Waffle Games 8.0: EGD's Free NYC Gaming Convention Coming this June!

It’s that time of year again: waffles are in season this June 14th-15th with

Waffle Games 8.0! All are welcome to the City College of New York’s North Academic Center (NAC) and EGD’s official Twitch for our flagship, NYC-based hybrid gaming event!

What is Waffle Games?

Waffle Games is the EGD's annual convention and conference run by students for everyone. It lasts two days, with the first being in person and the second being virtual.

In the past, our event has brought in over 600 students, recent grads, and industry professionals to play, design, compete, and learn!

Try Out Some Games at the Expo Hall!

One of the best parts of the event is the expo hall on IRL Saturday.

We have numerous developers (as many as 50!), including local studios and even our students, who come and present their latest games for guests to try out. You may even see one of these games pop off on Steam someday!

That’s why we love exposing these exhibitors to a wider audience. In 2023, for example, a group from EGD’s Exploration Program got to demonstrate a psychological horror visual novel project called Café Chat 2.

Aside from game developers, plenty of artists attend to showcase their amazing print work! We’ve been lucky enough to have creatives like Mars Gainsboro, a local pixel artist who worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, and Tatiana from HiyaTati, who does accessory designs for items such as bags, hats, and keychains.

Panels & Talks: Learn From Pros and Students Alike

IRL and virtual panels are always a fantastic way to bring our community together to discuss fun gaming topics or hear some helpful insights about the industry from professionals, fellow students, and hobbyists.

Guest speakers from the gaming industry come to speak about their experiences working in games and how students can succeed and make a name for themselves.

Previously, Alexander Raff, Director of Esports at Brooklyn College, discussed how multiple schools, students, and administrators collaborated to create an Esports community. We’ve also had virtual speakers like Julia Handschin, Denisse Takes, and Jade Van Overmeir, who talked about fostering gaming communities that can change lives, grow bonds, and increase game enjoyment.

As for a few upcoming talks this year, David Or, President of Mocha Chili, Inc., will be explaining how to make diverse character rosters at the NAC, and Yarden Weissbrot, Game Director & Producer at Clover Bite, will talk on Twitch about level design variety!

Skill Is Not An Issue...Jump Into a Waffle Games Tournament!

Another cool thing about Waffle Games? The entry-free tournaments with prizes!

These tournaments are open to all, regardless of skill level, so anyone can pick up a controller and have at it. Due to this, we’ve gathered 200 gamers for tournaments alone in the past years.

This year, we’ll host Valorant, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and our first-ever Dance Central 3 tournament! So don’t be afraid to sign up, you might win something awesome!

Why Else Should You Stop By?

Other perks aside from what we mentioned are our casual gaming activities and free-play games! Board games and consoles open for use on Saturday, virtual DND and party game sessions like Jackbox on Sunday, you name it.

Oh, and let’s also not forget the most important thing about this event: the free waffles!!

Don’t just take the author's word for it, though. Here’s what Mark Allman, Studio Program Manager at EGD, has to say about Waffle Games:

“...It’s free and inclusive; Waffle Games is open to literally everybody. There’s space for people who’ve been devs for years, people who are in high school and considering a career in games, and people who don’t want to be in game dev at all but just love to play games, so we make that space for them.”

What Are You Waiting For? Celebrate All Things Games in NYC With Us!

Our event is hybrid, meaning if you can’t attend in person on June 14th at the NAC building, you can still come to our virtual section on June 15th and vice versa

(or both :D).

While both days will have panels, virtual ones will be pre-recorded and streamed on Twitch, with live Q&As and gaming sessions on Discord. Additionally, tournaments are in person.

If all of that sounds good to you, come and join us! We’ll see you all there!

🎟️🎉Grab your ticket today: https://www.egdcollective.org/wafflegames2025

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Finally, consider joining our membership program! Benefits of registering for our membership tiers include access to student support services, fellowship programs, and more. You can find more information on our website here.