Into the future with OP Guild

The big news are out: I’m joining OP Games as Developer Advocate to lead the newly formed OP Guild.

Don’t worry about Enclave Games, js13kGames, or Gamedev.js though - they all are going to be fine, for now it’s a part-time gig and we’ll see how it goes. It’s about me shifting focus again to finally be able to dive into cool new tech and don’t stress about needing to make enough money out of licensing games, running competitions, and sending newsletters to pay the bills. Especially now in the current global economy.

OP Guild aims to help indie web game developers move into web3, but of course only those who are actually interested in doing so. If you think blockchain is worthless and crypto was created by scammers to steal your money - I’m not gonna argue or try to convince you, I simply don’t have time nor the energy to do that anymore. There are way too many bad actors in the space, but not all projects are like that though.

I’m gonna prove it, not to you, but to me. I want to be the change, I want to lead by example, after all I’m also an indie web game developer myself. It just happens that I also run competitions and game jams.

This is actually something I was already doing with the web3-related, optional challenges in both the js13kGames competition and Gamedev.js Jam since 2020, with partners such as OP Games, NEAR, IPFS, Protocol Labs, Game7, Flux, and others. But now the difference is I’m finally going to be able to participate instead of being too busy running this for others.

I want to build something I would join myself. When we received a grant from the Grant for the Web program run by Coil to experiment with the Web Monetization API back in 2020, we’ve successfully released Body Guard and Forest Cuties, enjoyed the time playing with the technology so much, and never worried about needing a paid job throughout that time.

I’ve collaborated on so many cool projects with Paul Gadi and Chase Freo from OP Games in the past four years already: from helping with the Kernel Gaming Guild, speaking at the GamesBeat Summit, through Arcadia-related challenges in both js13kGames and Gamedev.js Jam, unlockable Forest Cuties NFTs and their own tournaments, to having Badlucky as a pet in Arcadians NFTs, games, and even comics, and so much more. It feels natural to continue going in the same direction, but in a more formal way.

With OP Guild I might actually have the power to influence the future of indie web game development and make it better for me and for others. It may or may not work, but you can’t tell me I shouldn’t try. If you want to join me though, let’s talk!

Ps. Ewa is now open for freelance work, so if you need an ultra talented graphic designer, then you just found one.