STRONGER TOGETHER
A GAMES CHARITY FUNDRAISING EVENT
About Stronger Together
Our games community has suffered some critical hits this year. The ripple effects of widespread layoffs in the games industry amidst an ongoing national mental health crisis mean that game creators and gamers need support now more than ever.
That’s where we come in. As six community based organizations that serve people who make and play games, we’ve teamed up to launch the Stronger Together In Games initiative. Our mission? Make the games industry more diverse and inclusive, foster professional growth and skill development, and support the mental health of game lovers and creators.
The demand for our services is skyrocketing, and we never back down from a challenge. We are determined to help our gaming community thrive now and in the future. To achieve this, we need your support.
Resource Lists
Bringing together the best resources from across all six organizations.
Career and Jobs
Job Board
WIGI’s Job Board was established in 2015 for our global community. Roles vary from indie to AAA.
Intra-view Series
Intra-View is a LinkedIn Live stream featuring a games industry recruiter or hiring manager. The stream creates an opporutnity for candidates to interview the interviewer to gain an insiders’ perspective on how to best navigate the hiring process, best stand out as an applicant, and gain insights through open dialogue. We aim to empower our global community of underrepresented gaming professionals to apply for roles that they previously may not have considered.
Open World Dialogue Series
An interactive monthly live stream created to foster conversations with WIGI’s global community. The streams feature industry experts on LinkedIn Live, where individuals with varied needs, goals, and viewpoints can come together to share insights, learn, and grow. Topics will explore matters associated with diversity, equity, and creating space for everyone while navigating relevant issues meaningful to underserved and underrepresented individuals in the global games industry. New live streams every second Wednesday of the month on LinkedIn Live. Follow WIGI on LinkedIn to get notified when we go live and to keep up to date with upcoming events.
WIGI Cheat Codes Podcast
Cheat Codes change the way a game is played by unlocking features, skipping levels, gaining valuable resources, and more. We built our Cheat Codes podcast around the same concept. Episodes featuring industry experts discussing topics relevant to the games industry, careers, and DEI initiatives that will help listeners jump to the next level of their careers.
Games Career Resource Library
A list of helpful resources, articles, websites & courses!
Community
Power Leveling Series
An interactive panel with an open Q&A. Sessions feature games industry professionals, exploring sensitive topics, and navigating difficult conversations. These monthly workshops are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. All Power Leveling workshops are intentionally run within the Zoom platform to foster a safe, heavily moderated space. Questions are encouraged, and participants can opt to ask anonymously at any time. These workshops are not distributed or available after the end of the session to maintain that safe space.
WIGI Affiliates and Allies
WIGI Affiliates & Allies are a global community of women, femme-identifying, all nonbinary persons, and allies who support WIGI’s mission through fundraising and ongoing amplification! We have dedicated Discord channels to provide insights, resources, and support for our WIGI Affiliates. WIGI relies on fundraising and generous donations from individuals like you. Your ongoing support is vital to providing these meaningful experiences to improve overall inclusion and diversity in the global games industry. Each dollar raised goes toward developing and running free-to-access programming.With your help, we will make the gaming industry a more inclusive space for everyone!
IGDA Chapters
Want to connect with a community of game developers in your local region? Join one of IGDA’s 130 regional chapters and help support and empower game devs in your area. Don’t see a chapter in your area? We can help you start one!
IGDA Special Interest Groups
IGDA has over 40 special interest groups bringing together game industry professionals across various affinities and identities, areas of specialization, and advocacy focuses. Whether you’re looking to meet devs who share a similar identity or peers who wish to share insights and best practices about a particular discipline, you can be a part of a global community. Many IGDA SIGs even have their own conferences, events, resources, and more.
Moderation Best Practices for Indie Devs (sponsored content)
Voice chat is a crucial part of many multiplayer games, but moderating voice chat can be cumbersome. Here are some helpful tips to better prepare yourself to detect and take action when players break your code of conduct.
Proactive Voice Moderation (sponsored content)
Unlike traditional moderation tactics such as reactive player reports, proactive voice moderation gives real-time awareness of the worst harms players are experiencing and empowers moderators to address toxic behavior holistically.
Take This Community Discord Server
The Take This Community Discord server is a mental health-affirming space for those who play games, make games, love games, or just want a chill, supportive place to rest.
Digital Safety Guide
This is for anyone who seeks to enhance their digital hygiene and security in light of anticipated or existing threats, especially women, Black, indigenous, and people of color, trans people, and everyone else whose existing oppressions are made worse by digital violence.
How Do I Stay Safe During a Hate Raid
A resource for navigating hate raids as a streamer.
Funding
Overview of R&D Tax Credit Opportunities for Game Developers
The R&D tax incentives are available to game developers across the world. This resource provides a general overview of types of tax credits and benefits you may be able to take advantage of.
Game Development
Best Practices for Game Localization
Ramp up your localization skills with these best practices provided by the IGDA Localization SIG.
Game Industry Side Take Podcast
Learn the ins and outs of game development with IGDA’s Special Interest Group Leaders and select partners.
IGDA Game Crediting Guidelines (2023)
Help the industry hold itself accountable for proper crediting practices. With this game credits guideline created by the IGDA Credits SIG, every studio can be equipped to ensure accurate credits for all projects.
Trademarks: What Game Developers Should Know
Branching out on your own? Want to ensure you protect your IP? This informational resource is to help you brush up on important legal topics that can support you in all your future game development endeavors.
Environmental Game Design Playbook – Presented by IGDA Climate SIG
A groundbreaking landmark research paper that explicitly connects environmental psychology to best practices in game design for the purpose of co-creating a common design language for discussing climate action in games.
Inclusive Game Design and Development
Discussed in the paper are a series of steps and considerations for every stage of the design and development process to help create inclusive games as well as empower underrepresented players and create an impassioned fanbase.
Industry Reports
Game Developer Satisfaction Survey
WIGI Weekly
The WIGI Weekly newsletter was established in 2015 and is now distributed to thousands of industry professionals across the globe.
2021 Diversity Report
The IGDA conducted its Developer Satisfaction Survey in 2021 and generated three diversity-related reports. These resources can help you understand challenges and trends across the industry.
Mental Health
Mental Health Resources
A collection of curated emergency and non-emergency mental health resources.
Mental Health and Layoffs in Games
While there are a multitude of topics and groups we could examine, in terms of layoffs and mental health, this piece focuses primarily on two groups of people: those laid off and those remaining at the company.
Burnout Resources
This series is provides educational modules and videos in order to dive deep into burnout and lay out how burnout specifically impacts content creators.
Responding to Blackmail
How to respond to online blackmail attempts.
Mentorship
WIGI Mentorship Program
WIGI is proud to offer actionable mentorship programs, pairing mentees with industry professionals to gain new perspectives geared toward career growth and self-advocacy. Our signature mentorship program features AMAs, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking in a private Discord server. This program helps identify goals and refine career strategy through actionable mentorship and the ability to connect and learn from the largest global community of women, femme-identifying, and all nonbinary professionals in games across the world.
Get in the Game
WIGI’s Get in the Game program enables marginalized genders who otherwise couldn’t afford it the opportunity to attend leading gaming industry conferences with a focus on impactful networking with industry professionals.
Dear Ally
Dear Ally is the advice column that answers anonymously submitted questions supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and normalizing best practices in the global games industry. Women In Games International (WIGI) utilizes expert advice from games industry recruiters, DEI experts, and highly trained professionals to deliver sound, compassionate advice from one ally to another. Whether you’re a seasoned industry professional or new to the scene, Dear Ally has you covered with well-researched, thoughtful, and actionable answers to your burning questions.
IGDA Global Mentorship Program
The IGDA hosts quarterly mentorship cohorts, matching mentors and mentees based on common game dev disciplines. This program is typically open for IGDA members, but the IGDA is providing an opportunity for 100 non-members to apply.
Free IGDA Membership
Were you affected by the 2023 game industry layoffs? The IGDA has a limited number of free IGDA memberships available to those who qualify. Please fill out this application form and a member of the IGDA team will reach out.
Professional Development
How to Network
Need a refresher on some best tips for networking with your peers in the industry? Check out this IGDA talk held before Devcom to support developers skills in making quick and impactful career connections.
Unionization Information
An overview of unionization and the various benefits it provides to workers who organize.
IGDA Game Showcase
Marketing your game to a large audience can be a large undertaking. How about an added boost to your outreach efforts? The IGDA Game Showcase is an opportunity to show your games to over 120,000 website visitors and 34,000+ newsletter subscribers.
Studio Portfolio Showcase
Are you a student looking to promote your skills to future employers? The IGDA has a Student Portfolio you can utilize to help boost the opportunity for talent recruiters and hiring managers to find your exceptional talents.
Guide for Game Companies: How to Create and Sustain a Positive Work Culture
Leading a team or company? Then this resource is for you! This white paper dives into the best practices for developing and sustaining a positive and productive team through the use of proactive culture development, support of inclusivity and diversity, and team development resources and tools. Developed by the IGDA in partnership with Facebook Gaming.
IGDA Foundation’s Virtual Exchange
Through workshops, mentorship programs, coaching, and more, we provide opportunities for career advancement at no cost to talented individuals from underrepresented communities.
IGDA Foundation’s GDC Program
Selected grantees obtain in-person experience by participating in this key industry event.
