Thursday, September 15 kicks off the seventh year of the Game Devs of Color Expo, which is a weekend event celebrating games developed by color game developers from around the world.
You can watch the hour-long stream, which highlights some of the many titles featured on the official page, both on YouTube and Twitch. And be sure to check out the Gradient Convergence page, which not only features current sales of previously released games, but will also feature developers live streaming their games from Thursday, September 15 through Monday, September 19.
The exhibition highlights a number of titles featuring and showcasing POC and their fantastic cultures, animals or monsters, many of which are arguably some of the best PC games out there. And if you're a paying viewer, you can watch panels, interviews, and discussions from game developers and speakers on a variety of topics ranging from storytelling to business and more.
Tickets can still be purchased on the official GDoCExpo page, and you can see the full schedule of events and more here.
The importance of events like Game Devs of Color Expo
As mentioned above, 2022 marks seven years of the Game Devs of Color Expo, an event meant to showcase games made by otherwise overlooked game developers of color.
Since then, it has grown to also host POC-led talks, interviews, and panels to educate others on the realities of independent development, as well as discussions of storytelling and character development from a POC point of view.
There's even an award ceremony, where at least €90,000 in development grants will be awarded, including the €15,000 Made in NY grant and the Game Devs of Color Expo grant. The latter will go to the developers of three colors, each of whom will receive €25,000.
The Game Devs of Color Expo has become such a valuable and vital event, giving POC the media exposure and funding they would never have received in such a white-focused industry. And I hope that it can continue to grow and help more developers of color in the future, and continue to set a precedent for a fairer future for the gaming industry.