The Metatopia Diversity Sponsorship
The IGDN Diversity Sponsorship is back for its ninth year! Due to the international health crisis, the Diversity Sponsorship has shifted to an online-focused mentorship and support for this year’s recipients.
We will update this page when the next application phase opens. Stay tuned!
What is the Metatopia Diversity Sponsorship?
The Metatopia Diversity Sponsorship is a program meant to lift marginalized voices in the indie games industry. Originally a program that sent our recipients to Metatopia to playtest their games and network, our recipients now have the choice to take a cash scholarship to use as they choose or to save their prize for when Metatopia is back in person again.
In addition, we pair our recipients with industry professionals for one-on-one mentorship, as well as set up meetings with other industry professionals.
How can you help?
There are two main ways you can help us support the Diversity Sponsorship.
Donate! We rely on fundraising to keep this program going. Throughout the year, we conduct various fundraisers and pair with partners who also help us raise money. You can also support our programming (see the Donate button below!) 100% donations go directly to our Diversity Sponsorship recipients as either a cash scholarship or as travel support to attend Metatopia.
Become an industry professional partner or mentor! If you would like to offer mentorship, either on an ongoing basis or as a one-time discussion, we’d love to have you. Please email our Diversity Coordinator Joyce Chng at diversity@igdnonline.com to learn more.
Thank you to our major donors! Your support means everything:
Indie Press Revolution
Magpie Games
Nathaniel Rockwood
Our 2022 Diversity Sponsorship Cohort:
Krystal Norton
Krystal’s current game in development is They Came from Gods, about high school students who have just learned they are host to a god. They’re looking forward to building a stronger focus on accessibility and inclusion in tabletop gaming.
Benjamin Moses M. Diño II
Part of the #RPGSEA crew, Benjamin is working on Mangayaw, a game set in precolonial Philippines and filled with local legend, folklore, culture, and history. You can check it out here: https://goobernuts.itch.io/mangayaw
Ari
Ari is working on Black Sun, a PbtA game about finding hope in dark places and dealing with personal and communal loss. They’ve also helped organize several game jams on http://itch.io.
Kyle Tam
Kyle is working on Legendary Pro Wrestling, which combines two of her greatest loves – professional wrestling and monsterfolk! She draws upon a variety of life experiences and is learning to wear many hats as a designer.
Kandi J. Williams
A 20-year RPG veteran, Kandi is working on a GMless game called Briar Bound, a reclamation of stories of the African folktale Br’er Rabbit without the slavery themes. It builds the story through five distinct acts and uses RPG, board, and card game elements.
Darby Pak
Darby is working on a solo game titled Daguerreotype Eulogy. In it, you have died, and in the time between your death and the next phase, you document your life as a scrapbook of physical keepsakes, memories, and writing.
Our 2019 Sponsorship cohort! (Missing: Ash Cheshire)
Three recipients from three different years share dinner! Amr from 2019, Alastor from 2018, and Miguel from 2017.
Past winners of the IGDN Metatopia scholarship:
2020: Alexa Fae McDaniel, Bassey Onwuanaku, Chidi Page, Chris Parker, Helena Real, Pamela Punzalan, Raven McKenzie, and Samuel Mui Shen Ern
2019: Avraham Yosef Baez, Amr, Olivia Montoya, India Weston, Fertessa Scott, Nina Henderson, Ash Cheshire, and Mary A. Georgescu
2018: Jabari M. Weathers, Iris Xie, Mabel Harper, Sarah Saltiel, Alastor Guzman, Orion Black, Mariam Ahmad, and Omari Akil
2017: Jessie Yaternick, Justin Rogers, Jeeyon Shim, Jefferson Kwan Lee, Miguel Angel Espinoza, Camdon Wright, Jack Beckwith, and Victoria Caña
2016: J. Derrick Kapchinsky, Darcy Ross, Kiel Chenier, Vivian Paul, Krissy Bullock, Jeremy Alva, and Roe Nix
2015: Alex Helm, Kimberly Lam, André la Roche, and Jay Sylvano
2014: Sarah Doom
If you have any questions, please email our Diversity Coordinator at diversity@igdnonline.com