The dust hasn’t even fully settled on Summer Game Fest, but that hasn’t stopped the Canadian video game industry from moving ahead at full speed. Most notably, the next two weeks are going to be just jam-packed with cool gaming events across Canada.
From Canada’s largest gaming convention and big updates from Canada’s largest independent developer to dozens of free events in Toronto, there’s a lot of exciting things to check out here at home in June.
Toronto Games Week (June 11-17)
Image credit: Toronto Games Week
As part of Toronto’s now-annual Video Game Month, Toronto Games Week (TGW) is returning to the city this week. (Fair warning: that means it overlaps with FIFA.)
Co-organized by indie developers Jim Munroe and Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, TGW will feature more than 50 games showcases, workshops, talks, trivia nights, outdoor events and other kinds of programming. What’s even better is that most of these events are free to attend, although some require registration.
Check out the full schedule on TGW’s website, but some highlights include:
- Giant Video Games & TGW Kickoff (Thursday, June 11 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Canada Malting Silos) — featuring playable games, massive projections, food stalls and more (free, just show up)
- The Beautiful Game: A Playable History of Soccer Games (Thursday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 17 at the Royal Ontario Museum) — an interactive exhibit featuring 50 years of soccer video games (tickets are $26)
- Art of the Concept (Thursday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 17 at George Brown College’s North Gallery) — an exhibit of artwork from local indie developers like Hilltop Studios (Lil’ Guardsman), Bancy Co (Neo Harbor Rescue Squad) and more (free, just show up)
- The G.R.I.D. (Friday, June 12 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at George Brown Polytechnic WaterFront Campus)
- — a space for game makers, especially up-and-comers, to playtest their work and get valuable feedback in real-time (free, just show up)
- Kitten Cup Studio Tea Party: BYOD Bring Your Own Demo (Saturday, June 13 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Allan Gardens Children’s Conservatory) — a tea party from Toronto indie developer Kitten Cup (Capy Castaway) featuring games from local developers, goodies and giveaways and more (free, just show up)
- Live Video Game Orchestra (Sunday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m at Hugh’s Room Live) — a concert featuring music from indie games like Canadian-made Celeste and Cuphead, as well as the likes of Hollow Knight and Undertale (tickets at $35)
- DEI or DIE V2: DEI Harder (Monday, June 15 from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Toronto Metropolitan University) — a showcase of games from queer and other marginalized game devs (free, sign-up here)
- NextGen Showcase (Monday, June 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at CSA Spadina) — a curated showcase of Toronto-made games from international curator Jenny Windom (free, just show up)
- IGDA Trivia Night: The Entire History of Game Development (Tuesday, June 16 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Great Lakes Brewery) — a trivia night hosted by comedienne and narrative designer Franci Dimitrovska
- TGA Closing Party (Wednesday, June 17 from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. at Demo Room) — featuring drinks, networking, games showcases and more (tickets are $15-$25)
For more on TGW, check out our interview with co-organizer Flanagan.
Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary (June 14)
Image credit: Behaviour Interactive
Canada’s largest independent developer, Montreal-based Behaviour Interactive, is hosting a big celebration this weekend for the 10th anniversary of its massively popular multiplayer horror game, Dead by Daylight. A sold-out fan event is being held in Montreal on Sunday, June 14, but everyone can tune into the 10th Anniversary Broadcast that evening at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT via YouTube and Twitch to learn more about what’s coming to the game. Official Twitch community watch parties are also being held around the world, including in Toronto.
Game Con Canada + NAGIS (June 18-21)
Image credit: Game Con Canada
Canada’s largest gaming event returns to the Edmonton Expo Centre June 19-21. Organized by Alberta’s Meibel Consulting, the show brings together all kinds of gaming programming, including playable game demos, esports and tabletop tournaments, vendors, celebrity guests like Deborah Ann Woll (Marvel’s Daredevil and the just-announced God of War Laufey) and Canada’s own Mark Meer (Mass Effect), and more.
Additionally, Meibel is putting on a sister show, the inaugural North American Games Industry Summit (NAGIS), from June 18-19. Also taking place at the Edmonton Expo Centre, this business-to-business (B2B) conference features a variety of industry luminaries, including Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, a reunion of several notable BioWare alums and more.
GCC tickets start at $45 (single-day) or $108 (weekend pass) for adults, with lower-cost options available for children and youth. A limited VIP pass is also available for $350 that offers a $600 value, including a weekend pass with early entry, VIP seating and a buddy pass, game keys from the likes of Focus Entertainment and Beamdog, a Warhammer introductory set, mystery gifts from EB Games Canada and more.
Meanwhile, NAGIS student passes cost $100 and include admission to GCC, while $235 and $350 Industry and VIP passes with additional perks are also available.
For more on GCC and NAGIS, check out our interview with Meibel.
MobileSyrup will be at all of these events, so stay tuned for news stories, interview features and other coverage. It should also be noted that London, Ont.-based Digital Extremes will hold its annual Warframe and Soulframe TennoCon event in its hometown in July. As well, check out our big round-up for Canadian gaming events that extends well beyond June.
Image credit: Toronto Games Week/Behaviour Interactive/Meibel Consulting
