August 2022 Update
Hello Indies!
Hope everyone is surviving the annual Seattle Heatwave š„µ A great excuse to stay inside in the dark and spend the day coding, isnāt it š? But we will have to venture outside soon, because thereās a lot happening!
Want to cool off with a refreshing beverage? Come to our West Side Social on the third Tuesday of the month at Optimism Brewing in Capitol Hill and get a free drink ticket if you sign up for our Patreon at the $5/mo or higher tier or show that you are already a member. Patrons who subscribe at the $15/mo or higher tier or are current subscribers at that level will now receive Steam keys for a Seattle Indies title every month. Keep an eye on your email for those.
If you are a full time employee at Microsoft you should now be able to set up matched donations through Benevity as a Patreon subscriber to Seattle Indies. Talk to your Benevity administrator at Microsoft for more information to double your impact.
Upcoming Events
Seattle Indies Expo 2022 is STILL getting closer and closer! While the applications are closed and judging is finishing, itās still not too late to volunteer or sponsor! This will feature both in-person SIX happening at Motif on 9/4/22 and SIX Online happening 9/24/22 on https://twitch.tv/SeattleIndies
Check out the official site: https://six.seattleindies.org/
Hype Intensifies! Hype Jam – the game jam for game trailers – returns July 30th to August 6th, so basically right now! Everyone has 1 week to make a game trailer for a game that doesn’t exist. Check out the progress on itchio and discord! https://itch.io/jam/hype-jam-2022
The Academy of Interactive Entertainment has graciously offered to host the Seattle Blender User Group this summer! It will take place at AIE at 9 AM on August 6th, here is the event page. Beginners, bring your questions, experts, bring that cool project to show off, and we’ll see you there.
Emerald City Comic Con 2022 Indie Games Showcase is coming Aug. 18-21. The applications are closed, but you can still attend to support your fellow indies exhibiting (such as Astrolander)! Here are all the details.
The Game Devs of Color Expo is happening online again this year, save the dates: September 15-18, 2022. Follow them on Twitter or visit their website for the latest information. āOur mission is to amplify the creative power held by people of color in games. We do this by organizing revolutionary events, uniting our vibrant community, and building access to knowledge, funding, and opportunities.ā
Tokyo Game Show is also coming up on September 15 ā September 18 (ignore the dates in image above, that was for last year). The applications do not seem to be open yet with full info. The event tends to be a bit more pricey, but keep an eye on the Sense of Wonder Night – itās an opportunity for indies to showcase games which are āexperimental and creative, and that cannot be called conventional or traditional.ā So if youāre working on something out-of-the-box, add it to your calendar!
Monthly Events
The Eastside Meet & Drink is happening at Eastside Beer Works on August 2 at 7pm! Keep in mind it happens on the first Tuesday of every month. It’s time to get together and swap stories. Put down your keyboards and brave the outdoors. Let’s meet for a drink, a bite to eat, and some good conversation!
Discord Social is happening August 3 at 7pm right on our (surprise surprise) discord! Can’t make the in-person socials or just want to hang out? Come join us every first Weds for the Discord social!
Diversity Collective+ Coffee Chat will take place August 7 at 12pm Tailwind CafƩ at Good Weather. Come to network, socialize, and discuss issues related to diversity and inclusion in game development! Folks that identify as an underrepresented minority in the game industry are welcome.
Feedback Circle will take place on August 10 from 7pm to 9pm. Join us on Discord in the EVENTS section and look for the Feedback Circle voice and text channels. Each presenter will get at least 15 minutes to share their screen, show us the game or part of the game you want feedback on and then the rest of the people will get a chance to unmute and respond or write out more detailed feedback in the text chat. Check the event page for signup info!
The Northside Social will take place August 11, 2022 from 6 PM to 8pm at Distant Worlds Coffeehouse. It’s time to get together and swap stories. Put down your keyboards and brave the outdoors. Let’s meet for a coffee/tea, a bite to eat, and some good conversation!
Seattle Indies Social IRL will take place on August 16, 7-10:30pm at Optimism as always! Join us in Capitol Hill 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 this month will take place on August 17, 7 PM ā 9 PM and will focus on Midnight Protocol. What a book club is to a discussion of literature, this event is to a discussion of game design. Every month, we agree to play a game, then meet to discuss and analyze its design and presentation.
Indie Co-working Support Group in-person will take place Saturday, August 13 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM PST, at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. Masks will be enforced and vax cards will be checked at the door. Seattle Center Wi-Fi will be available for use. Please bring everything you need to be productive. The online Coffee Break session will still be available to anyone who isnāt ready for in person events yet or doesnāt have the ability to attend the in person event. We will be meeting every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at AIE going forward. 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.
Indie Coffee Break – Once a week, take a Coffee Break with our Discord community, and chat with your local game devs! Meet new folks. Talk about games. Share your work. Ask for help / feedback. Commiserate over problems. Collaborate on solutions. Give high-fives. We’re a weekly social work group for game devs of all levels and disciplines. Join us on Discord every Saturday from 1pm to 7pm! Drop by anytime; folks usually drop in and out throughout the day. Coffee Break also happens on an impromptu basis throughout the month so if you see folks hanging out in the channel feel free to drop in and join the conversation.
Local Dev News
Sam Nielson launched the Kickstarter for their highly strategic family card game, Super Battle Pets! Itās done now and fully funded, so check out the page for more info!
General T also launched a kickstarter for Acras, a high fantasy top down strategy RPG set In the vibrant world of Osaria. Itās not too late to kick in and support!
Slimomoās team just released Surf Chance on Google Play! Itās a mini surfing game you can play with one hand. Try it out right here!
Victor Chui launched the Steam page for Sumo Seals, an arcade party game that supports up to 4 players where you and your friends team up or compete against each other in a series of minigames where you control seals that bounce and stomp their way through skill and reflex based challenges. Check it out and wishlist!
Maximus T wants you to know that their game Astrolander will be at Emerald City Comic Con! So if you plan on attending, make sure to stop by and check it out. Hereās their Steam Page.
Daniel Peterson has a new trailer for their YouTube channel Baka Bros – an indie game developer who also makes tutorials for people to learn game development. Go watch it and subscribe!
Monydragon shared their new Unity Asset called TBS – 2D Turn-based Battle System! It’s a great asset to get started making RPG’s or similar game types. The system was designed with beginners and advanced users alike, So it should be easy to get started! Also itās on sale 50% until 8/13/2022! Take a peek.
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 is having in person meetups again and we need everyone to get vaccinated and boosted against the COVID-19 virus as soon as you are able. The Washington State Department of Health has this website for information on where you can get vaccinated in your area.
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 and 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 August Belhumeur 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 august@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 youāre working on that youād like shared on our Steam or Itch collections or tweeted about from @SeattleIndies!
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