With Toronto Games Week just a few short days away, a full schedule of festivities has been released with tons of showcases, talks, and games to show off to the community.
As Toronto Games Week quickly approaches, several talks and video game showcases have been scheduled, along with tons of games to check out and festivities to enjoy! Starting on June 1st and running until June 7th, Toronto Games Week looks to be a “celebration of playable arts and culture” that has been organized independently by dozens of organizations, creators, curators, and companies.
The full schedule of events and what they entail can be found detailed out below for fans to keep up on all of the festivities:
- THURSDAY JUNE 1st, 8PM-10:30PM – Toronto Games Week Kick-off @ See-Scape – FREE
- Ryan Clark (Crypt of the Necrodancer) will discuss his 20+ years of making indie games, followed by a social.
- FRIDAY JUNE 2nd, 9PM-10:30PM – Night Parkade @ Trinity Bellwoods – FREE
- Pop-up arcade in the park after dark!
- SATURDAY JUNE 3rd, 1PM – Preservation Through Play: Different Ways to Save Videogame History and Context @ Toronto Public Library – FREE, but registration is required
- Collector and preservationist Derek Quenneville and game curator Chris Young will give a talk on various approaches to keeping video game history alive, including 3D scanning, cultural context, and hands-on play.
- SATURDAY, JUNE 3rd, 1PM-4PM – Walking on the Web: An Introduction to Unity through Personal Walking Sims @ InterAccess – Tickets required
- A discussion of the various tool used by Unity, as well as games as a form of autobiographical expression.
- SATURDAY JUNE 3rd, 3PM-6PM – Indie Superboost: Refining Your Game Hook Workshop @ OCAD Game: Play Lab, 3rd Floor – Register here
- Ryan Clark (Founder & CEO at Brace Yourself Games) returns to discuss refining your game hook.
- SATURDAY JUNE 3rd, 7PM – NextGen Showcase @ OCAD – FREE
- Some of the “most promising young creators” from York University, Sheridan, OCAD, and others.
- SUNDAY JUNE 4th, 1PM – Nuville Augmented Walking Game – Find out more at nuville.net/ and sign up here.
- Nuville is an augmented walking game for smartphones with a cyberpunk twist.
- SUNDAY JUNE 4th, 3PM-5PM – Pekoe Tea Party & Cribbage w/ Grandpas @ Grange Park
- Meet the creators of two of Canada’s coziest video games.
- SUNDAY JUNE 4th, 7PM-9PM – WE ARE RACCOONS Book Launch with International Game Pals @ The Local
- Sci-fi novelist Jim Munroe will be launching his seventh book and signing copies.
- SUNDAY JUNE 4th, 9:30PM – Saturnalia talk and Blood & Black Lace screening @ Revue Cinema – Click here for more information and tickets.
- A talk by Pietro Righi Riva, the director of Saturnalia, followed by a screening of a classic of Italian Giallo cinema that influenced its visual style, Blood & Black Lace.
- MONDAY JUNE 5th-7th, 10AM-4PM – Game Arts International Assembly @ OCAD Game: Play Lab, 3rd Floor
- GAIA is a three-day professional development symposium serving 20+ international game curators, festival directors, and community organizers.
- MONDAY JUNE 5th, 6:30PM – “If You Don’t Like the Game, Change the Rules” Comic Launch @ Palmerston Public Library Theatre
- A lively conversation about games and work!
- TUESDAY JUNE 6th, 7PM – Branching Stories: Unraveling Narrative Design (IGDA Panel + Meet & Mingle) @ George Brown College, Room 204 – FREE, please RSVP in advance.
- Discover the captivating stories behind your favorite games as we bring together a stellar panel of esteemed narrative designers!
- WEDNESDAY JUNE 7th, 6:30PM-12AM – IO Connect: Summer Showcase @ Artscape Daniels Launchpad, 4th Floor – Tickets here.
- Join the Ontario video game industry for the IO Connect: Summer Showcase closing off Toronto Games Week.
For those looking to volunteer for the events, you can do so here, otherwise, for all those fans looking to partake, enjoy everything that’s in store!
