Women’s game-making workshop collective Dames Making Games recently concluded their second game incubator, dubbed Jeuxly, producing six uniquely personal games from burgeoning female game designers and showcasing them to an enthusiastic crowd at Bento Miso last Saturday.

Christine Kim’s Bitmap being demoed at Bento Miso showcase.

There were platformers, narrative and non-narrative alike; games that pursued arcade-y retro roots, games that adapted comic-book imagery, and collectively a strong effort to express ideas through game mechanics and form. Miriam Verburg’s Having it All, for instance, explores notions of false dichotomy through its gameplay, while Marie Flanagan’s Þink (pronounced “Think”) fashions a game mechanic that gamifies the process of idea formation through a plant-growing metaphor.

Miriam Verburg’s Having it All

Jeuxly was coordinated by Jennie Faber and Cecily Carver, the latter an alumni of the TIFF Nexus Difference Engine jam. Writing to TIFF Nexus, Carver expressed her excitement and admiration for the results of the jam:

“All the Jeuxly participants (or Jeuxliennes, if you will) worked incredibly hard and turned out impressive games that reflected their unique sensibilities. Going from making my first game with the Difference Engine Initiative to helping other women do the same through Dames Making Games has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

The games are due to be released online on Sept. 1st, but you can learn more about them and their creators here.