Timothy R. Alexander
June 11, 2020
Hi fellow geeks! In honor of Black Lives Matter movement we are highlighting a few of our favorite games by black game developers. Why should we give extra love & support to Black game developers? The Game Developers of Color (GDOC) Expo put it best: “The gaming population mirrors the world population, but the game development industry does not." A 2016 report by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) found that only 3% of people working in games in the U.S. are Black, compared with 13% of the nation's population as a whole. Black developers are a minority, but the community is growing, and a lot of avenues for support are popping up thanks to folks in the industry who use their platform to support others. An additional increase in accessibility for digital art, programming, and design learning is helping more people find their own way to game development. Today we aim to celebrate this growing community of Black game developers and showcase just a piece of this collective body of work. We’ll also provide links so you can do some exploring on your own!
Financial support is the most powerful method of supporting marginalized creators, so it’s important that you buy games, become a patron, recommend Black developers when you hear of open positions at game studios, and hire the immensely qualified Black developers who are applying at your studios. If you don’t have the financial power to support right now, please follow these games & their teams on twitter and share their work with your friends and followers!
*this list is not all-encompassing! We encourage you to keep searching if games by Black developers are not readily available to you. You can also reply in the comments with the games and studios that you think deserve to be lifted up. Please refrain from linking the personal accounts of developers you know without their expressed permission.
1. Swimsanity! by Ahmed and Khalil Abdullah
Swimsanity! (to be released later this year) takes one of my favorite genres, the “bullet-hell,” and takes it sub nautical. Team up with three of your friends to take on giant sharks, robotic turtles, and laser toting lobsters in this fast paced, lighthearted adventure. With 4-player cooperative, survival, and versus modes, plus plenty of upgrades to unlock for your divers, you’ll have enough game to spend hours on end playing. Better yet, it’s available on Xbox, PS4, Steam, and the Nintendo Switch, so you can enjoy it at home or take it on the go!
Find more information here: http://www.decoygames.com/
2. Five Stages: A Cycle of Ruined Romances by Catt Small (with Asia Hoe and Chris Algoo)
Five Stages is a straightforward project, but therein lies its beauty. Its free to play and can be finished in about 15 minutes. The objective is to survive a breakup, playing your way through the stages of grief, each stage changing the gameplay in some way or another. The first stage (denial) has you make your way through a stage while being assaulted by the phrases “We should break up,” and “Stop calling me!” Anyone who has experienced a bad breakup will be able to relate to this one.
Find more information here: https://cattsmall.com/games/five-stages/
3. Media is Dead, You are Alive by MrTedders
Video games are a form of art, for sure, but some feel less like a game and more like an exhibition of the developer’s mind. MrTedders has done exactly this, creating a surreal trip through a cyberpunk world and solve small puzzles to move from area to area. While Media is Dead is not the most exciting game you’ll ever play, it is a jaunt through a dark, artsy world that you won’t soon forget. This game is also free to download on PC, with the creator allowing you to name your own price for the game. However, we encourage you to make a donation if you download it to support the creators.
Find more information here: https://mrtedders.itch.io/media-is-dead-you-are-alive
4. Concentric by Ben Wilson (ZeroFiftyOne)
A game for when you need to kill some time, Concentric is a relaxing game where you move back and forth between rings to collect energy and bring it back to the core. With its chill music and smooth gameplay, it’s easy to zone out and forget your worries as you time your moves and vie for the top score on the leaderboards. The only thing that would make this one better for me is if it were set to lofi. This game can be downloaded on PC for a minimum of only $1, but you can choose to show your support by opting to pay more.
Find more information here: https://zerofiftyone.itch.io/concentric
5. Even more games that you can find at GDOC!
The Game Developers of Color Expo (GDOC) takes place on September 19, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic it will be held virtually this year. Sit in with other developers and gamers for a celebration of people of color in the gaming industry. GDOC is a safe space for everyone in the gaming community to come together in this celebration regardless of age, race, gender, ability, etc.
Check it out at gamedevsofcolorexpo.com
Again, this list of games is not all-encompassing. We encourage you to reply in the comments with more black-centric games and creators that you think deserve to be recognized.
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