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Amazing Montreal Indie Scene Meet-up Extravaganza Round-Up

Laid back on my wooden chair, I was sinking my teeth in a delicious rabbit burger (I just had to order) when I noticed a bunch of fellow indie developers and game aficionados gather around the projector’s screen. I had recognized familiar faces, such as Fez-famed Phil Fish and Renaud Bédard, and already met a few fresh ones when the very first Amazing Montreal Indie Scene Meet-up Extravaganza officially began. With good food, good people and good beer, this last Wednesday evening had the right ingredients to make an excellent happening.

The gathering, organized by the two fine gentlemen that are Nick Rudzicz and Stephen Ascher (respectively Newton64 and Six from the TIGS forums), kicked things off with local indie developers showing off their work to the 25 players and developers who showed up in the downtown Montreal pub. No Fun Games, a group consisting of Renaud Bédard, Henk Boom, and Matthew Gallant, fired up the evening by showing their latest game Tea Time Quarrel. Created for TO Jam 5, this little game pits British gentlemen into an all out battle where the rules are decided by the players themselves. They also showcased a second game, Pax Britannica, a one button space battle RTS made for the GAMMA 4 event, which received some nice responses. Also under the spotlight was the unique and humoristic Rider Saves the World by the flamboyant Renaud (The Monster King from TIGS forums). This TO Jam 5 game can be described as “just like the Armageddon movie but with an afro guy and a space octopus”. As a treat, the ever popular and delightfully charming Fez was available for a quick spin and filled the room with sweet chiptunes and beautiful visuals. Throughout the evening, developers would take their turn to show their stuff while attendees discussed, met new people and enjoyed a cold one.

The evening was relaxed, friendly and spontaneous. Developers felt at ease to demonstrate their work and players enjoyed playing them. It truly reflected the image of the indie community. The gathering was a success and managed to attract over 30 individuals spread out throughout the evening, only using word-to-mouth. “It absolutely exceeded my expectations. I think there's a ton of talent in this town, and it was high time we all got together” said co-organizer Nick Rudzicz regarding the evening.  The indie community is alive in Montreal and its members aren’t afraid of lurking out of their lair and show what they can do. Toronto has the Hand Eye Society; Chicago has Indie City Games; Ottawa has Dirty Rectangles; it’s about time the Montreal indie developers formed their very own group. It is also interesting to note that the meetup attracted not just indie developers, but piqued the interest of developers in the mainstream industry and players with the itch of game creation as well. “I think it shows that there's a tremendous amount of latent interest in independent games in the city. It's definitely a good sign » said co-organizer Stephen Ascher.

I am eagerly waiting for the next evening and I am hoping truly hoping that these evenings will become a tradition here in Montreal. As a developer, it was pretty nice to see other people with the same passion about crafting awesome games. I can’t wait to see how this event will take shape during the months and years to come.