EGD's FREE Convention & Conference
Waffle Games is the EGD's annual convention and conference (usually) held each spring semester - run by students, for students. Our 2023 event brought in over 600 students, recent grads, and industry professionals to City College to play, design, compete, and learn. This year, we welcome you to join us in June during the NYC Summer of Games!
The care of the future of games is ours
...and when we democratize games education, we all win.
More than just an affordable con, Waffle Games is a celebration of what it means to be involved with gaming. Panels, workshops, tournaments, and an expo hall come to life every spring with one mission: to allow everyone the chance to get involved with the community, chase their dreams, and change our industry for the better.
XR Panel (2021): Jessica Kantor, The Look Club; Noelle Masurek, Games for Change; Lawrence Yang, Valve; Will Roberts, VR Diamond Leauge; Lupe Leos, California State University Long Beach.
Game Translation and Localization (2019)​: Ayaka Sato, College of Staten Island
DATES & THINGS TO DO
June 22nd - Day 1 (CCNY NAC Building)
June 23rd - Day 2 (Virtual)
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IRL & virtual expo hall with over 50 exhibitors to interact with! Play their games, try their products, and ogle at their art while you try to convince yourself that you don't need another fanart print of your favorite character.
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Panels, workshops, and talks from industry professionals, hobbyists, and people like you! We encourage anyone who has something to share to do so - from career advice on breaking into games, to how to make the best D&D map.
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Gaming sessions from Jackbox Party Pack to 7 Wonders, as well as drop-in PUGs.
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No entry fee tournaments, including League of Legends, Mariokart, Teamfight Tactics, and SSBU.
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One-shot RPG campaigns for both beginner and experienced players.
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Networking opportunities. Chat and meet with peers and industry professionals.
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Free-to-enter and donation raffles. You could win merch, games, maybe even something bigger...
Building Better Worlds through Game Culturalization (2021)​: Kate Edwards, Geogrify/Global Game Jam
Session Tracks
Career Exploration
Gain insight into your potential career path! Discover what skills you need, what the profession entails, how to find the right opportunities, and how to build a portfolio that can get you noticed.
In Practice
More technical sessions aimed at building and expanding fundamental skills, as well as case studies and deep-dives.
Around the Industry
Dive into current industry innovations with topics such as inclusivity, esports, the metaverse, education, and socially-driven experiences. We invite you to share your insights, solve problems, and shape the future of the gaming industry.
Community of Play
Casual gamers and fandom-lovers unite! Players, hobbyists, and creators of all kinds can benefit from these sessions centered on gaming communities.
June 22nd Schedule
How Your Values Affect Your Game's Global Success | Kate Edwards | 11:30AM-12:30PM | 1/201
In today's world, the impact of real-world politics and cultural shifts on the gaming industry is more apparent than ever. Recent events have prompted game companies to reassess their creative decisions in light of evolving global dynamics. With governments worldwide implementing new regulations and restrictions, game developers face the challenge of balancing their artistic integrity with the need to appeal to diverse markets for revenue. This session delves into the complex interplay between company values, external events, and market demands, offering insights on how game developers can navigate these challenges effectively, from pre-production to post-release.
Kate Edwards is an award-winning 30+ year veteran of the game industry, and the CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, a consultancy which innovated content culturalization, as well as the CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters, a film tourism app. She is also the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Global Game Jam. In 2021, she was included in the Forbes' "50 Over 50" Vision List and was also inducted into the Women in Games Hall of Fame. Her work can be seen in the Age of Empires series, Dead Rising series, Street Fighter 6, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Dragon Age II, and many more!
Inclusive Design: The Story of HugMatch | Chloe Koo & Gabriel Lee | 12:30PM-01:30PM | 1/201
The history of toys shows that toys are a form of tool that fulfills our instincts for play and learning. Created as an MFA thesis at Parsons School of Design, HugMatch is an interactive toy and accompanying game for visually impaired toddlers that stimulates the senses and skills that typically develop at their age—touch, sound, and social cues. With this toy, children also learn how to socially interact, communicate their opinion, compromise and cooperate with each other. HugMatch was the culmination of months of research at different schools and institutions for the blind, including St. Joseph’s School for the Blind and Lighthouse International. This talk will discuss the process of inclusive design through the lessons learned from this project that can be applied in both digital and physical design.
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Chloe Koo is a New York-based award-winning designer with over ten years of experience in diverse companies, such as Amazon, Deloitte, and IBM Watson. She completed her MFA at Parsons School of Design and is now studying for her Ed.M at Columbia University. Her experience has led her to speak at various design conferences, organizations, and companies, including IBM, the NYC Department of Education, Seoul National University Asia Center, The HCI Society of Korea, and various Maker Faires across the country. She is also a mentor and guest speaker at SXSW EDU, AIGA, New York University, Parsons School of Design, Binghamton University, and The New York Public Library. Her work has been exhibited and screened at the Boston Children’s Museum, the Independence Seaport Museum, Liberty Science Center, the New York Hall of Science, the Garner Arts Center, the Long Island Explorium, and at CUNY City Tech.
Gabriel Lee is a project manager and head of public affairs for Hugmatch. Prior to joining the team, he worked at the United Nations, served in the US military, and taught English in Korea.
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There's a Cube, There's a Button: Building Puzzles Through Experiential Learning | Josh Hirshfield | 12:30-1:30PM | 1/202
In this talk, we'll explore the construction of puzzles by integrating learning theory and experiential learning concepts. Players engage in active, passive, and experiential forms of self-driven learning within the game environment. Drawing from examples in other game projects, we'll illustrate how these principles can create engaging and educational experiences. By leveraging these techniques in our own work, we empower players to develop advanced understandings of complex systems. Attendees can expect to gain a solid grasp of puzzle design fundamentals, ensuring they leave with valuable insights for their own projects.
Josh Hirshfield is an award winning game designer and developer with a rich portfolio of indie, AAA, and educational work. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Games at New York University and Pratt Institute, as well as the Lead Developer of Vivarium.
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Being Part of an Indie Studio: The Decoy Games Experience | Ahmed Abdullah, Khalil Abdullah, Victor Perez,
Jamal Woods, Emilio Lopez, Porrith Song | 1:00PM-2:00PM | 1/201
Curious about the inner workings of an indie game studio? Unsure about the entry point or the essential skills required? Join us for insights straight from the creative minds at Decoy Games. From developers to animators, concept artists to studio leads, we'll share our collective experiences. What began as a humble duo has blossomed into a team of 30 diverse talents, each with their own path into the industry. Discover the secrets of breaking into game development and glean invaluable advice for your own journey.
Khalil and Ahmed Abdullah are Co-Founders and Developers of Decoy Games. With no prior professional game development experience, they used their deep passion for video games and extensive imagination to start building their own development studio. Today, Decoy Games is a multi-award winning game company focused on creating unique game experiences, merchandise and content while also using their platform to encourage innovation across all aspects of the game industry.
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Does She Slay? Is He Giving Zaddy? Developing and Validating Visually Resonant Characters | Mason Capitano | 01:30PM-2:00PM | 1/202
Marquee characters are one of the vital ingredients of a developing game’s recipe to bring in players and get them to love what you’re cooking. But how do you know your character designs are the real deal? In today’s crowded games space, it’s more important than ever to ensure your game has memorable, resonant, and exciting characters. Good characters are simply not good enough. In this talk, learn about a framework for designing and evaluating character visuals that will make your game outshine others at a glance.
Mason has been a researcher in the games space for the last decade. Currently he is the Director of Research and Analytics at The Believer Company. Previous to joining Believer he spent time at Nuverse, Riot Games, Bethesda, and Activision, working on some of best and biggest franchises including League of Legends, Call of Duty, DOOM, and The Elder Scrolls.
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Setting the Stage: Storylines for Esports | Leanne Huang | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 1/202
With a focus on NA League of Legends, this talk will take you through a typical story meeting structure for insight on the importance of storylines, how player storylines are set, and what assets or other parts of a broadcast work to support these stories that connect the game to the fans.
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Leanne is a freelance graphic designer and producer, who is currently with Supernova in the NACL. She's previously worked on LCS Proving Grounds Qualifiers as an assistant producer and tournament admin.
Cross-Stitching Pixels | Alex Wiercioch | 02:00PM-03:00PM | 1/201
Join us for a workshop on cross-stitch, while we create our favorite pixelized video game characters! Walk away with a keychain.
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Alex Wiercioch is a Junior at Hunter College. He enjoys plants, crafts, and video games.
How to Design a Fighting Game | M. Paul Weeks | 02:30PM-3:30PM | 1/202
Fighting games have a reputation for being one of the hardest genres to design. Each small decision can have cascading effects on balance and game feel. In this talk, we explore the building blocks behind a fighting game engine, how to establish good rules and patterns, and why balance can be so tricky.
M. Paul Weeks is the co-creator of the browser-based, indie fighting game Tough Love Arena. He is a web dev with proficiency in several backend tech stacks & modern frontend frameworks. He currently teaches and is a public speaker at fan conventions. He is also the founder of an office Barbershop Quartet that saw multiple performances.
Game Studio Program Info Session | EGD Staff | 02:30PM-3:00PM | 1/203
EGD’s Game Studio Program is a playfully professional development experience and project incubator. Take part in a mock AAA studio and choose one of 21 concentrations, while attending networking trips and polishing your portfolio. Meet staff, students, and alumni from EGD's Game Studio Program and get your questions answered! GSP is open to all current students and recent graduates in the US, and CUNY students can major in games with it!
Player/Character Relationships in MMOs | Skye Guan | 03:00PM-03:30PM | 1/203
When you're playing a game, your character is like your eyes and ears in that virtual world. They're often designed to reflect you in some way, visually or thematically. But not everyone sees their in-game character as a direct extension of themselves, even in games like Final Fantasy XIV Online where you're encouraged to really get into your character. There are two main ways people relate to their in-game characters: some see them as personal reflections or extensions of themselves, while others see them more as tools to control the game and shape their gaming experience. Join Skye Guan as he discusses his research on this topic from his ongoing Master’s Thesis.
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Skye Guan is an educator, game designer, digital artist, writer, and programmer, currently pursuing an MA in Game Design at Lindenwood University. Equipped with a BA in Game Studies and a background in queer & feminist theory, he specializes in exploring the dynamic relationships between games, cultures, and players through both research and games.
Designing Games Without a Budget | Lawrence Mascia & Shawn Gee | 03:00PM-3:30PM | 1/201
A basic introduction to the creation of digital games for people who are just starting out with no resources available and no budget to begin with. This talk provides you with ideas and allows you to have an open discussion about getting started with your first game as well as taking it to a state where you can have it published on a platform of your choice!
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Lawrence Mascia and Shawn Gee are co-Creative Directors for Goodnight Games. Lawrence has also been a professor of game design at The New York Institute of Technology for over 12 years.
Pixel Art in the Modern Industry | Marceline Gainsboro | 3:30PM-4:30PM | 1/201
Pixel art is one of the oldest aesthetics in the gaming industry, dating back almost as far as video games themselves. But as gaming's relationship with technology evolves, how do we find new ways to keep pixel art alive- or more importantly, how do we get paid for it?
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Marceline is a professional pixel artist and animator with a history working on indie titles big and small, as well as, funny enough, major motion pictures. She's dabbled in all sorts of styles, programs, and tools, creating content and mods for games like Rivals of Aether, and Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart.
Climbing Games: Importance of the Journey | Isabellie Konty | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 1/203
The last decade has seen an increasing number of climbing games, where one's goal is to reach some glorious summit through vertical progression. And yet, when one reaches this summit, they still choose to find another. We are not satiated by the summit, but by the climb.
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Isabellie is a recent graduate from the NYU Game Center and current indie developer based in NYC. She works every area of development, but is well and truly awful at art. Her current game, Psycho Coded✨, is part of the Waffle Games exhibition and her previous game, What?!, is available on Steam.
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Gifting Games: Developing For Friends | Logan Cavaliere | 03:30PM-04:00PM | 1/203
Have you ever thought that your own video game projects and ideas could be used for more than just boosting your portfolio or as exercises to keep up programming skills? It turns out that they absolutely can! In this presentation, Logan from Glass Robot, will be showing you how to turn a fun yet simple gamedev project into birthday presents for friends and family, inspiring knickknacks for your home or workspace, and of course fuel for creative portfolios.
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Logan is the Co-Founder and Creative Lead of Glass Robot, a local game developer and Satellite Team for the International Game Developers Association from Long Island with 10 years of experience in creating impactful experiences across entertainment media, various service industries, and in educational environments. Credits include developing indie games such as Tranquil Garden and Clear Circuits, teaching game design curricula in schools across the Valley Stream Central and Roosevelt Union Free School Districts, and public speaking with Family & Children's Association about homelessness in New York as well as the power of gamification of businesses.
Designing a Blueprint for Collegiate Esports Success | Alexander Raff | 3:30PM-4:00PM | 1/202
Brooklyn College has cemented itself in just under 2 years as one of the most competitive esports programs in the Northeast. However, it took a lot of work from several student leaders, administrators and industry veterans to make it happen. Using this example, we will examine how it all came together and how other schools, students, as well as administrators can push the envelope for competitive success on a tight budget. Simultaneously, it will tell the story of unique student engagement from the casual player to the aspiring pro alongside the argument for why public colleges should prioritize this innovative recruitment and retention vehicle.
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Alexander Raff is the current Director of Esports at Brooklyn College. As a US Army veteran, he shifted gears from his competitive lifestyle as a Modern Army Combatives Program assistant instructor (and later college wrestler) into coaching League of Legends. Because New York City has a highly talented gaming community, Alexander hopes to bring this success to all of CUNY.
League of Legends Tribunal | Darnell Benoit, Cory McKen, Daquan Griffith, Kai Hei Wong, Phong Nguyen |
04:00PM-05:00PM | 1/202
A theatric interactive session where people can bring their teammates to trial and get totally official legal decisions on who was right. Worlds 2023 merch available to participants! Led by the honorable judge Darnell Benoit, and his jury members.
Karaoke | Lorie Lamont | 4:00PM-5:00PM | 1/203
Join us for karaoke! Grab your friends, grab the mic.
Crossroads and Crosstalk: A Gamer’s Journey | Anthony Rossi | 4:30PM-5:00PM | 1/201
So you enjoy gaming, but there's got to be something more. You may have an idea that you pursue, but after a while your priorities may shift. Or, even better, you gain more skills and confidence along the way. Join Anthony Rossi, Event Director of the 1UpState Game Dev Expo, as he shares all his lessons learned moving from gaming as a simple hobby into something more. Something so much more!
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Anthony Rossi is a a life long gamer and the Event Director of the 1UpState Game Dev Expo. He works to bridge connections within the gaming industry for future generations and creatives.
Committee
Kyra Wills-Umdenstock
MPA - NYU '26
Hunter College '20
Huimin Zhuo
MSW - Hunter College '23
Hunter College '19
Kai Lacerna
CUNY BA '25
Bian Pasiliao
Queens College '22
Marlene Santos
City College '25
Lorie
Lamont
CUNY BA '26
Daquan Griffith
CUNY BA '25
Mark
Allman
CUNY BA '23
Michelle
Tu
The New School '22
Tomasz Wiercioch
CUNY BA '23
Brooklyn College '20
Brandon Smith
CUNY BA '25
Nelson Lieu
Hunter College '23
Amanda Lum
CUNY BA '26
Wiktor Kolakowski
CUNY BA '26
Iggy Pua-Venzon
Fordham '23
Emmanuel Contreras
CUNY BA '22
Habin
Park
CUNY BA '25
Paul
Carrano
Hunter College '24
Vincent Liok
NYU '23
Michael Poorun
CUNY BA '25
Du
Lam
CUNY BA '26
Randall Formelu
MA - Miami University '23
Saint Michael's College '20
Joshua
Nunez
CUNY BA '25