The Tabletop Game Alliance of Washington State (TGA), is hosting the third annual tabletop game summit – the Future of Games. The Future of Games is an expanded one-day event held on March 14th in Olympia, WA. Some summit features include an expo hall, seminars, panel discussions, opportunities for professional development and networking with educators, non-profits, game designers, illustrators, community organizers, retailers, and other professionals in the tabletop game industry.
This year, the TGA has launched an exciting new feature of the summit: the New Designer Showcase and Mentorship Program.
From Feb 1st-Feb 14th the TGA will be accepting submissions from new game designers, writers and artists currently residing in Washington state. Applicants will submit a portfolio of their work, which might include one of the following (or a combination of all three):
- Original tabletop games (TTRPG/board/card)
- Supplementary game materials (adventures, bestiaries, etc)
- Art and illustrations for games
Winners from these categories will be chosen to showcase their work at the Future of Games Summit. Additionally, two designers/artists will be selected for the TGA’s new six month mentorship program.
Leading this effort is Sarah “Sam” Saltiel, educator and member of the TGA. I had an opportunity to ask Sam a few questions about the New Designer Showcase to get a glimpse into the inspiration of and hope for the program.
Q: Please introduce yourself.
A: I’m Sarah “Sam” Saltiel. I’m a queer and nonbinary artist, writer, dancer, and game designer. I teach game design and creative writing at Evergreen State College and I am the secretary of the education board of the TGA.
Q: What is the Designer Showcase? How did it come to be?
A: I came up with the New Designer Showcase because I was trying to brainstorm to create infrastructure for new designers to join the industry. I myself joined about ten years ago, but whenever students ask about the path that got me there, it’s hard to give them replicable advice because it was a lot of “right place, right time”–that seems to be the case for a lot of other professionals in the industry! There just aren’t a ton of beginner level opportunities in the industry. This obviously isn’t great for anyone looking to join the industry, but I think that we are all suffering as well! A thriving industry or community is one that allows for innovation and fresh new ideas. If potential new designers can’t get traction, we all miss out on learning and collective growth.
The idea for this program specifically was inspired by Metatopia. I was lucky enough to be a sponsorship winner myself back in 2018 and it was such a wonderful experience where I met a lot of people that I still talk to today.
Q: What are the details of the New Designer Showcase?
A: The structure of this program is twofold:
- Applicants will send in their portfolios to be assessed by our wonderful judges. The judges will select up to twenty new designers, writers, and artists to showcase their work in person at the Future of Games Summit on March 14th. My hope is the industry folk at the event take notice of our new talent, and that this gives our new designers exposure for their work.
- One artist and one designer will additionally be chosen for a six month mentorship program, where they’ll work with Jabari Weathers and James Mendez Hodes respectively. They’ll be working with their mentors on freelance portfolios so they’ll be prepared to enter into the freelance industry!
Q: What is the hope and vision for the future of the Designer Showcase?
A: My hope is that the showcase and mentorship program continue to grow! I would love to continue to iterate on these programs year after year. Washington is the gaming capital of the world and we have a lot of really wonderful colleges around the state–I’d love to make the path between these spaces more transparent and more equitable.
Q: What would you like people to know?
A: Keep an eye out for these designers! Given that I teach many potential applicants, I’m not involved with the judging process, but I do see work from new designers on a daily basis. This new generation of designers is formidable in their talent and passion and I am so excited to see where they take it!
Q: Lastly, what is your favorite game right now?
A: Hades is currently my stress relief game when I need a break from lesson prep. In terms of tabletop games, I really love Jack Harrison’s The Slow Knife right now. It shows such elegant design and thoughtful knowledge of literary structures!
If you are a new game designer or artist and want to send your portfolio in for consideration, please visit this link and submit your work between February 1 – 14th!
Please feel free to reach out to: TGAgamesubmissions@gmail.com
