Different Games, the first conference on inclusivity and diversity in games, invites participants for its 2018 edition, now sponsored by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), located in Worcester, MA on Friday October 12 through Sunday October 14.
Arcade submissions will be accepted until 6/29/18 our extended date of 7/6/18.
Designers interested in showcasing their game in the Different Games arcade should submit a brief overview of their game (no more than 500 words) that includes their design vision and concept of the game. In addition, please submit the cover art, two screenshots of gameplay, and a demo video or build. We welcome pieces that will be in (beta) or playtesting phase as well as those further along in the development process.
To submit talks, workshops, or panels, please visit our Call for Participation!
Introducing our 2018 Special Track and Track Chair
So Bad It’s Good [Special Arcade Track]
Chaired by James Earl Cox III
Videogames are mired in a mythology of “good design.” Students are taught to include player feedback and juiciness. Developers often recreate the games they know and admire. Games end up categorized in bloated genres that they may not fit. Realistically, there is little separating innovation and bad design, and often it comes down to any given player’s interpretation of the work. Cuphead exhibits no boss damage feedback nor boss damage juiciness. Even though these are basic concepts when approaching the standard concept of “a good game,” Cuphead sold over a million copies without their inclusion. FTL is so far removed from the rogue-like genre that its creators refer to it as a “rogue-like-like.” Even so, it has more in common with Oregon Trail (an adventure-genre game) than the rogue-like genre. So why adhere to accepted genres? And with more people making games every day, why are we trying to stick to overpopulated genres? Why aren’t we sharing our experiments? All of this is to say… to heck with good design! To heck with good art and good code! It’s a broken set of ideals and we need to expand anyways. This track is for the bad; games that exhibit such bad design and bad code and bad art that the game is good. Show your “failed” experiments. This track celebrates the most anti-design digital messes creators have. Games that disobey all the rules and make our jaws drop. None of that micro-innovation nonsense, we’re talking about full-on broken design. This track is for embracing new ideas and unique concepts, even if they make for a “bad” game. Don’t forget, not so many years ago, Walking Simulators were mocked for their lack of mechanics, and yet Campo Santo (creators of Fire Watch) have just been acquired by Valve. We have the power to redefine what games can be and the power to expand our understanding of what “good games” are.
Use this form to submit your game.
Send questions to DifferentGamesConference@gmail.com.
You may view our website at differentgames.org