Prehistory
2011 – Noodlecake Studios is founded
Jan 2015 – First Public Game Jam – Inaugural Global Game Jam Regina site started by Johannes Moersch
2017
May 2017 – Kai Hutchence moves back to Saskatchewan to build up the game development industry in Saskatchewan
June 2017 – ReginaGameDev launches
June 2017 – ReginaGameDev (now SaskGameDev) first public meet up at the University of Regina
June 2017 – First media hit – “Video game developer taking steps to build industry in Regina” in the Regina Leader-Post
Aug 2017 – Partner with Ladies Learning Code (now Canada Learning Code) to provide more tech skills training and improve accessibility and diversity in tech
Aug 2017 – First Foreign Acquisition – Noodlecake Studios of Saskatoon sells a 70% stake for $6 million
Aug 2017 – Mentored at Enactus Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur to support veterans transitioning to digital entrepreneurship
Sept 2017 – First Convention Event – demonstration & talk at Otakupalooza 2017
Sept 2017 – Cuphead releases on Xbox, it’s game designer, art director and composer were all born in Regina.
Oct 2017 – Started running gamedev careers booth at the Saskatchewan Science Centre‘s annual Ignite Festival
Oct 2017 – Guest Lectured at Campus Regina Public’s Video Game Design course
Dec 2017 – As a part of SaskTech, met with gov’t officials to push for improved support of K-12 CS integration
2018
Jan 2018 – Ran an Intro to Godot workshop ahead of the Global Game Jam event
Jan 2018 – ReginaGameDev joined to co-organize the Global Game Jam Regina site
Mar 2018 – Saskatchewan Government announces coding and robotics to be added to provincial curriculum
Apr 2018 – Helped judge the 3D Design category at the Skills Canada Saskatchewan competition
May 2018 – Presented at the Regina District Industry Education Council’s Try-A-Trade Career Fair
May 2018 – Queen City Chaos is announced by Massive Corporation Game Studios
Sept 2018 – Hosted a local gamedev section at the QC Anifest convention with 6 local game devs also ran a panel “What to do with a game idea”
Oct 2018 – Attended the Business and Professional Women’s career fair to encourage young women to consider gaming and tech careers
Oct 2018 – Ran demonstrations for the Campus Regina Public’s Grade 11 open house in the Video Game Design classroom, Massive Corporation and Bitcutter Studios both demoed games
Nov 2018 – Joined up with Kids Code Jeunesse to provide coding education to Saskatchewan teachers and students
Dec 2018 – Started working with CS teachers at Sheldon Williams and Campbell Collegiate with guest lectures and advice
2019
Jan 2019 – Launched the ReginaGameDev (now SaskGameDev) Discord to promote community networking and problem solving
Jan 2019 – Ran an Intro to Unity workshop led by Bitcutter Studios ahead of the Global Game Jam
Jan 2019 – Co-organized the Global Game Jam Regina site, now held at Innovation Place in Regina
Feb 2019 – In partnership with Kids Code Jeunesse and the Saskatchewan Science Centre started offering Astro Pi coding workshops for kids to build programs to run on the International Space Station
Feb 2019 – Held the Begin Quest event to rally the community and spur on development of the industry in Saskatchewan
Mar 2019 – In partnership with Kids Code Jeunesse and North Central Hacker Dojo provided on-reserve coding workshops for White Bear First Nation
Apr 2019 – Gave guest lectures to Campbell Collegiate’s CS and Entrepreneurship classes on the game industry
Apr 2019 – Started running coding workshops for the Saskatchewan Science Centre
Apr 2019 – Interviewed for two articles in Industry West’s tech-focused issue
May 2019 – The inaugural Sask Expo Regina convention had Massive Corporation and Bitcutter Studios presenting games to a crowd of over 10,000 people.
May 2019 – Partnered with the Dunlop Art Gallery and Regina Public Library to do public demos of games in the RPL Theatre starting with Massive Corporation’s Queen City Chaos and Bitcutter Studios’ Groove Gunner.
May 2019 – Presented at Prairie Valley School District’s Grade 11 Career fair along with Melcher Studios in their digital entertainment stream
June 2019 – Started doing regular monthly in person meet ups in Regina
July 2019 – Partnered up with MSI Computer Camps to deliver a guest lecture on the game industry
July 2019 – Netflix announces a Cuphead spinoff animated show is in production
Aug 2019 – Ran the largest yet public showing of local made video games at QC Anifest with 8 developers attending
Aug 2019 – Regina’s first video game launch party? Kenton de Jong releases Regina Cemetery Tours
Oct 2019 – Got Rami Ismail to come to Regina and sat down for advice on growing the indie scene in Saskatchewan
Oct 2019 – Helped sponsor a member’s attendance at Reboot Develop Red
Oct 2019 – Xero Hour is announced, it will become Bitwad Entertainment’s first game release
Oct 2019 – Interviewed for a Leader-Post article critiquing the Creative Sask equity program
Oct 2019 – The Royal Saskatchewan Museum launches their Dinos-in-3D AR app developed by member Rajnibhai Gediya.
Nov 2019 – Got a write in as one of the most influential people in the Tech scene in Saskatchewan in the HackRegina survey.
Nov 2019 – Ran a Sound Editing for Video Games workshop led by Tara St. Michel at the Regina Public Library
Dec 2019 – Gave a talk at the Saskatchewan Science Centre “The How and Why of Retrogaming” for one of their Adult Science Nights
Dec 2019 – Taught a gamedev with Scratch workshop at Balgonie Elementary’s Kids Convention
Dec 2019 – Studio Nevermore’s first launch – Oh Jeez Oh No My Rabbits Are Gone launches on Steam and Itch.io
Dec 2019 – Massive Corporation launches the Massive Sacks of Cash video game development grant
2020
Jan 2020 – Bitcutter Studios‘ Groove Gunner wins Most Anticipated Game of the Year in the Canadian Game Dev’s annual people’s choice awards. Massive Corporation Queen City Chaos takes 2nd place.
Jan 2020 – We run another Intro to Godot workshop led by Nyk Reed in preparation for the Global Game Jam
Jan 2020 – We joined up with Saskatoon Game Developers to hold our first in person meet ups in Saskatoon
Jan 2020 – We got an amazing community profile piece on our gamedev community thanks to Mark Melnychuk at the Leader-Post
Jan 2020 – We co-organized the 5th Global Game Jam Regina event. Attendance at the games showcase on sunday was over 100 people. We expanded to include boardgame development, and even had an escape room entry (possibly a first in the world!)
Jan 2020 – Sam Ramsey of Cheekynauts is awarded the first Massive Sacks of Cash grant
Feb 2020 – Thanks to Cat and Jon the Digital Coordinators for the Mackenzie Art Gallery, we got to have a follow up for the Global Game Jam by showing the games at the gallery.
Feb 2020 – Partnering with INDIGital and North Central Hacker Dojo we held a workshop “Narrative Design with Twine” and meetup in Prince Albert, our first events in Prince Albert
Apr 2020 – We switched to virtual meetups
Apr 2020 – Members Emma Kramer-Rodger, Gallagher Laird, and Kenton de Jong release “You’ve Got mail” developed for a showing at the Dunlop Art Gallery
Apr 2020 – Night Owl Games announces IsoPutt as their first game public project
Apr 2020 – Foolish Mortals Games launches Radio General on Steam
May 2020 – Boreal Tenebrae – Act 1: I Stand Before You, A Form Undone launches on Steam and itch.io by Snot Bubble Productions a studio founded by a former Reginan and featuring music by member Ryan Hill
May 2020 – Melcher Studios‘ Sharknado VR launches on the Playstation Store
July 2020 – Foolish Mortals Games announces Kaiju Wars and post an early demo on their website
Sept 2020 – Member Andrew Riche announces The Legion of Maelstrom
Oct 2020 – Foolish Mortals Games’ Radio General got nominated for an Indiecade award
Oct 2020 – Bitcutter Studios Launch Groove Gunner to Early Access on Steam
Nov 2020 – Dragonfly Studios announce Beyond the Oaks
Nov 2020 – Cheekynauts‘ Moonshell Island gets a Patreon backer-only early demo
Dec 2020 – Massive Corporation launched Brandins Buttons on Steam
Dec 2020 – Bitwad Entertainment launched Xero Hour free-to-play on Android and iOS
Dec 2020 – Foolish Mortals Games‘ Kaiju Wars was a finalist for the #Pitchyagame Awards
Dec 2020 – Massive Corporation announced Cheese Runner
Dec 2020 – Three Sask-made games were nominated for the Canadian Game Devs annual Game of the Year people’s choice award (Groove Gunner, Radio General and Xero Hour), and another three Sask-made games were nominated for their Most Anticipated Game people’s choice award (IsoPutt, Kaiju Wars and Moonshell Island).
2021
Jan 2021 – Xero Hour hits the #2 trending Adventure game in the Google Play store!
Jan 2021 – We held a virtual Intro to Unreal Development workshop led by Evan Geissler of Virtus Studios
Jan 2021 – OneShot Golf launches on Android and iPhone, the first game from 54e Studios
Jan 2021 – We co-organized the 6th annual Global Game Jam Regina, this year the virtual event covered all of Saskatchewan
We’re still just getting started.
Click here for the latest news on the history we’re about to make