The Career Center
Character Modeling for Next Gen Games
January 22nd, 2022 | Online | 10PM-12AM PST
Learn what is needed to be a good character artist, and receive an overview on how to sculpt digital characters, the various processes & techniques by using Zbrush for video games, movies, or collectibles in this introductory workshop.
The Career Center
Character Modeling for Next Gen Games
January 22nd, 2022 | Online | 10PM-12AM PST
Learn what is needed to be a good character artist, and receive an overview on how to sculpt digital characters, the various processes & techniques by using Zbrush for video games, movies, or collectibles in this introductory workshop.
The Career Center
Character Modeling for Next Gen Games
January 22nd, 2022 | Online | 10PM-12AM PST
Learn what is needed to be a good character artist, and receive an overview on how to sculpt digital characters, the various processes & techniques by using Zbrush for video games, movies, or collectibles in this introductory workshop.
Talks & Schedule
WAFFLE GAMES 9.0
April 18th, 2026
SPEAKER SESSIONS
When Worlds Collide - Making Games in a
Polarized World
11:10 AM -12:00 PM ​
Kate Edwards
When you create a game, you create a world of content that carries culture - of yourself, your team, your company, and your place of origin. While you can control the forces that guide your creative vision and shape your game’s world, you can’t influence how global players will react to your game. More game creators are allowing this fear to paralyze creative direction and second guess their choices. Learn from the award-winning, 30+ year culturalization expert Kate Edwards about how to successfully navigate world-building in a cultural and political environment of increasing division.
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Includes Q&A
The One Who Gets It Done: Common Threads in a
Varied Career
12:05 -12:35 PM
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Steve Blumenthal
Steve shares his experiences on what works for getting hired and maintaining career sustainability in the games industry from his perspective as a freelance composer and audio director. Due to the massive number of layoffs from both established and emerging games companies in recent years, many professionals now find themselves suddenly unemployed and scrambling. Freelancers encounter these types of situations frequently, and due to this they have their own toolkits to navigate these situations. The layoffs were not a singular event but rather the culmination of several converging factors: companies over-investing and growing unsustainably, rising development costs, and recent world events. Steve will share his experiences with being the one who gets hired, where one should focus their efforts in finding work, his philosophy on portfolios, and his thoughts on maintaining a work/life balance while navigating what can be an intense situation.
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Includes Q&A
Games Made Quickly and Cheaply
12:40 -1:10 PM
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Lawrence Mascia
This talk covers all the basics of game design and starting when you have no resources, no time and no skills. Goodnight Games covers all solutions, how to start your first project and how to take it to market on a schedule that works for you!
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Includes Q&A
Building to Win: Using Frameworks to
Focus Development
1:40 - 2:25 PM
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Mason Capitano
As developers we are constantly chasing perfection, but the reality is that we can't win everywhere. Even large AAA teams have to be focused and strategic in development, choosing which areas deserve the most attention, and which have to take a back seat. Making the wrong choices can be catastrophic, and going off "vibes" is rarely the right approach. Through thoughtful and strategic planning, teams of all sizes can use critical thinking and frameworks to give them and their teams the best chance of success. This thoughtful conversation will be led by Mason Capitano, Director of Research & Analytics at The Believer Company, and an alumni of Riot Games, Bethesda, and Activision.
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Includes Q&A
Developing With Your Audience
3:05 - 3:15 PM
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Jessica Hendrix
Developing educational games and experiences for students requires iteration. Games used within K-12 classrooms need feedback from both teachers and students to ensure the game is meeting the needs of teachers and that students are learning the content. Understanding how and when to bring teachers and students into the development process is key to building an easily adoptable game for schools. During this talk, Jessica Ochoa Hendrix will discuss how her company, Killer Snails, works with teachers, students, and schools to develop educational games.
Secrets of Steam, Marketing, and Design
3:25 - 4:10 PM
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Erik Kovac
Before you look to make a game on Steam and hope for it to succeed, you can find out about the secrets of the platform, the marketing that matters, and how design impacts the probability of success. Passionate developers create games that they feel should exist, but not every game has an audience, and not every game matches what Steam even cares about (both its players and the algorithms). I've worked with dozens of Developers world wide and the insights gained from those experiences could be your leg up on creating your dream studio!
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Includes Q&A
League of Legends Tribunal
4:15 - 5:00 PM ​
A theatric interactive session where people can bring their teammates to trial and get totally official legal decisions on who was right!
WORKSHOPS
How Games and Improv Create Belonging
1:05 - 2:35 PM​
Jay Painter
Games and improvisation are powerful tools for building community, helping strangers form trust, connection, and shared identity through play. In gaming spaces, classrooms, and creative communities, people often struggle to build real connection and collaboration quickly, especially across differences in experience, confidence, or background. This interactive, on-your-feet workshop uses improvisational games and game design principles to demonstrate how rules, shared risk, and repetition accelerate belonging, giving participants practical tools they can use to build stronger, more inclusive communities. The workshop is presented by Jay Painter, founder and artistic director of BATSU!, an improviser, director, game designer, and educator who has led play-based communication and leadership programs for universities and organizations including Columbia Business School, NYU, The New School, Berklee College of Music, and Fortune 500 companies.
Pico-8 for Beginners!
3:30 - 5:00 PM​
Geneva Heyward
Learn how to use Pico-8, one of the most easily accessible game engines that mimics the hardware limitations of the 90s. As software has become more taxing on the average person's computer, and hardware has become more inaccessible, finding a free game engine that runs right in your browser is becoming less common. This workshop will teach participants the ins and outs of Pico-8, along with the many successful games that started as playful prototypes in it. By the end of the session, participants will have a simple top-down level saved to their devices. This workshop only requires a laptop that can be connected to the internet to join. (We will be using pico-8-edu, which has very few differences from the paid version of Pico-8.)
TOURNAMENT & CASUAL GAME SCHEDULE
Tournaments
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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11:30 AM : Check-in opens
12:00 PM : Event starts
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League of Legends 1v1
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11:30 AM : Check-in opens
12:00 PM : Event starts
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2XKO
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01:30 PM : Check-in opens
02:00 PM : Event starts
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Teamfight Tactics
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02:30 PM : Check-in opens
03:00 PM : Event starts
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Valorant
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02:30 PM : Check-in opens
03:00 PM : Event starts
Casual Games
Dance Central 3: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Tetris: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Jackbox: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Wii Sports: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM