Video Game Writing

**About the Event** An event for the Maryland folks! So much parking!!!!! The Maryland Expansion Pack is a board game/tabletop gaming event for both experienced and casual gamers. Be prepared to meet new people and try new games. **About the Games** This series will focus two types of games -- A hosted "meaty game" for players looking for a more in-depth experience, and a collection of social games. The hosted game is intended for experienced tabletop fans. These games will include titles with rulesets that are a bit more complex, take a bit more time, and are often strategic and competitive. (space may be limited) The Social Games are easy to learn, and play!!! DCGG will curate the games and provide trained game hosts to help get games going quickly and make sure all players are supported as they learn and engage with the games. **AND THE MOST IMPORTANT BIT!!! ITS TACO TUESDAY!!!!!!!** **What if we don't have enough players?** Through the power of teamwork and friendship, we will find a way for everyone to play and have a good time. **Please arrive on time if possible.** **BUT WAIT THERES MORE:** If you are interested in becoming a Supporting Member and enjoying perks like: * **Early RSVP Access:** Supporting Members will get early access to RSVPing to regular events. * **Town Hall meeting:** Supporting Members will be invited to participate in town halls and polls that will help determine how revenue past operating costs is directed. * **Discounted Ticket:** In the event that DCGG hosts paid ticketed events in the future, Supporting Members will be offered discounted prices. * The knowledge that you make all this possible! Visit the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/DCGamingGroup Feel free to join the DC Gaming Community by hopping into the Discord: https://discord.gg/NP7v7VF **Disclaimer and Community Code of Conduct:** The DC Gaming Group is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for participants. to learn more about our code of conduct you can read more here. Events may be recorded for promotional material.

Come out to [Third Hill Brewing Company](https://www.thirdhillbrewing.com/) and play some board games! Serving food with their variety of drinks so come and fuel up for the games. Learn about new games, play games, meet new friends, and have a good time! All ages and levels of experience/knowledge of games are welcome as long as you have a willingness to learn and/or teach your games. Host will provide some games but as always, you are welcome/encouraged to bring your own (recommended you know them and/or ready to teach them). Please be aware that there is no direct parking but there is nearby parking garages. **NTBG** is a safe environment for all to have fun. Bullying/harassment is not tolerated.

Join us for another optional writing session! Feel free to bring a project you're already working on or start something new with us. If anything interesting comes up while you're writing, you can share it with the group, but no pressure!

**Please Note:** This game has limited slots, and you must RSVP. If the event is full, please signup for the Waitlist, and you will be moved up as people update their RSVPs. In ***Rebuilding Seattle***, you're responsible for managing the zoning and expansion of a major neighborhood! Each round your population grows, and you can either build a new building, expand into a new suburb, activate an event, or build a landmark, before earning profit based on your neighborhood's commerce. You'll buy building types from a shared market, looking to find shapes that fit your grid and types that fit your strategy. Triggering citywide events can change the tide of the game, offering points, money, and expansions for the players ready for it. You can even enact laws to give yourself the advantage! At the end of the game, whoever's neighborhood has earned the most points wins. Light Refreshments are provided. Please RSVP so we can account for Snacks.

Bring a favorite game or pick out a new favorite!

DC iOS returns to the Capital One campus for another meetup! And not only just DC iOS, we are collaborating with [iOSoHo](https://www.meetup.com/iosoho/), [DC Android](https://www.meetup.com/dcandroid/), [New York Android](https://www.meetup.com/new-york-android-engineers/) and the Dallas iOS Developers Group for a big combined meetup! Come and meet with fellow Apple AND Android developers in the DC Area, enjoy some food, networking, and a great tech talk! PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING IN PERSON OR OVER ZOOM. **Agenda (NOTE THE LATER START TIME):** • 6:00 PM - Doors Open (in-person attendees). **Don't forget your ID!** • 6:30 PM - Welcome (in-person and Zoom attendees) • 6:35 PM - **First Talk: From Shared Logic to Shared Pixels: A KMP & CMP Deep Dive** (Live from DC) • 7:05 PM - Community Announcements • 7:15 PM - **Second Talk: Swift on Android** (Virtually from NYC) • 7:45 PM - Networking **First Talk Description:** • From Shared Logic to Shared Pixels: A KMP & CMP Deep Dive Clinton Teegarden Explore the complete lifecycle of Kotlin and Compose Multiplatform, tracing the journey from compiler mechanics down to the practical day-to-day developer experience. By building a Flappy Bird-style game, we'll unpack how shared UI rendering actually works while navigating the realities of iOS interoperability and common architectural gotchas. You'll leave with a clear roadmap for seamlessly translating shared business logic into performant, cross-platform pixels. Clinton is a Distinguished Engineer at Capital One with a focus on Mobile and AI core platforms **Second Talk Description:** • Swift on Android Marc Prud'hommeaux The release of Swift 6.3 features official support for the Android platform. This is the culmination of over 10 years of effort to bring the Swift language to Android, first through a series of independent and uncoordinated projects and then eventually coalescing into an official Android Workgroup under the umbrella of the Swift project. The result is the Swift SDK for Android, a cross-compilation Swift SDK that can be used on macOS and Linux to compile Swift code into the various Android architectures as a native library. But what can you actually do with Swift on Android? Far from being limited to just libraries for sharing business logic between Android and iOS, you can, in fact, use it to build and distribute entire apps. This talk will discuss the various ways in which the Swift SDK for Android can be used to create applications, from the lowest-level manual native interaction with the Android NDK and SDK, to synthesizing Java bindings generated with the nascent swift-java project, all the way up to creating full Jetpack Compose powered apps using [Skip.dev.](http://Skip.dev.) Swift is now a contender among the languages that can be used to build applications for both iOS and Android. While it is a newer entrant compared to the established players like Dart, JavaScript, and Kotlin, it features some distinct advantages that make it worth considering for your next app project. Marc Prud'hommeaux has been developing apps for iOS and Android since 2008, and was the author of the very first ebook reader for the iPhone: Stanza. He has worked in a variety of roles over the years, designing and building apps for giants like Amazon, Bose, and the New York Times. In 2022 he started [Skip.dev](http://Skip.dev) ([https://skip.dev](https://skip.dev/)) with the vision of bringing Swift and SwiftUI application development to Android, and is one of the founding members of the Swift Android Workgroup. He is also the founder of the non-profit App Fair Project ([https://appfair.org](https://appfair.org/)) and an advocate for software freedom. Zoom Link: [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86441046804?pwd=l2Thmnyi92YAQmCd1iqbUuo9GRRl1R.1](https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86441046804?pwd=l2Thmnyi92YAQmCd1iqbUuo9GRRl1R.1) **Location:** Capital One, C2 Building 1680 Capital One Drive, Mclean VA, 22102 100A Visitor parking is either in the garage attached to 1680 Capital One Drive, or the open lot next to 1600 Capital One Drive. After that you will walk over to the main entrance of 1680 Capital One drive, and then walk around the right to the corner to room 100A For the metro, take the Silver Line to the McLean metro stop, then walk into main campus (about a 5 minute walk). From there, walk to the main entrance of 1680 and then go to room 100A **What you need to bring:** ID **When to arrive (NOTE LATER THAN USUAL START TIME):** Doors open at 6:00pm ET Event will start at 6:30 pm ET **Will food and drinks be provided?** Yep! **Will there be rapid testing provided?** No **Will masks be required?** No

We will be doing a combined iOS and Android meetup this month! Come and meet with fellow Apple and Android developers in the DC Area, enjoy some food, networking, and some great tech talks - as we enter opposite land for an evening **Agenda:** • 6:00 PM - Doors Open (in-person attendees). • 6:30 PM - Welcome (in-person and Zoom attendees) • 6:35 PM - **Talk: *From Shared Logic to Shared Pixels: A KMP & CMP Deep Dive*** • 7:05 PM - Community Announcements • 7:15 PM - **Talk: *Swift on Android*** • 7:45 PM - Networking • 8:30 PM - Doors close **Talk Descriptions:** **From Shared Logic to Shared Pixels: A KMP & CMP Deep Dive** Clinton Teegarden Explore the complete lifecycle of Kotlin and Compose Multiplatform, tracing the journey from compiler mechanics down to the practical day-to-day developer experience. By building a Flappy Bird-style game, we'll unpack how shared UI rendering actually works while navigating the realities of iOS interoperability and common architectural gotchas. You'll leave with a clear roadmap for seamlessly translating shared business logic into performant, cross-platform pixels Clinton is a Distinguished Engineer at Capital One with a focus on Mobile and AI core platforms **Swift On Android** Marc Prud'hommeaux The release of Swift 6.3 features official support for the Android platform. This is the culmination of over 10 years of effort to bring the Swift language to Android, first through a series of independent and uncoordinated projects and then eventually coalescing into an official Android Workgroup under the umbrella of the Swift project. The result is the Swift SDK for Android, a cross-compilation Swift SDK that can be used on macOS and Linux to compile Swift code into the various Android architectures as a native library. But what can you actually do with Swift on Android? Far from being limited to just libraries for sharing business logic between Android and iOS, you can, in fact, use it to build and distribute entire apps. This talk will discuss the various ways in which the Swift SDK for Android can be used to create applications, from the lowest-level manual native interaction with the Android NDK and SDK, to synthesizing Java bindings generated with the nascent swift-java project, all the way up to creating full Jetpack Compose powered apps using [Skip.dev](https://www.google.com/url?q=http://Skip.dev&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3I5ILdv2sMo1xwliX7CkaF). Swift is now a contender among the languages that can be used to build applications for both iOS and Android. While it is a newer entrant compared to the established players like Dart, JavaScript, and Kotlin, it features some distinct advantages that make it worth considering for your next app project. Marc Prud'hommeaux has been developing apps for iOS and Android since 2008, and was the author of the very first ebook reader for the iPhone: Stanza. He has worked in a variety of roles over the years, designing and building apps for giants like Amazon, Bose, and the New York Times. In 2022 he started [Skip.dev](https://www.google.com/url?q=http://Skip.dev&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3I5ILdv2sMo1xwliX7CkaF) ([https://skip.dev](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://skip.dev&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3hCAQLAUiBQYGyWIa3Djpv)) with the vision of bringing Swift and SwiftUI application development to Android, and is one of the founding members of the Swift Android Workgroup. He is also the founder of the non-profit App Fair Project ([https://appfair.org](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://appfair.org&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw2_5gond6tqviw59Pu0QKSj)) and an advocate for software freedom. **How to find us:** 1680 Capital One Drive, McLean, VA 22102 We'll be located in C2 **100 A**. The area is publicly accessible. If you can't find it, you can ask the front desk for directions to the **C2 100 A** **Attending Virtually?** Zoom Link: [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86441046804?pwd=l2Thmnyi92YAQmCd1iqbUuo9GRRl1R.1](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86441046804?pwd%3Dl2Thmnyi92YAQmCd1iqbUuo9GRRl1R.1&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw2MZCwwtil3TnK_8ktQz6p6) Meeting ID: 864 4104 6804 Passcode: 324839 **Parking**: You can park at 1680 Capital One Drive; this garage has a sign indicating public parking. Or at the WEGMANS parking lot.

Bring your laptop or notebook, we'll be greeting each other followed by working on our substacks together! This is the inaugural meeting so it will be more freeform, but as this community grows and develops perhaps there will be more structure to it. stay tuned!

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at **7:00 PM on Wednesday evenings.** Edit: As of January 7, 2026, we will be back at Starbucks! Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **We'll meet inside the coffee shop**. Please buy something to ensure we're welcome back. Sit down anywhere, but let me know you're here so we can introduce ourselves and check in before and after writing! (I'll be the one with the sign.) **SCHEDULE:** 7:00 - Quick introductions 7:20 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:20 - The End: chat, take off, or keep writing Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! **What Should I Bring?** Whatever you need to be able to write! Note that outlets are limited, so please make sure your devices are charged. Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block the overhead music or the conversation by other patrons. **Other Important Details:** Starbucks has WiFi. TRAVEL / PARKING: The shopping area is about a twenty minute walk from the College Park or P. G. Plaza/Hyattsville Crossing Metro Stations. There's also a bus stop right outside the shopping center on Baltimore Ave. Parking is free. SEATING INFORMATION: Seating is first come first serve. I'll try to grab a table, but be prepared to sit down anywhere. FOOD GUIDELINES: Tea, coffee, and light food are available at the coffee shop. Please thank our hosts by purchasing something to drink.

Let's get into some in-person games! For those new to the group, I have a wide selection of Nintendo systems on hand, and you're welcome to bring your own games, consoles or portable systems. A second TV is available. If possible, mention when you plan to arrive, as this can help in deciding when certain games would best be played. You can park along Armistead, Quantrell or Lincolnia, or Wilson. If you arrive after 6, you can also park on Breckinridge with no time limit. I can provide transportation from Van Dorn Metro before and after the event.

Join our monthly writer meetup to share ideas, socialize, kick off your creativity, and write something! To find us, either take the stairs or elevator to the fourth floor, following the signs for the conference center. We'll be in room 401-A. All writer levels are welcome; we're all about building community and confidence. If you have any questions, please email us! (writingheptagon@gmail.com)

Playtesting Agent and Battle-scale of the Zone-17 role-playing and miniatures game.

Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. Bring your writing materials (such as a notebook or a charged laptop - outlets are limited.) And if you'd like to tune out other patrons at Sonny's or any overhead music, we recommend bringing headphones or earplugs. BEING LATE IS OKAY: Just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! When you show up, I will be sitting at a table with folded "Shut Up & Write" table cards. Say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** **WiFi name/password:** Name - Sonny's/Doubles Guest; Password - pingpong **Travel / Parking info:** Sonny's is on the D40/D4X bus line and about a 15 minute walk from either the Columbia Heights or Georgia Ave/Petworth metro lines. There is limited on-street parking. **Venue Guidelines:** Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

**☕ Code & Coffee \| Black Code Collective** Pull up, plug in, and enjoy some good company. Join us for a chill Sunday coworking session — bring your laptop and your current project (or no project at all). All skill levels welcome. **Free to attend. Coffee & treats provided. Just show up.** 📅 **Sunday, April 26** 🕙 **10:30 AM – 12:30 PM** 📍 **Falls Church, VA** Please note that we would be located on the 5th floor with the listed address below. 105 W Broad St, Suite #410 · Falls Church, VA 22046

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, April 22 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)

Try new games, meet new people, and find out what story games are all about! Explore the reaches of space! Witness kingdoms rise and fall! Create and explore tragedies! All within a single game night. We play story games like Fiasco, Kingdom, Polaris and Microscope that encourage everyone at the table to participate creatively. We also have one-shots of indie, OSR, and narrative-focused RPGs such as Apocalypse World, Dread, Lady Blackbird, and Old School Essentials! Everybody's welcome! It doesn't matter if you've never tried story games before or never played roleplaying games at all! Just bring your brain and a good attitude and come try it out! *** **IMPORTANT** * When you arrive look for the marked Story Games Columbus Tables. Each table will have a separate game. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis. * If all tables are full, look for a Facilitator. We will find a way to get you into a game! * There is a flat $3 cover charge for events at Tabletop. *** **Facilitators!!** Please arrive early so that we can get you set up with a table. Please reach out to me ASAP if you would be willing to help facilitate. You can reach me on the SGC Discord here - https://discord.gg/jUTvWUu