Thank you to everyone at the Beer & Pixels May Meetup 2022

This month Chaos Theory Games sponsored Sydney's Beer & Pixels, the best event for NSW & Sydney based game developers, designers and artists to show off their games, see what others are making, catch up with friends in the industry, or make some new ones! 

May's Meetup had a great turnout, with a collection of crowd pleasing games on display, plenty of drinks to go around and a lot of smiling faces - familiar and new.

At Chaos Theory we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can give back to our local community and it’s often the first place we reach out when we're looking for talented newcomers to join the team. So we're especially proud to sponsor this May’s Beer & Pixels, it was amazing to see so many local game developers in person again.

For aspiring game devs, it can be hard to find your footing in the industry, gaining first-hand insight, making connections and knowing how to improve your skills can help build your confidence to take the leap. That's why Beer & Pixels sets the standard for hosting meetups within the community, it can foster a level of collaboration that’s needed now more than ever. 

Everyone enjoyed the night and I am sure had their own wonderful experiences, but I would love to leave you with a few of my own from the evening.

It was great to be in such a mixing pot! At one moment I was in conversation with a 15 year industry veteran, and then the next, speaking with students about what to consider when looking for a first job in the industry. My personal perspective is that the Australian games industry can very easily become very cliquey, and it heartens me that our community here in Sydney is a place where you are welcome whether you're a professional, indie, or aspiring games practitioner.

It was great to catch up with old colleagues! Sydney is again starting to attract attention as a location for games development in Australia. Sometimes, this means wonderfully talented colleagues move on and take other local opportunities as they continue to grow and develop their careers. My first pleasant surprise of the night was catching up with one particular ex-college who had a game they've been working on as a personal project on show. It's one thing to catch up with an old friend and say "so what have you been up to?". It is another joy entirely to be handed a controller and get to check it out for yourself.

We are also an amalgamation of success stories that started at events like beer & Pixels, and we hope the opportunity to connect with more people in this community will not only strengthen our own values, but the collective values and, more importantly, games of the wider community.

It was great to just see people out again, and excited about games, whether that meant sharing their own or just having conversation about what they've been playing lately. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a great evening with your presence.

Beer & Pixels is a monthly event held on the second Tuesday of each month. It is a friendly and inclusive event, and we hope to see you there next month! https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/igda-sydney/?_cookie-check=Rd9CdnE4FeLKoW5K

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