Okanagan Game Developers Association

05/05/2026

This week we have two overlapping events this week. So if you are heading into AO for the level up talk which should be roughly an hour, you can feel free to head on over to Twice the Dice to catch the playtest crew!

OGDA Level Up Session

Whether you're a solo game creator, a studio startup, or just curious about how games are made, this event is for you. You’ll hear about real-world workflows, indie studio life, funding tips, pitching strategies, narrative design, production pipelines, and more straight from people who’ve been there.

Each evening is structured to spark ideas, share tools, and support your development journey.

This week we are hosting a few of the Vernon developers in our region and their studios including: Sad Panda and Steamy Buns!

Date:
Thursday May 7th at 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Presentation starts at 6:45pm

Location:
Accelerate Okanagan, 460 Doyle Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A2

RSVP and let us know you are coming in person!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveling-up-game-development-talks-tickets-1402462546229?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Can't make it in person? Register for the remote option.
https://riverside.com/webinar/registration/eyJldmVudElkIjoiNjlmYTFhNzAyZDBjZTYwNjlkZDI4ZThhIiwic2x1ZyI6Im9rYW5hZ2FuLWdhbWUtZGV2ZWxvcGVycy1hc3NvY2lhdGlvbiJ9

---

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest is... also this week!

We have overlapping events this week :SweatThink: So if you are heading into AO for the level up talk which should be roughly and hour, you can feel free to head on over to Twice the Dice to catch the playtest crew!

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase board games in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday May 7th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ogda-bi-weekly-playtest-tickets-1022200387877?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

04/21/2026

OGDA's next Drinks Meetup is Saturday, May 16th!

Another weekend event and we are headed back to Copper Brewing!

For any of you in or wanting to connect with game development peers this is our casual adult meetup with beers.
May 16th 7pm
Copper Brewing Company
Not restricted to game industry professionals.

Hard cap of 30 people!

Here is the sign up, let us know if you are coming by :slight_smile:

Physical and digital game developers are invited to connect with the local game dev community.

04/07/2026

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest is this week.

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase board games in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday April 9th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase games in development, playtest and gather feedback.

03/31/2026

This week is the next Level Up and Social event.

If you are are coming in person please make sure to let us know with an eventbrite ticket!

OGDA Level Up Session

Whether you're a solo game creator, a studio startup, or just curious about how games are made, this event is for you. You’ll hear about real-world workflows, indie studio life, funding tips, pitching strategies, narrative design, production pipelines, and more straight from people who’ve been there.

Each evening is structured to spark ideas, share tools, and support your development journey.

This week we are hosting Trystan McCourt from Unknown Worlds at our Level Up session this Thursday.

Trystan will be presenting "Cert & You: An Overview"

Certification is the process to verify that a game meets specific technical, safety, and quality standards before it can be sold. So if you have ever wandered what the process is like or what is involved with releasing a game this will be a great one to catch.

Date:
Thursday April 2nd at 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Presentation starts at 6:45pm

Location:
Accelerate Okanagan, 460 Doyle Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A2

RSVP and let us know you are coming in person!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveling-up-game-development-talks-tickets-1402462546229?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Can't make it in person? Register for the remote option.
https://riverside.com/webinar/registration/eyJzbHVnIjoib2thbmFnYW4tZ2FtZS1kZXZlbG9wZXJzLWFzc29jaWF0aW9uIiwiZXZlbnRJZCI6IjY5Y2MzYjJmNmFjOGQ4YTYwYzliNTk4MyIsInByb2plY3RJZCI6IjY5Y2MzYjJmMGY3OTc4OWNlMDg4ZWVkNiJ9

03/11/2026

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest is tomorrow

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase boardgames in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday March 12th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase games in development, playtest and gather feedback.

03/03/2026

Announcements!

#1
Socials are not going away! We are just at our max capacity for hosting right now so we are going back to our old format of having a level up session followed by the casual networking.

So one combined event, still on a Thursday and once a month. Expect to see some changes to the event schedules.

#2
Thank you everyone for coming out and showing support for the casual beers meet up.

We had just over 30 people show up for the event and Copper Brewing enjoyed having us and would love to host us again!

---

OGDA Level Up Session

Whether you're a solo game creator, a studio startup, or just curious about how games are made, this event is for you. You’ll hear about real-world workflows, indie studio life, funding tips, pitching strategies, narrative design, production pipelines, and more straight from people who’ve been there.

Each evening is structured to spark ideas, share tools, and support your development journey.

This week we are hosting Haley MacLean from Voyer Law at our Level Up session this Thursday.

Haley will be presenting "Publishing Agreements 101"

Date:
Thursday March 5th at 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Presentation starts at 6:45pm

Location:
Accelerate Okanagan, 460 Doyle Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A2

RSVP and let us know you are coming in person!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveling-up-game-development-talks-tickets-1402462546229?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

NEW seeing as this is a remote presenter we will hosting Haley webinar style, if you would like to register in advance for a remote option you can do so here:
https://riverside.com/webinar/registration/eyJzbHVnIjoib2thbmFnYW4tZ2FtZS1kZXZlbG9wZXJzLWFzc29jaWF0aW9uIiwiZXZlbnRJZCI6IjY5YTc0ZGJkZWE4NzM4MTQ5YTkzNWRmMCIsInByb2plY3RJZCI6IjY5YTc0ZGJkY2JmNGM5NjE4MjM3N2ViOCJ9

Not sure you can make it? No worries we will be posting a live link to join in the our discord when the session starts, no pre registration necessary.

---

Connect with OGDA on our social channels and join the conversation!

LinkTree
https://linktr.ee/OkanaganGDA

The Okanagan Game Developers Association (OGDA) is dedicated to connecting and supporting game development professionals throughout the Okanagan region.

02/23/2026

Peek at the Week!

This Week's Events

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest
Hosted by Shane this week!

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase boardgames in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday February 26th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ogda-bi-weekly-playtest-tickets-1022200387877?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

---

Reminder for OGDA's next Drinks Meetup on Saturday, February 28th!

That's right! We got a space for the weekend!

For any of you in or wanting to connect with game development peers this is our casual adult meetup with beers.

Date:
Feb 28th 7pm

Location:
Copper Brewing Company

Not restricted to game industry professionals.
Here is the sign up, let us know if you are coming by :slight_smile:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drinks-social-tickets-1982314810962?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Physical and digital game developers are invited to connect with the local game dev community.

02/18/2026

Reminder tomorrow is the first Social of the year!

Whether you’re building your first game or you are a seasoned developer, you're invited to come hang out with fellow physical and digital game creators! OGDA’s monthly social is a relaxed, welcoming space to talk shop, share ideas, and get inspired.

At our monthly meetup, you’ll have the chance to meet new people in the local game dev scene. We encourage you to share what you’re working on at any stage of development, swap advice, or get inspired. It’s also a great way to stay in the loop about upcoming events, workshops, and opportunities in the Okanagan game development community.

If you have a build or something you want to show off casually, feel free to bring it!

Date:
Thursday February 19th at 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location:
Accelerate Okanagan, 460 Doyle Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A2

RSVP and let us know you are coming!

Join our monthly social meetup! Conversation, creativity & connection for anyone involved or interested in game dev in the Okanagan.

02/10/2026

This Week's Events

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest
Hosted by Brian Looney

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase boardgames in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday February 12th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ogda-bi-weekly-playtest-tickets-1022200387877?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

---

Reminder for OGDA's next Drinks Meetup on Saturday, February 28th!

That's right! We got a space for the weekend!

For any of you in or wanting to connect with game development peers this is our casual adult meetup with beers.

Date:
Feb 28th 7pm

Location:
Copper Brewing Company

Not restricted to game industry professionals.
Here is the sign up, let us know if you are coming by :slight_smile:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drinks-social-tickets-1982314810962?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Physical and digital game developers are invited to connect with the local game dev community.

01/26/2026

Peek at the Week!

This Week's Events

OGDA Bi-weekly Playtest
Hosted by Brian Looney

The Okanagan's Game Development community coming together to showcase boardgames in development, playtest and gather feedback.

Come out to twice the dice to get involved with some local board game developers, play each others games, get and give feedback and network with other physical game developers.

This event isn't limited to developers either, however it is adult oriented.

Date:
Thursday January 29th at 6:30 pm

Location:
Twice The Dice Board Game Cafe, 575 Bernard Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N9

RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ogda-bi-weekly-playtest-tickets-1022200387877?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

---

OGDA is officially part of the 2026 Global Game Jam!

This means that there are a few adjustments to the previous information above!

1) Our Global Game Jam site link is https://globalgamejam.org/jam-sites/2026/ggj26-kelowna. Please make sure to register yourself as part of our group!

2) If you are attending, please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-game-jam-2026-tickets-1981386581603?aff=oddtdtcreator

3) :date: Updated Schedule

Friday, Jan 30th Local Launch

4:00pm We will open the Global Game Jam section around 4:00pm

5:00pm Hype and Reveal - Official start: The OGDA Discord "Big Stage" Channel.

Registration: We will release a Google Form for you to register your team name and roster.

Setup: Once registered, our mods will create Private Channels (Text & Voice) for your team to work in secrecy (or chaos).

Team Size: There are no strict limits! However, we recommend keeping teams to 6 people or fewer unless you have a dedicated Project Manager to herd the cats. :cat2:

Work at your own pace! Use the community for help, feedback, and moral support throughout the week.

Sunday, Feb 1st
5:00 pm The Showcase on The OGDA Discord "Big Stage" Channel.

What: We wrap up with a live showcase! A representative from each team will join us on stage to present their game and talk about the development process.

:rocket: How to Join? Make sure you are in the OGDA Discord and have the "Jammer" role (check ) so you don't miss the pings! If you know anyone that would want to attend, have them join the server! Also ensure you have signed up at the Official GGJ site and Evenbrite

Let's make something weird, wonderful, and distinctly Okanagan. See you at the reveal!

---

Connect with OGDA on our social channels and join the conversation!

LinkTree
https://linktr.ee/OkanaganGDA

The Okanagan Game Developers Association (OGDA) is dedicated to connecting and supporting game development professionals throughout the Okanagan region.

01/16/2026

Ready to Lead the Game Dev Scene in the Okanagan?

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The OGDA isn't just a logo—it’s a community. It runs on the passion of people who show up, set up, and make things happen.

That’s why we are thrilled to officially announce the OGDA Ambassador Program!

We want to hand the keys to the community. We are looking for passionate individuals who don't just want to attend events, but want to help create them.

As an OGDA Ambassador, you won’t just be volunteering; you’ll be:
✅ Helping host our flagship workshops and socials.
✅ Given the support and resources to host your own community events.
✅ Becoming the face of game dev in the Okanagan for new members.

Whether you want to run a niche round-table, a casual coffee chat, or just help new devs find their footing, this program is your platform to make it happen.

We’re building the future of this industry together. Are you ready to step up?

👉 Read more about the vision behind this program (and meet a legendary example, Brian Looney): https://www.ogda.ca/ogda-runs-on-people-like-brian-looney/

An association like the OGDA isn’t just a name or a logo on a website. It’s a community. And that community doesn’t just happen—it’s actively built and maintained by people who show up and put in the work, often for no reason other than they want to see everyone succeed.