Celebrate Black History Month by getting to know some of gaming’s most important Black developers

February is Black History Month in the United States; it’s a time for remembering important events and contributions of people across the African diaspora in all fields. Of course, that includes gaming as well. Though the number of Black game developers is still small compared to non-Black devs, greater diversity within the industry remains a hot topic in the gaming world and in tech as a whole. Here are seven Black game developers who had a major impact on the art form we love that everyone should know about.

1. Jerry Lawson

No conversation about Black game developers can begin without recognizing the original trailblazer, Jerry Lawson. If you’ve ever held a video game cartridge in your hand, you have this man to thank. Jerry Lawson helped develop the first home gaming system with interchangeable cartridges. This helped pave the way for more popular systems that also used cartridges, like the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Atari 2600. Though Jerry Lawson died in 2011, he will always be remembered as a pioneer in the industry. 

2. Ed Smith

Ed Smith was another pioneer in the early days of video games, joining Jerry Lawson as one of the first African American engineers in the industry. Smith is most famous for working on the first hybrid video game/personal computer, called The Imagination Machine. During an era when a 16K Apple II Plus was priced at $1,195, the Imagination Machine garnered a lot of media and tech enthusiast attention by launching at a comparably small price point of $599.

Sadly, the company he worked for, APF Electronics, filed for bankruptcy during the video game industry crash of 1983, which meant that The Imagination Machine II project was canceled. Still, the original Imagination Machine wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Ed Smith, and we may not have seen the eventual acceptance of hardware that blended gaming with personal computing without him.

3. Xalavier Nelson Jr.

Xalavier Nelson Jr. is the founder of game development studio Strange Scaffold. He also serves as the studio’s head writer and narrative director. Nelson started writing about video games when he was only twelve years old, posing as an adult on the internet so that he could get work. He went on to write for major gaming publications such as Polygon and PC Gamer. Later, he shifted to creating games rather than writing about them. His most recent release is El Paso, Elsewhere, a third-person shooter that puts the players into the shoes of James Savage, a vampire hunter hell-bent on tracking down his bloodsucking ex-girlfriend, a vampire who wants to destroy the world. Talk about serious relationship drama! It’s a seriously great game though, and Nelson deserves most of the credit for that.

El Paso, Elsewhere is like Max Payne mixed with Blade, and it’s must-play for shooter fans

https://www.taptap.io/post/6360037

4. Catt Small

Catt Small is a game developer and product designer based in New York who first learned how to code when she was ten. Her games frequently involve life around New York City. For example, Train Jumper is a game that involves running to catch a train and kicking people out of the way. Trust me, this is a common occurrence in New York City. Small has also developed games like SweetXheart, a visual novel that highlights the day-to-day life experiences of an African American woman. Perhaps her biggest accomplishment is creating a safe space for developers of color to come together: the Game Developers of Color Expo. You can learn more about Catt Small and her work on her website.

5. Geneva Heyward

Geneva Heyward is a young Black queer game developer who’s also based in New York City. Interested in creating more inclusive gaming experiences, Heyward is currently working on a roller derby rhythm game known as Skate & Date. She also worked on ValiDate, a visual novel exploring the complexities of relationships that’s currently available on Steam.

6. Charles McGregor

Charles McGregor is a Minnesota-based game developer, musician, and founder of Tribe Games. He was taught how to code by his dad from an early age. Charles likes to incorporate his music background into his titles. His game HyperDot challenges players to evade an onslaught of obstacles and includes references to ’80s and ’90s hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. McGregor’s first published game, Glitch in the System, won the Best Audio Award at GlitchCon 2015. You can read more about him and his games here.

7. Shawn Alexander Allen

Shawn Alexander Allen is the founder of NuChallenger, a studio that seeks to fill a cultural void in the industry. Taking his philosophy from RZA’s book The Tao of Wu, NuChallenger tackles unique projects, including marketing, while working with and uplifting underserved developers. NuChallenger’s most is probably Treachery in Beat Down City, a retro brawler hailed as “the most relevant, antiracist video game of 2020” by the Los Angeles Times. 💬 Are there any other Black developers who deserve a shout out this month? Let me know in the comments.