This year's virtual Game Devs of Color Expo is worth checking out, even if you're not a developer

If there’s one good thing about 2020, it’s that the wide variety of virtual events makes it easier to attend conferences and shows we otherwise would have no chance to participate in. The Game Devs of Color Expo, taking place from September 19-20, is one such event. It’s a smaller expo you might not have heard of, but which is all the more important given the ongoing discussions about diversity in game development, which came back into focus with the beginning of new Black Lives Matter protests in June of this year.

The Game Devs of Color Expo provides a space for POC in game development to present their  work and speak on a number of development-related topics. Events like this are a great way not only to find out more about developers and games you might not have heard about, but also to learn more about game development in general. Additionally, Steam is going to run another demo event for this expo, called “Gradient Convergence”. Much like the currently ongoing showcase for the digital PAX Online x EGX Digital event, Gradient Convergence will give you the opportunity to play demos of a variety of games and watch live footage. Demos include the likes of Lucifer Within Us, She Dreams Elsewhere, Skate Story, and many more. Apart from video games, Game Devs of Color Expo also presents a number of tabletop games with interesting names such as “Winsults”, “Inequality-opoly” and a graphic design education game called “Design Eye”.