I love games — I’ve played some type of game or the other for as long as I can remember. But I wouldn’t classify myself as much of a gamer, mostly because I’m terrible at it and haven’t played a huge part in the community. That’s perhaps why I was drawn to attend the Toronto Game Expo 2025 (TGE).
TGE calls itself “the city’s premier event for gaming and pop culture enthusiasts.” Taking place twice a year, the two-day weekend event includes opportunities for visitors to play free video games, arcade games and claw games while interacting with each other and trying out new independent games. The show also includes a robust artists alley, a vendors section and some cosplay guests and voice artists.
Feeling Like a Kid Again
TGE’s entry system differs from other conventions I’ve attended in Toronto—they stagger the entries for media, VIPs and regular guests. As media, I got in early, which meant wandering around the Artists Alley while most creators were still setting up. The upside was that I didn’t have to plough through teeming millions and could actually see what the artists had on offer. I enjoyed seeing all the spectacular art, crafts and so much more in between.
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The exhibitors’ section was full of vendors selling games, consoles and accessories. I found browsing for games much easier at the Expo because of the high tables and large aisles. I also found a bunch of games I’d been searching for, so that’s a plus.
However, I didn’t come to the Toronto Game Expo to just look around; I came to play games. Who gets the chance to play games for free anymore? Not me. After hearing about Nerf guns all my life, I tried my hand at one at the GameStop booth. I can’t aim at all, so I’m glad this wasn’t a competition. It was fun, though, especially once my Nerf gun unjammed. I managed to hit one duck (it was a picture; no actual ducks were harmed).
If there’s ever a good reason to wake up early on a weekend, it’s to play arcade games. As soon as I entered TGE, I had my eyes set on the arcade games section. But it didn’t seem to be open or functioning, so I went for a wander. My one major criticism of TGE is that hardly any staff or volunteers are around to help guide you inside the venue. I’m sure I missed out on playing every single game because I couldn’t find someone to switch them on.
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Anyway, back to the games. You know how lots of kids in North America grew up playing arcade games? Most of us growing up in other countries could only imagine what that was like. The closest we got to an arcade game was seeing characters play them on television. Toronto Game Expo was my chance to live some of my childhood gaming dreams.
I got to indulge the child in me by finally playing Mortal Kombat. My hand may have cramped from all the button mashing, but oh, to hear that iconic command to FINISH HIM was epic. I also tried a few Konami games, including GuitarFreaks (I missed every single beat) and Jubeat (failed miserably, I don’t even know how).
I also tried my hand at Sega’s House of the Dead II with the plastic guns. That was annoyingly fun. I couldn’t stop playing—I literally had to drag myself away when I saw some kids hovering around us, looking sad.
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Meeting Indie Game Developers
I was particularly excited to check out the indie gamers. We’re all aware of the current tensions in Canada with our neighbours south of the border, and it’s making all Canadians feel ever more celebratory of homegrown talents and products.
If there’s one big upside to the staggered entry system, it’s that the show felt a lot less busy. This gave me the chance to speak to some of the game developers—something I’d probably have missed later in the day when there would undoubtedly be long queues in the way.
As a cat-lover, I was immediately drawn to Kitten Cup Studio’s adorable game Pekoe. Think Diner Dash but without the stress and anxiety. In the game, you, the unseen protagonist, make tea for kitties. There’s a selection of add-ons to flavour the tea with, and you click the various items to boil the tea and present it to the customer. The aim of the game is not only to relax with some tea but to make conversation. It was super-cute and very chill, till I chose the incorrect answer prompt and offended my kitty customer. That was hilarious.
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I had a good laugh with the game producer, Len Predko, who shared that Kitten Cup Studios is developing a new game called Capy Castaway, based on the incident when two Capybaras escaped a Toronto zoo. Predko also mentioned that they’ve started a group in support of Canadian independent game developers like themself. Pekoe is currently in development and available to play on Steam.
I next spoke to the creator of Galactic Shogun: A Social Deduction Board Game, Peter Luo. When it comes to board games, my knowledge begins and ends with Snakes and Ladders. I know very little of the role-playing games, and Luo had to educate me on what a social deduction game is; think Mafia. I am gobsmacked at how gorgeous the cards look, not just the steelback versions but the regular playing cards as well.
But I’ll be honest: I struggled to figure out how to play the game. I like the concept, though: ninjas, space, villainy. Plus, there’s a chance you could pull a card, which means you have to swap roles. That could make things interesting. If you’re into board games, collect four to eight people and try out Galactic Shogun.
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From one board game to another. Angry Peasant Games has a fun fantasy board game called Bunker Down!, where, in a world of wizards and heroes, you play as the downtrodden townspeople just trying to survive. I had a quick chat with co-founder Wurst, who had brought the prototypes of the game with him. The game is still in development, with art by Alejandra Laria. I think Dungeons & Dragons fans will surely enjoy this game.
My last indie developer chat was with the maker of Ranita, Erick Moros Letondeur. Letondeur’s video game development journey began as a pixel artist, but he struggled to find developers who were committed to completing the job. Granted, as Letondeur explained, these folks were giving their time for free, but the lack of commitment meant his projects didn’t finish. So, he went from artist to developer by coding through ChatGPT.
The end-product, Ranita (which means little frog in Spanish), is superb to look at, and whatever gameplay I saw, it seemed clean, precise and difficult. The game is a lot like Flappy Bird but with a dark twist. I have many reservations about the use of generative AI. Not least because it is terrible for the environment but mainly because genAI is created using stolen work, and I can’t get behind that.
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I’m glad Letondeur was able to make the game. However, I worry that removing obstacles—like other professionals who may not have the time to dedicate to a project—is a steep hill for artistic communities to roll down.
I ended my time at the Toronto Game Expo by meeting, in my opinion, the most important cosplay guest at the show—Leonidas, the cosplaying cat. He was cosplaying as a Jedi and even had a tiny lightsaber. He was so still that I thought he was a plushie, but then he winked. Leonidas was a bit sleepy by the time I got to him, but he still looked adorable. Cutest. Jedi. Ever. What a way to end the show.
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