We believe in inclusivity, collaboration, and community. Everyone who visits with us should feel that they are able to openly experiment, make mistakes, and try new things in a space that is safe and supportive. In order to make this a reality, we need to foster a culture that embraces diversity and stands together against harmful or toxic behavior.
We provide a few simple behavioral guidelines that lay the groundwork for this culture. We ask that if you visit our event, you treat one another with these in mind.
Remember that Philly Game Mechanics hosts events for all-ages. It’s important to be aware of your audience and give people the opportunity to opt-out of participating in a showcase or an event.
Remember that everyone has the right to bring their ideas to Philly Game Mechanics. We are interested in what everyone is working on, and we want to get to know them. Regardless of age, race, gender, or orientation, always be respectful, friendly and encouraging to fellow community members. This includes both physical and virtual meeting spaces.
We have the huge privilege of meeting in various places around Philadelphia, including the coworking space at Indy Hall. Our ability to keep a good relationship with our hosts depends on you. Always clean up after yourself and be careful with borrowed equipment, furniture, and general surroundings.
This respect also extends to our virtual spaces, including the Philly Game Mechanics Slack channel. Maintaining a respectful space requires community members to be respectful of each other and the Code of Conduct.
No one is too much of an expert or too fresh of a newbie to show off their work. Avoid using a tone of condescension. Leave “well, actually” out of your vocabulary. Keep competition friendly and fun!
Because all ideas and skill sets are welcome, you may find yourself confronted with words or actions that are offensive in some aspect. Constructive criticism also applies to these situations. Call out harmful and ignorant behavior when you see it. As you would critique anything, explain why you take issue with it, and suggest a way that it could be corrected.
If you have trouble resolving conflict yourself, or you are being threatened or harassed by another community member, you can always bring the problem to a Dev Knight. Whether the harmful behavior happened in person or online, we are here to offer advice and stand with you. Depending on the seriousness of an incident, Dev Knights may speak to another person on your behalf. In a worst case scenario, we will ask a community member who is harmful toward others not to come back to future events.
If there are any questions, concerns, or general feedback, don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you wish to contact the Dev Knights anonymously, you can do so using this form.
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