Image from Level Up Showcase on April 19 courtesy of Dr. Emma Westecott.
Calling all gaming enthusiasts – OCAD University will host events on campus in celebration of Toronto Games Week from June 1 to 7.
Toronto Games Week is a celebration of playable arts and culture that includes events organized independently by dozens of organizations, creators, curators, and companies across the city. The week presents an excellent opportunity to feature the tremendous creativity of the game community in the city.
“On the heels of the Level Up Showcase, we are so excited to showcase the talent and creativity of our local game community for Toronto Games Week,” says Dr. Emma Westecott, Chair of the Digital Futures program and Associate Professor at OCAD U. “I encourage everyone to attend the events that are part of Toronto Games Week to celebrate our homegrown talent.”
The following events will take place at OCAD U.
Saturday, June 3 from 3 to 6 p.m. | OCAD game:play Lab, 230 Richmond St. W., Third Floor
Indie Superboost: Refining Your Game Hook Workshop
Founder and CEO of Brace Yourself Games Ryan Clark will lead a discussion on refining your game hook. Members of the indie developer community are invited to bring their game ideas and trailers to this interactive workshop where Clark will walk attendees through his thoughts on market fit and game hooks, offering critiques on how to improve these aspects. This event is hosted by Interactive Ontario and supported by the Canada Media Fund and Ubisoft Toronto. Register here.
Saturday, June 3 at 7 p.m. | 205 Richmond St. W., Seventh Floor
NextGen Showcase
Check out a games showcase from some of the most promising young creators from York University, Sheridan, OCAD U and more, selected by visiting curator Susie Buchan. At this event, Zuraida Buter, veteran curator of world-renowned festivals A MAZE. / Berlin and IndieCade Europe, will give a short talk geared to advise young creators on how and why to get their games into international showcases. The NextGen Showcase is hosted by Yifat Shaik and supported by Digital Media at York University. This event is free for the public to attend.
Wednesday, June 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 100 McCaul St., sixth floor
2023 Summer Game Jam and Hackathon
Following Toronto Games Week, this game jam and hackathon by Inworld AI and OCAD U Digital Futures invites game developers and hackers to form teams and work on a project together. This is an excellent opportunity to network, showcase your talents and learn new skills. Register here.