A big week of Canadian gaming events is right around the corner

It’s about to be a big week in the Canadian gaming space.

Over the course of three days, a variety of events are happening in Toronto that are bringing together people from across the national games sector. Whether you’re a developer, student or everyday fan, there’s something for everyone.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

Wednesday, April 19th

Level Up Showcase — 5pm to 11pm at the Westin Harbour Castle

Helping the next generation of game developers succeed is essential, so that’s where the Level Up Showcase of student games comes into play. Sponsored by the likes of Ubisoft Toronto (Far Cry 6), Sheridan College and the City of Toronto, this year’s event will see over 100 games from 500 student participants.

You can register for free tickets on Eventbrite.

Thursday, April 20th

XP Game Developer Summit Day One — 10am to 5pm at the Westin Harbour Castle

With panels, networking opportunities, a game showcase, and more, there is something for everyone at the XP Game Developer Summit. Join us April 20 – 21 and help craft the future of the Canadian gaming industry! Don’t delay! Your tickets are waiting at https://t.co/Vxo3oSwJMz! pic.twitter.com/06XyxhcNJM

— XP Gaming Inc. (@XPGamingInc) April 10, 2023

There aren’t many gaming events in Canada, which makes shows like the XP Game Developer Summit all the more noteworthy. If you’ve heard of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), you’ll have an idea of what this industry-focused event entails, including panels, workshops, networking opportunities and more. In particular, the event will provide business-to-business opportunities for Canadian talent to connect with figures from the U.S. and beyond to help them in their game-making. There will also be a big showcase of Canadian games featuring the likes of Hamilton, Ontario’s Achimostawinan (Hill Agency), Toronto’s Rocket Adrift (Psychroma) and St. Catharines, Ontario’s Falling Squirrel (The Vale: Shadow of the Crown).

Meanwhile, here are some of the panels happening on day one:

• The State of the Canadian Game Industry (10:30am to 11:30am) — Jayson Hilchie (Entertainment Software Association of Canada), Lucie Lalumiere (Interactive Ontario), Jean Jaques Hermans (La Guilde) and Loc Dao (Digi BC) unpack Canada’s $5.5 billion Canadian gaming industry
• Women in Games (1:30pm to 2:30pm) — Caroline Vani (Encore), Océane Navarro (Madgik Yarn Studio), Roxane Vallée (Apperture) and Christelle Dambreville (Behaviour Interactive) discuss the experiences women in the gaming industry
• Games & (Problematic?) Culture (2:30pm to 3pm) — Krista-Lee Malone (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Brianna Roett (Red Bull Gaming Hub) examine toxicity in gaming

Canadian Indie Game Awards — 7pm to 8pm

The first of two national games award ceremonies is focused on titles from smaller developers.

Here are the games up for the coveted Game of the Year:

• Hardspace: Shipbreaker (Vancouver’s Blackbird Interactive)
• A Little to the Left (Halifax’s Max Inferno)
• Nobody Saves the World (Toronto’s Drinkbox)
• Tunic (Halifax’s Tunic Team)
• Rogue Legacy 2 (Toronto’s Cellar Door Games)

Meanwhile, here are the teams up for Studio of the Year:

• Blackbird Interactive (Hardspace: Shipbreakers) [Vancouver]
• Cellar Door Games (Rogue Legacy 2) [Toronto]
• Drinkbox Studios (Nobody Saves the World) [Toronto]
• Silverstring Media (Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between) [Vancouver]
• Tunic Team (Tunic) [Halifax]

Altogether, there are 13 Canadian Indie Game Awards categories — the full list of nominees can be found here.

You can tune into the Canadian Indie Game Awards in person or via Twitch.

IO Connect (8pm to 12am)

🚨 IO Connect is back! 🚨

On April 20th, join the industry for the networking event of the spring.

We have a night full of entertainment celebrating the Canadian video game industry, so get your tickets today!https://t.co/77vs2Mw1Lo pic.twitter.com/Ii6YQi5SSA

— Interactive Ontario (@IOnews) April 13, 2023

Interactive Ontario, the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting Ontario’s digital industries, is hosting a networking event that takes place alongside the Canadian Indie Game Awards.

Tickets to the mixer cost $10 for IO members/$40 for non-members and can be found here.

Friday, April 21st

XP Game Developer Summit Day Two — 10am to 5pm at the Westin Harbour Castle

🤩 #UbiTO is proud to be involved in events showcasing the gaming talent here in Toronto🍁

👀 Learn all about the networking opportunities, game titles, and panels from world-class professionals available to be explored at @LevelUpTO and @XPGamingInchttps://t.co/Z7J7jIAO3z pic.twitter.com/6p5rkWKtv0

— Ubisoft Toronto (@UbisoftToronto) April 12, 2023

Here are some panel highlights for the second day of the conference:

• How To Build an Inclusive Industry (11:30am to 12:30pm) — Brianna Roett (Red Bull Gaming Hub) and Chantelle Ouano (Women in Games International) discuss ways to make gaming welcoming to all
• The Ultimate Unity Developer’s Toolkit (1pm to 2pm) — Russell Sng (Unity) and Antonio Miceli (Mega Power Games) share 10 tips on developing with the ubiquitous Unity engine
• Narrative Design (2pm to 3pm) — Maria Beck (Sweet Baby), Kate Tremblay (Soft Rains) and Victoria Evans (Digital Vic) explain what goes into video game storytelling

The full list of speakers across both days of the XP Game Developer Summit can be found here. Tickets, meanwhile, start at $60.

Canadian Game Awards — 8pm to 10pm (afterparty 10pm to 12am)

This week’s second awards show, simply called the Canadian Game Awards, features a mix of bigger and smaller games.

The titles up for the big Game of the Year award:

• Disney Dreamlight Valley (Gameloft Montreal)
• Nobody Saves the World (Toronto’s Drinkbox)
• Rogue Legacy 2 (Toronto’s Cellar Door Games)
• Tunic (Halifax’s Tunic Team)
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate — Daemonhunters (Winnipeg’s Complex Games)

Meanwhile, here are the Studio of the Year nominees:

• Behaviour Interactive (Dead by Daylight) [Montreal]
• Complex Games (Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate — Daemonhunters) [Winnipeg]
• Drinkbox Studios (Nobody Saves the World) [Toronto]
• Gameloft (Disney Dreamlight Valley) [Montreal]
• Tunic Team (Tunic) [Halifax]

Altogether, there are 17 Canadian Game Awards categories — the full list of nominees can be found here.

You can tune into the Canadian Game Awards in person or via Twitch.

Image credit: Northern Arena/XP Gaming