A Quebec-produced video game set in a fictitious version of the American Deep South, named South of Midnight, clinched the top accolade at the recent Canadian Game Awards, illustrating a notable conflict within Canada’s gaming sector.
Canada stands as a major player in the global gaming arena, with thousands employed in studios of varying sizes, contributing $5.5 billion to the nation’s GDP, as per the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. Despite the multitude of games developed in the country, only a few distinctly showcase Canadian settings.
This conflict was evident throughout the awards ceremony, where none of the Game of the Year contenders highlighted Canadian locales, even as a video segment lauded how developers in Canada have influenced the industry.
“Canada drives innovation in gaming. Not by dominating discussions, but by enriching them — demonstrating that the art form can be broad, human, and subtly ambitious all at once,” exclaimed the video’s voice-over, as clips of Canadian-made game nominees and picturesque Canadian vistas like Montreal, the Prairies, and B.C. were showcased.
Several Canadian developers argue that games with distinctly Canadian themes can be challenging to pitch to investors, although some believe that the country’s landscapes, cities, and values present an untapped creative advantage — particularly as cultural and economic tensions with the U.S. loom large.
“From our standpoint, it’s not crucial which country, location, or region the game is set in. It simply means we must double down and ensure we do our due diligence,” remarked Guillaume Provost, the head of Compulsion Games, the studio behind South of Midnight.
“If we only focused on familiar elements, we’d just create games about Canadian hockey set in Montreal, for instance,” he remarked before adding, “But we should definitely explore more of these as well.”
The landscape is gradually evolving as some independent studios develop games firmly rooted in Canadian culture. However, creators interviewed by CBC News held differing opinions on expressing their Canadian pride in their work and whether closely tying a game to a specific place aids in its uniqueness or hinders its marketability.
Are Canadian-themed games hard to market?
Near the awards venue in downtown Toronto, the XP Gaming Summit saw game developers — predominantly from smaller indie studios — engaging in meetings with peers, publishers, and potential investors to secure funding for their projects.
Many games featured common gaming settings and genres like fantasy or science fiction, with some subtly incorporating Canadian elements. Echo Generation 2, a retro adventure game with a vibe reminiscent of Stranger Things, revolves around a Canadian mother and a U.S.-born father residing in the fictional town of Mapletown.
Developers have previously disclosed to CBC News that setting a game in a distinctly Canadian location, such as The Long Dark set in the Canadian North, could face resistance from potential investors.
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