Tag: Board Games

Capital Creative Showcase 2026 Celebrates Sacramento’s Game Dev Community With Its Biggest Year Yet

Posted on by Frank Lourence

The Sacramento Developer Collective closed out Capital Creative Showcase 2026 with an awards ceremony celebrating the creativity, dedication, and talent behind the local game development scene. Hosted by SDC President Thomas Ruiz, the ceremony highlighted not just the award winners, but every developer, student, exhibitor, and attendee who helped make this year’s event special.

Before announcing the winners, Thomas took a moment to recognize how much work goes into making a game. Game development pulls together programming, animation, art, design, writing, sound, music, production, and countless hours of testing, problem-solving, and persistence. Every project on the show floor represented a major achievement, whether it walked away with an award or not.

That spirit is what Capital Creative Showcase is all about. The event gives Sacramento’s creators a place to share their work, connect with players, meet other developers, and celebrate the growing game development community in the region.

The first award of the night was Outstanding Student Project, recognizing the impressive work being done by young developers. After a strong showing from the student projects, Bear With Me took home the award.

Next up was the Exhibitor Choice Award, voted on by the developers and exhibitors at the event. Thomas noted that developers often see games through a unique lens, noticing systems, mechanics, and design choices that might stand out differently to fellow creators. The nominees were The Lost Frog, Blocks for Babies, and Giga Turtles, with Blocks for Babies winning the award.

The final award of the night was the People’s Choice Award, voted on by attendees. This category was especially competitive, showing just how much the crowd connected with the games on display. The nominees included My Wizard Doesn’t Feed Me So I Tarnish His Room, Now He’s Sending Buckets of Water on My Head, Cardboard Cowboy, and Goat Game. Goat Game took home the People’s Choice Award, earning the top audience honor of the night.

Thomas closed the ceremony by thanking everyone who helped make CCS 2026 possible, calling it the biggest and most successful Capital Creative Showcase in SDC’s ten-year history. For Sacramento’s game development community, the night was more than an awards ceremony. It was a reminder of how much creative work is happening locally, and how important it is to give developers a space to be seen, supported, and celebrated.

Capital Creative Showcase continues to grow as a home for Sacramento’s game creators, and CCS 2026 made one thing clear: this community has a lot to be proud of.

SDC x GDC Partnership

Posted on by Sacramento Developer Collective

Sacramento Developer Collective x GDC: A Major Step Forward for Our Community

SDC is proud to announce an official partnership with the Game Developers Conference — and it’s going to directly benefit Sacramento developers.

For years, the Sacramento Developer Collective (SDC) has worked to create opportunities for indie developers, students, and small teams to learn, connect, and grow.
This partnership with GDC is a huge milestone — not just for SDC, but for the entire Sacramento game development community.

GDC is the premier professional gathering for game creators, and this collaboration gives our community a stronger presence on the show floor, more visibility with industry leaders,
and more meaningful pathways for local developers to share their work with the world.

Why This Partnership Matters

  • Visibility for Sacramento developers: More eyes on the incredible projects being built here in our region.
  • Real opportunities for teams: Showcasing, networking, and connecting with publishers, funders, and collaborators.
  • Community uplift: SDC exists to help developers succeed — this partnership amplifies that mission at the biggest industry stage.

SDC Will Have a Booth at GDC

As part of this partnership, SDC will have an official booth at GDC where we’ll be showcasing games currently being made in the Sacramento community.
Our goal is simple: help developers get discovered, help projects gain traction, and help talented teams connect with the people who can support them.

10 Sponsored Developer Will Be Coming To GDC

We’re excited to share that SDC will be sponsoring 10 developers to attend GDC and show off their games.
These sponsored passes are a direct investment into our community — helping teams who might not otherwise be able to attend take a major step forward.

We also want to recognize how incredibly generous GDC has been in making this partnership possible.
Their support isn’t just symbolic — it materially helps developers get access to the world’s most important industry gathering.
We’re grateful, and we’re committed to making the most of this opportunity for Sacramento creators.

SDC Community Discount Code (GDC)

In addition to the sponsored passes, we’re also providing an SDC community discount code for anyone planning to attend GDC.
If you’re considering going, this is a great way to reduce the cost and join us on-site.

CODE: SDC10

Where to use it: Apply the code during GDC registration checkout here: https://gdc.informafestivals.com/2026/registrations/Attendee?_mc=barter_gdcsf_gdcsf_le_x_partner_2026?

What’s Next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more updates — including future blog posts highlighting members of our community who receive sponsored passes,
as well as the games we’ll be showcasing at the SDC booth.

This partnership is about uplifting developers — especially indie teams and emerging creators — by giving them real opportunities to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
We can’t wait to share what’s next.

Tabletop & Board Game Jam

What can you create in a weekend? Join SDC and Galaxy Games  for a 3-day Game Jam where teams design, build, and showcase a brand-new tabletop or board game around a surprise theme.

  • Fri, Nov 7 | 5–9 PM – Kickoff + theme reveal
  • Sat, Nov 8 | 11 AM–9 PM – Design, create, playtest
  • Sun, Nov 9 | 11 AM–9 PM – Final push + presentations at 5 PM

Entry is $40 for all three days, with judges, prizes, and community showcases. Entry also includes access to our game play space with a library of 1200+ board and card games! Sign up here: https://stan.store/GalaxyGameCafe/p/tabletop-game-jam

Want to playtest instead of create?

Come Sunday at 5 PM to try the new games! Just $10 Game Space entry (free for GGC Members). No registration needed.

Playtesting Day

Developers can set up at a table and have customers at the café play their game and provide feedback. It’s a great chance to get real-world testing and build community interest! Your game can be digital or analog, whether it’s an early prototype, a nearly finished build, or even a board/card game.

For players, this is your chance to try out games before anyone else! You’ll get to sit down with the developers, playtest their creations, and share your thoughts on what works and what could be even better.

If you’re interested in showcasing your game, sign up here: https://forms.gle/aVybWdTpgXzVRsE76

We’ll reach out to confirm availability and details. Spots may be limited, so grab yours early and be part of the fun!