Hosted jointly by Double Fine and iam8bit, Day of the Devs is like E3 but inverted. Instead of big press conferences blasting commercials and talking points at an audience composed of journalists and industry enthusiasts, the event is small and interactive; a place for people to gather and talk about their pet projects and creative passions.
It’s hosted games like Transistor and Thumper in the past, and this year looks to be filled with a number of stunning curios as well, from well publicized games like Fullbright’s Tacoma and Supergiant Games’ Pyre, to more recent arrivals like Different Cloth’s Drive!Drive!Drive! and Ghost Time Games’ Jettomero: Hero of the Universe.
Tim Schafer explained the significance of the festival in a recent interview with Glixel,
“Day of the Devs is about celebrating these crazy people who make games, not the spectacle and the marketing drive of E3. It showcases the connection between the player and the creator. You can bring your kid and your spouse who maybe doesn’t like games, and say, ‘This is what it’s all about.’”
In addition to games and the art that makes them beautiful, the festival is also full of music. According to Glixel, the even will include performances from the people behind soundtracks to games like Oxenfree, Pixeljunk Eden and Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP as well as some deeyaing by indie gaming’s unpredictable wunderkind, Phil Fish.
Below are just some of the games featured at Day of the Devs. You can find a complete list here.