Connect With the Great Lakes Game Development Community
Find the regional resources, collaborators, and support network that help your game studio thrive in the Great Lakes region.
Back to HomeBuild Your Network in the Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes region offers a growing game development community across Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, and surrounding areas. We help you tap into this network, connecting you with the resources and collaborators that make development easier.
Regional Connections
Access our network of studios, freelancers, and service providers throughout the Great Lakes area.
Resource Discovery
Learn about local funding opportunities, talent pools, and support organizations in your area.
Community Integration
Feel part of a regional game development scene rather than working in isolation.
Regional Development Can Feel Scattered
You're building games in the Great Lakes region, but sometimes it feels like you're working alone. Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and countless smaller cities all have game developers, yet finding and connecting with them takes time you don't have.
When you need a freelance artist, technical specialist, or just advice from someone who understands regional challenges, the search process can be frustrating. Online directories feel incomplete. Social media connections rarely turn into working relationships. Events happen, but which ones are worth attending?
You might wonder about regional funding programs or support organizations but lack clarity on what exists and how to access it. Other regions seem to have established game development communities with clear networks and resources. The Great Lakes area has all the pieces, they're just harder to find.
What you need is someone already connected to the regional scene who can introduce you to the right people, point you toward relevant resources, and help you feel part of the growing Great Lakes game development community.
Our Regional Connection Approach
We've spent years building relationships across the Great Lakes game development scene. Through our Toronto location and regional connections, we know who's doing what across Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, and surrounding areas.
Understanding Your Needs
We start by learning what kind of connections and resources would help your studio most. Are you looking for collaboration partners? Seeking specific technical expertise? Interested in funding opportunities? Want to participate in the regional community?
Your specific situation guides which connections and resources we prioritize introducing you to.
Making Meaningful Introductions
We connect you directly with relevant people in the Great Lakes game development community. These aren't cold contacts but warm introductions based on shared interests or complementary needs.
Whether you need a sound designer in Michigan, a publisher contact in Toronto, or technical advice from an Ohio studio, we help facilitate those connections.
Resource Navigation
The Great Lakes region has funding programs, support organizations, and community initiatives that many developers don't know about. We help you navigate what's available in your specific area and how to access it.
From provincial or state programs to local development groups and university partnerships, we point you toward resources that might benefit your studio.
Building Your Regional Network
Working with us feels like having a friend already embedded in the Great Lakes game development scene. We make introductions naturally and help you navigate regional opportunities.
Initial Connection Planning
We discuss your studio's situation, goals, and what would help you most. Are you looking for collaborators on a specific project? Seeking general community integration? Interested in local events and opportunities?
This conversation helps us identify which connections and resources will be most valuable to you right now.
Personalized Introductions
We make targeted introductions based on your needs. These might include other studios working on similar projects, freelancers with relevant skills, or people involved in regional support initiatives.
Each introduction includes context about why we think the connection could be mutually beneficial.
Resource Guidance
We share information about funding programs, support organizations, networking events, and other resources available in your area. This includes both well-known and lesser-known opportunities.
You'll gain clarity on what exists and how to access it, saving research time and avoiding missed opportunities.
Ongoing Community Integration
As you build relationships within the regional community, we remain available to facilitate additional connections or answer questions about navigating the Great Lakes game development scene.
You'll increasingly feel part of a regional network rather than operating alone.
Investment in Regional Networking
Great Lakes Region Support
Personalized introductions to regional game development community members, resource guidance for your area, and ongoing support for community integration.
Connect with the growing Great Lakes game development scene and access regional resources that help your studio succeed.
What's Included
Why This Investment Makes Sense
Building a regional network organically takes months or years of attending events, making cold contacts, and gradually discovering what resources exist. We accelerate this process by sharing connections we've already established and knowledge we've already gathered.
The time you save and opportunities you access through regional connections often pay for themselves quickly. More importantly, feeling part of a community rather than isolated makes game development more sustainable long-term.
How Regional Support Works
Connection Quality
We prioritize meaningful introductions over quantity. Rather than flooding you with contacts, we focus on connections that align with your actual needs and have potential for genuine collaboration or support.
Each introduction we facilitate comes with context about why we think it could be valuable for both parties.
Regional Knowledge
Our resource guidance draws from years of operating in the Great Lakes region. We know which programs are worth pursuing, which organizations actively support developers, and where funding opportunities exist.
This knowledge helps you navigate regional opportunities efficiently rather than researching everything from scratch.
Support Timeline
Most studios begin feeling connected to the regional community within the first month, with relationships deepening over time.
Building Genuine Regional Connections
We recognize that networking can feel forced or uncomfortable, especially when you're focused on making games rather than making connections. Our approach respects that by focusing on introductions that serve genuine purposes rather than collecting business cards.
When we introduce you to someone in the regional community, it's because we see potential for mutual benefit. Maybe they have expertise you need. Perhaps you're working on complementary projects. Or you might both benefit from knowing someone else navigating similar challenges in the region.
Our role is facilitating those connections and providing context, but the relationships you build are yours. We help you get started in the Great Lakes game development community so you can continue growing your network naturally.
Warm Introductions
Personalized connections with context rather than cold contacts
Relevant Resources
Information about programs and opportunities specific to your area
Ongoing Access
Continued support as your networking needs evolve
Connecting With the Regional Community
Tell Us About Your Studio
Reach out and share where you're located, what you're working on, and what kind of connections or resources would help you most. Are you looking for collaborators? Seeking funding information? Want to participate in local events? All of these are good reasons to connect.
Explore Possibilities Together
We discuss your situation and identify which regional connections and resources align with your needs. We'll share insights about the Great Lakes game development scene and how you might benefit from being more connected to it.
Build Your Network
We make introductions to relevant people and share information about regional resources. As you connect with the Great Lakes game development community, you'll find opportunities for collaboration, support, and growth that weren't visible before.
Join the Great Lakes Game Development Community
Stop working in isolation. Connect with the growing network of studios, freelancers, and resources across the Great Lakes region who can support your game development journey.
Get ConnectedShare your location and interests, and we'll discuss how regional connections could help your studio.
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