Wednesday, September 27 marks the kickoff of the eighth year of Game Devs of Color Expo, which is a four event that celebrates games made by game developers of color from around the world.
You can watch the hour-long direct, which highlights some of the many titles that are featured on the official page, on both YouTube and Twitch. Be sure to check out the official Steam page, too, which not only has ongoing sales of previously released games, but will showcase devs livestreaming their games starting on Wednesday, September 27 through to Saturday, September 30.
The expo spotlights a number of titles that star and feature POC and their cultures, animals, or fantastic monsters, and many are sure to be some of the best PC games out there. If you’re a ticketed viewer, you can view panels, interviews, and talks from game devs and featured speakers on various topics, ranging from storytelling to business and more.
Tickets can still be purchased on the official GDoCExpo page, and you can view the full schedule of events and more here.
The importance of events like Game Devs of Color Expo
As mentioned before, 2023 marks eight years of Game Devs of Color Expo, an event meant to highlight games created by game developers of color that would otherwise be ignored or pushed aside.
Since then, it’s grown to host talks, interviews, and panels led by POC in order to educate others on the realities of indie development, as well as discussions on storytelling and character development from POC's 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, sponsored by Humble. The latter of which will go to three developers of color, each receiving $25,000.
Game Devs of Color Expo has become such a valuable and vital event that gives POC the media exposure and funding that they never would have received in such a white-centric industry. And hopefully, it can continue to grow and help even more developers of color in the future, and set a precedent for a more equitable gaming industry future.
