Talk & Play is a free event, taking place every two months, that provides the opportunity to game enthusiasts, players and makers to meet and exchange knowledge in a friendly, relaxed and safe environment. Everybody’s welcome, regardless of their background and knowledge level: if you like games, we’ll make sure you have a good time! Important: this is NOT an event only aimed at developers.

>> Important: RSVP via meetup.com is mandatory to attend the talks! Registrations will open on Tuesday, November 17th at 2pm CET (Berlin time). Please note that attendance after 9pm is free, no registration will be required. <<

HOW IT WORKS

The event is structured in two parts:

— TALK: A couple of short game-related presentations, followed by a Q&A session.

— PLAY: All participants are welcome to bring games they’ve made or are still working on so that the audience can play them – a perfect opportunity to discover and play new games, collect feedback and, who knows?, maybe find collaborators for future projects.

THE TALKS

“Responsive Game Design” by Jesse Freeman

Gone are the days where you can make a game and publish it to a single platform expecting a sure fire success. The best way to solve this problem is something I call “responsive game design” based on the same principles that work so well in responsive design for web apps. During this talk we’ll cover how to apply this strategy to your own games enabling them to scale across desktop, mobile, tablet and even TV.
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Jesse Freeman is a Developer Evangelist at Amazon focusing on HTML5 & gaming. As an expert in his field, Jesse has worked for Microsoft, MLB, HBO, the New York Jets, VW, Tommy Hilfiger and many more. In addition to development, Jesse has a background in Art with a Masters in Interactive Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. @jessefreeman // jessefreeman.com

“Memory Through Play” by Catherine Lennartz

This talk focuses on the idea that games can be memorials of historic events. I will look at Call of Duty (the early ones), as a totally mainstream war game, as well as This War of Mine. I will present my thoughts on what it takes for a game to be a memorial.
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I’m a graduate student at Brandenburg University of Technology, researching the social and cultural aspects of games. My thesis research will focus on gaming communities and how they affect intercultural relations. I’m from Canada originally and my love for games comes from spending most of my childhood watching my older brother play because he would never let me. @SkippyCatz

THE GAMES

This is the list of confirmed games that will be shown during the second part of the evening (you’re still welcome to bring yours, but we can’t guarantee there will be space to show it):

– 76 by Waterman7
– 3030 Deathwar Redux by Bird in Sky & Crunchy Leaf Games
– Aragic by @tschery @gianfrancodbeis 
– Blockocalypse by Firepunchd
– Boat for Two by Sonia Fizek and Team
– Card Thief by Tinytouchtales
– Catcher by Tobias Wehrum
– Death Trash by Stephan Hövelbrinks
– Downhill* by Screen Implosion
– Jay by Maxim Wermke
– Kazong by Kazong Games
– Make More! by Bad Crane
– Miserable Pocket Man by Vladimir Storm
– Nuclear Reaction by Sven Ahlgrimm
– One Show Only by Tristan
– Runic Rampage by electrocosmos
– Temple of Cerberus by Pixeltastic
– Treasure Monkeys by Johanna Jacob 

AGENDA

— 19:00 Doors: come early to get one of the best seats

— 19:30 Talks

— 21:00 Game showcase & networking: play games and chat with their creators, or just hang around and meet new people

— 23:00 The end aka “Gone Home”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Our Safe Space Policy encourages the behaviour at Talk & Play. We request that everyone who is affiliated with and participates to the event honours it.

Check out the recap of the previous event if you want to get a better idea of what Talk & Play is like.

The event is free to attend.

FINAL NOTES

Do you have any questions? Would you like to give a talk in the future? Then get in touch!

Talk & Play is organised by BerlinGameScene.com with the promotional and technical support of the monthly Berlin Mini Game Jam and A MAZE.