May 2023 Update
Hello Indies!
We’re fast approaching the middle of the year, time flies! On the upside, it means getting more sun and the much needed vitamin D!
Community Updates
In light of some recent events and discussions we have some announcements to share in regards to online behavior and AI generated art content.
The Seattle Indies Discord is a professional community for game developers to network, ask questions, co-work, share ideas, give and receive feedback when solicited, and to showcase your work to the community. It is not limited to these uses but membership is a privilege and you should treat it like you would an in-person meeting place and act accordingly. To this extent we ask our members to immediately alert our server admins and moderators if they are made uncomfortable by someone in their direct messages (DMs). Only DM people on our server if you are invited to or granted permission to so you can continue a private conversation related to professional matters. Consent is a cornerstone of our community and that extends to DMs and online conversations as well. Unwanted/unsolicited DMs are considered harassment and may result in a warning or direct ban.
The other announcement is that Seattle Indies does not support the promotion of AI generated art using models trained on copyrighted materials without permission from their authors art in a for profit context. Posts on our Discord or social media channels that promote the sale of AI generated artwork using models trained on copyrighted materials without permission from their authors art or other works that make use of the art (books, games, apparel, etc.) will not be allowed and the posts will be deleted immediately. If your post is deleted by an admin or moderator that will be considered your one warning, repeated posts from someone who has already been warned will result in a ban from the Discord server. Posts made prior to this announcement will be deleted but won’t count as a warning.
Upcoming Events
IndieCade festival (Taking place in California) is coming in October, regular submissions passed but late submissions are due May 31st (at $100). Click here to read more about the submission and the event itself.
PG Connects Seattle is back from May 16-17, 2023 at the Grand Hyatt. More info. Apply for a free Indie developer pass here.
Book your tickets now and join here: https://www.pgconnects.com/seattle/registration/
Disclaimer: PGC is promoting talks about Blockchain/NFT gaming that we will not be taking part in nor endorsing. Seattle Indies is not receiving compensation for our involvement in PGC nor are we paying for the privilege of being involved.
Powering Up Your Games with Unity’s Game Services our friends at Unity and the Seattle Unity User group are hosting a pre-Pocket Gamer meetup at the Unity offices in Bellevue, WA on Monday May 15, 2023. Find out more and register here.
Matt Dondelinger and Unity’s Developer Advocacy team will shed some light on Unity’s Game Services.
Join us on May 15th at the Unity Bellevue offices to learn how Unity’s Game Services can take your games to the next level. Doors open at 6 PM, and the talk begins at 7 PM.
There will be plenty of time to enjoy free food and drinks (Yes, you heard it right!) and socialize with fellow Unity enthusiasts both before and after the talk.
This event is FREE, but you must RSVP on Meetup to gain entry. Seats are limited, so make sure you RSVP ASAP to secure your spot.
FYI 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!
Monthly Events
The Eastside Meet & Drink is happening at Eastside Beer Works on May 1, 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!
Seattle Indies Board Gaming Meetup Join us every second Sunday (May 14 and May 21) of the month at 3pm at Phoenix Comics and Games on Capitol Hill to play some of your favorite tabletop games or learn new ones with your friends from the Seattle Indies community.
Northside Social is happening on Thursday, May 11th, 6pm – 8pm, at Distant Worlds coffee shop! 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 is happening May 17 at 7pm at Optimism Brewery. 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. This month a delegation of developers from Australia will be joining us on a post-GDC visit to Seattle so come out and say hello to our Aussie friends.
Feedback Circle is skipped this month. I’ll be back to a bi-monthly schedule in June.
Diversity Collective+ Coffee Chat is off this mont.. 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.
The Game Club is happening on May 17 on our Discord. 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.
The Writer’s Room is happening on May 25th on our Discord. Bring your scripts, flowcharts, character bibles or whatever you’re working on to share and get feedback on your storytelling.
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. Masks will be enforced and vax cards will be checked at the door. Seattle Center wifi 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 isn’t ready for in person events yet or doesn’t 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 Support Group Show and Tell If you’re looking to get in-person feedback on a project, or want a chance to play other people’s games in the community, come to the ISG Show and Tell on Saturday June 10, 2023 from 1-3pm! This is a great way to both improve your project and have fun playing games! Whether you’re just dipping your toes in game development or are a seasoned industry veteran, we encourage you to attend! You’ll need to bring your own laptop, hardware, poster boards or whatever else you’d like people to see alongside your game. The ISG Coworking Event will be taking place in the same space so you can continue working on your project for a few hours after Show and Tell is over. And remember to have fun!
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
slimomo’s new cozy escape-room puzzle adventure is at IOS and Google Play!
Check out this tweet for more details and trailer.
Abi Reich shared a playthrough of a new horror indie game on steam, check out the video.
MagiusII announced the release of their new Apple Watch exclusive puzzle math game, NumberGrab! In the game, you’ll use your arithmetic skills to catch numbered falling balls that solve math equations. Check it out!
William Pheloung shared a little tutorial on Cutscene Cameras, read it here!
Steven Stadnicki shared a new vide short: if anyone has folks in middle-school(ish) math circles and wants to pass this on it’d be greatly appreciated!
FoggyStig announced the launch of our Kickstarter campaign for their new turn-based game Forgotten but Unbroken! Join them on Kickstarter and be a part of bringing this game to life.
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 you’re working on that you’d like shared on our Steam or Itch collections or tweeted about from @SeattleIndies!
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