In May, the games will be officially unveiled at a Bentway event.

Compensation will include a $600 honorarium per participant, plus meals and transportation.

[button size=” style=” text=’Apply to Be a Participant!’ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://forms.gle/RjVW5FPH3kwDmR6n8′ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=” margin=”]

Submissions are open until February 28. Artists will be confirmed in early March. Selected participants must be available for all on-site sessions, and the launch event. Creators from non-gaming backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788041896{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Inspiration

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]What kind of games will you be making? They’ll be non-digital. They’ll need to be playable with no supplies at all, or only those that people commonly carry around. They’ll need to be simple enough to be fully playable after reading the instructions off of a sign. They’ll need to be accessible enough to be played by the wide range of visitors who pass through the space.  

We’re not after deep strategy or rich immersion here. The goal is to encourage playful exploration The Bentway, and an engagement with the issues it presents, as an urban experiment that knits together seven neighbourhoods and serves as a public space in the heart of the city. Think about poem-like games that evoke a mood, explore a thought, or examine an interaction in a focused way.

Of course, the games will also need to be fleshed out and playable, since they’ll be seen by thousands! That’s why we’re making sure to facilitate playtesting sessions during the design process.

Still not sure what we’re looking for? This project was inspired by initiatives like the ones included in the list to the right. Check out the links, get inspired, and don’t forget to apply by February 28![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Playlist

Six for Bricks
by Hand Eye Society

Casual Games for Protesters
by Molleindustria and Harry Giles

Tiny Games
by Hide&Seek

Games For People
by Pat Ashe and George Buckenham

A Small Book with Games In It
by Gloam Collective

Games for Walkers
by Harry Giles

Casual Games for Casual Hikers
by Aitch Giles

Games at Dorset Park
by Hand Eye Society[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788062957{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

FAQ

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]What will the final game installations look like? 

We’re working out the specifics of the exact format. However, the final game instructions will be passed onto a graphic designer who will produce some form of signage, which will printed and posted in the space. The visual footprint of this project is important to all parties, so expect something cool!

What’s the final deliverable? Am I expected to help out with creating the actual installation? 

Participants just need to produce final game instructions in text form. We’ll take it from there. Here’s an example of our past game jam completed for Evergreen Brick Works that was turned into a zine!

What’s the process and time commitment like?

Participants will be on-site for one “game jam”-ish day, where you’ll explore the site, talk to Bentway staff, and riff on ideas with one another. Several weeks later, you’ll meet up again on-site for a few hours to playtest your ideas. And several weeks after that, you’ll meet up one more time to do a final test and finalize their games. You are expected to do some of the conceptual design and development on your own time in between sessions.

You’ll also need to be on-site for the launch weekend, where you’ll be asked to show off your game to groups a few times each day.

Travel and food for the on-site sessions will be covered.

I have more questions!

Send us an email at info@handeyesociety.com![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788367679{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

In Partnership With

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Remember last year when we had some fun in the park projecting games onto a big ol’ sheet? We’re doing it again this year, and we’re levelling up thanks to the support of Waterfront Toronto. On the evening of August 18, we’ll be at Sherbourne Common (right beside the George Brown / Corus building on Queen’s Quay), with two huge projectors, playing videogames on the sides of buildings.

That means we’re looking for games to play! Specifically we’re looking for 4-5 works from GTA creators that are:

• Games that work well in short play sessions.
• Games that support a lot of players AND/OR are engaging for spectators to watch (this could include something story-based and cinematic!)
• Games that are playable now, either as finished products or works-in-progress.
• Games that don’t actually require a screen — we’ve also got a big grassy area to play on!

Selected artists are required to attend the event, and will receive a $200 artist fee. Submit your game here by the end of August 1! (You can also submit someone else’s game for consideration, if you think we should know about it.)

P.S. We’re also looking for volunteers to help out at the event! If you’re interested, contact amanda@handeyesociety.com.

Once again, we’ll be bringing games to a variety of outdoor venues over the course of the summer. We’re hoping they’ll be your games — unique games that work well in public spaces. We’ll be doing events in June, July and August to beta test them in public, and possibly culminating with an exhibit at Nuit Blanche 2015 that will showcase everything we’ve learned and developed.

We’re looking for short, 250 word descriptions of  original games that respond to the many unique design challenges that outdoor venues and large crowds introduce. It’s one thing to put 4 players in front of a large projection while others walk by, but we’re interested in finding out what it means to meaningfully engage the crowd and the space. Such a game might do any of the following:

• Involve lots of players — 5? 10? 20? What can you do with alternative controllers or control schemes?
• Engage a large crowd in some aspect of the gameplay — think of 10, or 100, or the 1 million people out and about during Nuit Blanche. What if the crowd and the players interact in some way?
• Be visually spectacular in multiple dimensions — think about the spectators! Can you have people move around? Maybe the game’s subject matter can activate onlookers?
• Utilize the unique physical context in some way — the open field of a park, the cramped urban sidewalk or the sprawling wall of a large building.
• Do any of the above in a conceptual sense or a totally physical sense — we’re totally interested in seeing how custom controllers and peripherals might fit into this vision, and have a number of hardware hackers who we can connect you with.

Also:

• Team-based games are really good at this sort of thing — think of the mass spectacle of team sports.
• Adaptations of existing games or games-in-progress are welcome!

If your proposal is accepted, we will work closely with you to ensure that it is complete and awesome in time for these events. If it isn’t accepted, well, you’ve spent a bit of time generating a new game idea.

To submit, send a 250ish word description of your game, along with a little information about yourself, to david@handeyesociety.com by February 4.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Hand Eye Society member and previous Social programmer David Fono writes:

If you’ve ever wanted a bit more game in your theatre, ByoLogyc: Retreat is a show that should appeal to you. Running November 2 & 3 at the Evergreen Brick Works, it tells the story of a major pandemic, and the safe camp set up to protect citizens of Toronto from it—by the biotech company that created it. Participants in this end-of-the-world simulation will be expected to explore, solve problems, and possibly defend themselves from a deadly invasion. Participants also get to choose what kind of experience they have, based on the ticket they buy. Be an average citizen on the Adventure Ticket; a paramilitary squad recruit on the Power Ticket; a resistance fighter on the Action Ticket; or relax in luxury as a board member on the Privilege Ticket. Of course, November 3 is Gamercamp, but there are two shows on the evening of Friday, November 2 to choose from.

Hand Eye Society members & friends also get a special discount: use the coupon code HANDEYE for $10 off each ticket. More details and tickets are at www.zed.to/tickets.

It’s high time for another social, don’t you think? This time, we’ll be taking advantage of the excruciatingly great weather, and taking things outdoors. Don’t worry, there’s still a beer-related component.

Saturday August 18
1PM, Cloud Gardens (http://goo.gl/maps/rxXVF)
Meet up in an urban oasis for some original games that like to be played outside, from local & international designers. Games will include Gargoyles by Jaime Woo, a physical game that combines elements of beloved classics like Twister and Operation and examines the idea of comfortable spaces between strangers; and The Wire (The Game) by Fuzzy Dunlop, an intersection of multiple simultaneous street games that probably does not offer a nuanced commentary on the modern urban crime environment. Plus, David Fono will probably be bringing an international game or two fresh from the Playpublik Festival for Playful Public Spaces in Berlin.

2:30PM, Duke of Richmond (http://goo.gl/maps/itFmB)
After the strenuous hard work of playing games, chill out over lunch and such.

P.S. Super stellar people will RSVP on the Facebook event, so we can get an idea of numbers.

Recess.to is a new forum for experimental games in Toronto. We’re a small band of designers interested in seeing what happens when you take games off of screens, and plant them in the everyday world. This is just as much about exploring the possibilities of interconnected mobile & ubiquitous devices, as it is a reinvention of playground games and make-believe. We’re inspired by similar groups in London, NYC, Berlin, and elsewhere.

We run a series of sandbox events, with the aim of getting people to play, create, and discuss games. These games range from turn-based sidewalk parkour, to iPhone mega-golf, to live survival horror. Our next event is coming up on Saturday, April 23rd; come and play Property of a Traitor, a game of spy tools and secret transmissions, from the UK. Or, to find out about future events, sign up to our mailing list, or follow @recessTO. If you’d like to playtest a game of your own with us, let us know!

THE DEETS:
Saturday, April 23
1-3 PM
Ryerson DMZ, 10 Dundas E (elevators beside Starbucks in AMC building)

Spaces are limited on this one, so RSVPing to play@recess.to is encouraged, though not required.