I’ll be quick about this one. We’re super excited to announce that Hand Eye Society will soon be hosting a variety of workshops! It’s something we’ve been meaning to return to, and now it’s happening! What kind of workshops will we be hosting? Here’s a few–check ’em out! Right now the workshops are being workshopped, so we would love your feedback on things you’d be interested in seeing and what you think of them.

April 13, 2021 @ 6pm EST

• • Intro To Game Development – Scratch

April 20, 2022 @ 6pm EST

• • Storytelling with Twine

May 11, 2022 @ 6PM EST

• • Grant Writing for Creatives

June 1, 2022 @ 6PM EST

• • Intro to Livestreaming

June 15, 2022 @ 6pm EST

• • Intro to 3D Modeling – Blender
    

July 6, 2022 @ 6pm EST

• • Intro To Game Development – Unity

Workshops will cost $20, and as always, Hand Eye Society Members receive a discount for all workshops! We want to make sure that we have a wide variety of ‘shops available that are accessible and we’re already thinking of other workshops we can add to our growing list! Interested in running a workshop with us? Fill out this form and let us know.

Stay tuned on our website and our socials for updates! For more information on our workshops, visit RIGHT HERE! If you have any questions, comments or wanna chat with us, as always, reach out to us at info@handeyesociety.com!

See y’all soon!

The 9th WordPlay Festival takes place Saturday, November 13th & Sunday November 14th 2021 starting at 1pm EST both days!

FREE

Watch on our Twitch Channel

What an incredible time of the year! We’ve been waiting for this one for a very long time. We’re so happy and excited to be able to put together another event for everyone a fan of narrative games alike! This year we’re following the same format of being nice and safe online, so you can enjoy the festival while wearing your pajamas! We want to thank the community, friends of Hand Eye Society, the land we stand on, as well as our sponsors, Hand Eye Society members and staff who have worked tirelessly for the past few months to make this event possible, not only for free, but to also be able to support exhibitors for their work!

Well that’s it from me, look at these games! Play them! Buy them! Support the creators! Get cozy and listen to some talks! We got you! Stay safe and we’ll see you at WordPlay this weekend on our Twitch channel!

Games~

Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance

Rocket Adrift

Toronto, Ontario

Twitter | Steam |

Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance is a dating sim about a teen girl who moves to a small secret community of cryptids. Romance a magical Fairy, a sensitive Sasquatch and a bold Velociraptor. A satirical 90’s teen drama about trying to find love in your last year of high school.

Milton Summons the Devil

Gus Fuss Games

Brooklyn, NY

Itchio | Twitter |

You are Milton, a nine year old boy. You must search your house for the ritual items scattered everywhere throughout the house so you can summon the devil and kill your gym teacher. Just don’t wake up your parents or anger the devil!

Clam Man 2: Headliner

Marafrass/Team Clam

Canada

Marafrass | Team Clam | Steam

A combatless stand-up comedy RPG where jokes are loot and the boss fights are comedy shows. Under the sea. With fish people.

Frantic Fantic

Zeekayart and Michael

Toronto, Ontario

Twitter | Zeekayart | Website

A hilarious free-to-play creative writing party game where friends furiously write each other’s fanfiction. A round-robin style story game that is played like exquisite corpse but with words instead of pictures!

The Hayseed Knight

Maxi Molina (SandraMJdev)

Spain

Twitter | Steam

Join a ragtag band of misfits as they piece together how Ader, a one-eyed farmboy with seemingly impossible dreams, becomes the most celebrated knight the kingdom of Acazhor has ever known.

Divide Et Impera

Mauro Vanetti & Open Lab

Pavia + Florence, Italy

Mauro | Open Lab | Itchio | Pino | Pietro 

You: A disingenuous political leader keen on using some good old hate speech to further your aims.

Your Goal: Splitting your community in half, by detaching at least 12 people from the interconnected grid of 5×5 people.

Your Weapon: You have to choose hateful contents to post online and a specific target of 3×3 people for each post.

CW: Strong Language

Over Easy: A Diner Heist

Julian K. Jarboe

Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Twitter | Website | Itchio | Play

You and your crew are regulars at the local diner. This evening, the driver of a certain scrapyard truck will make a final pit stop at the diner before hauling away the remains of your neighborhood’s beloved, unique, and weird old landmark. Unless, of course, you and your crew can snatch it back.

Read The Room

Blah Books Studio

Chicago, IL

Devin | Devin’s IG | Jess | Itchio

Doors are locked and Grandma is missing! People are confused and you can read their minds somehow! What’s going on!?

Karen: An Outrage Simulator

Vagabond Dog

Toronto, Ontario

Twitter | Steam

You are Karen – Argue your way through ridiculous scenarios, and get everything you rightfully deserve in this short comedic game about entitlement.

The Fall and Rise of Sadcock-upon-Avon

Orbis Tertius Games

Lincoln, UK & Berlin, Germany

Twitter | Website | Itchio |

In the fiefdom of Sadcock-upon-Avon, strange things are happening. There are rumours of penises not looking or acting as they should…

CW: Sexual Themes

Union Drive

Matajuegos

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Itchio | Studio | Lunafromthemoon | Leno | PfQ | Trailer

Union Drive is a Latin-American visual novel about workplace unionization. You’ll step into the shoes of a young supermarket worker trying to strengthen the union at their place of work and fight against unjust working conditions.

Throughout the game you’ll build strong relationships with your coworkers and get to know their stories, all while learning organization skills used by real-world union organizers.

Internet Court

Oh, a Rock! Studios

Ithaca, NY

Twitter | Website | Paul | Arglefumph

A live-action courtroom comedy, where YOU are the prosecution, defense and the judge! It’s the year 20XX, and crime can happen anywhere—even in cyberspace.

If someone gets caught writing bad fanfiction or unfriending without due cause, they get hyperlinked directly to… The Internet Court. Where the courtroom is virtual, and trials are livestreamed for the whole world to watch.

Insomniac: The Movie: The Game

Insomniac Film Festival, Insomniac: The Movie filmmakers, and Lina Wu

Toronto, Ontario

Insomniac’s Website | Lina’s Website| Insomniac’s IG| Lina’s IG | Itchio

Insomniac: The Movie: The Game was developed as an interactive choose-your-own adventure experience in accompaniment with Insomniac: The Movie, a collaborative quarantine community cinema project.

In addition to watching the film, it’s also a way to explore the cinema, chat with filmmakers, and explore the fantastical horizons of the youth film community even during lockdown.

Quick Fix

Lawrence Le

Ontario, Canada

Twitter | Itchio

A short visual novel with point-and-click elements. What starts off as a simple errand quickly (d)evolves into a tale of fake currencies, goose sleuths, and caffeine abuse. Rub elbows with the oddball inhabitants of Yorkel and outsmart its cruel, coffee-drinking despot to finally secure some decent internet service.

Glom

Nice Games Club

Minneapolis, MN

Website | Twitter | Ellen | Mark | Stephen | Dale Lynn

You have three minutes to come up with a Glom: Re-write the Phrase, while following the Rule, to best meet the Goal… that’s it!

A romp of rewording regular remarks, for wordsmiths of all ages and skill levels. A tabletop party game from the hosts of the gamedev podcast “Nice Games Club.”

Loopy Lore

Guilherme Bandini and Thi My Nguyen

São Paulo, Brazil & Toronto, Ontario

Twitter | Itchio

Loopy Lore is a co-op storytelling game where friends collaborate in telling a story they know nothing about.

Using the cards and their imagination, players take turns as the narrator, giving shape to their tale. To win, they must work together to reach the ending created during setup.

An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs

Strange Scaffold

El Paso, Texas

Twitter | Steam

An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs is a first-person open-world comedy adventure game with a very long name. You and your fiancée are the last two human beings left in the universe.

Dogs run airports, along with the rest of society. Deal with alien logic, travel issues, and strange stock photo dogs as you attempt to stay in touch with the person you love, when you both live your lives on the go!

Speakers~

Martin Hanses (he/him)

Itchio

Roleplaying Comedy: Letting the player have the last laugh

In this talk, Martin Hanses goes over his work with the design and philosophy of writing comedy for role-playing games that the player can deliver, rather than be the recipient of.

Based on the work and research done for the stand-up comedy game Clam Man 2, the talk covers a series of techniques and approaches that can be implemented in the writing of most games, with a specific focus on player expression and assuming choice ownership.

Ryan Woodward (he/him)

Itchio | Steam

Cute, Funny, and Sad – Writing on Button City

Button City is a colorful game about a cute fox who tries to save the local arcade in the sky.

In this talk Ryan Woodward goes over how he approached writing for Button City to create a lighthearted comedy experience while also incorporating sad heartfelt moments.

Colton David (he/him)

Oops, All Characters: How to Write a Hundred Different Humans*: A character writing panel

Video games have characters; oftentimes, many characters. From RPG towns full of one-liner
randoms, to visual novels with 30 person main casts, game writers constantly need to fill space
with unique and memorable voices. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, oftentimes pointless –
this panel seeks to share practical ways game writers can harness their brain to produce
characters that stick with players. Many, many characters.
The panel will have a light-hearted, conversational bent to it. Attention will be given to writing
funny characters, in keeping with the comedy theme of Wordplay, while also delving into pulling
deeper emotions from.

Carrie Patel (She/Her)
Game Director at Obsidian Entertainment
Carrie has been writing with Obsidian since 2013, writing and co-leading the Pillars of Eternity
franchise, narrative designing The Outer Worlds, and directing an exciting unannounced project.
Aside from her game writing, Carrie is a published author, having released acclaimed
speculative fiction novels: The Buried Life (2015), Cities and Thrones (2015), and more!

Giselle Francis (She/Her)
Writer at Red Thread Games
Giselle is a writer and game designer, currently working on Dustborn, an upcoming title being
developed by Red Thread Games. Previous to that, Giselle has worked on Project Alina, a
puzzle-action RPG for Microfun Inc. As well, Giselle has also done advocacy work and panels
with Latinx in Gaming.

Cobysoft Joe (He/Him, They/Them)
Writer, Artist, and Composer of Dome-King Cabbage
Cobysoft Joe is the one-man band behind Cobysoft Co. a real (but also fictional) gaming
company that makes the award winning Dome-King Cabbage. Dome-King Cabbage is a visual
novel that takes place within the world of a monster collecting RPG. Joe currently lives in the
Midwest of the United States after having spent three years in Japan teaching English. Joe
spends his spare time making 3D images on his computer and playing with his hamster
Thimble.

Jaclyn Seto (She/Her)
Writer at Respawn Entertainment
Starting her career in the medical field, Jaclyn transitioned from physician’s assistant, to writing
on Apex Legends, carrying with her a unique insight into both fields. An avid fan-fiction writer in
her youth, Jaclyn persisted with her passion, graduating from Vancouver Film School’s
screenwriting program in 2019, then working on Project Alina, a puzzle-action RPG for Microfun
Inc.

Marina Kittaka (She/Her)
Co-Director at Analgesic Productions
marinakittaka.com
Currently working on Sephonie.

Melos Han-Tani (He/Him)
Co-Director at Analgesic Productions
@meloshantani (tiktok)
Currently working on Sephonie.

Host & Panel Organizer
Colton David
Writer at Lo-Fi Games
Colton is a writer and narrative designer based out of beautiful Toronto, Canada. For his day
job, he writes with Lo-Fi Games on the sequel to the hit sandbox RPG Kenshi. In his off-time he
develops games with Bad Pet, notably releasing Devil Express in March of 2020. Devil Express
has gone on to be one of the top 10 highest rated adventure games on itch.io! Currently Colton
is working on Anti, a narrative platformer, with his friends at Bad Pet.

Howdy everyone! Hope you’re well! Kinda wild that it’s already March and honestly, winter hasn’t been THAT bad, but let’s hope for an early spring!

Lots of cool things coming up like Comics X Games so stay tuned for the announcement of the games for our next festival! No, I will not explain the title, don’t @ me.

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

March 6 & 25

Game Writers Circle + Social with DMG

March 7

Eat Play Mingle is on, baby

March 11

Dirty Rectangles’ Show & Chill

March 14

It’s the March Edition of the DMG Speaker Social

March 21

The DMG x BreakoutCon Queer Mixer

March 25

The folks at Game Workers Unite are having their March Meeting

#ICYMI

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ce2u3A5Al/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

For local folks planning to go to San Francisco for GDC:

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

Where’s my French at? Are you a game developer whose game is about to launch and for which you want to do a multilingual release?
Are you now thinking of localizing to increase your market and revenue, now that your game has shipped?
Are you still in development, and feeling stuck because the grant you are applying for requires you to offer a French version?
I’d love to help! Hit me up! – Benoît Esmein

A-Game Design Co is looking for a Unity 2D/C# programmer!

Hi, I’m Marcus Mowat, music producer at Point Nine Records and I’m looking to help fellow gamers/designers out by writing songs and providing audio ingenuity geared specifically for video games.

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Get Set has a few jobs for ya! Check em!

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

Wild how 2020 was 3 years ago.

I joke, but you just watch, you’ll find yourself thinking the exact same thing. Remember when it was 2019 and then 2 weeks later it was time to celebrate new years again? Anyways, tons of socials and events to submit your game to, so please be aware of deadlines! Show your games to the world! You deserve it! See something that should be in the newsletter? Send it to us! I’ll pop it in faster than you can say…uhh…a really long word!

Also, it’s Black History Month! If you know any Black creators, check out their work and tell them that it’s valid and appreciated–even when February is over. ESPECIALLY when February is over.

If you’re a Black creator and want to chill with people like yourself, get your butt over to the Ubisoft Black Game Pros Mixer!  (See below )

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

February 5

The Indie Mixer is back! Go make some friends!

February 8

DMG will be hosting their monthly Speaker Social! Go see what’s up in the community!

#ICYMI

Did you submit a game for Comics X Games? Time is running out! Deadlines are coming! Give us what you have! The game doesn’t have to be huge! It can be a small bite-sized game, too! If you’ve always wanted to showcase your game to 100s of people, now is the time! I believe in you!

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

The XP Game Developer Summit is making its way to Toronto in April! If you or your team is looking to get to the next level in games, this is the event! Get your tickets!

~~~

In honour of Black History Month, Ubisoft Toronto is proud to host its first Black Game Pros Mixer on Thursday, February 6. The event will bring together Black talent and professionals from the local video game and tech industry for an evening of networking and a panel discussion featuring Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games) and Raymond Graham (Unity Technologies).

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

Where’s my French at? Are you a game developer whose game is about to launch and for which you want to do a multilingual release?
Are you now thinking of localizing to increase your market and revenue, now that your game has shipped?
Are you still in development, and feeling stuck because the grant you are applying for requires you to offer a French version?
I’d love to help! Hit me up! – Benoît Esmein

A-Game Design Co is looking for a Unity 2D/C# programmer!

Hi, I’m Marcus Mowat, music producer at Point Nine Records and I’m looking to help fellow gamers/designers out by writing songs and providing audio ingenuity geared specifically for video games.

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Get Set has a few jobs for ya! Check em!

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

Wow, 2020! We made it! I can’t believe it! I’m kidding, I can believe it–we’re warriors! Surviving is what we do!

*looks at the sunrise* It’s gonna be a good year, y’all! Let’s do our best and keep it 2020.

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

January 8

The first Dirty Rectangles of the year!

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

January 11

DMG is having their January Speaker Social!

#ICYMI

SUBMISSIONS FOR COMICS X GAMES ARE NOW LIVE PLEASE GIVE US YOUR GAMES RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE UNTIL FEBRUARY TO DO THIS, DON’T WAIT APPLY NOW OKAY THANKS BYEEEEEEE!

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

APPLY RIGHT NOW

In honour of Black History Month, Ubisoft Toronto is proud to host its first Black Game Pros Mixer on Thursday, February 6. The event will bring together Black talent and professionals from the local video game and tech industry for an evening of networking and a panel discussion featuring Tanya DePass (I Need Diverse Games) and Raymond Graham (Unity Technologies).

A MAZE/ Berlin April 22-25

OPEN CALL FOR GAME SUBMISSIONS

A MAZE. / BERLIN IS AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOCUSING ON ARTHOUSE GAMES AND PLAYFUL MEDIA. FOR THE DAY EXPERIENCE A MAZE. / BERLIN INVITES GLOBALLY SPREAD AND DIVERSE EXPERIMENTAL GAME AND VR CREATORS, DIGITAL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND OTHER PLAYFUL CREATIVES FROM AROUND DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WHO SHARE IN AN INSPIRING 3 DAYS PROGRAMME OF TALKS AND WORKSHOPS, IDEA MARKET PLACES AND KNOWLEDGE BAZAAR THE ART OF VIDEO GAMES MAKING.

~~~

VECTOR FESTIVAL 2020: AFTER GAMIFICATION
OPEN CALL FOR ARTWORKS AND CURATORIAL PROPOSALS
Deadline: February 01, 2020

The Festival will take place between July 16-19, 2020, with the flagship exhibition extended until August 22, 2020. Please note that Vector Festival does not charge submission fees to artists applying to participate. All artists and curators selected for participation will receive fees in accordance with the up-to-date CARFAC Fee schedule, as well as support to apply for external funding.

~~~

Experts-To-Go is a pilot program designed to provide Ontario’s interactive digital media companies with the expertise they need to tackle a specific business or marketing challenge at an affordable rate. Companies who are selected to participate in the program will receive a minimum of a full day of in-person strategic consulting, as well as a follow-up call, with a consultant or professional services provider working in the field relevant to their most pressing question. Companies will be matched with a consultant based on their individual needs, ensuring a customized experience.

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

Toronto Arts Council New Funding Opportunity 
ANIMATING TORONTO STREETS
Nuit Blanche Toronto / Year of Public Art
A multidisciplinary Public Art program that provides grants of up to $20,000 to support projects for Nuit Blanche Toronto 2020, and up to $50,000 to support projects for Year of Public Art 2021.
Application Deadlines: January 14, 2020

CONTEXT: Animating Toronto Streets is a partnership between Toronto Arts Council and City Cultural Events, Economic Development & Culture Division of the City of Toronto. Nuit Blanche and Year of Public Art are produced by City Cultural Events. Nuit Blanche Toronto is a free, 12-hour, all-night contemporary art event that has a mandate to connect contemporary art to the broadest possible public and create opportunities for audiences to explore and engage with contemporary art in public space. Year of Public Art will spotlight art work in any medium by one or more artists, created for a publicly-accessible space, free for the public to experience; and is significant in terms of duration, scale and potential for public engagement.

PURPOSE:  The Animating Toronto Streets grants program provides funding to professional artists, arts organizations and artist collectives to create and present free public art projects that take place in the public right-of-way (ROW) during Nuit Blanche Toronto and for Year of Public Art. Projects must take place in the public ROW (i.e.: roads, laneways and sidewalks), and/or be directly experienced from the public ROW. For the purposes of this program, “public art” may include art in any media that takes place in public space, including contemporary visual and media arts, performance, and other artistic disciplines.

A-Game Design Co is looking for a Unity 2D/C# programmer!

Hi, I’m Marcus Mowat, music producer at Point Nine Records and I’m looking to help fellow gamers/designers out by writing songs and providing audio ingenuity geared specifically for video games.

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Get Set has a few jobs for ya! Check em!

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

you during winter vs me

Oh goodness! It’s December already even though it was July 2 weeks ago! Time flies when you’re making games, doing workshops and more! We did so much this year! We had the biggest Comics x Games, HES Ball and WordPlay!

Thank you so much to all our volunteers, friends and sponsors who have been by our side! We really appreciate your support and we hope to work with y’all again in the new year!

Thats enough outta me, enjoy the last month of the decade! Go forth, friends!

Happy Holidays!

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

December 4

iLunch – Access to Global Markets: Support and Programs! Yay Interactive Ontario!

December 7

There’s going to be a queer holiday fair which will have arts crafts and more! Introducing, Pink Xmas!

The Fan Expo Holiday Market! Oooo!

The Holiday After Party with Power Up Bar!

Low Poly 3D Modeling with Blender with DMG!

December 8

Unity for Absolute Beginners – Part 1 at DMG!

December 12

Open RPG Gaming Night with DMG.

December 14

December edition of Writing Rainbow!

December 15

Pokémon Go: Community Days with Toronto Gaymers.

December 15

Unity for Absolute Beginners – Part 2 with DMG!

December 20

This is neat! The Addams Family Christmas Bazaar!

January 8

The first Dirty Rectangles of the year!

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

December 14

December Social at DMG, Swap & Shop! No Speakers this time…

#ICYMI

We had WordPlay! Y’all it was the biggest one yet! Thanks for your support!

https://twitter.com/_YashKulkarni/status/1193608746657865729

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

Applications are open for the Ubisoft Indie Series presented by @nationalbank. It’s an annual completion for indie game dev studios that offers mentorships to help Ontario studios – and their games – reach new heights!
Deadline: December 15, 2019

VECTOR FESTIVAL 2020: AFTER GAMIFICATION
OPEN CALL FOR ARTWORKS AND CURATORIAL PROPOSALS
Deadline: February 01, 2020

The Festival will take place between July 16-19, 2020, with the flagship exhibition extended until August 22, 2020. Please note that Vector Festival does not charge submission fees to artists applying to participate. All artists and curators selected for participation will receive fees in accordance with the up-to-date CARFAC Fee schedule, as well as support to apply for external funding.

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

Toronto Arts Council New Funding Opportunity 
ANIMATING TORONTO STREETS
Nuit Blanche Toronto / Year of Public Art
A multidisciplinary Public Art program that provides grants of up to $20,000 to support projects for Nuit Blanche Toronto 2020, and up to $50,000 to support projects for Year of Public Art 2021.
Application Deadlines: January 14, 2020

CONTEXT: Animating Toronto Streets is a partnership between Toronto Arts Council and City Cultural Events, Economic Development & Culture Division of the City of Toronto. Nuit Blanche and Year of Public Art are produced by City Cultural Events. Nuit Blanche Toronto is a free, 12-hour, all-night contemporary art event that has a mandate to connect contemporary art to the broadest possible public and create opportunities for audiences to explore and engage with contemporary art in public space. Year of Public Art will spotlight art work in any medium by one or more artists, created for a publicly-accessible space, free for the public to experience; and is significant in terms of duration, scale and potential for public engagement.

PURPOSE:  The Animating Toronto Streets grants program provides funding to professional artists, arts organizations and artist collectives to create and present free public art projects that take place in the public right-of-way (ROW) during Nuit Blanche Toronto and for Year of Public Art. Projects must take place in the public ROW (i.e.: roads, laneways and sidewalks), and/or be directly experienced from the public ROW. For the purposes of this program, “public art” may include art in any media that takes place in public space, including contemporary visual and media arts, performance, and other artistic disciplines.

Info Sessions:

Downtown – Monday, December 2, 6-8pm, 2019 – Metro Hall, Commissioners Boardroom 8th floor, 55 John Street, RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/animating-toronto-streets-information-session-metro-hall-tickets-83080338529

North York – Thursday, December 5, 2019, 6-8pm, North York Civic Centre, Committee Room 3, RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/animating-toronto-streets-north-york-tickets-83081652459

Etobicoke – Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 6-8pm, Assembly Hall, East Room, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/animating-toronto-streets-information-session-etobicoke-tickets-83082414739

Scarborough – Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 6-8pm, Scarborough Civic Centre, Council Chambers, RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/animating-toronto-streets-information-session-scarborough-tickets-83083361571

Hi, I’m Marcus Mowat, music producer at Point Nine Records and I’m looking to help fellow gamers/designers out by writing songs and providing audio ingenuity geared specifically for video games.

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

There’s going to be a Computer Graphics Job Fair.

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

The 7th annual WordPlay Festival takes place Saturday, November 9th & 10th 2019!

Sat. November 9th, Sunday November 10th

Saturday 11:00am – 4:30pm and Sunday 1:30pm – 4:30pm

Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge St. (Bloor-Yonge subway)
Free!

Did you hear the good news? WordPlay 7 is happening THIS WEEKEND!

We’re so excited and proud to be able to bring you games from all over the world by the amazing creators and hand-picked speakers which some, by the way, are flying into the city just to talk to us! We also have tons of workshops–we know you like those! It’s going to be a fun time especially that WordPlay is now TWO (2) days of narrative fun instead of one, so get plenty of rest, don’t want to miss any of this!

Just as a reminder, let’s be sure to make WordPlay a safer space together. Here is our Safer Spaces Policy that we will abide by including all speakers, participants, volunteers, and staff members. We will have Safety Check Personnel on site which is comprised of both staff and volunteers. They will be wearing prominent red ribbons and will be present throughout the weekend. If you have any questions or concerns during WordPlay, we can help to address them. If you would like to contact us after the event, you can email us at safe@handeyesociety.com or you can fill out this anonymous online form.

But allow me to break down the event for ya, like cookies in milk!

Look at this cool WordPlay poster! Oh my god! Credz to Elizabeth Zhang.

Where to go

Saturday

Micro-Talks

Sunday

What to Play

Our Partners

: Logan McCloud

Oh gosh! Where did all the green go? Why are trees nude and yellow and red and orange and every other colour except green? Is…*gasp* winter coming? R.I.P heat lol. It’s fine though, I swear, I was just getting used to wearing shorts and stuff, but it’s fine.

But while we wait for the first snowfall (gross) Toronto is getting busy with autumn events! Don’t believe me? Check out some SWEET events down below! Have a happy November, y’all!

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

November 9

Hurray! The November edition of the DMG Speaker Social!

#ICYMI

F U N K ! R U N N E R is a rhythm-based endless sidescroller with pixel graphics. The player is dropped onto music visualization bars that react to the games music. The player is meant to shoot projectiles and collect gems to earn a high score. The dash mechanic is often used to get ahead and to push through bars that become obstacles. Lightning and enemy projectiles stun the player and prevent dashing temporarily. At the end of the day, Funk! Runner is meant to be a simple experience for simple minded players looking to pick up a game and play. It’s also a great game for kids to develop basic hand eye coordination with a console controller. Don’t forget to get lost in the zone and lose yourself to funk!

Did you know we curated some games for the Art Gallery of Ontario’s #AGOAllHours event? Well, ya missed it, but Twitter lives forever! See how it went down!

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

WordPlay 7 is this month! Whaaaaaa exSCUSE ME???

We got games, workshops, speakers and fun! Clear your schedule because we’re TWO (2) DAYS of WordPlay action instead of one! #growth

Oh, and we have a NEW LOGO FOR WORDPLAY *horn noise times 3*

LK AT IT!

Another Reality is launching a Kickstarter campaign to launch their high-tech entertainment centre, which will have an after-school program for game development. They are offering a chance to win an Oculus Quest for people who subscribe to their Kickstarter newsletter!

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

I, Royel, have a job for you.

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

There’s going to be a Computer Graphics Job Fair.

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

This newsletter is sponsored by Ubisoft Toronto

Anyways, it’s a spooky month, so break out that sweater and yummy cider and have a great fall! The season, not the event! I don’t want you to get a boo boo .

Don’t forget, there’s Google Calendar, in which you can check out all of the events here in one handy, downloadable place!

October 8

WHERE TO HAUNT – SOCIALS

October 2

Bonus Round has their Spooky Games Mixer!

October 7

Friends Play Games is here for you at TMAC!

October 9

Dirty Rectangles is in town and they’re bringing their monthly social with them! Come and hang out with them the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting Oct 9 at See-Scape, 8 PM! With special guest speaker Ben Lee of Void Bastards, Card Hunter, Blue Manchu Games, etc.

October 10

Oooo a painting show at the Gladstone! And it’s called ‘Why the @#&! Do You Paint?‘ and that’s wild lmao.

Rock Band Night wooooo! Thanks Power Up Bar!

October 12

DMG is having their October Speaker’s Social. These are ALWAYS good, obvi.

October 13

Game Designers Night at Snakes & Lattes (Eglinton) Make an autumn-inspired game!

October 25

I watched this movie the other day, but they’re showing it at the Cinesphere–it’s The Thing!

October 26

There’s going to be a Marvel vs. DC Group photoshoot and this could be fun and wild imo.

Oh my god. The Assassin’s Creed Symphony is coming to Toronto!! Who wants to take me there? lol (but forreal tho, email me if you wanna go)

#ICYMI

Signups are LIVE for our next event–introducing, Play with your Food! Edible games at Evergreen Brick Works! You can LITERALLY eat these games, y’all! Dead serious! Sign up! Available dates: Oct 9th and Oct 23!!

Our Mississauga program director Kadeem Dunn has been organizing the Play2Practice program at the Microsoft Store in Square One with TriOS College!

We just celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Hand Eye Society! If you’ve got pics or vids from that epic Saturday, @ us on social media and/or use the hashtag #HESBall19 so we can relive the night!

I just want to thank all the volunteers, staff, artists, friends, family, venue, sponsors and everyone else I might have missed for making this THE best party we’ve ever thrown! Thank you all so much for your support! Stay tuned for pictures of the event!

Here’s a sneak peak at the photo album that will be released soon…

: Paul Hillier

If you didn’t go to the Ball, I’m not your friend. (im kidding) but you missed out! Hope to see you at our other events!

COMING AND GOING ATTRACTIONS

Damage Camp is coming…. (so is winter, ahh!)

Want to see the next wave of Indigenous video games first hand? Come and experience a taste of the imagineNATIVE iNDigital Space at our very first Night of the Indigenous Devs in the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Friday October 25! Presented by imagineNATIVE and Eastside Games.

Listen to the creators talk while you watch their game played live all in the comfort of a TIFF Theatre. Featuring works from Elizabeth LaPensée (Thunderbird Strike), Nathan Powless-Lynes (SwapBox+), Ashlee Bird (One Small Step), and many more!

Tickets go on sale October 1st!  

This weekend… Geek Chic City 2019! Check out the event page for more details and signups!

BREADWINNER – JOBS/GIGS/OPPORTUNITIES/DEADLINES

Programmer Needed!

Double Dog Games is seeking diverse and underrepresented people! We encourage applications internationally as we are a remote team.

Unity3D, Inkle, and some custom tooling

Our Game: http://doubledoggames.com
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/fYp9hX8vdWE7dk5F6

Ubisoft has jobs for ya!

Hey you, Bunch is looking for a 2D Artist!

There’s going to be a Computer Graphics Job Fair.

Rockstar Games has WORK.

Uken has tons of JERBS!

Disclaimer: This is a monthly compilation of various Toronto game news and events in and around the city — many of which are not organized by Hand Eye Society — and is by no means comprehensive. Always check official links for accurate details and credits, and please send any corrections, additions, or submissions for future months to calendar@handeyesociety.com before the month in which the event takes place.

This newsletter is sponsored by Ubisoft Toronto

Hey y’all! We’re just a few days away from the 10-year anniversary of the Hand Eye Society and we’re having a Ball (literally and literally)! If you haven’t gotten your tickets to this one-in-a-lifetime fundraising event, here’s a linky-dinky to get your tickets! Also, have you seen WAVE No.1 or WAVE No. 2 of the games at the Ball? I think you should check them out!

Now, without further ado…DID YOU EVEN SEE THE AMAZING POSTERS DESIGNED FOR THE BALL? LOOK AT THEM RIGHT NOW!

Poster art by Saffron Aurora (left) and Jenn Woodall (right).

You will be able to purchase posters at the Ball at our merch table!

Who To Jam With

Bronwen Alexina

Toronto, ON

House DJ at Club Milton, Shibuya
Hip Hop, Experimental, Ambient, and Soundtrack

The Only Alexandria

Toronto, ON

Resonant rhythms to cleanse the mind, body, and soul
House, R&B, Soul, and World

Emissive

Toronto, ON

The resulting frequencies of looking forwards, backwards and inwards.
VitaMix every third Tuesday on n10.as
Ambient, Techno, Experimental, and Groove

Oh, and the “And more”

We’re collaborating with the fantastic individuals Daniele Hopkins & Kyle Duffield of Electric Perfume!

Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

Electric Perfume is a community-oriented gallery and creative studio focusing on the curation, creation, and exhibition of interactive installations, alt-controller gaming, tech-artworks, and visceral social experiences. When not battling tech-gremlins, they enjoy playing with cats, lasers, and contemplating how to make engaging experiences for the young, the old, and the inebriated.

Nom Noms

Instagram

Comiditas is a small food business/catering company specializing in Peruvian food creations, with a focus on community engagement. Comiditas has participated in events such as Taste of Regent Park’s Community Meal spotlight, has been regularly invited as a featured food vendor at Artscape Launchpad and operates as the official Meal Program Director for the AMY Project, a youth performance arts mentorship organization. Aemilius Milo is the lead operator//administrator//creative//caterer and launched Comiditas in the fall of 2018 – celebrating 1 year this September.

MENU

Empanadas – not gluten free/vegan – 1 for $3, 2 for $5, topped with onion/cilantro salsa and kalamata olive aioli

Ingredients:

Dough – all purpose white flour, unsalted butter, eggs, salt, evaporated milk

Filling – cauliflower OR ground beef, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, green olives, parsley, hard boiled eggs, salt, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, paprika, Peruvian hot pepper paste(aji panca and aji amarillo), white vinegar, sunflower oil

Salsa – red onions, cilantro, hot pepper(aji amarillo), salt, black pepper, lemon juice, white vinegar

Kalamata olive aioli – pitted kalamata olives, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, vegan mayonnaise(soy free)

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Sweet Plantains – gluten free/vegan – $4/per serving, topped with onion/cilantro salsa and kalamata olive aioli

Ingredients:
ripe plantain, sunflower oil

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Papas con Ocopa – gluten free/vegan, cold dish – $5/serving, velvety vegan “cheese” sauce served over sliced potatoes topped with onion/cilantro salsa and chopped egg(optional)

Ingredients:
Potatoes

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Ocopa sauce – huacatay aka Peruvian black mint, coconut cream, chick peas, red onions, Peruvian hot pepper(aji amarillo), garlic, salt, black pepper, sunflower oil

Menu is nut free, however facility where we operate from is  not.

Huge thanks to Ubisoft Toronto, Aird & Berlis LLC, CWA Canada, Game Workers Unite, Slanted Door, MKM Group, EGLX and ID@Xbox for their support!

Lead Sponsor

Artist Patrons

Venue Partner