Let's flash back to Sunday, June 15th.
For the last two months, we’ve been locked in on our collaboration channels. Living in our inboxes. Seeing in colour-coded timelines composed of sticky notes. Now we’re here on the morning of our launch call, adding some last-minute script-pacing notes for the onboarding orientation. And before we knew it, there everyone was: GAMERella’s inaugural cohort of our first-ever Mentorship Program.
GAMERella’s Mentorship Program is the product of feedback we’ve received from our 13 years of jam participants expressing interest in some kind of long-term program to provide guidance in navigating the transition from baby game-maker to industry-ready. We know Game Jams are the bread and butter of learning the proverbial ropes of the games industry — we even contributed to “That’s My Jam: Understanding the Value of Game Jams,” (which you can download for free here) a white paper by Michael Iantorno investigating jams, jammers, and how it helps them make the bread. Jams are great! Our people want more jam!
So that’s what we did. With the help of Canada Media Fund we put together the Mentorship Program— a plan to help equity-deserving folks connect with industry professionals and arm them with the tools to break into the games industry. We have been so touched by our mentor pool, who have jumped at the chance to share the things they wish they’d known when they were just starting out, and absolutely amazed by the veritable talent of every single one of our mentees.
Almost a month later, those faces framed in Zoom windows became whole, embodied humans at our August Retreat. For the first time, we met up with our mentees in person before grabbing coffee together, before visiting the studio of Don’t Nod here in town.
All those colour-coded sticky notes, timelines, emails, and meetings have turned into this incredible opportunity to uplift emergent game-makers by connecting them with folks open to sharing their professional knowledge and experience.
And we couldn't have done it without all the folks who came together to make this happen, such as our workshop presenters, mentors, Mentor Canada, Baby Ghosts Studio Development Fund, Don't Nod, Pixels & Poutine, EA Motive, 4th Space, Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology, and whoever invented Miro.
Flash back to today, August 15.
Summer’s drawing to a close, our program is nearing it’s halfway mark, and we’ve got the annual Game Jam coming up on the weekend of November 15th. We can’t wait to see everyone again in (hopefully) cooler weather!
Jam sign-up link will be live from September 12: https://gamerella2025.eventbrite.ca
At GAMERella, we spend a lot of time thinking about creative expression. We design events that encourage whimsical creation, offer workshops that strengthen creative skills, and build spaces where people feel safe trying something new. We've watched hundreds of creators dive into their first game jam, transforming personal ideas into playable experiences.
But supporting creative expression is not just about helping people create. It's also about making sure that creations actually get seen, played, and celebrated. Because personal, exploratory work shouldn’t just sit gathering dust on a shelf, but should be actually expressed and shared with others. The challenge is that spaces dedicated to celebration are rare, especially for non-commercial, indie, and experimental work.
"While Montréal has a solid ecosystem to support games as an industry (MIGS, La Guilde, Zone Indie, etc.) we are missing venues that highlight games for their artistic, innovative and critical approaches (whether commercial or not)."
- LUDODROME
Enter LUDOROME: An arcade celebrating the Montreal experimental games community, launched by the Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology
When: May 15th, 2025
Where: Société des arts technologiques (SAT)
450+ Attendees, 44 Games, 5 GAMERella Games
This one-day event brought over 450 (!) participants together to play games that pushed creative boundaries. Weird, wacky, wonderful, and welcoming games developed by people with a passion for the craft and an eagerness to share.
"We want to find exciting games wherever they can be found – solo work, indie and artists’ studio work, and, of course, university research-creation initiatives; local games that beat with the experimental impulse, that explore new, wonderful, and eccentric mechanics, narratives, aesthetics and formats."
- LUDODROME
Of the 44 games on showcase, 5 were from our very own GAMERella jams! Created over the span of just two days, these games represent what it means to take a weekend and simply have fun making something. To try something new, step away from regular work, and experiment with novel tools and ideas.
"[GAMERella] gives the space for everyone to be themselves, to experiment and take risks without judgment. I think the outcome is so much more interesting, exploratory and creative than other (more competitive) game jams."
- Kamylle Grenier (Witcherella)
GAMERella games at LUDODROME 2025:
We curated the games from seven years of jams, representing everyone from first-time designers to seasoned jammers. From an arcade-style Bitsy to an immersive cozy horror, our games showcased what it means to create something deeply personal just for the sake of creation.
Watching experimental work being played, discussed, and celebrated was special. It sent a clear message: non-commercial, deeply personal work has value and deserves to exist.
"It honestly made me feel more confident in myself knowing that people actually enjoyed playing our game, and makes me feel hopeful about my future in the industry of making music for games."
- Lucas Vannelli (Snoot and the Big, Big Dark)
And celebratory spaces like LUDODROME don’t just allow creators to put ideas out into the world. They also give the chance for creators (and players) to take ideas in, and be inspired by the voices of others.
"I don't think I've ever felt more grateful and inspired at the same time. More than ever, I want to make games. I feel more ready to make games and make art than ever."
- Maya Harry (Masks)
Although LUDODROME was only a 1-day event, we want to keep the party going! Our next big step is our first-ever mentorship program, which aims to support emerging creators and help them accelerate their journey in the games industry.
In November, you’ll also find us at the Montréal International Games Summit (MIGS) and, of course, at our yearly GAMERella Game Jam!
If that seems too far away, we’ve got some other ways you can follow along with our work. Follow us on social media, sign-up for our newsletter, or support our work through our newly formed Patreon! Our Patreon is a dedicated GAMERella community where you can gain access to workshops, connect with like-minded gamemakers, and support spaces that promote creative expression.
LinkedIn: GAMERella Instagram: @gamerellajam Bluesky: @gamerella.bsky.social
And, if you know of any other cool, funky experimental events that celebrate diverse creators — let us know! We’d love to hear about it and join in on the fun.
We’d like to thank all the people that made LUDODROME a reality! For a more photos from the event, check out https://tag-milieux.ca/research-creation-projects/ludodrome-2025:
