In November, we were asked to curate and run a gaming lounge space at a benefit concert for Gwen’s Girls, a Pittsburgh nonprofit organization that runs after-school activities for young women of color. They were excited to have Sammus as the headlining act and wanted a space where attendees could cool down from dancing and play some games. Naturally, we were ecstatic to help a party scene appeal to different kinds of partying styles, especially for such a good cause.
With a generous equipment donation from the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center and games from our PlayNYC showcase developers, we were able to create a space where attendees could relax, socialize, and play some amazing games! Some guests even decided to purchase copies of one of the games they played in the lounge. All in all, the concert was attendees danced, played, and helped Gwen’s Girls raise over $900 dollars for programs.
Featuring the Developers and their Games:
As It Is by Egghouse
A watercolor, storybook-like 2D side-scrolling narrative adventure game about helping small animals with their problems in a society where hunting and killing no longer exist. Follow Hedgehog & Hawk as they meet, learn, and become friends.
Egghouse –
A ragtag group of online friends composed of students, game enthusiasts, and figure skating fans.
EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER by Heather Robertson, Aimee Zhang, Josie Brechner, Manolo Rosenberg
A serial visual novel/mech brawler about four gay disasters beating up neonazis in giant robots made of meat. Get ready for the worst road trip of all time.
Heather Robertson (she/her) –
A broken fleshmonster from Oklahoma. Her solo work spans over fifty games, and focuses on themes such as queerness, mental illness, trauma, and being crushed by forces outside of your control. One time an old man taught her how to fight wild dogs in an alleyway.
Final Spike by Sean Heron
A side-view 1-on-1 beach volleyball game. The objective is simple–score more points than your opponent to win! Players can knock the ball up with their bodies, launch it with a set, or knock it down to the ground with a blazing spike!
Sean Heron (he/him) –
A garaduate of the NYU Game Center’s MFA Class of 2017 and currently working at Urban Arts Partnership’s School of Interactive Arts as a full-time faculty instructor in games writing and game design. His current projects include Final Spike, a 1-on-1 local multiplayer beach volleyball game, and Viral Core Busters, an action platformer that focuses on managing risk and reward by wagering on one’s own performance between checkpoints in a level.
Made possible through the generous support of:
![[Workshop] Creating Inclusive Characters](https://storage.googleapis.com/friendship-garden.appspot.com/2021/03/Inclusive_Character_Design.jpg)