Toronto Games Week
Since 2023, we have been running an event series with a coalition model. Our last year had 60 events and over 9000 combined attendees.

Academy of Fun and Games
Started in 2026, this weekend of games and learning features an AGO Showcase, the Indie Summit Design Talks and series of hands-on game development workshops.

That’s My Jam! (2025)
Read about the cultural and economic value of the 20 year folk tradition of game jams.

If You Don’t Like the Game, Change the Rules (2023)
Read about the alternative modes of game production including co-ops and unions.

Isolation Nation (2021)
Read about how game creators adjusted to a new normal of remote work during COVID-19.

Gameplanner (2020)
Read about how live in-person conferences and festivals around the world can support a game creator’s practice.

Games Week Task Milestones (Coming Soon)
A template for people considering starting a Games Week in their town.

What’s Next, Jammer?: The Interactive Resource (2025)
A tool to help game creators explore their options after the game jam ends.

If You Don’t Like the Game, Change the Rules comic book (2023)
A companion comic to the white paper to stimulate conversations about different ways to work on games.

Game Arts Curators Kit (2021)
A handbook collaboratively written and edited by over 25 experienced folk in the field, created during GAIA 2021.

Microphone GAIN podcast (2019)
Six episodes of a live discussion podcast between two game event organizers, one with experience on a topic and one seeking more information on that topic.

Game Arts International Assembly
Our 3 day bi-annual symposium brings together 25 game arts curators, community organizers and festival directors to discuss their challenges and share their wins.

Recap of GAIA 2019 in Buenos Aires
Recap of GAIA 2021 Online
Recap of GAIA 2023 in Toronto
Recap of GAIA 2024 Online
Recap of GAIA 2025 in Barcelona

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GAIN was founded in 2017 and was incorporated as a not-for-profit in 2019 (Canadian Federal Registration Number 1113540-6).

Founder and Executive Director

Jim Munroe

Current board members

Sagan Yee
Nathan Huisman
Jim Munroe

Past board members

Cindy Poremba

Advisory Committee

Lynn Hughes, Dhruv Jani, Jonathan Kinkley, Emily Rose Koonce, Shalev Moran, Sithe Ncube, Lujan Oulton, Lorenzo Pilia, Pietro Righi Riva.

Key Team Bios and Contact

JIM MUNROE is the executive director of GAIN. Prior to that he co-founded the Hand Eye Society, the world’s first videogame arts organization, and was its executive director for seven years. While there he produced the Torontron indie arcade cabinet, the Fancy Videogame Party, The WordPlay Festival of Writerly Games, and Camp Make-a-Game. His games have been showcased at Sundance and Cannes. You can reach him at jim@gameartsinternational.network.

MARIE LEBLANC FLANAGAN is an artist working in the playful spaces between people, especially related to connection and community. Marie builds experimental video games, playful installations, and cooperative experiences. Marie has an enduring fondness for the infinite possibilities of trash. Marie founded Wyrd Arts Initiatives (a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to encouraging, documenting, and connecting creative expression across Canada), A Kind of Play (workshops on making experimental games), Drone Day (an annual international celebration of drone music communities) and co-founded Imaginary Residency (an artist-run online residency). You can reach Marie at marie@gameartsinternational.network.

GAIN STAKEHOLDERS include game arts organizers and curators in Los Angeles, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Madrid, Ottawa, Austin, Seattle, Tel Aviv, Halifax, New York, Berlin, Melbourne, Portland, Reykjavík, Pittsburgh, London, Boston, Copenhagen, Cape Town and Toronto.