Game Devs of Color Expo 2023: where to watch the direct and game livestreams
Wednesday, September 27 marks the kickoff of the eighth year of Game Devs of Color Expo, a quadruple event celebrating games created by game developers of color from around the world.
You can watch the hour-long instant film, which highlights some of the many titles listed on the official page on both YouTube And Nervous twitching. Be sure to check out the official Steam pagewhich will not only have ongoing sales of previously released games, but will also feature developers livestreaming their games from Wednesday, September 27 through Saturday, September 30.
The expo highlights a number of titles starring POC and their cultures, animals or fantastic monsters, many of which are certainly among the best PC games available. If you’re a ticketed viewer, you can watch panels, interviews, and talks from game developers and speakers on a variety of topics ranging from storytelling to business and more.
Tickets are still for sale via official GDoCExpo pageand you can view the full event schedule and more here.
The importance of events like Game Devs or Color Expo
As previously mentioned, 2023 marks eight years of Game Devs of Color Expo, an event meant to spotlight games created by game developers of color who might otherwise be ignored or pushed aside.
It has since grown to host POC-led talks, interviews, and panels to educate others about the realities of indie development, as well as discussions about storytelling and character development from POC’s point of view.
There’s even an awards ceremony, awarding at least $90,000 in development grants, including the $15,000 ‘Made in NY’ Grant and the Game Devs of Color Expo Grant, sponsored by Humble. The last of these will go to three color developers, who will each receive $25,000.
Game Devs of Color Expo has become such a valuable and essential event that gives POC the media attention and funding they would never have received in such a white-centric industry. And hopefully it can continue to grow and help even more developers of color in the future, setting a precedent for a more equitable future in the gaming industry.