April 2026 Update

Apr 6th, 2026 by Tim Cullings

Hello Indies! 2026 is already 1/4 complete and we are moving into some warmer weather here in Seattle. Spring time here means Seattle Indies Expo (SIX) applications are just about ready to start. While we had hoped to get them open by April 1st it took a little longer than expected this time and the current plan is to open them tomorrow, April 7, 2026 and have them open through the end of the day on May 10th. The standard $6 submission fee applies and you are guaranteed to get at least 5 pieces of feedback from our panel of expert community judges who will play and rank the games and decide which are the top 40 that will be showcased at SIX 2026!

SIX will be taking place at Hilton Motif Seattle again this year on Sunday September 6th, 2026 from Noon-9pm. Free and open to the public as always. We will also be bringing back SLICE our game dev/industry focused conference that launched in 2025 to stellar reviews and higher than expected attendance.

March saw us have our first expo floor presence at the GDC Festival of Gaming in San Francisco where we showcased 3 games from the community and got to meet visiting game developers and industry professionals from all over the world. Seattle Indies was proud to be a part of a showcase of many community orgs and groups that are doing great work to support developers and look forward to continuing to be a part of the partner program in the years ahead. Thanks to the program we were also able to provide Festival passes to a dozen community members who were able to attend talks and make meaningful industry connections.

Executive Director Tim Cullings went to PAX East in Boston to be a part of the “We’ve got Game Dev at Home” panel which featured leaders from Boston Game Dev, the NYC Godot Meetup and Gumbo Collective NYC. It was a great panel talking about local indie game community organizing with lots of questions and interaction from the audience. Tim also had a chance to attend many of the Boston Game Dev Week events and meet and connect with developers from the Northeast who are building a thriving and supportive community, that while smaller in scale than our home community in Seattle is no less in spirit.

In this edition of the newsletter we are excited to be welcoming a brand new editor and contributor who you will learn more about below. Enjoy the Spring and we hope to see you at one of our many events and meetups soon!

Newsletter Editor Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Kylie Hammett, I am starting out as the new Newsletter Editor for Seattle Indies! For my background, I graduated in June 2025 from UW Tacoma with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Systems and my professional focus currently is in full-stack development, design, community outreach, and marketing. My goal is to use what I’ve learned to create solutions that will help the community and to help everyone reach their aspirations which I hope shows through my work, volunteering, and projects. I also aspire to both create and be a part of creating games that can memorably and positively resonate to others.

For Seattle Indies, I recently volunteered virtually for the Global Game Jam 2026 and with this new volunteer Newsletter Editor role, I will also be helping out with Seattle Indies’ website development and graphic design efforts. I am looking forward to getting the chance to become more involved with and getting to know the Seattle Indies community further and to also make contributions that hopefully can create a positive impact!

Slice Your Way to Slice!

Seattle Indies is spearheading an entirely new way to run a fundraiser in the gaming community! Through this first of its kind competition our great community can show off their gaming prowess and win some amazing prizes from Seattle Indies, JOLT Cola, Pixel Strategy and Twin Galaxies!

OBJECTIVE:

Brought to you by Seattle Indies! Play Breakpoint by Studio Aeshesia and the Quantum Astrophysicists Guild  and try to score the highest Final Score in a single game!

Breakpoint is available on PC and Nintendo Switch. You can download the game here from the STEAM store.

ELIGIBILITY:

In order to enter the competition and be eligible for prizes you must make a minimum $10 donation to Seattle Indies through the official donation page. Of course a larger donation is accepted!

Check the official contest page on our website for more information about prizes and how to enter.

FREE Demo Video Workshop – Business of Games

https://bogapr26.eventbrite.com/

You’ve put in the hours, the code is running, and the world is beautiful—now it’s time to make it shine! A great game deserves a great story. This workshop, hosted by OneRedmond and Seattle Indies and in partnership with the Washington Interactive Network and Digipen Institute of Technology, is designed to bridge the gap between “having a game” and “having a pitch.” We’ll dive into the essential mechanics of making a demo video—a short, high-energy video designed to showcase your game’s uniqueness and hook your audience in seconds. You will walk away with the know-how for how to tell your game’s story concisely. Give your potential players, investors, and publishers a “wow” moment they won’t forget!

The Demo Video Workshop is an in-person, half day workshop for independent video game developers that want to learn the basics of building a good pitch video of their game for potential investors or publishers. We will focus on the first principles of what makes a good demo, and give opportunities for practical execution, supported by a team of creative volunteers (creative leaders, audio designers, artists, etc.).

We hope that the event is also an opportunity for community members to network meaningfully with each other in the context of project work.

If interested, please apply for a spot as Seats. Are. LIMITED!

Who Should Apply:

We are also currently seeking volunteer creative coaches to support participating developers throughout this interactive session. This is an opportunity to share your expertise, collaborate with fellow creatives, and directly impact the success of emerging game projects.

We are looking for volunteers with experience in:

• Audio

• Art (all disciplines)

• Animation & cinematics

• Marketing & writing

• Motion graphics

• Storyboarding

• Technical art

• Video editing

• Creative direction & leadership

• And more — your unique skillset is welcome

Beyond mentoring, this is a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow artists, designers, and developers in the regional game community.

Volunteer Commitment:

Volunteers must be available in person for the full duration of the event.

Application Deadline:

April 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM (to allow time for volunteer onboarding and preparation)

*REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER* 👉 Apply to be a Volunteer Creative Coach:

https://forms.gle/DcApDZaFaB5gQrHW9

Devs interested in participating in the workshop and volunteers can find more info and apply to participate on the event page.

The IndieGameBusiness® 2026 Battle Pass gives you access to the remaining 2026 lineup at a reduced price that continues to decrease as each event takes place.

Originally, the pass covered four events and two Masterclasses for $189 USD, which was a 30% savings off the full $276 value. Since the February Session has already happened, the price now reflects the remaining events. As each event passes, the cost adjusts so you are only paying for what is left. You can grab your ticket today for just $152 USD!

You’ll still receive full access to expert talks, practical workshops, and direct industry insight designed for developers, publishers, and service providers. You will also receive two days of MeetToMatch access during the September IGB Session to connect directly with industry professionals.

Included Events

– IGB Session & MeetToMatch | Feb 18 & 19: From Pitch to Partnership (Completed)

– Deep Dive | May 27: Building Strong Publishing Partnerships

– IGB Session & MeetToMatch | Sept 30 & Oct 1: The Path from Storefront to Success

– Deep Dive | Dec 9: Game Marketing That Works

Included Masterclasses

– Heather Chandler, “The Production Toolkit Every Game Team Needs” | June 17, 2026

– Ash Cason, “Community Management: The Basics” | Oct 20, 2026

One pass covers the rest of the year and is perfect for developers, publishers, and service providers who want to grow their projects, strengthen their business, and build valuable connections.

Game Jams

Seattle Indies, IndieCade and Earthlab @ the University of Washington present Climate Jam 2026! Climate Jam is a six week game jam with sprints and deliverables where we’ll make games about the challenges of our changing climate!

We once again invite game creators from around the world to make games that explore solutions to address a rapidly changing planet. Together we can make a difference! Register for the jam now and stay tuned for this year’s theme announcement!

Climate Jam 2026 runs from 10am PDT on July 1st to 10pm PDT on August 10th. Schedule times and dates may be adjusted before the beginning of the jam.

International Game Developers Association (IGDA), the IGDA Foundation, the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund, and Unlikely Collaborators™ bring you a truly special opportunity. If you’ve ever wanted to stretch your creativity, build something meaningful, or collaborate with new people, this is your moment.

The Unlikely Collaborators Game Jam is open to U.S.-based teams living in the United States. For more information, please reference the Rules section below.

Interested creators can join the Discord to find team members. All qualifying individuals must submit a registration form in addition to one representative submitting their game to Itch.io to enter for judging and prizing.

KEY DATES

The following prizing is available to be awarded:

Are you ready to take on the challenge? We can’t wait to see what you create!

For any questions, please reach out to unlikely@igdafoundation.org

What is Sound Jam: Appliances? The game jam where you make whatever you want around an appliance sound! (Game, character, visual novel, musical piece, etc.) This will be held completely online!

When is Sound Jam? Started on March 20th at 12pm with Submissions ending on March 29th at 11pm. Voting recently ended, running from March 30th 12am – April 5th 11pm!

You can learn more about the jam and see the projects submitted on the Sound Jam: Appliances itch.io page: https://itch.io/jam/sound-game-jam-appliances

Here’s a link to join the Discord server: https://discord.com/channels/1422728290455523352/1424877007698661427

Ongoing Community Game Jams 

Note: The following game jams have been mentioned in the #game-jam-discussion channel of the Seattle Indies Discord server! More information, please visit the provided links and the #game-jam-discussion channel for more information.

Cat Jam for Charity: https://itch.io/jam/charity-cat-jam

Runs from March 25th 2026 at 12:00 PM to April 30th 2026 at 11:59 PM

Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2026: https://itch.io/jam/talp2026

Runs from February 28th 2026 at 4:00 PM to April 30th 2026 at 4:59 PM

If you want to get a list of all upcoming game event shows and get ready early, The Indie House has published this fantastic list of upcoming festival that’s exactly that. Well worth a bookmark!

Read on to find out more about major events happening in the industry, local events and local game releases.

This Month’s feature is Zach Meagher

This Month’s feature is Zach Meagher, Writer, Content Creator / Video Editor, and Narrative Lead @ Fern Sprout Studios! 5K+ Subs Terraria YouTuber. Creating stories for as long as I can imagine!

Link to the Astrohaulers | Official Cinematic Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0O5yCNcjtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxSTHXDnNMA&t=40s

What inspired you to become a game developer?

It’s really thanks to my friends who have helped/inspired me in my creative journey throughout my life. The team at Fern Sprout has been really close since childhood. The yearning to make things has always been in the back of our minds. From creating short films when we were young to now making games, not much has changed (besides our skills, of course). So I would like to thank them (they know who they are) for the effort they have put into the dumb projects I’ve made over the years, keeping me locked in to want to do more. It seemed video games were the next thing!

What is one important lesson you have learned in your time as a game developer?

To really learn to work with others. Communication is essential! Our passion for our projects has never faltered, but making sure we are all on the same page has been tough at times. I knew this going in since I’ve had that experience, but every team, every project, every game has been different.

What is the one piece of advice you would share today with your younger self before you started your career as a game developer?

Stay true to yourself. Make what you want. Write the stories you wanna tell. The words “Write what you know” really stick with me now as an adult. I’m lucky, though, to have learned that early on. I would just wanna reinforce the idea in my younger head. I’ve been lucky to be invested in my work for so long.

How has the game developer community had an impact on your career?

I’ve been lucky to have a full-time job outside the game developer community. It’s been greatly beneficial for allowing me the time to create the games/projects I’ve had done so far. But it’s allowed me to meet so many people I never thought I would. It’s allowed me to become the “presenter” I’ve always wanted to be. And thanks to SIX 2024, I was able to be that persona and present our game, Astrohaulers, to hundreds of gamers! Having wonderful conversations with so many from the community has been humbling and amazing!

What is something interesting and unexpected that people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m currently writing multiple books. (Whether or not some of them see the light of day is to be determined).

How can people follow you and your work?

They can subscribe to my gaming YouTube channel @ZachmLIVE for Terraria content, funny enough. However, for all things game dev, such as our future releases – trailers – devlogs – vlogs (and the projects I’m currently most proud of), Subscribe to @FernSproutStudios on YouTube as well! Thank you!

Want to be featured in the Seattle Indies Spotlight interview? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch before your feature in an upcoming edition of the newsletter. This newsletter has a reach of 20,000+ people across all platforms and we encourage you to use the Spotlight feature as a means to promote your upcoming release, demo, Kickstarter, event or anything you would like our readers to know about. This is a space for you and for the community to get to know you so please make use of it.

Spotlight interview interest form: https://forms.gle/EHNfg1kE1fi2gVeV6

Here’s our Meetup Page with all future upcoming events.

Indie Co-working Support Group  in-person will take place every Saturday, from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM PST, at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) on the 4th Floor of the Seattle Center Armory.  Seattle Center wifi will be available for use. Please bring everything you need to be productive. We have also added a Co-working voice channel in Discord for people to use any time they want a quiet space to work alongside their peers.

Seabug Study Hall takes place every week on Thursday, 9pm to 11pm, right on our Discord! Join others from the Seattle Blender User Group for a lo-fi chill out online study hall. Bring a project, just chat, and have a good time with some unstructured project sharing and Q&A.

The Pierce County Social is happening on Monday, April 6th starting at 5:30pm in Tacoma at 7 Seas Brewery and Taproom. Join us at 7 Seas Brewery and Taproom in the main taproom every 1st Monday of every month to chat about game development, games, or just hang out! Kids are welcome until 8pm as long as they are within arm’s length. The main tap room is first come, first served. Pinball machines and shuffleboard on site. This event happens every first Monday of the month in Tacoma.

Join us for Board Games @ Phoenix Comics & Games in Seattle (113 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102 ) for an evening of board games! This event is hosted on the first Sunday of every month. Bring your own board games or play one of the many that Phoenix has free-to-play and have fun! Located conveniently near a light rail station with food nearby, enjoy making new friends and learning new games. Feel free to also bring any prototypes you might be working on for a playtest session at Phoenix!

The Seattle Blender User Group (SEABUG) is happening on Saturday, April 4th, 10am to 1pm at Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) – Seattle Center Armory – Suite 405 (305 Harrison St, Suite 405 · Seattle, WA). SEABUG’s goals are to help beginners learn Blender, create Blender opportunities in the Pacific Northwest, showcase advanced Blender tools and projects, and celebrate open source graphics in all forms.

The Eastside Meetup is happening on Tuesday, April 14th, 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Pint & Pie Public House, located on 7858 Leary Way NE, Redmond, WA. Let’s put down our controllers and keyboards, get together, and enjoy some good conversation in person. We can’t wait to hear your stories and connect with new faces!

Please remember that everyone is responsible for their own tab, so kindly settle up before you head out.

Accessibility information: The venue is wheelchair accessible. It is a five minute walk from the Redmond Transit Center with easy access to many regional bus routes. Street parking is free after 5pm and there is a parking lot next to the building with reserved spots for Pint & Pie customers.

The In-Person Writer’s Group will take place at Hugo House (1634 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122)  on Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30 PM. For anyone interested or working on projects in game writing, narrative design, voice acting or more– swing by Seattle Indies’ In-Person Writer’s Group! Bring your narrative games, scripts, flowcharts, character bibles or any other story materials for sharing and feedback.

The Northside Social takes place Thursday, April 9th, 6pm-9pm at Watershed Pub & Kitchen (10104 3rd Ave NE · Seattle, WA). It’s time to get together and swap stories. Put down your keyboards and brave the outdoors. Let’s meet for some food, a drink, and some good conversation!

Diversity Collective+ Monthly Meetup is happening on TBD at Phoenix Comics and Games (113 Broadway East, Seattle, WA, 98102). Come to network, socialize, and discuss issues related to diversity and inclusion in game development! Folks who identify as an underrepresented minority in the game industry are welcome.

The monthly Seattle Indies Social will take place on Tuesday, April 21st, 7pm-10pm at Stoup Brewing – Capitol Hill located on 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA. Join us for some well-deserved mingling, drinks, and socialization! Make some new friends, catch up with old ones, and find out what the community’s up to.

The Game Club will take place on Wednesday, April 15th at 7pm right on our Discord, focusing on Return to Dark Castle. What a book club is to discuss literature, this event is to discuss game design. Every month, we agree to play a game, then meet to discuss and analyze its design and presentation.

The Southside Social has moved to a new venue, the Community Convention Center in Auburn, WA at The Outlet Collection Seattle (next to Burlington). Come join us on the last Monday of every month with the next social being on Monday, April 27th at 5:30pm to chat about games, game development, or show off what you’ve been working on!

The Playtesting Club will take place on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7pm at Stoup Brewery on 1158 Broadway. Looking for feedback on your game? Only had other game developers try it? Playtesting Club is for you!

Vangi (Mateusz) (Rainier Interactive): Opus Cortex: A Nonogram Puzzle Story

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3139280/view/540007781835473256

One Year Anniversary for Opus Cortex! Still holding a high 54% complete ratio for the game*, and just made quality of life improvements for people who do prefer to back out of levels and come back to them later whenever that’s possible within the (otherwise linear) gameplay.

If you haven’t yet, please check the game out, and it will go on sale during the Spring Sale event on Steam, so I guess wait until tomorrow if you want to buy it to save few cents

*did not drop below 50%, even though more and more people did buy the game – so I’m super proud of that one

Ramsey K.: All Will Rise (by Speculative Agency)

Hey everyone! I am writing the music for this project called All Will Rise.

Its a narrative courtroom deck-builder, in which you take a billionaire to court for the murder of a river. Influences include Ace Attorney, Citizen Sleeper and Disco Elysium. We have a kickstarter over here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/speculativeagency/all-will-rise Any support goes a long way. Thanks folks.

Ginapedia: Aether & Iron (by Seismic Squirrel)

Per (Pear) Kohlstaedt [: HYPERFIST

Our student game at Digipen Institute of Technology now has a demo!!

We’ve had an extra amount of time to polish and work on it so we’re very proud of what we’ve made.

Give it a try if you like! I myself designed (with help), modeled, rigged and animated the player fists, as well as generally directed the look of our animation style. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4474720/HYPERFIST_Demo/

Harrison [: Dungeon Bodega Simulator (Alien Fruit)

I’m excited to announce my first solo project since being laid off has been released! Learned a ton about sides of development I never got to touch https://store.steampowered.com/app/3458180/Dungeon_Bodega_Simulator/

Kirill (Fairy Circle): Fairy Circle (Play Hooky)

Hey, friends! Just want to share that today we released Fairy Circle! This game was born on a gamedev meetup in Olympia, and today, 9 months after, we present it to the world! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3962850/Fairy_Circle/

Jesse:

Vaunted Announcement Trailer (by Lost Lake Games): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_EWcCv7G_0

A number of Seattle-based colleagues of mine just announced this on March 26th!

Rishabh: Neo Kinetic (NKDev)

Hey y’all, my game Neo Kinetic is now up for wishlisting on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4529020/Neo_Kinetic/

Victor C: Chromoziac

Hey all, I’ve made a free web puzzle game inspired by Sudoku and Picross.

It’s called Chromozaic, a free daily logic puzzle you can play in the browser. Three colors, a 5×5 grid, two rules: match the counts, don’t let the same color touch. Every puzzle is solvable by logic alone. No guessing ever required.

It only takes a couple of minutes to play so it fits nicely even in a busy workday. Give it a go!

https://www.chromozaic.com/

Tim Cullings:

I was a guest on the Enduring Play podcast with Cheryl Platz talking about my career and out community. https://sites.libsyn.com/586820/s2-e5-helping-local-game-devs-reach-global-impact-with-tim-cullings

Lex A @ Bad Galaxy: Black Jackal

Please enjoy our April Fool’s post for Black Jackal and you are more than welcome to boost! https://bsky.app/profile/badgalaxygames.bsky.social/post/3mihimmjgcc2c

Contessa: Caduca (Crypt)

Hi everyone! Our game Caduca has a trailer out and is up for wishlisting! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4085880/Caduca/?utm_source=discord_seattle_indies

Jason:  IRL Nations

Hi folks, I’ve finished the android version (plus ios) of IRL Nations. Pokemon Go meets Capture the Flag. Others call it the IRL Age of Empires. https://irlnations.com/

James4113:  SCP Fragmented Minds

Hey for anyone who might be interested. We just released chapter 2 of a game we’re working on. If you’re into games like Prey, dishonored, Alien isolation, Dead space, and so on then you’ll likely enjoy this as well. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1184790/SCP_Fragmented_Minds/

Harassment Policy, AAPI, Black Lives Matter, and Resources

Seattle Indies stands with the AAPI community. We are here for our members who have been affected by the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes both locally and nationally. For further resources to educate yourself on the issue and how to take action, here is a useful link: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

Seattle Indies believes the stories of the victims of sexual harassment and assault in the games industry that have been shared. We strongly condemn the actions by people in power preying on the dreams of vulnerable people trying to make their way in the industry. We strive to build an inclusive community that welcomes all minorities to provide a safe environment and a better vision for the game industry.

While our code of conduct states a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind, we are especially sensitive to the daily challenges faced by womxn due to the ingrained sexism that has existed in the structure of the games industry for far too long. We are actively working to build a better community of game developers, and we all need to do better.

Additionally, Board Member Angel Mero  has offered to be a personal resource for anyone who needs help, someone to talk to or some guidance on next steps if you have experienced harassment in the industry either at our events or elsewhere. She can be reached at angel@seattleindies.org.

Our friends at Take This Org have compiled valuable resources for anyone in immediate need of professional help for their situation.

Lastly, Seattle Indies and Diversity Collective+ support Black Lives Matter. Here are some resources compiled by Diversity Collective+ for how you can offer support, whether this is financial, contributing to petitions, preparing for protests, or getting informed. If you have additional resources, comment below and we will add them.

As always, keep an eye on our Discord for any last-minute news and discussion, and let us know about any projects you’re working on that you’d like shared on our Steam or Itch collections or follow us on all of our social media platforms.

If you want to join our mailing list to get this update sent to your inbox monthly you can Subscribe on LinkedIn.