WOMEN IN GAMES WHO ARE CHANGING THE GAME
Hey everyone! To celebrate Women’s Day, we’ve planned a month of content themed around this very special day! As a studio that believes wholeheartedly in diversity and equality in games, we couldn’t not give a shoutout to just a few of the women in the industry who changed the game, inspired us, and completely blew our minds with their work!
TANYA SHORT - Co-Founder of Kitfox & Pixelles
Co-CEO of a Successful Indie Studio - A fixture in the indie game community here in Montreal, Tanya is co-founder, designer and producer at Kitfox studio and has helped to oversee the development of several unique titles such as Dwarf Fortress, Pupperazzi, and Boyfriend Dungeon – as well as publishing a number of cool indie titles!
Tanya has shared her experience as a co-founder and designer many times over by giving interviews in magazines, blogs and talks at events like GDC!
Creating An Accepting Space in Games - One of Kitfox’s most recent releases is the seriously addicting Boyfriend Dungeon! This title is full of love for the LGBTQ+ community in the way it handles its characters with care and the amazing representation it offers! Tanya has always been a strong advocate for all minorities in the gaming world. Whether it’s within her team or in the scope of her games, Tanya has always worked to cultivate and encourage an environment that is welcoming and inclusive!
Helping Future of Women Devs - As if co-founding a studio wasn’t impressive enough, Tanya also co-founded a Montreal organization called Pixelles with Rebecca Cohen-Palacios. Whether they’re already in the industry or aspiring to be, Pixelles helps women feel empowered by their talents through workshops, mentorships, and other events!
JILL MURRAY - Award Winning Game Writer
An Integral Voice in Games, Big and Small - Jill is known for her work on Shadow of the Tomb Raider and a constant in many of the Assassin’s Creed games, as well as a writer on more recent indies like The Big Con. She’s a beyond-talented writer who has touched so many successful projects with her insight, creativity, and knack for writing high-action games that still make room for rich characters! It takes one scroll through her website to see just how many projects she’s worked on over the years – and that list is growing!
Sharing the Knowledge - Thankfully for the community, Jill shares her many years of experience in games through workshops in Montreal and talks at events! We strongly recommend you join these events, ask all the questions and soak up all the knowledge you can because Jill is a wealth of it!
Carving Out Her Own Studio in Games - After working several contract jobs at many notable AAA studios (such as Ubisoft), Jill founded her own narrative design studio, Discoglobe Interactive, in 2015. These days, she chooses which big or small projects she'll lend her talent and expertise to without being tied to any one studio!
AMY HENNIG - Game director & writer
Jane-of-all-Trades - While Amy started out as an artist and animator, she really started making waves when she began working on Legacy of Kain (where she worked as producer, writer, and designer). By the time she landed the iconic role of game director at Naughty Dog, it was a no brainer that their newest series would become equally iconic!
As any game director will tell you, stepping into that role (and being great at it) requires being able to wear many hats and thankfully for Naughty Dog, Amy was just the woman for the job.
Embarked on A Monumental Adventures - By taking the helm of Uncharted, Amy helped create one of the highest-selling series in video game history. Uncharted’s first game, ‘Drake’s Fortune’, was known for pushing the boundaries of game design in ways no one in the industry had seen before. The magic of Amy Hennig has always been about her ability to seamlessly mesh exhilarating gameplay with breathtaking story and cinematics without sacrificing one for the other.
A Constant Inspiration for Girls in Games - It wasn’t that long ago that Amy was awarded a lifetime achievement at the Game Development Awards, thanks to her lengthy career. Once titled ‘one of the most influential women in the video game industry’ by Forbes, Amy shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to her career. We have no doubt she’ll continue to inspire generations of girls in games to come!