In Game Dev Story, you manage a gaming company eager to rise up the ranks. Hire and 
train employees, develop a wide range of games, and hope that your genius gaming ideas 
sell well. Naming your games gives you a chance to indulge your creativity, or inner 10-year old. Ever wanted to ship Fun With Butts II? Now’s your chance, go wild! 

When your studio gets bigger, you can develop for some of the hottest consoles, like the 
“Sonny PlayStatus” and the “Senga Uranus.” Hype up your studio with an appearances at 
gaming expos, and even hire a booth babe or two. If you’re even a little familiar with the 
gaming industry, you’re sure to get a few laughs out of the triumphs and defeats of your 
studio. What do you mean, Golf Adventure isn’t popular with the kids?

Game Dev Story has plenty of that addicting one-more-turn style gameplay, so it’s easy to 
get caught up in releasing game after game. Make sure to pay attention to your finances, 
though: like any good simulation game, disasters can come and ruin your game in progress, and there’s always a chance of a poorly-selling game. If you really run out of money, your studio can do odd jobs like making ringtones or comics. 

 There’s a lot of depth in this little game, and it’s sure to keep you amused on any number of boring bus rides, conference calls, and especially a convention line or two. Trust me, the hours will fly by, even if it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re sandwiched between two sweaty cosplayers. 

Ever tightening up the graphics, 
The Dungeon Dame 

Ittle Dew is a lovingly tongue-in-cheek pastiche of Zelda series, complete with a spunky protagonist clad in green and ever-present sidekick. Our fearless adventurer, Ittle, is a talented stick-fighting girl who can burp the alphabet. Her flying fairy fox friend, Tippsie, will lend you a hint when not taking a swig of “potion.” There’s a lot of humor to this game, but it never falls into the trap of being too snarky or mean-spirited.

Ittle Dew, like many well-crafted indies, is short and sweet, especially if you take one of its shortcuts. If you’re craving more adventures, it looks like there’s going to be an Ittle Dew 2! So keep posted here-- I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out. The game can be found on several platforms, including Android and iOS, so feel free to pick it up to play in never-ending convention lines.

Five second rule!
The Dungeon Dame 

I’m going to be honest: I died a lot getting used to this game. Running in and trying to kill everything all at once, even as a warrior, really doesn’t cut it when you’re supposed to employ strategy. Thankfully, the combat in this game is super tight and polished and genuinely fun-- no grindy battles. If you get to be super powerful, the game even auto-skips the boring parts, so you’re not crushing a bunch of useless low-level nonsense on the way to the boss. One tip: always have an escape plan. ALWAYS. You never know when a really bad baddie is going to find you.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this game is the well-written lore scattered across the level. The stories are amusing, well-written, and genuinely engaging. No, really! I usually roll my eyes at most fantasy and mash the skip button repeatedly ( I have NO idea what the plot of Torchlight II is. Did somebody get it? Can you explain it to me?) but the plot pieces in ToME are well worth the read. Plus, there are plenty of useful hints hidden in the story, which can save you from a nasty surprise. If you’re not sold on the fun of ToME’s world yet-- your character can be an Oozemancer. An Oozemancer! A master of slime!

The game is great to look at (considering its vintage genre), but if you’d prefer not having any pretty pictures, there’s an ASCII mode for the old folks. The music is great, but I prefer cranking some dungeon-looting epic music in the background to get into the spirit of things.

In Tales of Maj’Eyal, it’s all about creating the experience you want.

Go give it a (free!) try at http://te4.org/download.

Even better, the paid version of the game, with all the extra features, is available on sale this week on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/259680/.

Just click the (subtle) Rafflecopter link below for the opportunity to explore dungeons to your heart’s content!

By Lindsey

Maybe you are a first time cosplayer or you overshot your costuming abilities. Either way, you now only have a week to get something together and you already chewed all your fingernails down. Connnnnn!

Never fear, the dollar store is here! You can find all sorts of cheap and last minute costuming options at your local Dollar Tree. Seriously.

• Bold makeup colors, hair accessories, and even false eyelashes are easily accessible for less than a latte. Dollar eye-wear!

• Ever wonder where all those cool weapons come from? They're kids toys that have been painted. Spray paint and super glue can make anything look like it's out of a movie. Nobody walks around with a 30lb Excalibur----it's painted plastic and foam.

• There are table runners that can become bustles or capes with a set of well placed safety pins.
  

• Your Dalek accessories are kitchen supplies! Get creative.

• Need wrist cuffs or spats? Buy some $1 socks and use a good pair of scissors. Heck, you can buy the scissors there too!
  
  

It doesn't have to cost a fortune. All it takes is creativity and a dollar.

Dear reader, a few of us have some thoughts...

Joelle:
It is easy to get defensive when people mock things you love. Telling them to STFU or mock something they love, like sports, "YOU WORSHIP TEENAGERS IN UNDER ARMOUR EVERY SATURDAY AND I'M THE WEIRD ONE?"

But that doesn't solve things in the long run, and certainly not in a professional setting.

A nice way to explain it would be to talk about creativity and escapism. Relate it to something they would do, reading a book, seeing a movie etc. But while those are typically solo endeavors, your interests allow you to be social and still escape.

Lindsey:
I try and find a common ground starting point. You liked the Avengers movie? So do I....and more superhero stuff. I have found that men have an easier time accepting it because they have video game or superhero experience. Your average gossip girl sorority chick thinks I'm from another planet. Hence all the pub crawls I did in costume...

Ease in to talking about it - I'd probably start with authors or games or celebrities that more folks relate to. TV show and movie fandoms are more common than cosplay and conventions. There are 'muggle' folks who have become curious and more interested in cosplay after seeing the creativity and how much I enjoy it.

It also helps if there are super crazy/awkward coworkers or relatives to take the heat off you if you need to change the subject quick!

Lauren:
Working in an office environment, I used to dread answering the Monday morning question, "so what did you do this weekend?" I would be excited about some movie or gaming tournament or cosplay party I went to, but was always afraid to talk about it - except movies, that was usually safe. People at the office thought I was boring, because I kept such a big part of my life to myself. That's fine - with manager types, that's probably best.

Lately, though, I have had the courage to speak up more about my fandoms. People see my TARDIS iPhone case, or Rocket Raccoon desktop picture, and they ask me questions. It is a nice ice breaker. I've been fortunate that no one have given me crap about it lately, but if you keep your humor about you, you can just sling some (good natured) crap back about something they like and diffuse the situation.

As for family - I have enough dirt on all of them to stop that nonsense point blank if they give me a hard time! LOL.

Meghan:
I wouldn't tease other people's hobbies, even nicely-- just in case they get defensive (nerds aren't the only ones who are secretly insecure about their jam.) Lindsey is right about making it accessible; most people like action movies/superhero movies, or playing Mario Kart.

For the costuming, America has had a long history of costume parties. My super-barbie coworker is always asking me when DragonCon is, because she knows it's a big, giant costume party. All the 'Plastics' at my company loved the pictures of last years costumes.

For the especially sheltered, I explain it as "one of the world's biggest Halloween parties."


Hope this helps.
Good luck reader, and wave your geek flag proudly. After all, we rule the world.

Sincerely,
Geek Girls, Inc.

Congrats to all the dudes who have never ever in 20 years had an issue at a convention!

Laughing off safety advice as "common sense" that "everyone has" is not helpful to those going alone in an unfamiliar city. Even if events are 99% safe, bad things happen.

They have happened to women I know.
Please do not belittle the safety precautions that we need to take.

Despite all the wonderful folks you will meet at a Con, it is still uncomfortable being a woman alone. Join the newbie groups and specifically look up some geek girl groups.

Other women had great advice: leave early, stay with crowds, avoid street folks, and don't drink much your first year. As a younger woman who may be cosplaying in an attractive costume, here's what you need to know:

Do not depend on technology to help you.
You will not have a good signal in a convention area and if you finally get a message, your battery will most likely die. Print out a map and ask for directions from a staff member before venturing out somewhere.

Be careful where you park.
The night time trek back to your car is way sketchier than it was Saturday morning. Although rare, there are parking scams and other petty crimes that happen during a busy weekend. Don't believe what someone on the street tells you. Look for authentic business sign information before you ever hand over money.

Be prepared to deal with uncomfortable attention and sexual harassment.
Are you willing to cause a scene to defend yourself or are you the deer in headlights type? I know plenty of strong women who never expected to be victims. Having a plan can help you have a good con experience.

Diffuse the situation by having some funny lines to let men down gently.
Rebuke a heckler in character or call out to someone nearby to join you on a quest.
A change in topic or bringing another person into the conversation can shift the tone.

I would love to say that staff members are always around and can help you, but unfortunately this isn't the case. What works best for me is using a teacher/mom voice to politely tell the offender that their behavior is inappropriate and that they are making you uncomfortable. Saying this simply and loudly has been enough to embarrass the offender and sometimes merits an apology.

It may seem like "common sense" but in the moment, instincts can leave you. Having a backup plan and preparing a response can genuinely help de-escalate a potentially negative situation.

Good question, dear reader.

We wholeheartedly share in your disdain for the bastardized film version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that is tainting the minds of the next generation of geeks. However, this is the new world and new generation. Perhaps we should accept that our experience (while better) will not be the experience of our children and grandchildren.

(Seriously, why does Donatello have nerd glasses. Is that the only way to show he's "the smart one?" Ugh...)

Maybe you should give them a lesson on the real TMNT, and only once they pass a test, and you feel confident they know that Ninja Turtles do not have pug snouts, then they can have your blessing in going to see the movie.  

Also, in the film they aren't presented as aliens anymore, they are a result of mutation in the film, but in a lab. So at least that's something.

Take heart, Geek Mom, the current Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon is actually pretty good, and holds up to the wistful nostalgia of our childhoods, while reaching out to a new, modern audience.

And for goodness sakes, if your mother-in-law does take the kiddos to see the movie - she had better take them for pizza afterwards! Cowabunga, dudes!

Your Friends at Geek Girls, Inc.

Long Live the Queen is pretty much the ultimate Girl Game. It’s a visual novel (!) full of anime (!!) and pink (!!!) with an emotion mechanic (ugh). It is so feminine, you might be able to finally apply false eyelashes just through sheer girly overexposure. Yet, it has been only recommended to me by dudes. I guess the brony phenomenon did open things up a bit? Hooray for progress!

It’s basically Princess Maker, but with 60% less lechery and 90% more brutal deaths. In the game you try to survive to coronation as a pretty pretty princess in a kingdom full of corruption, murderers, and rivals. 

Want your princess to be the most lady-like at the ball? 
Want her to achieve naval victories on the high seas? 
Want her to shoot first and ask questions later? 

It’s addicting to find different ways to sidestep certain doom, and the game gives you several hints as to what skills your princess may need. For those who complain that the choices often don’t matter in video games-- in this game, EVERY choice matters. So put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

Off with her head!

-The Dungeon Dame

With Convention Season underway, we’re sure many of you are suiting up, dusting off your suitcases and ready to get your geek on. However, it’s important to remember in all the excitement and fervor of the convention scene to have your wits about you-- you’re still in a public place, you don’t have super-sight or super-strength, and there’s always a risk of danger. We’re not safety experts here at GGInc, but here are some tips we’ve compiled out of our own experiences at many different conventions:

Be a good neighbor
You never know when you’re going to be someone else’s superhero! With huge crowds, conventions have many problems with the Bystander Effect, so if you see something unsavory, speak up! Whether it’s a cosplayer being harassed, a drunk reveler who can’t find their friends, or even just a lost newbie, resist the urge to think “It’ll all work out! They don’t need me.” You never know until you step in (politely).  It is especially important that women look out for other women, since con harassment is unfortunately targeted mostly towards women.

Be careful outside the hotel/convention center
The real world still operates outside of the Con Bubble. Keep your eyes up and away from your cell phone screen (chances are, signal will be terrible anyway). Don’t play Frogger on the street-- you don’t want your party to be cut short with a hospital bill. Stick with friends late at night or in unfamiliar territory. If you’re driving into the con, event parking scams can be prevalent in some areas; plan ahead where you want to park, and if that lot is full or inaccessible, find a lot/deck with an automatic in-out system -- even if it’s more expensive.


Travel in pairs or a group
Safety in numbers is pretty much a no-brainer, but it is not always easy to stay with a group in the large crowds. Plan a rallying point if you all get separated, keep an eye out for one another, and leave no geek behind!

Let someone know where you are
If you do go off to a panel or party or especially a hook-up alone, make sure at least one other (sober) person knows where you are, your phone is charged, and you check in with each other. Oh, and since phone batteries tend to die quickly at a Con -- know someone’s phone number by heart or write it down somewhere safe for an emergency!


Take a break
Fatigue will weaken your immune system, your stamina, and your decision-making skills. Eat enough food to sustain you and get plenty of rest. All of the panels and events are going to sound interesting, but plan realistically-- for a big convention, you might only be able to hustle to two events safely and sanely. You don’t need to break yourself to have a fun time at a convention-- there will be another con next year. Plus, how much fun are you REALLY going to have when you’re hungry, sleepy, and your left foot is killing you?

Control your alcohol
Partying is a major part of nearly every convention; who doesn’t want to enjoy an adult beverage with Chewbacca and a Sexy Pikachu? However, the occasional villain might be out to ruin your night, so don’t accept strange booze and keep your eye on your drink at all times. Remember, the most popular drug used to taint drinks is More Alcohol. Always have an exit plan, and stick with friends. Real friends, not your line buddies who’ll ditch your drunk ass to go to the next ragin’ room party in a hotel three blocks away.

Get help
If there is a capital-S Situation, find the nearest convention staff member or police officer. Convention staff can deal with the problem or quickly escalate it to the appropriate people. This goes ESPECIALLY for any medical emergency. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when it’s needed-- you might save a life.


Have fun (and safe!) conventions, everyone!