Games are a vibrant medium, and there's a remarkable array of developers out there right now designing games that can help people cope, heal, and find solace.
You'll have an opportunity to meet at least a few of them at the Game Developers Conference next month, where -- in a special Independent Games Summit talk -- six different creators will present a set of microtalks on "Personal Experiences as Games."
Presenters Nathalie Lawhead (alienmelon, developer of the pictured Everything Is Going to Be Okay), Jingyu Sui (NYU), Priscilla Snow (Bravemule & Ghoulnoise), Kevin Snow (Bravemule & Ghoulnoise), Jenny Jiao Hsia (Hexecutable) and Nina Freeman (Fullbright) will each discuss how they create games for personal expression, coping, empathy, mental health, and more, as well as what methods they've used to convey personal messages that speak on deeper topics.
As much as games are about mastery of a skill, games can be about mastery of emotions, and addressing issues people might be closed off to. Games can help people cope, heal, and find solace. This set of microtalks is a discussion about using game development practices to make a difference; expect to walk away with a better understanding of what games are capable of, as well as some practical insight into how to deal with topics of vulnerability, openness, empathy, personal messages, social awareness, and mental health.
Further details on this intriguing talk and many more are available now on the GDC 2019 Session Scheduler. There you can begin to lay out your GDC 2019, which takes place March 18th through the 22nd at the (newly renovated!) Moscone Center in San Francisco.
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For more details on GDC 2019 visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
