzMy85NTM5MTAyLmdpZg==/250x600/KVFCzw.gif" style="width:300px;">
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<a href="https://tallywinkle.itch.io/the-tower" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://pancelor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://cohost.org/pancelor" target="_blank">Cohost Pancelor</a><br>
<a href="https://cohost.org/tallywinkle" target="_blank">Tallywinkle Cohost</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/tallywinkle" target="_blank">Tallywinkle Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/pancelor" target="_blank">Pancelor Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://mastodon.social/@pancelor" target="_blank">Pancelor Mastodon</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
The Tower is an absurdist bitsy-like experience. What is this tower? Who lives here? Will you make it to the top?
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
tallywinkle and pancelor are a married duo who love making games. pancelor likes games that make you think; he also likes committing to odd design choices to see if they lead anywhere interesting. tallywinkle likes making narrative games with little guys that you can talk to.
The Tower is a cozy, horrifying blend of these tendencies, and they're quite pleased with how it turned out.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
pance: I started making paper puzzle-mazes when I was maybe 4 years old. I switched to Game Maker when I was 11, then I stopped for a long while because school took all my time. I started again about 4 or 5 years ago with a puzzle game that's still in development.
tally: I've been making games for a little over 3 years now. In March of 2020, pancelor decided to host a game jam because he wanted to finish a game and work on something smaller. I was interested in joining but didn't think that was possible because I didn't know how to make games or how to code or anything. But he encouraged me and showed me a bunch of different tools, and I used a program called Twine to make my first little game! That was the start for me.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
tally: All of the rooms. When we first conceptualized the tower, and we had the idea of making, well, a large large number of rooms, and we considered having repeats after a certain floor, because the jam was only 2 days long and you only have so much time to make the game. But afterward we spent some weeks or months polishing the game and fleshing it out, and now every room is handcrafted. That's my favourite part.
pance: I just like the core design of it, the skeleton of it, how you can describe the mechanics in one sentence. Like, "A series of gates with increasingly hard dice checks to get past them". And that's it. Well, it has some more texture and intrigue because some floors have extra dice, or there's that die outside the bathroom. I think that adds a ton to the mood -- it's like, what else is gonna happen? But I do like how the core is simple and unyielding. And, the player comes in and by floor 20 they have enough knowledge to know the game's impossible. But people aren't gonna say, "Aha! The game is impossible and therefore, I will stop playing now". You keep going, like, "well, what's gonna happen? It's going to be possible actually, right?" And the answer is no. I like that it's got a core, a little unyielding gem of math and mechanics, and it sticks to it.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
tally: Finishing something within your skill level, just doing it -- that process teaches you a lot. I'm thinking about one of my first games, Appleberry Bay, where I finished it and there were things that were missing, like an actual ending. And at the time I thought it was fine, but after releasing it and hearing feedback I realized that it was a lot more important than I realized.
tally: I've learned that anybody can make a game. If you want to make a game, you can. And, you should try! There's a lot of cool tools out there that can help you and you don't need to know a lot about coding or whatever. Like Bitsy or Twine or PuzzleScript. Those helped me get into making games.
pance: It's very hard to make something that meets your own expectations. Your taste will always(?) be more refined than your ability to create. That's a hard thing to accept, and to then push past it anyway and make things that don't come out quite the way you wanted them to. But that's how you learn! Making dozens of okay small games has helped me grow much more than the initial years I spent trying to build a single large game. I'd like to get back to larger projects, to learn the sorts of things you can only learn there; it's a hard balance to strike.
pance: I'm always tempted to try and make some giant system, some new thing I haven't tried before. But a huge reason why The Tower works at all is because it's so simple -- arrow keys, bump to talk to the clearly-visible people. That makes it really easy to interact with -- easy to get into the game and get invested before the strangeness of it really hits you.
pance: Oh, and restrictions are really helpful! The graphical restrictions we imposed on ourselves made the game feel cohesive, and the gameplay restrictions helped prevent scope creep. Also PICO-8's builtin restrictions and the time-limit of the game jam -- very helpful. With no restrictions the game would keep expanding forever until we were sick of making it. The characters have one line of dialogue each, but the world is still full of life! You're just not interacting with the world directly, you're seeing it through a glazed window, an impressionist painting.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
tally: I came up with an idea for a small Bitsy game that was sort of like a maze. A portal maze where you have to find the right exit out of a set of doors that connected to various rooms. And I showed it to pance and he was like, "oh, that reminds me of such-and-such".
pance: The GMTK theme was "Roll of the Dice". Were dice involved in your initial concept? I forget.
tally: I think it was more like luck as a concept.
pance: Oh, like pick-a-pipe as a Bitsy game?
tally: Yeah exactly.
pance: So, we took your Bitsy rooms idea, mixed in your game "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and, uh, Desert Bus to get the plan: what if we did Itsy Bitsy Spider again, but with a D100 instead of a D6. And honestly... that was it.
tally: Yeah, it didn't change much after that first brainstorm. It got fleshed out more but that was it.
pance: We made some additions, but we just followed the core we already had to see where it wanted to go.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
tally: Chaos.
pance: No.
pance: (laughs) That's the same answer.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
tally: That people liked it.
pance: Yeah, right?
tally: Like, we made this game for us. The fact that other people got it, I think is a big success.
pance: Yeah! People had some really insightful comments about it, we were very surprised -- we thought people would say "huh, weird" and move on with their day.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
tally: Compressing the game?
pance: I redid the compression like 4 times to get the whole game to fit into one PICO-8 cart. But it was also challenging making all those rooms, yeah? You made, what, 60 rooms in two days?
tally: Yeah, I don't think I realized what I signed myself up for. We joined the jam and I was like, "oh, we'll just do a bit, we won't crunch on it but we'll work on it a little bit." But then at some point I was like (deep inhale) I MUST WORK.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
tally: Well, pance has this incredible brain. It's like a faucet you can turn on for ideas. It's great.
pance: Aw, shucks. I couldn't have done it without you! I can't work with a blank page, but you made all those rooms, and an initial sketch of the characters and their dialogue -- all I had to do was fill in the details.
pance: I guess I imagined them as people with a bit of a backstory. Like in the party on room 50, there's this whole like political intrigue of like, the Fifteens. That was the name of one of the factions on floor 50 that like, I don't know, I assume one of them wants to stay at floor 50 and the other one wants to explore higher and hey probably there's like a small splinter group that wants to explore lower. They probably are sick of having the same philosophical arguments with each other -- "how tall is The Tower? does it matter?" or whatever. And none of that's in the game, there's just some people saying "Don't vote for Ben. He's trying to amass power" and someone else references "the fifteens", who you've never heard of before. So that process is like, imagining up a full-color backstory, and then only putting a little bit of it in.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
tally: (laughs)
pance: Well, in The Tower 2, every floor is a microtransaction.
tally: Pay to win?
pance: Yeah, exactly. Every dice roll costs like 10 cents to boost it. If you pay enough money, you can rig the system and guarantee that you get a good dice roll.
tally: When do you boost it, after you see the result or before?
pance: Hmm... both, but if you do it after it costs a lot more.
tally: Sounds great, ship it.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
tally: I have a completely unrelated day job.
pance: I've got some savings, and I got an artist grant from Astra to make thinky games last year -- that was a huge help.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
pance: There's no ideal game. People rate games out of ten, which is sometimes helpful but never accurate... you can't compress a game into one number.
tally: Like, in some scales, The Tower is an objectively bad game, like you can't win it. It's impossible. Or, that was originally --
pance: But, you prefaced that with "in some scales" -- that means it's not objective, you know? I guess I'm just trying to saying that anything you think is "objectively good" just, is not. Games can be about anything! Look at what the game is trying to be. Sylvie has some great thoughts on all of this.
tally: Yeah.
pance: There's a Zach Gage game, some sort of space shooter that deletes your files when you get hit. It deletes random files off your hard drive, for real. So, I wouldn't play it, but come on, I love that it exists.
tally: Play it on your enemy's computer.
pance: Or Send Me To Heaven, where you just chuck your phone in the air and your score is how high it goes. Based on the gyroscope or whatever. I think I have that one actually.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
tally: We put ourselves in the tower! Can you find us?
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</script><div class="Title">''Autumn's Bounty''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Bumblebean Games
/*Location*/ Chicago, IL, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game47/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2614540/Autumns_Bounty/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.bumblebeangames.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></div>
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<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
You had plans for a cozy Autumn potluck until a storm destroyed your one place to gather! Find your friends in the aftermath so that you might get everyone together once again. Gather resources using different tools and chat with your friends to get gameplay hints in this cozy 2D life sim. Do it right and you'll be throwing your seasonal dinner party in no time!
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/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
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<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Bumblebean Games was founded in Chicago, IL, in early 2023. Its founder, Jonah Lillioja, studied architecture at WashU in St Louis before moving into game development during the pandemic. Bumblebean Games prioritizes working with local indie developers in partnership with Indie City Games to bring its games to life. Autumn’s Bounty is a game made to celebrate some of the quiet joys of Fall, from harvesting abundance to bringing friends and family together. It encourages you to pause, breathe, and relish the fleeting splendor of the season. In a world racing forward, Autumn’s Bounty is a gentle reminder to savor the beauty of the all-too-brief season of Autumn.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
While there are many ways to be a good game designer, at Bumblebean Games we focus on making our games feel tactile, immersive, and intuitive. We strive to make every part of the game feel like a natural extension of the world it creates so that the game has a cohesive identity that pulls the player in. We try to build as much of the game into the world itself so that if you want to talk to someone you have to approach them, if you want to collect something you have to harvest it, if you want to change your outfit you have to do it one article at a time.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
My career started in architecture, a field I got into because I loved to create spaces and experiences for others. A few weeks before the pandemic I moved to Chicago and was looking for work when everything stopped. During that time it became clear I could only bake so many sourdough loaves so I started learning how to program for Unity so that I could take what I loved about architecture and create my own opportunities to put those into practice. As the quarantine dragged on I got more comfortable with the tools and a few years here we are!
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
My first game was Nokandu, a space farming-sim I made to learn how to make games. Back then I didn't know how to program a single line of game code, animate a character, score a song, etc, so all that has been learned since those first few months of the pandemic. Besides the hard skills, I’ve learned two important things: 1) Game development is a marathon, not a sprint. Unlike other art forms, making a game can take a really long time, especially if you’re on your own. Learning to make my peace with that has been a long but crucial process. 2) Don’t let your games get away from you. In the weeks, months, years that it takes to make a game, you will want to add features, change plots and mechanics, and shift scope as time passes. If you let this happen, you will never finish. That first game, Nokandu, took me two years to develop and it’s still not done. I’ve since learned to keep my games tight and prioritize getting a game out into the world so that I can get feedback from the most important people– the players of the game.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
For any game I am able to share, I am always most proud of getting it finished. It is not easy to finish a game, or more realistically, decide a game is finished, and any time I am able to make my peace sending a game out into the world I am proud of doing just that. I have games that never see the light of day because the scope gets away from me, so anytime I can keep a lid on the development and actually finish something I feel quite proud. For this game, it was also really rewarding seeing the music, the art, and the gameplay come together to create the cozy experience of Autumn’s Bounty. I don’t always know how things will come together when I write the music, animate the characters, write the code, source the sounds, build the world, etc., so seeing it come together was immensely satisfying.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I dream of creating a studio that focuses on local collaboration and pushes the bounds of how a community engages with its games. I want to lift up those around me and create opportunities for people to flex their creativity in ways they never thought possible. Indie City Games in Chicago has been an amazing outlet to do that while I build my studio. They host events every month from playtesting events to game showcases to game jams, and they partner with all sorts of local communities. It’s becoming easier and easier to never interact with another person face to face and I would love to find a way to make that kind of interaction accessible and engaging for as many people as possible, just as Indie City Games is doing in Chicago.
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</script><div class="Title">''Broken Spectre''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Games by Stitch
/*Location*/ Mostly London and Toronto, Ontario (remote workers across Ontario)</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQjMo5aW0nQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div></span>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1642060/Broken_Spectre/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/9151664321518176/" target="_blank">Game Page</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/gamesbystitch" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.gamesbystitch.com/broken-spectre/broken-spectre-press-kit" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
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/*Description*/
25 years ago your father climbed the mountain and never came back.
<br>
Now he’s calling for you.
<br>
A cosmic horror narrative game for hand tracking VR.
<br><br>
/*IDM Badge*/ <a href="https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/interactive/interactive-digital-media-fund/idm-fund-production-and-concept-definition" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/OCBadge_IDM_Con_Prod.png" style="width:300px"></a><br>
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}
</script><div class="Title">''The Big Con''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Mighty Yell
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zVcfLZwOidQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div style="display: inline-flex; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div><div class="sponsor-tag" style="margin-left: 10px;">Event Sponsor</div></div></span>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1139280/The_Big_Con/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://thebigcongame.com" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk40RSetUjM&pp=ygUSYmlnIGNvbiByb2NrYXBlbGxh" target="_blank">Soundtrack</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/mightyyell" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://instagram.com/mightyyell" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
<a href="https://tiktok.com/@thebigcongame " target="_blank">TikTok</a><br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QZffX9rbNq_qHTlwsVnrAXaCCF905EWt?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Hustle and grift your way across America in the ‘90s as a teenage con artist on a wholesome crime-filled road trip adventure. Choose how to make your scratch as you don disguises, pick pockets, and rip people off, all for a good cause: saving your Mom's video store!
<br><br>
/*IDM Badge*/ <a href="https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/interactive/interactive-digital-media-fund/idm-fund-production-and-concept-definition" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/OCBadge_IDM_Con_Prod.png" style="width:300px"></a><br>
</td>
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</script><div class="Title">''Salamander Capital''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Lichen Euchella
/*Location*/ Tucson, Arizona, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game5/cover.png" style="width:400px">
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://lichenritual.itch.io/salamander-capital" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://lichenritual.carrd.co" target="_blank">Caard Links</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/lichenritual" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
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/*Description*/
Mud and metal and the smell of rotting in humidity.
</td>
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I am an Aniyvwiya / Cherokee twospirit artist named Lichen and Salamander Capital is a short visual novel about the Appalachian Rainforest.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
It's technically been 22 years.... I've been making games since I got my own computer on my 10th birthday. The first thing I did was acquire programs to avoid coding so I could bypass that learning curve and focus more on the experience and art. My first official public release was RitualQuest (on Itch) New Year's Eve 2014, and has even been played/discussed in USC game design classes.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
What makes also a good creator of any kind, studying All of your Craft as well as taking in Everything around you and endlessly studying all our world has. Not shutting doors. Finding the right fuel to light for a fire that has you Learning and has you Making as a result of Learning and hungering to Learn as a result of Making.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
I use as much of myself in any narrative or fiction I conjure. Authenticity is something I believe is important. I regularly contemplate the ideals that Ursula K Le Guin, Vine Deloria Jr, and Thomas M Disch revealed.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
Anyone can do it, you don't need to even code and haven't for so long. 3D is simple from digital sculpting on the iPad to low resource software like wings 3D. Getting hung up on "how things are done" or being worried about "Industry Standards" or using the same programs as others is a detriment. What matters most to the audience with this medium is the End Result. What matters most when creating something is your experience making it.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
Long live the Hellbender.
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</script><div class="Title">''Civic Story''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Shining Spark Entertainment
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1_1akt8c4aE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div style="display: inline-flex; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div>/*<div class="staff-tag" style="margin-left: 10px;">HES Staff</div>*/</div></span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1880370/Civic_Story/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://shiningspark.itch.io/civicstory" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://ShiningSparkEnt.com/civicstory" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/shiningsparkent" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/shiningsparkent" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shiningsparkent/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
When a sudden election rocks the country, whose side are you on? In Civic Story, you'll encounter colourful characters and situations that show how the upcoming election affects us all in this witty and insightful 8-chapter Visual Novel parody of our world today.
<br><br>
/*IDM Badge*/ <a href="https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/interactive/interactive-digital-media-fund/ontario-creates-idm-fund-futures" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/OCBadge_IDM_FF.png" style="width:300px"></a><br>
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Jordan Sparks, head of Shining Spark Entertainment. I'm also one of the head event organizers and directors for Super FESTival.
Civic Story is, to put it simply, a game about Canadian politics. People these days don't understand politics and how it affects people in general. They understand Canadian politics even less, even if they are Canadian. I think a lot of our problems in society stem from a lack of political literacy so I wanted to make an entertaining game that tried to address that and inspired people to vote.
I directed Civic Story, but I made it alongside Yash Kulkarni, Gillian Blekkenhorst, Indigo Doyle, Nate Tannis, Laura Maier, Laura Burdi, Felix Arifin, and a bunch of other people we worked with. Could never have done it without them.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
I've been roughly making games for about 10 years now. I started out with small games and game jam games, but I eventually started making some substantial games by working them into my assignments. Funny enough, a lot of my experience in games has been doing teaching and community organizing. Some of my games got decently popular, but Civic Story is my first commercial game. The concept of Civic Story though has been in my head for as long as I have been making games so it feels really good to see it finally be real.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Shining Spark Entertainment was founded on the major principle of creating Multimedia/Games for Social Change. All of our projects intend to expose the audience to something new that they can critically think about and discuss. This is based off my research on Games For Social Change, which I did my BFA and MA on. We want to change the world through our games and address unique subjects creatively that nobody else wants to touch, like how Civic Story covers politics and civic education. Not many people are doing that and I think games are capable of so much more than we give it credit for, so it's important to me that we try showing our vision to the world.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
Civic Story has a lot of standout moments that I love, but, as I developer, my favourite part was definitely the Debate Scenes in Chapter 6. A lot of the game builds up to that chapter and it was a huge part of the initial concept. I was really attracted to making political debates both silly and based on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which was a huge inspiration for Civic Story in general. We spent a lot of time on that as a team and making sure the writing, characters, and programming worked just right. Coding the conversations for the debates was by far my favorite part of development: It was like creating my own Ace Attorney scene!
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
I'm hugely inspired by a lot of unorthodox and narrative games. I've previously mentioned that Ace Attorney was a huge influence because it took something people typically find boring like law and made it interesting through comedy and drama. I wanted to try doing the same for politics. However, perhaps my biggest inspiration was Jordan Magnusson's Loneliness game. When I started my game dev journey I wasn't very attracted to making the typical arcade/platformers/shooters everyone else was and struggled to find a form of game dev I was passionate about. Then I played Loneliness and that short experience was the most profound game I had ever played at the time. That's when I decided I wanted to make games like that.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
I teach game development at Hand Eye, Humber College, and other places and my students will tell you I don't like the idea that a game has to be 'fun', but instead I say "engaging". You can engage people in various ways that make them laugh, cry, and feel other complex emotions through media. I do think we lose a lot by only confining games into the fun box. So I try to make games that comment on various issues and provoke an emotional response by contextualizing difficult content or situations in a game that a player could relate to. Relatability is important, I feel because it helps the player engage and immerse in every game action as themselves rather than as a separate character. For games about difficult subject matter, it making a game relatable in some way greatly helps with critical thinking and empathy. Fun is great, but I'm more interested in making my players think about what the experience meant to them long after the game is over, even if it inspires difficult conversations.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
That games are hard lol It's hard to summarize, but I learned a lot. I think the biggest thing is that running a games studio is FAR different than making a game. Funny enough, Hand Eye Society taught me this years ago before I started working here through their Futures Forward Program... And now I'm running that program.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
A lot and that's a good thing. I think the original concept had several issues that didn't make it nearly as interesting or engaging. However, it was enhanced so much by my team who contributed all sorts of ideas, features, and concepts to it. Civic Story may be my baby, but I consider it our game because the Shining Spark Entertainment Team enhanced the game to be so much better than it would have been without them.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Again, that it has to be focused on identifying an issue we'd like to inspire social change with. We've focused on that with Civic Story which discusses politics and civics. There's a few other ideas I want to pursue with games that address war, history, and even cooking in innovative ways. I like to design games that tap into a spectrum of emotions and aren't just fun. Civic Story is meant to be comedic, but there are a few stand out moments that you will definitely have complicated feelings about.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
I'm proud that the game is just done. That is by far its greatest success to me. The idea of a political education game has been stuck in my head for a decade and has been nagging at me with every game I made along the way. It was the very first original game idea I ever came up with. It's changed and evolved greatly since then and I'm just glad it's finally real!
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Money. It's hard to get money to make the game; that's why it took so long to start. However, I got lucky and got a bit of grant funding and used that and some self-financing to take it all the way to the end. We faced development challenges, of course, but after I hired my talented team, I never had any doubt we'd overcome them and we did. I have to give a huge shoutout to Ontario Creates, the Canada Media Fund, and Pixelles Montreal for their financial support in making Civic Story possible.
Another big challenge was finding ways to make the subject of politics, which most people find depressing, become appealing, so we tried to make it colourful and funny instead. Our team had a lot of fun with that.
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
I'm an artist by trade and one of my big projects is Spark Comics, a webcomic strip I've been drawing since high school. That helps me with theorizing and stylizing characters, as well as storytelling. However, I often try to think of what characters represent and what kind of story every character design tells. One of my favorite things to collect is production art books from games/movies/tv/etc. and also to grab a bunch of inspirational designs off the internet whenever I see them. I use these as references whenever I design characters. I try to find an interesting design that looks very distinct and uses several of my biggest influences. You can see that with all the modelled characters who have small quirks with their design that hints at their personality and looks unique to them. Even the coloured silhouettes, what we call Crowd Models, were designed to be visually expressive through their body language and help sell the idea of a crowded scene without devoting dev time to detailing all of them. While I designed all the characters, my team was also helpful with refining some of the character designs and contributing some of their own ideas that made them better.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
On Mar 25, 2011, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper lost a vote of no confidence defeating his government and dissolving parliament. Did you know what any of that means? I certainly didn't at the time. It was very confusing and there was a lot of complicated jargon being thrown around to just say "y'all gonna have to vote in a few months". Politics had always interested, but I never understood it and it took WAY too long for myself and others to actually understand what was going on. After that, I tried to find out more about politics, but constantly ran into things I couldn't understand or relate to. Not only that, but nobody around me wanted to talk about politics or even understood it themselves! Civic Story was conceptualized for people like younger me to understand what is actually going on in the world so they can actually take control of their futures and make a difference.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
I didn't have to fight for much since I am the Director, BUT one integral idea that almost got cut was multiple endings. I do want people to play the game more than once and pick new options. However, there are slight variations on some parts of the ending depending on certain factors. The Steam version even has achievements for this. I hope you can discover them all.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I try to run my studio like my ideal studio that avoids the abusive missteps I've seen with so many other studios and want people to enjoy and have a stake on what they are working on. That said, my dream is that Shining Spark Entertainment becomes a trailblazer in the space of making impactful games for social change. In that sense, I don't want to be doing this alone! I just want to lead the path to inspire people to make more games like this.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
As a Black Dev and Company Founder, an inclusive workspace is important to me because I've been in way too many spaces where I wasn't welcome. I baked it into the design of the company to have it reflect the diversity of society. However, where I often see many people struggle with this... This was not hard for me at all. I know so many talented people in the indie space from my time doing community work from so many backgrounds that it's just second nature to me. I knew or found talented focus from diverse backgrounds who I just knew or were exposed to and was so impressed by their work that i hired them. During development, I make a point to ensure everyone is heard and has a say and can share memes. That has led to awesome moments where multiple members unexpectedly collaborate or contribute ideas with each other. Ever since I started working in game communities work when I led my University game club, I always wanted to make inclusive environments for people to learn and explore games. It's something that I specialize in now and I'm proud to run my studio in the same way.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
Games are hard. They are a fusion of so many different fields. Just about every game that gets finished is a miracle.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
Civic Story is a labour of love to democracy from a Canadian that wants our societies to be better. We can only do that if we know what's happening. If the thought of politics repulses you and makes you run away, this game is built for you. I want you to play it. I want you to understand how important these things are. I want you to laugh. I want you to vote, regardless of for who. Most importantly, I want to get your to better understand the world around you and be inspired to help your community. Civic Story is meant to be accessible for anyone, even if you aren't Canadian. I'd love if you gave Civic Story a shot.
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</script><div class="Title">''Mahou Senshi Cosplay Club''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Behold Studios
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbJEbpXyoXU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172180/Mahou_Senshi_Cosplay_Club/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.beholdstudios.ca" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="http://beholdstudios.web36f37.kinghost.net/press/" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
In this turn-based RPG you'll embark on the journey of becoming a Magical Girl cosplayer! But don't let this journey fool you, because this is not just roleplaying: your costumes will give you real life powers, and the world's fate will be in your hands!
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const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''Kore VR''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Kore Meta
/*Location*/ Whitby, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8412v8aO_-U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2319620/Kore_VR/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.koremeta.com" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/company/koremeta" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kore_meta/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Kore VR offers a unique experience that transports you to the heart of a traditional Korean Hanok village. From there, you can explore a futuristic and interactive orb that teaches you the sounds of each Korean alphabet, as well as a shooting arena where you'll use a laser blaster to shoot letters and gather ingredients for delicious Korean dishes in just three minutes. But beware - if you don't get the letters right, you'll be "roasted" in Korean!
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<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Kore Meta is an Extended Reality Content Creator for Gamified Educational and Cultural Content. Kore Meta is with 12 passionate team members from all different geographical and ethnic backgrounds. As a Korean language instructor, I (Miji Lee), also the Founder and CEO embarked on the journey to create an engaging educational game for my students. In the process, I stumbled upon the exciting world of Extended Reality (XR). Recognizing XR's potentials in education, I wholeheartedly dedicated myself to crafting gamified learning content.
Our first VR application is called Kore VR 1offers a unique experience that transports you to the heart of a traditional Korean Hanok village. From there, you can explore a futuristic and interactive orb that teaches you the sounds of each Korean alphabet, as well as a shooting arena where you'll use a laser blaster to shoot letters and gather ingredients for delicious Korean dishes in just three minutes. But beware - if you don't get the letters right, you'll be ""roasted"" in Korean!
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
Our team consists of 12 individuals with diverse backgrounds, including an astrophysicist and a scenic designer. Spanning across countries from Canada to India with all different ethnic backgrounds, we are a passionate and diverse team with a deep commitment to harnessing the potential of XR in education.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
Kore Meta began developing games in the summer of 2022.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Kore Meta strives to bring XR, Game and Culture & Education in one place to make learning fun!
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The immersive blend of culturally sensitive game environment, music, and sound effects is our favorite aspect of the game.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
Beat Saber inspired me.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
I find enjoyment in games that offer clear progression, whether it's the growth of characters, the development of cities or getting prizes.
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
A good game designer is someone who comprehends the factors that delight players and the essential elements required to ensure the game's user-friendliness.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
Teaching many students made me realize the effectiveness of gamified learning. This understanding motivated me to delve into the realm of gaming and develop educational content with a gamified approach.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
My belief in gamified learning has been solidified. However, I also recognize the challenges of creating a game, and it's even more challenging to create a good game.
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
We are most proud that we finished and launched it on Steam.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
As we incorporated input from other teammates, the game design became more enriched, resulting in a more enjoyable experience for users.
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
Our primary emphasis was on achieving unity in design, striving to create an environment where colors and spatial elements harmonize with our company logo. Furthermore, we aimed to maintain a profound respect for the cultural context that the games seek to represent.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Our biggest success is that players found the game to be both educational and enjoyable, enhancing their learning experience.
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Since it was our first attempt at game development, each phase, from design to launch, presented challenges. However, each step served as a valuable learning experience for us.
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
We would implement additional UI elements to enhance the game's user experience (UX) and provide more comprehensive instructions and more learning content. This approach will contribute to a more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
I was surprised how every step can be a challenge. Dealing with software programs like Blender and Unity also require patience.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
As my students learning Korean were passionate about the Korean food and the culture, I wanted to provide those motivating elements in the game.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
Incorporating Korean traditional Hanok buildings into the environment posed a challenge due to their high poly count, necessitating extensive optimization efforts. Nevertheless, I strongly believed that their inclusion was crucial to create a culturally sensitive atmosphere for our users.
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
Extended Reality (XR) is expected to expand even further, playing a pivotal role in both the gaming and education industries. By synergizing these two sectors, Kore VR 1 is at the forefront of introducing an innovative approach to Extended Reality gamified learning.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
Like many others, I aspire to establish a top-tier gamified educational content creation studio.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
In our hiring process, our primary focus is on the interests and passions of potential teammates. Operating as a fully remote team, we don't consider geographical locations, gender, or educational backgrounds as determining factors.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
During our game development journey, we support ourselves and our team by volunteering our skills and time to create games. This allows us to build our individual skills and expand our portfolios. Additionally, we maintain a supportive atmosphere within the team by fostering open communication on a Discord server. This enables us to collaborate effectively, share ideas, and motivate each other throughout the development process.
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
Just do it, make mistakes and keep going. Every step will help you to be better.
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
Being our debut game, there's room for improvement. Our initial creation offers a straightforward and enjoyable approach to learning the Korean alphabet for our users. Building on the lessons from Kore VR 1, we're in the process of developing Kore VR 2, featuring a more realistic environment and expanded content.
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function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
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`;
}
</script><div class="Title">''ODR Hockey Heroes''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Treewood Studios
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4DzKi8rCLnU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1538010/ODR_HOCKEY_HEROES/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/odrhockeyheroes" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://odrhockeyheroes.ca/press-kit" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
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/*Description*/
ODR Hockey Heroes is a brand new arcade hockey video game featuring ultra-smooth pick-up-and-play controls that'll have you scoring goals and laying hitz like a true legend.
The Hockey Godz have frozen the earth, and the only way to save our planet is to face off in a cross-country hockey tournament with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
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<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
ODR Hockey Heroes is an arcade hockey RPG that combines pick-up-and-play arcade gameplay with an epic RPG story mode. The Hockey Godz have frozen the earth and the only way to save our planet is to defeat them in a hockey tournament. Unlock stats and gear to customize your skaters as you travel across the country playing hockey with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
My name is Christopher Atallah and I am the founder and game developer at Treewood Studios. I am a Toronto-based game developer and have worked with local artists to produce both the art and music in the game. A Canadian game made by Canadians and featuring Canada's favourite sport.
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
Since graduating from Carleton University in 2012 I have worked at a few studios around Toronto including Splashworks, TimePlay and Creatubbles.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
Work/Life balance and accessible arcade-gameplay. In terms of gameplay, we want to be the modern Midway Games and EA Sports Big. As someone with MS it is important to me to be happy in what I do and to have a positive work/life balance. I want these perks to be shared by the whole studio and everyone who works with us.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
Immediately accessible and fun. My favourite experiences with the game are when people grab the controller in trepidation because they do not play sports games but end up scoring the overtime winner and celebrating hard.
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey, NHL93, NHL Hitz, SSX Tricky
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
Games that are easy to pick-up-and-play by players of all skill levels and everyone feels like they have a chance to win.
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
I have been playing games since the SNES and PS1 days. In University I studied Interactive Multimedia and Design at Carleton University where I learned to make my own games.
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
Massive amount of business and marketing experience and learning while also getting a much more complete and large picture of the entire architecture of a project.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Nearly the exact same as the original concept beyond getting into more detail about the story itself
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
Limited finances, time and clout. Sticking to it and staying focused while keeping positive. Nearly entirely working on my own it is always tough to keep positive and reassure myself that what I am doing is correct and for the best of the studio.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
Because our game is not licensed by the NHL, I saw an opportunity to experience something more than just picking a game from an 82 game schedule. An opportunity to integrate foundational RPG mechanics and storytelling while progressing through the story by playing fun arcade-style hockey. The fantasy-style story started forming of needing a reason to take on the Hockey Godz to save the world.
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
A small size studio that is able to support roughly 3 year development cycles while hitting business and marketing goals. Enough people to make a medium size indie game without much crunch while balancing work and life.
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
We are focusing on creating a hockey video game that celebrates everyone who loves the game of hockey. We have players of all backgrounds, genders and sizes and for the first time ever in a hockey video game we will have Sledge hockey players.
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
Family, personal savings, Ontario Creates grant, loan from Futurpreneur and most recently a successful Kickstarter campaign.
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</script><div class="Title">''Aquamarine''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Moebial Studios
/*Location*/ Portland, OR, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DipdYwKMObI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1280750/Aquamarine_Explorers_Edition/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/moebial" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Aquamarine is a quiet survival adventure about finding your way home through a hand-drawn alien ocean.
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Moebial Studios was a small team of artists spread around the world (USA, Canada, UK, and South America) who came together to create an interactive experience unlike anything they'd seen before. Inspired by vintage sci-fi comic books, classic adventure games, and retro synth music, the four game devs made a quiet survival adventure about finding your way home through a hand-drawn alien ocean. They released Aquamarine in January 2022 and followed it up later that year with the massive Explorer's Edition update. In early 2024, Aquamarine will be released on consoles, including PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Aquamarine was also going to be an open-ended adventure game about exploration and survival in an active ecosystem, but at first it was largely inspired by old-school roguelikes and that genre's love for mystery and difficulty. Over time we realized our game didn't need to be so challenging or opaque to understand, so we introduced more tutorialization, hints, and explanations. We also ended up leaning much further into the survival mechanics, which introduced the idea of creating a garden where you can grow your own food.
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
The story of Aquamarine was initially inspired by the comics of French artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud and the kind of sci-fi fantasy worlds he would create. But over time it became much more personal. While there are no literal connections to the life of the game's writer and director, the game slowly took the shape of a metaphor about searching for meaning, purpose, and a place to call home through a journey of self-discovery.
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
Probably the one thing that was most important (and most controversial) to keep in Aquamarine was the decision to make all progress permanent. There are no save states you can roll back to, no way to undo what you've done. Much of the game is a series of simple choices you can make about how you explore, how you interact with the world, and how you use the resources you find. In order to give all of those choices some extra weight and importance, it was absolutely pivotal to make each one permanent. Each play through is a story you are creating, and there's no taking any of it back.
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</script><div class="Title">''Bombing!! 2: A Graffiti Paradise''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Devon Wiersma
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3X68kKrVR1w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
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<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2109570/Bombing_2_A_Graffiti_Paradise/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://devonwiersma.itch.io/bombing-2-a-graffiti-paradise" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://www.devonwiersma.games/bombing-2" target="_blank">Game Website</a><br>
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Devon%20Wiersma" target="_blank">Steam Directory</a><br>
<a href="https://devonwiersma.itch.io/" target="_blank">Itch Profile</a><br>
<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/slaughterneko" target="_blank">Twitch</a><br>
<a href="https://devsgames.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a><br>
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/devonwiersma.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a><br>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f5b2e_QcbNJoM6FhsExGfeFhI30EUHWD?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">Presskit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Explore for hidden secrets, meet interesting friends, unlock painting tools, and fill your world with colour! As a newly-arrived street artist to Graffiti Paradise - a utopian city where street artists call the shots - how will you paint the world? With a fully paintable environment, a wide selection of unlockable tools, and a bunch of new friends to meet, there has never been a better time to let your creativity loose on the world!
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Devon Wiersma is a self-funded independent game developer who works in a variety of genres, from creative sandbox experiences like Bombing!! 2: A Graffiti Paradise to pen-and paper TTRPGs like Runt: Tabletop Roleplaying Systems. Prior to working independently, Devon worked as a Senior Level Designer at various game studios in the Toronto area.
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
My team is special in that it's just me! I do everything from marketing, production, and actual development on my games, as well as front most of the financial costs. It's certainly a lot of work, but I love being able to make the games that I want to see more of in the world.
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
I am and have always been a strong believer of paying people for the work they do, equitably and on their own terms - whenever I approach an artist to do supplementary work on my games (such as key art or music compositions) I always aim to make sure of this because I believe if I fail in this I've failed my moral obligation.
I believe at the end of the day if I can't afford to have someone's work in my game then that's not a reflection of their inability to work with me, but my own ability to scope my game realistically according to my needs. It sounds common sense, but you'd be surprised how non-common sense this actually can be!
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
I love seeing what the community makes in Bombing!! 2! Some people find ways to break out of maps and paint on hidden geometry while other people like to paint pieces based on trick perspective (a la Batman). Like, I'm constantly blown away whenever users share the work made in the game and all the creative ideas people come up with while painting in my game!
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
From the outset I knew I wanted Bombing!! 2: A Graffiti Paradise to challenge all my skills developed in making Bombing!! 1, and in a lot of ways it succeeded in that respect. I optimized it so maps are now over 10x the size of the first game in some cases, tools are more robust, and painting is generally way more creatively liberating. I managed to bring all those improvements to the forefront and I'm super happy with how it all turned out!
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
All of it! Every game I've made has been a living proof of my improvement as a game developer! It's inevitable that at some point during development I stop and take a look back at my work and realize how much I've improved.
In Bombing!! 2 I've made systems and mechanics I would never have dared to touch in Bombing!! 1, and I'm always finding evidence of my own growth as a developer in my works. I could make the whole game again and every part would be better the next time around!
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
I actually started streaming development of my game and it turned out to be a lot of fun! It was interesting to see people reactions to some of the 'behind the scenes' of what goes on while playing the game, as well as exposing people to all the dang work I have to do just to make an asset paintable. I even started incorporating streaming more into my regular development pipeline whenever I had the time to. (Shameless plug, you check it out here https://www.twitch.tv/slaughterneko)
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
I think on the whole the game industry operates on exploitative terms; from studios finding every way to undercut their workers to devs becoming complacent with this relationship. In my experience it's really a universal constant, so I think my ideal studio is one that actually and truthfully seeks ways to empower people without constantly demanding more from them, and does this in ways that are sustainable.
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</script><div class="Title">''DepowerBall''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Mega Power Games
/*Location*/ Toronto, ON, Canada</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bYhepur91f8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div class="OC-tag">Ontario Creates Supported</div></span>
<<nobr>>
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<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1175660/DepowerBall/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://megapower.games" target="_blank">Website</a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/megapower_games" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://instagram.com/megapower_games" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br>
<a href="https://youtube.com/@megapower_games" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br>
<a href="https://discord.gg/zeDbvDVpDm" target="_blank">Discord</a><br>
<a href="https://www.megapower.games/presskit-depowerball" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
DepowerBall is a competitive party platformer where the fate of every matchup is influenced by fast-paced athletic gameplay and tactical decision-making. Whether it’s feeding the hungry Dragon Queen or playing keep-away with a golden treat, every match, each player starts with the same set of powers to try and accomplish their task of becoming the Royal Champion! When a player wins a round, he or she will earn the Queen’s favor, but will also earn the wrath of the other players, who are then able to vote to take away one of the winner’s powers! Get ready to even the odds against your opponents as you take away the powers they hold most dear and hilariously watch how they deal with the consequences!
<br><br>
/*IDM Badge*/ <a href="https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/interactive/interactive-digital-media-fund/ontario-creates-idm-fund-futures" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/OCBadge_IDM_FF.png" style="width:300px"></a><br>
</td>
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</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
Mega Power Games is an independent video game producer/developer based in Toronto. While the studio entity itself is solo owned and operated, any game produced by the studio is created in tandem with with developers, artists, animators, composers, and other freelance contractors from around the GTA to create fun and engaging video games.
DepowerBall is the first title released under this label! It is a tactical party platformer where the fate of every matchup is influenced by fast-paced athletic gameplay and tactical decision-making.
Whether it’s feeding the hungry Dragon Queen or playing keep-away with a golden treat, every match, each player starts with the same set of powers to try and accomplish their task of becoming the Royal Champion! When a player wins a round, he or she will earn the Queen’s favor, but will also earn the wrath of the other players, who are then able to vote to take away one of the winner’s powers! Get ready to even the odds against your opponents as you take away the powers they hold most dear and hilariously watch how they deal with the consequences! Whoever is the first person to win three rounds, becomes the Royal Champion!
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
The ability to directly mess with people in the middle of the game is absolutely my favourite part. There are so many potential strategies that gamers while playing a game, but to be able to employ social strategies on top of physical gameplay strategies makes playing DepowerBall one to try in person. You can't simply beat other players in-game, you will have to out think them in between gameplay rounds as well.
A close second is our adorable cast of characters.
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
A game that offers a good experience whether you win or lose. It might sound cliché, but a game that has both a fantastic journey and destination will win me over, regardless of game type or genre. If there is an ability to create memorable moments DURING the experience, then that's what will hook me and stick with me after the experience is all said and done and will want to revisit that experience either in game or describing it to other people.
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
Not that much other than the current offering from us is a much more polished version of the original prototype. What's fun is that you can actually find the original prototype on itch and play and compare against the current version. The prototype is waaaaaay jankier but still real fun to play!
The only real differences come in visual polish, feature sets and powers, and additional levels and modes. Outside of those things, the core gameplay loop has been relatively unchanged.
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
Knowing that we nailed the main gameplay loop of the game. In the early years (pre-covid) we took the game on the road to many conventions in Ontario and Quebec, getting the demo in the hands of as many people as possible and recording feedback along the way, both direct (where people would tell us what they liked/disliked) and indirect (observation of reactions). As we iterated between conventions and went to more and more we noticed the feedback becoming less and less as we honed in on gameplay changes and balance adjustments in our powers. At some point, people just had nothing to say anymore which meant to us that we nailed it. Since 2020, the main gameplay loop/hook has not changed (and likely never will).
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
This is a shoutout to a certain group of individuals, but the one thing that we kept in our game thanks to this group fighting hard for it (and rightfully so) is a really silly mechanic in our local character select screen.
You can select your character in a way that will literally change your perspective in how you see it. I won't spoil it but just try cycling back and forth between two characters and see what happens.
Not a bug...just a feature :)
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</script><div class="Title">''Witchhazel Woods''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ Rachel Wigell
/*Location*/ Boston, Massachusetts, USA</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sMeDsyKrMEk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
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/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1833560/Witchhazel_Woods/" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a><br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/the_datababe" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSsvR9kDKhfjWrRarY3Q1gOpxvT7kI6y1TT1dyHK7uLUVxUuTEZbHoGvmsZ97zyoM4Y869i_68LC-HR/pub" target="_blank">Press Kit</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
Your dog has been kidnapped by a lonely ghost! To save her, you must go on a journey through the woods, helping the creatures you meet along the way.
</td>
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</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
I'm Rachel, the one-woman show behind Witchhazel Woods! After being a person who enjoyed all the separate hobbies that go into game development (programming, digital art, music, writing, etc.) I finally decided to try combining them by embarking on the journey of becoming a solo game dev. Witchhazel Woods was a labor of love that I developed to keep me sane during the worst years of the pandemic.
Witchhazel Woods is a game about abandoning your responsibilities and running off into the woods. You'll meet some cryptids, befriend the local crows, and conduct questionable pagan rituals.
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
I don't want to spoil it, but there's a moment in Witchhazel Woods where things take a bit of a turn from woodland creatures and chirping birds to a much spookier tone. To quote a streamer when they got to this part: "oh, I see, this is a horror game."
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
The procedurally-generated game scenery system! I wrote a tech blog all about it here: https://medium.com/@WitchhazelWoods/procedurally-generated-game-scenery-f740a96b015d
I'm also just proud that I finished a game at all. Making a game alone is a ton of work!
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<br>
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/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">At Super FESTival, we celebrate the perserverence of Game Developers that have created exciting new things in these trying times and continue to hone their craft as creators. Below you'll find over 50 games from around the world that embody that tenacious game dev spirit that transports you to fascinating new worlds. Whether you're a huge gamer or play casually, there's something unique here for everyone!</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
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<div class="vendor_container"><table style="border-color:#ffffff00; margin:0 auto">
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include VNIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include ExpIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include 18+Icon>></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:0px; margin:0 auto"><<include MixtapeIcon>></td><td style="border-color:#ffffff00;text-align:center;padding:5px;"><<include CanadaIcon>></td></tr></table>
</div>
<h2>[[Back to Main|Intro]]</h2>
/*<a data-passage="game53" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*//*<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/games/game53/cover.jpg" width="300"></div>/*Name*//*<p class="land_name">Q1: Void</p></a>*/<div class="Title">''TITLE''</div>
<span class="creators">/*Name*/ CREATOR NAME
/*Location*/ LOCATION</span>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<iframe width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hc7a5lzKl3I" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</span>
<<nobr>>
<hr>
<table style="width:100%">
<tr>
<td style ="width:20%">
/*Artist Links*/<div class="links" style="text-align: top;">
<a href="" target="_blank"><<include ItchIcon>></a><br>
<a href="" target="_blank">Dev Itch Page</a><br>
<a href="" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br>
<a href="" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></div>
</td>
<td style ="width:80%">
/*Description*/
TEXT
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr>
<</nobr>>
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
/*Direct URL*/<<set $localURL to $baseURL + "?passage="+ passage()>> <a @href=$localURL>Link This Page</a><br>
<hr>
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script>/*Game Name*/
<div class="Title">''''</div>
<span class="gameContent">
/*Image or Link*/<img src="" width="700">
</span>
/*Name*/ NAME
/*Location*/ LOCATION
/*Description*/
DESCRIPTION
/*Artist Links*/ <div class="links">
<a href="" target="_blank"><<include SteamIcon>></a>
<a href="" target="_blank">Twitter</a>
</div>
----
<h2>[[Back to Games|Games]]</h2>
----
<strong><h2>Exhibitor Interview</h2></strong>
<span class="Question">Who are you and your team? What is your game about?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about your team and what makes them special!</span>
<span class="Question">How long have you been making games?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there a guiding principle for your studio? Why is it important to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What’s your favourite part of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What games inspire you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a game fun to you?</span>
<span class="Question">What makes a good game designer?</span>
<span class="Question">How did you first get involved with game design?</span>
<span class="Question">What have you learned since making your first game?</span>
<span class="Question">What are you most proud of developing for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">How much did your game change from the original concept?</span>
<span class="Question">Are there any design principles that you use to make your games?</span>
<span class="Question">What is the biggest success of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What was the biggest challenge of the development of your game?</span>
<span class="Question">What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?</span>
<span class="Question">What you believe could have made it better if you were to make your game again?</span>
<span class="Question">What surprised you during development?</span>
<span class="Question">What led you to choosing the story for your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Tell me about the thing you fought most to keep in your game?</span>
<span class="Question">Where do you think the industry is headed and where does your game fit in?</span>
<span class="Question">When you think of your ideal studio what do you dream of achieving?</span>
<span class="Question">How has your studio worked to be a more inclusive work environment?</span>
<span class="Question">How do you support yourself and your team through development?</span>
<span class="Question">How are your design choices informed by you, your experiences, or your team’s experiences?</span>
<span class="Question">What is something you wish the public knew about game design?</span>
<span class="Question">Is there is anything you would like to add about your game?</span>
/*-----------------*/
/*EXTRA CODE*/
<<set $Location to "Games">>
<<set $Sidebar to 1>>
/*Reset back to default background and font colors*/
/* <<script>>
$(document).one(":passageend", function () {$("body").css({ "background-color": "#000", color: "white"});});
<</script>> */
<<audio ":all" stop>>
<script>
function iFrameLoad() {
const div = document.createElement('div');
div.innerHTML = `
<div data-fancybox data-type="iframe"
data-src="https://aggie.io/ulbk_39_4m" href="javascript:;"
class="art_button"></div>
`;
}
</script><<nobr>>
<<set $list to Story.lookup("tags", "game")>>
<<set $a to $list.length + $list.length%2>>
<<for $j to 0; $j lt $a; $j+=2>>
<div class="vendor_container">
<<for $i to 0; $i+$j lt $list.length; ++$i>>
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<<set $t to $g.description()>>
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<a data-passage=$g.title class="land_info_container"><div class="land_profile"><img src=$imgurl width="300"></div><p class="land_name">$t</p></a>
<<unset $g, $imgurl>>
<<if $i == 0>><<continue>><<else>><<break>><</if>>
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</div>
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<<unset $list, $a, $b, $i, $j>>
<</nobr>>
/*Other Categories*/<table style="border-color:#ffffff00;">
<td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include AllIcon>></td> <td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include ArcadeIcon>></td> <td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include PuzzleIcon>></td> <td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include NarrativeIcon>></td> <td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include VNIcon>></td> <td style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include ExpIcon>></td>
</table><table style="width:100%;"><tr>
/*Image, Name, Role */<td style="width:20%; text-align: center; border-color:#ffffff00;">''Aaron Demeter''<img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Capture-e1660856162174-400x411.png" style="width:150px;" class="center">''Operations Manager''</td>
/*Bio*/<td style="width:70%; border-color:#ffffff00;">''Aaron (he/him)'' is the Operations Manager of Hand Eye Society. He is also a 3D artist and game developer that focuses on creating surreal experiences.
/*links*/<a href="https://aarondemeter.com" target="_blank">Portfolio</a> | <a href="https://aaron-demeter.itch.io" target="_blank">Itch.io</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/quiet_horizon" target="_blank">Twitter</a></td>
</tr></table><table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
/*Image, Name, Role */
<td style="width:20%; text-align: center; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Brendan Lehman''
<img src="https://test.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/amaze-300x287.jpeg" style="width:150px; border-radius: 10%;" class="center;">
''Interim<br>Executive Director''
</td>
/*Bio*/
<td style="width:70%; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Brendan Lehman (they/them; aka brendy)'' is a neuroscientist, game programmer, and current Interim Executive Director at the Hand Eye Society. Brendan is also the back-end developer of Super FESTival. Their work involves biodata integration, event experimentation, web radio, and bike couriering. See you out there!
/*Links*/
<a href="https://consciousless.net" target="_blank">Portfolio</a> | <a href="https://trueconnection.fm" target="_blank">Radio</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/neurochems" target="_blank">Twitter</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/About.png" width="150px"></div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<span><a href="https://handeyesociety.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/wordplay2021/assets/other/HandEyeLogo_Transparent.png" style="width:90px; margin:0 auto; align; display:block;"></a></span>
<br> <br>
<a href="https://handeyesociety.com" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/handeyesociety" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://twitch.tv/handeyesociety" target="_blank">Twitch</a> | <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/the-hand-eye-society-15539055266" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a> | <a href="https://discord.gg/urAUjk5" target="_blank">Discord</a> | <a href="https://www.handeyesociety.com/membership/" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> | <a href="https://paypal.me/handeyesociety" target="_blank">Donate</a>
<br> <br>
The Hand Eye Society is a Toronto not-for-profit dedicated to supporting and showcasing videogames made primarily as a form of creative expression. We aim to provide exhibition opportunities, education, creative support, mentorship, knowledge sharing and inspiration to artists, enthusiasts, and the game-curious in Toronto.
<br> <br>
Founded in 2009, it is one of the first videogame arts organizations of its kind in the world. Super FESTival uses our online FEST web platform to celebrate not only the Hand Eye Society's accomplishments but the game community at large and how far we've come over the past decade, perserving through industry shakeups, pandemics, and cultural shifts. We hope you'll celebrate with us and join us for many more years of programming.
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<div class="Title">Hand Eye Society Staff</div><table style="border-color:#ffffff00;">
<tr style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include Brendan>></tr>
<tr style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include Jordan>></tr>
<tr style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include Len>></tr>
<tr style="border-color:#ffffff00;"><<include Royel>></tr>
</table>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div>
<</nobr>><table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
/*Image, Name, Role */
<td style="width:20%; text-align: center; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Jordan Sparks''
<img src="https://test.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/JordanSparks-1-300x267.png" style="width:150px; border-radius: 10%;" class="center">
''Director of Technology''
</td>
/*Bio*/
<td style="width:70%; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Jordan Sparks (he/him)'' is the Director of Technology &Workshop Coordinator of the Hand Eye Society. Jordan likes to explore how art, media, and creative technologies can spark social change.
Jordan is the Director and front-end developer of the Super FESTival 2023 website and our FEST technology, Technical Director of the Super FESTival Streams, and head of his Studio, Shining Spark Entertainment. He hopes you enjoy the Super FESTival and would love if you checked out the Hand Eye Society's future events and workshops.
/*Links*/
<a href="https://GrindSpark.com" target="_blank">Portfolio</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/supersparkplugs" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://twitch.tv/supersparkplug" target="_blank">Twitch</a> | <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/supersparkplug.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a> | <a href="https://ShiningSparkEnt.com" target="_blank">Studio</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
/*''Jordan Sparks (he/him)'' is the Director of Technology and Workshop Coordinator of the Hand Eye Society. Jordan likes to explore how art, media, and creative technologies can spark social change.
Jordan is the front-end developer of the Super FESTival 2023 website, Technical Director of the Super FESTival Streams, and the director of [[Civic Story -> game50]]. He hopes you enjoy the Super FESTival.*/<table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
/*Image, Name, Role */
<td style="width:20%; text-align: center; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Len Predko''
<img src="https://test.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ArtistPhoto_AlennPredko-300x300.jpeg" style="width:150px; border-radius: 10%;" class="center">
''Special Projects Coordinator''
</td>
/*Bio*/
<td style="width:70%; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Len Predko (he/they)'' is the former Executive Director and current Special Projects Coordinator of Hand Eye Society, an artist, and curator. Their work includes large scale immersive games, playful experiences, videogames, and alt controller games. He also really likes monsters!
/*Links*/
<a href="https://twitter.com/alennmakes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table><table style="width:100%;">
<tr>
/*Image, Name, Role */
<td style="width:20%; text-align: center; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Rokashi''
<img src="https://test.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/RoyelEdwards_BioPhoto-300x300.jpeg" style="width:150px; border-radius: 10%;" class="center">
''Communications Director''
</td>
/*Bio*/
<td style="width:70%; border-color:#ffffff00;">
''Rokashi (they/them)'' is the Communications Director of Hand Eye Society and loves to play indie games made from marginalized creators from across the world!
/*Links*/
<a href="https://twitter.com/rokashi" target="_blank">Twitter</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table><div style="width:100%; text-align:center;"><a href="https://www.handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/3D" target="_blank">On Mobile? Play here!</a></div>
<div class="likelike_container">
<iframe src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/3D" style="border:none;" height="700" width="1300" title="SuperFEST 3D"></iframe>
</div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">The Super FESTival Online Game was made in Unity and features attendants playing, exploring, communicating, and participating in Super FESTival live from around the world from Nov 20 - 26! Keep checking back here to see how it evolves over the course of the festival.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div>
<</nobr>><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Credits.png" width="200px"></div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
The Hand Eye Society was founded in 2009 and is the oldest game-arts non-profit in the world. Throughout our history, we have created countless events, festivals and opportunities that celebrate the Canadian and global game industry and served the Game Curious Public.
<br> <br>
Super FESTival has become a celebration of that long heritage that we are proud to continue and share with you all. This annual festival combines many aspects of our big events into one allowing us to celebrate the diversity of the indie games scene as well as our rich history. We hope you'll join us as we continue our mission to educate and engage the public through games.
<br> <br>
Super FESTival was made possible through the hard work of Hand Eye Society Staff and Associates as well as our generous sponsors.
<div class="credits_container">
<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/title-fx.png" width="250px" style="margin: 20px 0 10px 0;">
<h3 style="text-align:center;margin-bottom: auto;">Created by the Hand Eye Society</h3>
<br>
<h4>Curation Team</h4>
Len Predko<br>
Jordan Sparks<br>
Brendan Lehman<br>
Rokashi Edwards<br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival Production Lead</h4>
<a href="https://grindspark.com/" target="_blank">Jordan Sparks</a><br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival Platform Lead</h4>
<a href="https://consciousless.net" target="_blank">Brendan Lehman</a><br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival Graphic Designer</h4>
<a href="https://ankhangdo2510.wixsite.com/portfolio" target="_blank">Khang Do</a><br>
<br>
<h4>Production Editor</h4>
<a href="https://www.aarondemeter.com/" target="_blank">Aaron Demeter</a><br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival 3D Game Art</h4>
Len Predko<br>
Aaron Demeter<br>
Jordan Sparks<br>
Laura Maier<br>
Shining Spark Entertainment<br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival Twee Code</h4>
Jordan Sparks<br>
Brendan Lehman<br>
<br>
<h4>Super FESTival 3D Game Code</h4>
Brendan Lehman<br>
<a href="https://spek.work/" target="_blank">Jonathan Carroll</a><br><br>
Based on the <a href="https://github.com/molleindustria/distributedAuthorityServer" target="_blank">Distributed Authority Framework</a>
<br>by <a href="https://molleindustria.org/" target="_blank">Paolo Pedercini</a><br>
<br>
<h4>Executive Director</h4>
Brendan Lehman<br>
<br>
<h4>Director Of Technology & Workshop Coordinator</h4>
Jordan Sparks<br>
<br>
<h4>Communications Director</h4>
Rokashi Edwards<br>
<br>
<h4>Special Projects</h4>
Len Predko<br>
<br>
<div class="acknowledgement">
<h3>''Super FESTival would not possible without our Supporters and Sponsors''</h3><br>
<a href="https://ontariocreates.ca/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/L_OC_BI_RGB.png" width="350px"></a><br>
<a href="https://canadacouncil.ca/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/sufest/assets/icons/sponsor/CCA_RGB_colour_e.png" width="350px"></a><br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.cleverendeavourgames.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/wordplay2021/assets/other/clever.png" width="200px"></a><br>
<a href="https://www.mightyyell.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MightyYell_Studio_Logo_Icon_Square_OrangeOnTransparent_01.png" width="200px"></a><br>
<a href="https://www.bancy.co/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BancyCo-Logo-Full-Colour.png" width="200px"></a><br>
<br><h3>''Operating Support Provided By''</h3><br>
<a href="https://torontoartscouncil.org/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OAC_logo.jpg" width="200px"></a><br>
<a href="https://www.arts.on.ca/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TAC_FCOT_logo.png" width="200px"></a><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div>
<</nobr>><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="" width="200px"></div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">The Hand Eye Society Mixtape initiative is our attempt to celebrate and share games with the global games community. We take game submissions from across the Games Community and curate a collection of unique and interesting indie games to share. From the quirky, to outlandish, you'll find all sorts of unexpected experiences here. Developers of all featured mixtape games are compensated for their inclusion.
<br><br>
We have also documented several short and interesting games as a Mixtape for Super FESTival 2023, which you can find in our Exhibition under the [[Super FESTival Mixtape->SuFestMixtape]] Category.
<br><br>
Since 2022 we've created several Mixtapes of diverse and unique games from around the world! We put out calls for Mixtapes fairly often so be sure to subscribe to our <a href="https://www.handeyesociety.com/membership/">Free Newsletter</a> to learn about our next call for submissions.</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
<div class="vendor_container">
<a href="https://handeyesociety.itch.io/hes-mixtape-vol-1" target="_blank" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzg4MzkxOTQucG5n/347x500/wd%2FUnI.png" width="200px"></div>/*Name*/<p class="land_name">Vol 1</p></a>
<a href="https://handeyesociety.itch.io/mixtape-vol-2" target="_blank" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzk2MTg4OTUucG5n/347x500/Kxgk5h.png" width="200px"></div>/*Name*/<p class="land_name">Vol 2</p></a>
</div>
<div class="vendor_container">
<a href="https://handeyesociety.itch.io/hes-mixtape-vol-3" target="_blank" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzEwMTI2ODkyLmpwZw==/original/QNPRgb.jpg" width="200px"></div>/*Name*/<p class="land_name">Vol 3</p></a>
<a href="https://handeyesociety.itch.io/hes-mixtape-vol-superfest-special" target="_blank" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzEwODYxNTc5LnBuZw==/347x500/TkWgCz.png" width="200px"></div>/*Name*/<p class="land_name">Super FESTival 2022 Jam Tape</p></a>
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<a href="https://handeyesociety.itch.io/hes-mixtape-vol-6" target="_blank" class="land_info_container">/*Profile Image*/<div class="land_profile"><img src="https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzExNDg1MDI3LnBuZw==/original/OPUrp6.png" width="200px"></div>/*Name*/<p class="land_name">Vol 6</p></a>
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<</nobr>>A Template for pages displaying PDF content.
<a data-fancybox data-type="iframe" data-src=" " href="javascript:;">
Read Blind Date - Colombia Here
<img src=" " style="width:500px">
</a><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Stream.png" width="200px"></div>
From November 20 - 26, we'll be showcasing all types of games and discussions through our <a href="https://twitch.tv/handeyesociety">Twitch Channel</a>. This year we have 17 exciting features that consists of Talks, Panels, and Workshops. Broadcasts will take place 6pm - 9pm from Monday Nov 20 - Friday Nov 24 and from 1pm - 6pm on Saturday Nov 25 & Saturday Nov 26. You can see the Stream and Schedule below and find out more info about the individual talks on the [[Speakers]] page.
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<div style="width:100%; text-align:center;"><a href="https://twitch.tv/handeyesociety" target="_blank">Hand Eye Society Twitch</a></div>
/*Schedule*/<div class="schedule_container">
<table style="width: 100%;">
<tr>
<td class="empty"><h3>Mon, Nov 20</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Tues, Nov 21</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Wed, Nov 22</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Thurs, Nov 23</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Fri, Nov 24</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Sat, Nov 25</h3></td>
<td class="empty"><h3>Sun, Nov 26</h3></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6:00pm: Opening Intro</td>
<td>6:00pm: Intro</td>
<td>6:00pm: Intro</td>
<td>6:00pm: Intro</td>
<td>6:00pm: Intro</td>
<td>1:00pm: Intro</td>
<td>1:00pm: Intro</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6:15pm: Arcade/RPG Showcase</td>
<td>6:15pm: Narrative Games Showcase</td>
<td>6:15pm: Visual Novel Game Showcase</td>
<td>6:15pm: Experimental Games Showcase</td>
<td>6:15pm: Puzzle Games Showcase</td>
<td>1:15pm: Puzzle Games Showcase</td>
<td>1:15pm: Arcade/RPG Showcase</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6:30pm: PANEL - Indiepocalypse: Indie Game Small Press and Anthology Roundtable</td>
<td>6:30pm: PANEL - Pablo Quarta: Videogame Workers' Co-ops!</td>
<td>6:30pm: WORKSHOP - Geoffrey Golden: Visual Novels for Web</td>
<td>6:30pm: TALK - Shawn Alexander Allen: What Indie Games Can Learn from Indie Rap</td>
<td>6:30pm: TALK - Amyr Said: Video Games as a Medium for Change</td>
<td>1:30pm: WORKSHOP - Ludipe: Designing Puzzle Games 101</td>
<td>1:30pm: WORKSHOP - Nilson Carrol: Playing Games Badly: Manipulating Analog Signals</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7:30pm: Visual Novel Game Showcase</td>
<td>7:15pm: Experimental Games Showcase</td>
<td>7:15pm: Puzzle Game Showcase</td>
<td>7:30pm: Arcade/RPG Showcase</td>
<td>7:30pm: Narrative Games Showcase</td>
<td>2:30pm: Visual Novel Games Showcase</td>
<td>2:30pm: Experimental Games Showcase</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7:45pm: TALK - Alfe Clemencio: Making Story Choices Matter, Fair, and Scaleable</td>
<td>7:30pm: TALK - Taylor McCue: Learn How To Make Bundles!</td>
<td>7:30pm: WORKSHOP - Julia Minamata: An Introduction to Adventure Game Studio</td>
<td>7:30pm: WORKSHOP - Ash K: Introduction to Screensavers</td>
<td>7:45pm: WORKSHOP - Natasha Ramoutar & Alyssa Rodriguez: Virtual Realms, Real Adventures</td>
<td>2:45pm: TALK - Anzal Faron: Using serious topics to design fun games</td>
<td>3:00pm: WORKSHOP - Charlotte Pang - Cute, Quick and Easy 2D Animations in GOOGLE SLIDES?!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8:45pm: Puzzle Game Showcase</td>
<td>8:15pm: Arcade/RPG Showcase</td>
<td>9:00pm: Narrative Game Showcase</td>
<td>8:30pm: Visual Novel Games Showcase</td>
<td>9:15pm: Experimental Games Showcase</td>
<td>3:45pm: Narrative Games Showcase</td>
<td>3:30pm: Narrative Games Showcase</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9:00pm: Outro</td>
<td>8:30pm: TALK - Dave Proctor: How To Build a Supportive Game Studio [Sponsored]</td>
<td>9:15pm: Outro</td>
<td>9:00pm: Outro</td>
<td>9:30pm: Outro</td>
<td>4:00pm: TALK - Tigran Bleyan: Stopping To Start Understanding</td>
<td>3:45pm: Visual Novel Games Showcase</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td>9:15pm: Outro</td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td>5:00pm: Arcade/RPG Showcase</td>
<td>4:15pm: TALK - littlerat: How To Make And Finish A Little Game When Everything Is Hard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td>5:15pm: WORKSHOP - Plunderludics Crew: Intro to Plunderludics: How to make videogames out of videogames</td>
<td>5:00pm: Puzzle Game Showcase</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td>6:15pm: Experimental Games Showcase</td>
<td>5:15pm: Closing Outro</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td class="empty"></td>
<td>6:30pm: Outro</td>
<td class="empty"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
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A template passage for video content.<div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Workshop.png" width="200px"></div>
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<div class="boxText"> The Hand Eye Society has a long history of creating workshops and events that help grow the games community and inspire both novices and enthusiasts of all ages to make their own fantastic games. This tradition remains today as we offer online workshops to enrich and educate the games community.
<br> <br>
We are currently offering a series of online workshops at select times on topics relevant to the games community. Each workshop will be a live zoom session that lasts approximately 2 - 3 hours. Sessions are recorded exclusively for those who registered.
<br> <br>
You can check out at our current offerings below on <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/the-hand-eye-society-15539055266">Eventbrite</a>. If you're interested, we encourage you to register and learn with us!
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<br>
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<</nobr>>Welcome to the Multi Page.
This is an example of how to compartmentalize passages. This could be one of the side-branch narratives that a commissioned author writes.
[[Sub-passage 1|sub_1]]
[[Sub-passage 2|sub_2]]
[[Sub-passage 3|sub_3]]
[[Sub-passage 4|sub_4]]
Sub-passages are named in the lower case to indicate in searches that they are sub-passages.Sub passage 1
[[Here's a link.|https://handeyesociety.com/]]
Here's an example of adding an iframe with HTML:
<html>
<div class="container"><iframe class="responsive-iframe" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9M0JhHiJY5E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Sub-passage 2Sub-passage 3Sub-passage 4This is an example of a file with a single passage.
This is an example of [[a link|https://handeyesociety.com/]].<span class="main-logo">
<a data-passage="Intro"><img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/title-fx.png" width="120px"></a></span><<nobr>>
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<a data-passage="Speakers"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Speakers.png" width="80px"></a>/*Speakers*/
<a data-passage="Twitch"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Stream.png" width="80px"></a>/*Twitch*/
<a data-passage="Workshops" style="padding-top: 10px;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Workshop.png" width="80px"></a>/*Workshops*/
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<<link '<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Random.png" width="80px" style="padding-top: 10px;">' `_passageList.random()`>><</link>>
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<a data-passage="LikeLikeGame"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/SuFESTGame.png" width="80px"></a>/*LikeLike*/
<a data-passage="Mixtape"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Mixtapes.png" width="80px"></a>/*Mixtape*/
<a href="https://discord.gg/urAUjk5" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Discord.png" width="80px"></a>/*Discord*/
<a data-passage="Credits"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Credits.png" width="80px"></a>/*Credits*/
<a href="https://paypal.me/handeyesociety" style="padding-top: 5px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Donate.png" width="80px"></a>
<</nobr>>
/*Pre-Release Errors<a href="https://forms.gle/aT5g8LfDz2HMrVj99" style="font-size: 11px;">Report a Problem</a>*/ /*NOTE: REPLACE THESE SURVEYS LATER*/
<a href="https://forms.gle/9XtLczGDg8vn2FKd9" style="font-size: 11px;" target="_blank">Report a Problem /<br>Give Feedback</a>
/*Direct Link Code - Note: Putting on the side bar because that loads every scene. Was having some issues putting on StoryInit.*/
/*<<script>> //RE-ENABLE THIS CODE ON LAUNCH
const browser_path = window.location.search; // get url
const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(browser_path); // get url params
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<<if $passage>><<goto $passage>><</if>>
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/*Presented by<span class="SBIcons">*/ /*NOT WORKING WHEN SPAN CLASS ACTIVE */
/*<a href="https://handeyesociety.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/wordplay2021/assets/other/HandEyeLogo_Transparent.png" width="80px"></a></span>*//* Initialise the array being used to story the list of random Passages. */
<<set $randoms to []>>
/* Add the name of each of the random Passages to the array by searching for all Passages in the story tagged as 'Artist'. */
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<</for>><div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;">
<img src="https://www.handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/title-fx.png" width="200px">
</div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
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<div class="boxText"><div class="Title" style="text-align:center;">''Welcome to Super FESTival !''</div>
<p style="text-align:center;text-color:#fff"> Welcome to ''Super FESTival 2023'' the Hand Eye Society's free festival celebrating the indie games community and the Hand Eye Society's history of public programming. We got games, talks, and even an evolving 3D game to interact with! Go explore and come back every day between Nov 20 - 26 for more!
Explore this site to discover wonderful things! Try our multiplayer game!</p></div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
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<</nobr>>
/*<p style="text-align:center;">Please note that this is an Archived version of the Hand Eye Society's online Super FESTival which occurred on October 15 - 16, 2022. As a result, some aspects, such as the Super FESTival Game and the Live Twitch Show, may no longer work as originally intended, though may be adjusted for this archived version. </p>*/
<div class="vendor_container">
<a data-passage="Games" class="land_info_container" style="padding: 0px 30px 0px 0px;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Exhibitors.png" width="180px"></a>/*Games*/
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<div class="vendor_container">
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<a data-passage="LikeLikeGame" class="land_info_container" style="padding: 10px;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/SuFESTGame.png" width="190px"></a>/*LikeLike*/
</div>This is an example of a file with a single passage.
This is an example of [[a link|https://handeyesociety.com/]].<div class="big-logo" style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/Speakers.png" width="200px"></div>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
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<div class="boxText">The Hand Eye Society is known for our diverse festival talks and panels. This time, though, we have Festival Workshops! Get ready to learn all sorts of different skills and perspectives through our Talks, Panels, and Worskshop broadcasts by our amazing guests. presents a number of unique and informative talks and panels frome prolific developers who aim to share their knowledge with the community!</div>
/*Box Bottom*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocklowmain.png" style="width:100%;">
</div><</nobr>>
<<nobr>>
<div class="boxedInfo">
/*Box Top*/<img src="https://handeyesociety.com/sufest2023/assets/ui/blocktopmain.png" style="width:100%; margin:0; padding:0; line height:0;">
<div class="boxText">
For our Super FESTival show on Twitch, we're featuring 10 Talks, 2 Panels, and 7 Workshops! This year, we're going for 7 days! On Weekdays our Twitch show will be from 6pm - 9pm. On Saturday & Sunday, it will take place from 1pm - 6pm. All times listed are approximate and in ET.
<h2><a data-passage="Twitch">Watch the Talks on Twitch</a></h2><hr>
<div id="saturday"><h1>''Monday, November 20'': 6pm - 9pm</h1>
/*Speaker1 */<h2>6:30pm</h2><h2>''[ PANEL ]<br/>Indiepocalypse: Indie Game Small Press and Anthology Roundtable''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://indiepocalypse.com" target="_blank">Indiepocalypse</a>''</h3>The world of video games and video game publishing is massive, but what if it was a little smaller? Join 6 multi-hat wearing creators/publishers/organizers/etc. of indie game anthologies as they discuss their work. Smaller scale and collaborative publishing in games opens up countless opportunities for creative expression in games. Learn how it all works! (and maybe think about giving a try yourself). Featuring Andrew, Michael Klamerus, npckc, Stuffed Wombat, Ryan Brown, and Cesca.
<br><br>
/*Speaker2 */<h2>7:45pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE TALK ]<br/>Making Story Choices Matter, Fair, and Scaleable''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://www.sakurariver.ca" target="_blank">Alfe Clemencio (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Ever wanted to make "choices that matter" in your game? This talk is for you! Featuring examples from games you may have heard but never thought of. Also featuring tips and tricks on how to make those choices "fair" and scalable.
</div><hr>
<br>
<div id="saturday"><h1>''Tuesday, November 21'': 6pm - 9pm</h1>
/*Speaker1 */<h2>6:30pm</h2><h2>''[ PANEL ]<br/>Videogame Workers' Co-ops!''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://matajuegos.itch.io/" target="_blank">Pablo Quarta</a>, Emile Brodeur, Squinky, Daniel Korn''</h3>A candid conversation between members of game workers’ cooperatives from Canada. Panelists will discuss their personal experiences organizing and working in worker-owned, democratic game development studios, and the ways in which cooperatives present an empowering alternative to traditional top-down company structures. Their conversation will tackle issues such as: basics principles and structures of cooperatives, horizontal decision making, building a culture of care, common misconceptions, financing, and more!
<br><br>
/*Speaker2 */<h2>7:30pm</h2><h2>''[ TALK ]<br/>Learn How To Make Bundles!''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://taylormccue.itch.io" target="_blank">Taylor McCue (She/They)</a>''</h3>Have you ever wanted to learn how to design a game bundle? In this talk by Taylor McCue you’ll learn all of the ins and outs of designing a bundle. By the end of this talk you’ll have all the basic knowledge you’ll need to raise money through collective organizing.
<br><br>
/*Speaker2 */<h2>8:30pm</h2><h2>''[ TALK ]<br/>How To Build A Supportive Game Studio''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://mightyyell.com" target="_blank">Dave Proctor (He/Him)</a>''</h3>“Sustainability” can take a lot of shapes, but for me it means a work environment that doesn’t result in exhaustion and enables people to feel secure and comfortable as part of a team. A sustainable workplace is one that prioritizes the mental and physical well-being of the people in its employ. Sustainable management acknowledges that people make games, and that nothing is more important than those people.
<br>
So here’s what I’ve found contributes to our team feeling like they want to stick around without being on the precipice of burning out.
</div><hr>
<br>
<div id="saturday"><h1>''Wednesday, November 22'': 6pm - 9pm</h1>
/*Speaker1 */<h2>6:30pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>Make a Visual Novel for the Web''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://www.adventuresnack.com" target="_blank">Geoffery Golden</a> & <a href="https://joshgrams.itch.io/">Josh Grams</a>''</h3>Want to make a visual novel or a choice-based narrative game? You might be considering Ren'py or Godot as your game engine. But if learning those seem like a whole thing, we'll show you how to create a simple visual novel for the web using nothing but Inky and a CSS template we'll provide. No programming experience necessary. Take your VN idea from your head to the screen!
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/*Speaker2 */<h2>7:30pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>An Introduction to Adventure Game Studio''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://www.juliaminamata.com/" target="_blank">Julia Minamata (She/Her)</a>''</h3>Do you love adventure games? Have you ever wanted to make your own, but don’t know where to start? Adventure Game Studio is a user-friendly, open source game engine that has been used for hobby projects and commercially released games alike. Join Julia Minamata (The Crimson Diamond) as she gives an overview of AGS and walks through some of its basic features!
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<div id="saturday"><h1>''Thursday, November 23'': 6pm - 9pm</h1>
/*Speaker1 */<h2>6:30pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>What Indie Games Can Learn from Indie Rap''</h2><h3>''<a href="http://nuchallenger.com/" target="_blank">Shawn Alexander Allen (He/Him)</a>''</h3>When the term "indiepocalypse" dropped, I was in the early stages of my own big indie game, Treachery in Beatdown City. But instead of freaking out, I thought “have they tried making music?” Because during that same time, I had been making friends with indie rap artists, who exist in a space where music is expected to be free, whereas we, as game devs, can at least still charge for our games. In my decade of getting to know indie rap as an artform, and as a business, I’ve seen so many different strategies for artists getting out there, handling themselves, and general dedication to enduring even the worst shifts in their art, that I’m always inspired. This talk will dive into what inspires me about indie rap in my pursuits as a game developer.
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/*Speaker2 */<h2>7:30pm</h2><h2>''[ TALK ]<br/>Introduction To Screensavers''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://ash-k.itch.io/" target="_blank">Ash K (They/Them)</a>''</h3>Screensavers are often thought of as a relic of the past- but they’ve only gotten more intricate as time goes on. Now, they can showcase generative art, play a game, display a gallery, and more! In this workshop, we’ll look at why screensavers are still relevant, and how to create our own.
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<div id="saturday"><h1>''Friday, November 24'': 6pm - 9pm</h1>
/*Speaker1 */<h2>6:30pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE TALK ]<br/>Video Games as a Medium for Change''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://alkaline6022.itch.io/" target="_blank">Amyr Said (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Ever played a game and it completely changed your life? Whether through a character that compelled you to grow or a narrative that blew your mind, games are able to reach us in ways that were never possible before. In this panel we will be talking about game development with these experiences in mind.
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/*Speaker2 */<h2>7:45pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>Virtual Realms, Real Adventures''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://www.natasharamoutar.com" target="_blank">Natasha Ramoutar</a> & <a href="http://alyssajanzel.com/">Alyssa Rodriguez</a>''</h3>With the lockdowns during the pandemic, developers and players alike began adapting existing TTRPGs and LARPs for digital spaces like Zoom and Discord. What resulted was an accessible and approachable introductory space for players who had been interested in roleplaying games but may not have known where to start.
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In this workshop Virtual Realms, Real Adventures, Alyssa Rodriguez and Natasha Ramoutar will discuss some of the best types of games and most accessible games suited for virtual gameplay, share healthy practices, and run through a playthrough of For The Queen to see these aspects in action.
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<div id="saturday"><h1>''Saturday, November 25'': 1pm - 6pm</h1>
<h2>1:30pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE WORKSHOP ]<br/>Designing Puzzle Games 101''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://ludipe.itch.io/" target="_blank">Ludipe (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Many developers feel intimidated by the thought of creating a puzzle game, the truth is that making these games isn't that different from other genres. On top of that, they're a great tool to examine real world systems as well as personal topics. On this workshop, we'll go over the basics of how to start making your own puzzle games.
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<h2>2:45pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE TALK ]<br/>Using serious topics to design fun games''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://Anzal.carrd.co" target="_blank">Anzal Baig (She/Her)</a>''</h3>Anzal will speak about how we can reconcile the idea that a game can be both "serious" and "fun," lessons we can learn from studying games which aim to do more than entertain, and share some tools game designers can use to meaningfully design interactive experiences which can have a social impact.
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<h2>4:00pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE TALK ]<br/>Stopping to start understanding''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://bento.me/tigran-bleyan" target="_blank">Tigran Bleyan (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Has our understanding stopped to start or are we stopping so we can start to understand? Stop to look at games in the eyes of someone taking it slow. This talk will address how and why we reflect to understand not just games but ourselves.
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<h2>5:15pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>Intro to Plunderludics: how to make videogames out of videogames''</h2><h3>''<a href="plunderludics.github.io" target="_blank">Jonny, Moochi, Gurn Group</a>''</h3>Plunderludics' is a word we use to talk about games that use other games as source material. Think collage/sampling/remixing but for videogames. In this workshop we'll show you how to make your own using some tools and techniques we've been working on.
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<div id="saturday"><h1>__''Sunday, November 26'': 1pm - 6pm__</h1>
<h2>1:30pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>Playing Games Badly: Manipulating Analog Signals''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://nilsoncarroll.com/" target="_blank">nilson carroll (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Playing Games Badly: Manipulating Analog Signals' is an overview and exploration of materials based on my live glitch performance practice. Through the manipulation of the audio and video analog signals that flow between our consoles and monitors, we gain new expressive freedom within this type of play. We will build a simple DIY video "dirty" mixer, and make use of guitar pedals to create chaotic, experimental audio-visual art.
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<h2>3:00pm</h2><h2>''[ WORKSHOP ]<br/>Cute, Quick and Easy 2D Animations in GOOGLE SLIDES?!''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://charlottepang.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Charlotte Pang (She/Her)</a>''</h3>Do you need quick and easy animations for your game? Don't know where to start with Animation Software? Hop on in to this talk to find some quick, easy animation tips to animate in Google Slides! Here you'll learn some basics of animation (which ones to focus on), tips on character design, a rigging technique in Google Slides and Animating!
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<h2>4:15pm</h2><h2>''[ LIVE TALK ]<br/>How To Make And Finish A Little Game When Everything Is Hard''</h2><h3>''<a href="https://littlerat.house" target="_blank">littlerat (He/Him)</a>''</h3>Anxiety, depression, stress and exhaustion can make it hard to get out of bed every day, let alone express ourselves creatively. Despite that, you may still wish to make your own games, even though it may seem overwhelming or even impossible.
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This talk will cover how to turn the vague desire to make games into little, concrete projects which you can make progress on even when everything is hard. It will also discuss how you can actually finish those little projects when it feels like they will never be good enough to be complete.
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<h2><a data-passage="Twitch">Watch the Talks on Twitch</a></h2>
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