Pixelles facts for kids

Pixelles is a non-profit group based in Montreal, Canada. It helps more girls and women get involved in making video games. The organization works to make the video game industry a more welcoming and diverse place for everyone.

History of Pixelles

Pixelles started in Montreal in 2011. This was around the same time a social media campaign called #1reasonwhy was happening. In this campaign, women in the game industry shared their personal stories about unfair treatment.

The idea for Pixelles came from a similar project in Toronto called the Difference Engine Initiative. That project, started in 2011, helped people learn to make games. A group called Feminists in Games asked Rebecca Cohen Palacios and Tanya Short to start a similar program in Montreal. Many people wanted to join the first program, with over sixty applications. In 2015, Pixelles officially became a non-profit organization.

What Pixelles Does

Pixelles helps women and girls learn to make video games. They do this through special programs, game jams, and monthly workshops. They believe that having more different voices helps games grow as an art form.

Game Making Programs

Incubator and Showcase

The Pixelles Incubator is a set of classes that run for six weeks. Participants get advice on tools, help from mentors, and support from the group. This program is for anyone who identifies as female and can attend the workshops in Montreal. You don't need any past game development experience to join. People are chosen through an application process. For example, in 2013, ten women were selected from over sixty applicants.

At the end of each program, Pixelles holds a showcase. This event celebrates the new games made by the participants. The 2013 showcase had over 150 attendees, including friends, independent game makers, and people from big game companies. You can play games from the 2013 and 2014 showcases on the official website.

Follow-Along Program

While the main incubator is for women, others can still participate. Men can join as mentors or play-testers. They can also sign up for the "Follow-Along" program. In this program, all the learning materials and exercises are posted online. Follow-Along participants do not attend the meetings or use the workspace. However, they can still follow the deadlines and try to make a game. In 2013, four people successfully made a game through this program.

Workshops

Pixelles hosts monthly workshops to help people learn new game development skills. These skills include programming, 3D modeling, and game design. Volunteers lead these workshops, which are about two hours long. Each workshop can have up to 20 participants. They usually happen on a Thursday or Tuesday evening. Past workshops have covered topics like using Twine, an introduction to game design, 3D sculpting with ZBrush, animation with 3ds Max, programming with C#, and making a dating sim.

Mentoring

Pixelles helps women connect with experienced professionals through its mentorship program and social events. This helps them find role models and get career advice. One popular event was a speed mentoring night. Here, twenty professionals and twenty aspiring game developers had short, round-robin interviews.

The mentorship program connects women who are new to game development with experts. Mentors come from many different areas of the game industry, and they can be male or female. Mentors offer feedback on portfolios, code, or resumes. They also discuss how to improve chances in the competitive industry.

Social Events

Pixelles also organizes fun social events. These include:

• Picnic Socials
• Game Jams (events where people create games in a short amount of time)

Pixelles Petites

Pixelles has plans for a future project called Pixelles Petites. This will be a coding camp specifically for young girls.

Recognition for Pixelles

Pixelles has been recognized by various organizations. CNet has featured their work. They have also used IndieGoGo for fundraising. The International Game Developers Association Foundation, Unity, and Square Enix and Edios have sponsored Pixelles. These sponsors helped send the Pixelles Ensemble, a group of 25 women and genderqueer game developers from 8 countries, to the Game Developers Conference.

See also

• Women in computing in Canada
• Dames Making Games
• Black Girls Code
• Native Girls Code
• Women Who Code