Get Inspired – Game Arts International Network

September 18, 2026September 23, 2026

Academy of Fun and Games

Welcome to a brand new weekend of videogames and learning, presented by Toronto Games Week! Explore a game showcase at the AGO on Friday, delve into indie dev talks on Saturday and dive into game development workshops on Sunday!

Video Game Appreciation Night
Friday Oct. 23rd, 6-9pm
AGO, Walker Court
317 Dundas Street W.

We’re turning Canada’s art museum into an arcade! Dive into this lineup of standout video games as we play, explore, and get lost in the rich worlds and creative magic of video game art. Grab a drink and listen as Jim Munroe, former AGO Artist-in-Residence and Toronto Games Week co-founder, shares why he selected each game and asks questions of many of the games’ developers present for insights into their processes and artistic inspirations. (Recap of last year’s event.)

AGO Event Page. Admission Included with General Ticket, which includes full-day access to the AGO.

(Young Ontarians between 14 and 24 years old can enjoy the AGO for free, all year long with the Free AGO Annual Pass.)

Indie Game Dev Summit
Sat. Oct. 24th, 10-4pm
U of T Bahen Centre
40 St. George St, BA 1160

In this time of industry uncertainty, we can benefit a lot from sharing knowledge of our craft with other creators in the city. Learn from the developers of many hit indie games such as Inscryption, Slay the Princess, In Stars and Time and The Roottrees are Dead. Early bird tickets are only $12 for the full day — snack included!

Games Made Open! Open Source Game Development Tool Workshops
Sun. Oct. 25th, 10-4pm
Toronto Tool Library
192 Spadina, Ground Floor

Have you been wanting to dive into Godot, the free open source game creation tool that spawned games like Slay the Spire 2? The Toronto Tool Library’s excellent workshop is a great place to start. How about Blender? Have you wanted to dip your toe into interactive narrative with the Toronto-designed open source Texture Writer tool? Have you ever wanted to turn your phone into a tiny arcade cabinet using lasers? Of course you have! More information available here.

January 13, 2026January 13, 2026

GAIA 2025 Report and Toronto Game Week Vid

If you’ve ever been curious about what goes on at GAIA, the Game Arts International Assembly, do we have a treat for you!

September 4, 2025September 9, 2025

What’s Next, Jammer?: The Interactive Resource

When we were creating the That’s My Jam! white paper, most of the jam organizers mentioned that they wished they were able to offer more support to the jammers needing advice on what to do next. So we created an interactive resource to guide them on their post-jam journey.

Explore What’s Next Jammer?!

Continue reading “What’s Next, Jammer?: The Interactive Resource”

June 3, 2025June 14, 2025

That’s My Jam: Understanding The Value of Game Jams Release

Download the PDF

We’re pleased to announce the release of our new white paper That’s My Jam: Understanding the Value of Game Jams. We will be launching it during Toronto Games Week at Game Jam Day:

Game Jam Day: What’s Next, Jammer?
Sat June 14, 1:30p.m.-4:00p.m.

The launch of That’s My Jam white paper features Gina Hara (GAMERella), Adam Saltsman (Finji), and Adam Clare (Sheridan) sharing their perspectives on the cultural and economic value of game jams. Then, Kim Gibson from Ontario Creates will do a short presentation and Q&A about how jammers and other new creators can apply for prototype funding. Supported by Ontario Creates. Free!
📍 Lillian H. Smith Public Library (Lower Level), 239 College St

For over two decades, emerging and established game developers have turned to game jams as sites of training, experimentation, networking, and fun. Game jams are public events where participants create games from scratch within a set time limit while following a central theme. Despite their ubiquity around the world, the role of jams in relation to the broader game industry is not well understood. Sourcing insights from interviews and surveys with emerging and established developers, this white paper interrogates what game jams are, why people attend them, and how they benefit game makers with diverse creative and professional aspirations.

The white paper was written by Michael Iantorno, illustrated by Mary Verhoeven, and funded by Ontario Creates and Mitacs.

January 28, 2025February 4, 2025

Videogame Arts Around the World in 2024

We’re back with a fresh edition of GAIN’s annual roundup newsletter, first launched in 2016 to annually spotlight and celebrate game art events from around the globe!

This year, we’re thrilled to share highlights from 22 events across 14 countries, featuring everything from trailblazing pioneers to emerging voices, and from grand festivals to intimate pop-up gatherings. María Luján Oulton returns as editor, reaching out to friends, colleagues, and like-minded communities to collect their favorite snapshots from the game art events and projects of 2024.

If you enjoy this roundup, please share the link and let us know about any events, projects, or people we may have missed—we’d love to include them in future editions.

PLAYTOPIA – South Africa (Capetown)

Their Festival Director Dominique Gawlowski tells us “We could see a major uptick in attendance and interest in the event compared to previous years. We are extremely pleased with how this event has evolved over the years from a small low key indie fest to much higher level of production standards, larger attendance and much more industry support.

We had over 80 games on exhibit in our main arcade from around the world with a focus on African made games. Our Indie Planet has also grown! We have begun to develop relationships with other similarly minded festivals such as Bitsummit (Japan), Now Play This (UK), A.Maze (Germany) and Freeplay (Australia) and showcase their best in shows for South African audiences. We had two large rooms filled with both international and African made immersive art installations and two days of talks at our Playtopia summit with special guests coming to speak about the craft of making games and the creative process.”

PLAYTOPIA eyeshootproductionsxplaytopia 81

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024

GAIA 2025 in Barcelona Applications Open

We are thrilled to announce the open call for the fifth edition of GAIA, taking place in Barcelona in 2025. GAIA (Game Arts International Assembly) is an international symposium and gathering dedicated to exploring the intersections of games, play, and art through critical and creative perspectives. For years, GAIA has provided a unique platform for curators, artists, game designers, scholars, and cultural practitioners from around the world to engage in meaningful conversations, share pioneering projects, and foster a global network within game arts.

October 15, 2024October 15, 2024

That’s My Jam: Understanding the Value of Quick Game Prototyping

For over two decades, game developers have turned to game jams as sites of training, experimentation, and community-building. That’s My Jam is a new project we’re starting that studies the importance of jams for both emerging and established game makers.

October 11, 2024October 11, 2024

GAIA Online 2024 Recap and Session Videos

GAIA 2024 Online Edition was a unique and exciting event that emerged in response to the remarkable growth of the GAIA community. While originally occurring in-person every other year, it’s become clear that we need a space to stay connected, share ideas, and engage in the discussions that inspire us. This special two-day event allowed us to come together virtually, with 33 speakers from 19 countries participating across 10 sessions, creating a rich and diverse program.

August 16, 2024August 20, 2024

GAIA Online 2024 Schedule

The Game Arts International Assembly will happen ONLINE on Tuesday Sept. 10th and Thursday Sept. 19th.

This time GAIA will feature 11 sessions distributed in 2 days with over 20 curators, community organizers and cultural producers from 12 countries from around the world. We will cover a wide range of topics such as online curation and community caring to innovative editorial approaches. In addition to talks sharing personal experiences, playful workshops, and practical sessions, GAIA will include an online artgames showcase.

Join us! Let us know your interest in the sessions via this form and we’ll send you a calendar invite with a link and the correct time zone information.

GAIA is produced by Jim Munroe and Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan (Game Arts International Network) Luján Oulton (Now Play This!) and Shalev Moran.

April 30, 2024April 30, 2024

Change the Rules Comic Tour

Our tenth and final stop is next week at A MAZE. Berlin, where Marie will be doing a workshop and a panel about alternative modes of videogame production like unions and co-ops. (GAIA will also be doing a series of microtalks about building creative communities.)

Since we first launched the project at Toronto Games Week 2023, we have traveled the world facilitating discussions and giving out thousands of free comic books. Most recently we were in San Francisco at GDC, the largest game developer conference in the world, doing a packed panel…