Introducing EmCon! A game dev conference where everything is Em

The speakers, the artist and even the venue are all Em!

Featuring these emmazing speakers:
@emaudible.bsky.social
@sonderingemily.bsky.social
@emmabellish.bsky.social
@emmakidwell.bsky.social

Tickets: bit.ly/EmCon2025

Hello, Bluesky! If you love thinking, talking, and/or writing about game design, check out our starter pack! go.bsky.app/AsBK784 We're an organization committed to tackling the toughest problems in games and sharing what we learn with the world!

Victoria Tran holding her book, Mastering Community Management. Speaker event October 18th at 10am PT. Sponsored by IGDA Foundation.

🌟 NEW Speaker Series 🌟

The IGDA Foundation is beginning a new monthly speaker series and we couldn't be more happy with our inaugural presenter: @victoriatran.bsky.social!

📅 Saturday, October 18th, 2025
⏰10am PST
🔗 buff.ly/ppFgTVL

Learn about her new book and her advice for #CommunityManagers!

Reports REPORTS 2022 2023 2023 Understanding Systems Suspense Why is it fun to learn the rules of a videogame? Not just to play the game, but to learn it; to travel from the state of unknowing to knowing, to ...

Hi Bluesky! Polaris Game Design Retreat is an annual event where game designers tackle tough problems together, then write reports on their discoveries. If you're looking for our reports, start here: polarisgamedesign.com/reports/

A poster for Vancouver Game Garden 2025. The subtitle says "Enjoy works by local developers and artists", the date is Sept 27-28, and the details are "Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, 11am-5pm - FREE ENTRY! vangamegarden.com" The poster features retro-inspired pixel art of people wandering through a garden of game demo tables and art displays as well as a section where attendees are watching a presentation.

The exhibitor list for Vancouver Game Garden 2025 is now live!! 🎮🌱

More than 40 different indie studios will be showcasing their games at this year's event, including games such as 1000xRESIST, Peglin, Beastieball, and many more! ✨

Check out the full list here: vangamegarden.com/exhibitors

RELATIONSHIP MECHANICS IN MODERN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES Thank you for participating in this survey on relationship systems in modern Role-Playing Games (RPGs). This Research is conducted by Eduardo Gonçalves, as part of a Master's thesis at University of P...

This is a short survey for my brother's university thesis, focused on relationship systems in RPG games. If you've worked on this kind of game or enjoy playing them, take a few minutes to fill it out! Thank you 🙌
forms.gle/6avgpBTzNZUq...

#gamedev #rgp #gameindustry

Thriving Players Summit: Expanding Player Impact in Social Spaces Multiplayer games often face a fundamental challenge: balancing player agency within social systems, which can foster deep and meaningful interactions and wonderful player creations, against the poten...

My talk at #GDC "Expanding Player Impact in Social Spaces" is now live on the Vault — and free to watch! 🙌

🎥 Watch here: gdcvault.com/play/1035102...

#GDC25 #SocialDesign #ProsocialDesign #Polaris

Vancouver Game Dev Series will be on April 29th featuring Davey Wreden and Karla Zimonja of Wanderstop and Galen Ryder of Darkest Dungeon II.

Announcing Vancouver Game Dev Series happening in 2 WEEKS!

🍵We'll have a very special Q&A with Davey Wreden and Karla Zimonja of Wanderstop!

☠️Galen Ryder will share about the tools in Darkest Dungeon 2

Tickets -> bit.ly/vgdsAPR2025

@hellocakebread.bsky.social @zusty.bsky.social @galenryder.com

Voting location map and hours | Where to vote | City of Vancouver See which Voting locations are close to your home, work, or where you're running errands.

vancouver.ca/election/202...

Vancouver: get out to vote!!

Punish Ken Sim and ABC for their malice and incompetence by bringing in Sean Orr and Lucy Maloney.

Great write up on what Social Systems Designers do 😊

JC is in front of a blue background. She is wearing a gray sweater, black framed glasses, and has pink and purple hair.

Hi! I’m JC and I’m a producer with over a decade of experience working in AAA and indie games! I love creating emotionally impactful player experiences and helping devs do their best work. Basically I want to make cool shit with cool people. 💜

This is #WhatAGameDevLooksLike. See you soon, GDC! ✨

Hi! I'm Andreia and I'm a 🇵🇹🇨🇦 Designer 😊 Currently I'm working as a Sr Social Designer working on skate.🛹 at EA Full Circle, and previously worked on PvZ and a few mobile games.

Been working in games for ~10y now 😵

#WhatAGameDevLooksLike

mirror selfie, with right hand forming half of a heart

I'm Jess, been in the AAA games industry for 4 years, having worked on Fortnite and currently on skate. Being a visible trans woman is so important in such a male dominated space

#WhatAGameDevLooksLike

Looking forward to seeing everyone this afternoon at the Social Design meet~

#GDC25

How community and toxicity influence "kind games" like Netflix’s Spirit Crossing Among the various Netflix talks at GDC 2025, Spry Fox co-founder Daniel Cook took to the stage to discuss game design philosophy and

What if we could build kind games?
www.pocketgamer.biz/how-communit...

Thank you all who came to our talk and all who asked me questions after! 🤗

No need to wait for the vault! You can find the full reports here 👇🏼
polarisgamedesign.com/reports/

Spirit Crossing | Official Game Announcement | Netflix YouTube video by Netflix Games

Very excited to finally announce Spirit Crossing! Big game we've been pouring our hearts into. A very special prosocial multiplayer cozy life sim all about making and building friendship. ❤️
youtu.be/RNGs3tLPaF0?...

Tales from Project Polaris: Solutions to Game Design's Toughest Problems 19th March, 2025 02:00pm - 03:00pm - Project Polaris is an annual think-tank style conference that invites the industry's top game design...

And if you're at #GDC you can catch some more of the paper and all the other great topics this afternoon in the Polaris talks schedule.gdconf.com/session/tale...

Thanks to @natashamiller.bsky.social and @purecelain.bsky.social for the pics 😊

Done with the #GDC talk 😁 Thanks for coming by!

If you weren't able to make it you can read up on the full paper here polarisgamedesign.com/2024/expandi...

Went well I think 😁 yup! Will share when they're out

Merci!

It's today 🙌

#WhatAGameDevLooksLike is coming back to GDC next week for its SIXTH year! Last year I wrote about the challenges of mass layoffs, online harassment, and lack of funding, and #WhatAGameDevLooksLike was a little beacon of joy and celebration of how brilliant, diverse, and kind our industry can be.

I’m so happy that there was interest on my 1-1 workshop on Emotional Game Design that I set up a page where you can book it now! ✨😊

emotionalgamedesign.xyz

For any questions, drop me a line! 💛

GDC Social Design Meetup · Luma Come along to the first social design meetup of GDC! 🎉 Meet other fellow social systems designers and enthusiasts. Chat pro-social design, player wellbeing,…

If you're interested in Social in games and will be at #GDC, @purecelain.bsky.social and I are organizing a Social Design meet 🙌

Come chat about all things social on Thursday at 3:30pm! 😊
lu.ma/uzyq0w12

GDC Social Design Meetup · Luma Come along to the first social design meetup of GDC! 🎉 Meet other fellow social systems designers and enthusiasts. Chat pro-social design, player wellbeing,…

Social designers and enthusiasts at #GDC!

@andreiag.bsky.social and I are organising a
💗🌱 Social Design Meetup 🌱💗

📅 Thursday 20 March 15:30-17:30

Come chat with us on how to design for kind communities!

Sign up and see you there!
🔗 lu.ma/uzyq0w12

Thriving Players Summit: Expanding Player Impact in Social Spaces 18th March, 2025 04:40pm - 05:10pm - Multiplayer games often face a fundamental challenge: balancing player agency within social syste...

Speaking at GDC next week! Come by on Tuesday 4:40pm😊 schedule.gdconf.com/session/thri...

@officialgdc.bsky.social #gdc2025 #gdc #design #advocacy

Hellloooooo if you are going to GDC and are a systems designer (or aspiring to be one), I'd like to recommend registering for this. Free, only about a block from the Moscone, and usually a really good mix of people (if I don't say so myself).

GDC Systems Design Meetup 2025 · Luma Ten years in, the GDC systems design meetup remains a rarity, and I'm so glad we get to keep doing it. A place to immerse yourself in wonderful designers with…

Do you design game systems, even a little as a treat? Will you also be at GDC this year? Gosh do I have the event for you. Our tenth annual GDC Systems Design meetup. Wednesday, March 19th at noon. Register, chat, enjoy! lu.ma/ileesdw6