CanadianGameDevs.com Podcast

For the first time ever Stephan and Steve gathered around the same microphone (sorry about the slight echo) to record episode 200 of the Canadian Game Devs Podcast!

We broke down our personal top 5 Canadian game lists to celebrate the occasion, then Stephan drove 1700km back to Halifax.

Jobs:

Jean Leggett will be looking for a part-time producer soon!

Archipelago of DesignGame Designer

Joydrop is looking for Unreal and Unity Developers

Events:

Fri OCT 22 - Gamedev Atlantic (Online - Halifax, NS) by NSIS“A day-long conference, celebrates and fosters the growth of the game development industry in Atlantic Canada.”

Oct 26th - Canada - Melbourne digital games webinar: LEADERSHIP & SCALING YOUR STUDIO

Releases This Week x2:

RC Rush from Tea Monster Games

News and Announcements:

Toronto, ON: Echo Generation Coming October 21 Exclusively on Xbox Series, Xbox One & Win PC Game Pass on Day 1

Québec: Moonglow Bay Delayed to October 26

Montréal, QC: Rumour: Bioshock 4 is still in pre-production

Montréal, QC: Avengers get second chance on Xbox Game Pass

Wishlist This:

Beyond the Oaks by Dragon Fly Games Studio (@games_dragonfly) in Saskatoon, SK. Releasing TBD, Follow on GameJolt

Pace Chasers by Studio BackPack (@studio_backpack) in Clarksburg, ON. Releasing TBD, Follow on itchio

Mother's Little Helper by Squeezebotjam (@jay_clipperton & @lostmercenary) in Toronto, ON. Releasing TBD, Follow on itchio

Full show notes here: https://canadiangamedevs.com/podcast/ep-197-stephan-smooches-some-swords

Please Consider Supporting:

Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society

Donate to The 519, Canada’s most prominent LGBTQ2S community centre and service provider

Overview: We're joined by illustrious indie game dev Devon (@Devon_Wiersma) to talk Stranger Things leaving Dead by Daylight and what this could mean for the future of licensing in games. We also talk Goodbye Volcano High's delay, the death of Benjamin Rivers (Inc, not the person), why on earth Steve is still buying NHL games and more.

Jobs:

Jean Leggett Will Be Looking for a part-time producer around Oct/Nov

Bellwood Studios

Senior Game Developer (Unity Engine)

Joydrop is looking for Unreal and Unity Developers

Events:

Thu AUG 26 @ 6:30pm EST - Games Writer Circle August[Online] by DMG

“Join us for a low-key and chill night of talking about narrative design and writing for games!”

Thu SEP 2 @ 6:30pm EST - Games Writing Working Group September[Online] by DMG

This low-key online social is specifically geared towards writers who want to work together in a virtual space. Bring in-progress projects to work on (or start something new) and be prepared for a supportive co-working session.

Thu SEP 2 @ 7pm CDT - Interactive Roundtable on Business Growth by IGDA Winnipeg

“We've been noticing a lot of growth among our homegrown interactive studios of late - so we thought now would be a good time to talk about it!”

Wed SEP 8 @ 8pm EST - DIRTY RECTANGLES ONLINE by DRTO

Monthly creatives explaining their work on Twitch.

SEP 6 - 18 - Women in Games Festival

“a first of its kind event, celebrating interconnectedness in an ambitious, online galaxy. Taking place across two weeks, it encompasses a vast range of universally relevant subjects, and is designed to create a safe, positive and celebratory online environment.”

Tue SEPT 21 - Thu SEPT 23 - Game Slice 2021 (Online - London, ON) by JoyDrop

“Back for its sixth year, Game Slice offers game industry professionals a space to gain valuable feedback from their industry peers in a collaborative and exciting environment. Due to COVID-19, Game Slice will continue being fully online to allow game developers from far and wide to preview their unreleased games to an engaged and knowledgeable audience.”

Fri OCT 22 - Gamedev Atlantic (Online - Halifax, NS) by NSIS

“A day-long conference, celebrates and fosters the growth of the game development industry in Atlantic Canada.”

Releases This Week:

Hamilton, ON: Descent Vector: Space Runner (Steam)

St. Catharines, ON: The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Steam)

News and Announcements:

Burnaby, BC: NHL 22 Announced For Next-Gen Consoles With a New Engine and Other Enhancements

Montréal, QC: Goodbye Volcano High Delayed to 2022 (Co-director's Thread)

Toronto, ON: Diner! Comes to Sago Mini World

Toronto, ON: Benjamin Rivers Inc. is over, Bancy Co new best friend

Montréal, QC: All That Stranger Things Stuff In Dead By Daylight Is About To Vanish

Toronto, ON: Beat Blast 1.0 on Aug 25th Adds Achievements and Modifiers

Wishlist This:

‘Clanfolk’ by MinMax Games Ltd (@RC_MinMaxGames) in British Columbia. Releasing 2021, Wishlist on Steam. “Clanfolk is a mostly historically accurate colony and life simulation. Clear the land, build a home, hunt, fish, gather, craft, have children, marry them off, raise livestock, farm, meet the neighbors, hire, trade, run an inn, prepare for winter. Build your home in the highlands... or die trying”

‘The Ranch of Rivershine’ by Éloïse Laroche (@EloiseGameDev) in Québec. Releasing TBA (says “coming soon” on twitter), Wishlist on Steam. “Saddle up and build your own horse ranch! Raise foals, care for your horses and train them as you explore the western wilderness! Participate in cross country competitions and become your town's champion. Befriend the villagers who'll help you on your adventure at the Ranch of Rivershine!”

‘Mini Maker’ (@minimakergame) by Casa Rara in Montréal, QC. Releasing 2022, Wishlist on Steam. “Build knockoff miniatures for clients with ridiculous requests. Assemble, paint and add effects to your creations. Deal with wonky tools and unexpected hazards. Don't bother looking for an Undo button—there are none in this anti-perfectionist workshop simulator.”

Please Consider Supporting:

Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society

Overview: There is an an all-new same old pale french male studio which we discuss. Do people still care about Marvel's Avengers? A new "wishlist this game" from Winnipeg appealing to Stephan's Irish roots, and we discuss our three favourite games of all time.

Jobs:

Bellwood Studios Senior Game Developer (Unity Engine)

Joydrop is looking for Unreal and Unity Developers

Jean Leggett will be looking for a part time producer around Oct/Nov

Events:

Tue SEPT 21 - Thu SEPT 23 - Game Slice 2021 (Online - London, ON) by JoyDrop“Back for its sixth year, Game Slice offers game industry professionals a space to gain valuable feedback from their industry peers in a collaborative and exciting environment. Due to COVID-19, Game Slice will continue being fully online to allow game developers from far and wide to preview their unreleased games to an engaged and knowledgeable audience.”

Fri OCT 22 - Gamedev Atlantic (Online - Halifax, NS) by NSIS“A day-long conference, celebrates and fosters the growth of the game development industry in Atlantic Canada.”

Releases This Week:

Calgary, AB: Atrio: The Dark Wild (Steam)

Montreal, QC: Boyfriend Dungeon (Steam, Nintendo Switch, Epic, Xbox, itch.io)

Toronto, ON: Dwarrows (Steam, PlayStation, Xbox)

Toronto, ON: Fire Tonight (Nintendo Switch, Steam)

Kingston, ON: Dreamscaper (Switch, Steam)

St Catharines, ON: Rocket Rumble (Steam)

Toronto, ON: Shwip (Steam)

News and Announcements:

Montreal, QC: All those white people made a studio: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/386516/Typhoon_devs_launch_new_studio_secure_Savage_Planet_rights_from_Google.php

Toronto, ON: Chivalry 2 update is out - https://twitter.com/ChivalryGame/status/1425113914744967179

Vancouver, BC: EA Opening another studio in Vancouver - https://twitter.com/GIBiz/status/1425132334207193091?s=20

Toronto, ON: Big Con pre-release trailer, coming end of the month https://twitter.com/AdventureGamers/status/1425832965515276289

Montreal, QC: Avengers gets Wakanda expansion this week https://twitter.com/PlayAvengers/status/1425139889511694337

Death Becomes You by Quill Game Studios (@quill_studios) in Toronto, ON. Releasing soon, Wishlist on Steam.

Blue June by Tiny Dodo (@TinyDodoGames) in Toronto, ON. Releasing June 2022, Wishlist on Steam.

Lorcan The Leprechaun by Hillcrest Games Inc. (@Hillcrest_Games) in Winnipeg. Releasing 2022, Back on Kickstarter, Wishlist on Steam.

Overview:

Activision-Blizzard has studios across Canada and in light of mountains of abuse, rape, assault, and other terrible allegations at the company we've decided to stop our coverage of their studios until further notice.

In lighter news, Steve talks Russian Subway Dogs on Vita and his first few hours with Tribes of Midgard- and we totally forget EA Motive announced a Dead Space reboot!

Jobs:

Jean Leggett will be looking for a part-time producer in the next 1-3 months, follow for updates!

Events:

Fri AUG 6 @ 6:30pm - Games Writing Working Group[Online] by DMGThis low-key online social is specifically geared towards writers who want to work together in a virtual space. Bring in-progress projects to work on (or start something new) and be prepared for a supportive co-working session.

Mon AUG 9 @ 6:30pm - Unity Club by DMGHave a Unity project (or... many!) you're working through right now? Hang and chat with pals on challenges, techniques, learning paths and more.

Tue SEPT 21 - Thu SEPT 23 - Game Slice 2021 (Online - London, ON) by JoyDrop“Back for its sixth year, Game Slice offers game industry professionals a space to gain valuable feedback from their industry peers in a collaborative and exciting environment. Due to COVID-19, Game Slice will continue being fully online to allow game developers from far and wide to preview their unreleased games to an engaged and knowledgeable audience.”

Fri OCT 22 - Gamedev Atlantic (Online - Halifax, NS) by NSIS“A day-long conference, celebrates and fosters the growth of the game development industry in Atlantic Canada.”

Released This Week:

Montréal, QC: Tribes of Midgard (Steam, PlayStation 4 / 5)

Montréal, QC: Winds and Leaves (PlayStation)

Toronto, ON: Alone with You (Nintendo Switch)

Toronto, ON: Russian Subway Dogs (PS VITA)

Toronto, ON: Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City (App Store)

Toronto, ON: Atomicrops Comes to GamePass (Microsoft Store)

News:

Toronto, ON, and Montréal, QC:

Toronto, ON: Blue June Successfully Funded on Kickstarter

Toronto, ON: Tencent-owned TiMi, the company behind Call of Duty: Mobile, has opened a new development studio in Montreal

Saskatoon, SK: Lux Primora - A Narrative-Driven JRPG with Elemental Puzzles Launches Kickstarter This Week

Toronto, ON: Dwarrows is coming to Xbox One and PS4 on August 11

St. Catharines, ON: The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, will launch August 19 on PC and Xbox

Toronto, ON: THE BIG CON arrives August 31st on Xbox and PC

Calgary, AB: Atrio: The Dark Wild is Launching on Steam Early Access on Aug 10

St Catherines, ON: PixelNAUTS releases Rocket Rumble on Steam Early Access

Wishlist This:

SAK'D (@SAKDGame) by Alchemy Interactive in Canada. Releasing TBD, Wishlist on Steam. “SAK’D is an action-adventure platform game wherein players assume the role of Sak, a not-so-ordinary pillow accidentally brought to life, imbued with powerful weapon wielding, spell-casting, monster-smashing abilities and sent on a quest to destroy evil.”

Get In The Car, Loser! by Love Conquers All Games (@christinelove) in Toronto, ON. Releasing Summer 2021, Wishlist on Steam. “A lesbian road trip RPG by the co-creator of Ladykiller in a Bind about fighting for love and justice in the face of indifference, inspired by choice-driven visual novels, and a battle system influenced by classic and modern JRPGs. WILL YOU STAND AND FIGHT IN THE FACE OF EVIL?”

Sovereign Syndicate by Crimson Herring Studios (@HerringStudios) in Edmonton, AB. Releasing TBD, Wishlist on Steam. “A cRPG set in Victorian steampunk London. Explore an open world of back alleys, brothels, and opium dens as one of three characters. Sharpen your skills or let them stagnate, no random stat points here. Try your luck with our tarot card chance system; combat, persuasion, magic? The choice is yours.”

Please Consider Supporting:

Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society

Overview:

This week we discuss the Switch Pro that didn't come from Nintendo and its implications for Steve's stay-at-home dad gaming life- as well as why Stephan can't wait to play itchio games on the toilet. We also dig into all the Canadian news, releases and of course a fresh new trio of Canadian games to add to your wishlist!

Jobs:

Leek (Toronto)Senior Unity Developer

Jean Leggett Will Be Looking for a part time producer in the next 1-3 months

Events:

Fri AUG 6 @ 6:30pm - Games Writing Working Group[Online]This low-key online social is specifically geared towards writers who want to work together in a virtual space. Bring in-progress projects to work on (or start something new) and be prepared for a supportive co-working session.

Mon AUG 9 @ 6:30pm - Unity ClubHave a Unity project (or... many!) you're working through right now? Hang and chat with pals on challenges, techniques, learning paths and more.

Tue SEPT 21 - Thu SEPT 23 - Game Slice 2021 (Online - London, ON)“Back for its sixth year, Game Slice offers game industry professionals a space to gain valuable feedback from their industry peers in a collaborative and exciting environment. Due to COVID-19, Game Slice will continue being fully online to allow game developers from far and wide to preview their unreleased games to an engaged and knowledgeable audience.”

Fri OCT 22 - Gamedev Atlantic (Online - Halifax, NS)“A day-long conference, celebrates and fosters the growth of the game development industry in Atlantic Canada.”

Released This Week:

Ottawa, ON: Radio Viscera (Steam)

Toronto, ON: Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance (Steam)

Toronto & St. Catharines, ON: Triversal (Steam)

Montreal, QC: Streets of Rage 4 DLC Released

News:

Toronto, ON: 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙆𝙊 is getting a physical Switch release - limited to 4,000 copies, including a gorgeous SteelBook! (Instant Buy for Stephan)

Montréal, QC: Away: The Survival Series is coming to PlayStation 5 late summerNew Photo Mode, playable creatures, and nature documentary narration mode announced.“With decades of experience working on AAA titles such as Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and Far Cry, our team has spent the last five years developing our first game, AWAY: The Survival Series.”

Montréal, QC: The Protagonist: EX-1 Leaves Early Access

London, ON: Loads of Warframe News out of Tennocon 2021THE NEW WAR: OUR MOST AMBITIOUS CINEMATIC QUEST YETCROSS PLAY AND CROSS SAVE: OFFICIALLY IN DEVELOPMENT

Wishlist This:

LEMNIS GATE by Ratloop Canada (@RatloopCanada) in Montréal, Québec. Releasing Wishlist on Steam. “LEMNIS GATE presents a revolutionary new way to play a First-Person Shooter with its unique time travel gameplay mechanics. Spanned over multiple rounds, players take turns altering the future in this strategic turn-based mind-bending experience.”

RC Rush by Tea Monster Games (@TeaMonsterGames) in Ottawa, ON. Releasing 2021, Wishlist on Steam. “RC Rush is an exciting arcade racing game featuring toy radio controlled cars. Win races to unlock career events, compete in head to head battles to unlock new vehicles, and level up your way to becoming the ultimate RC champion.”

Slumber Clause by Copychaser Games (@copychaser) in Calgary, Alberta. Releasing 2021, Wishlist on Steam. “From the creator of Speed Dating for Ghosts comes a new weird text adventure about death and sleep paralysis set in the late 1980s.”