Incan Arcade Studios: DIY Festival STEM Exhibitor

Held at the Utah State Fairpark every August, the 17th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons is Utah’s largest local-centric arts, music, science and technology festival. Over the three-day weekend, experience the best of our state’s creative culture with over 500 local artists and makers, three stages for music and dance performances, a youth entrepreneur area, a STEM building with hands-on exhibitions, dozens of food vendors and more. Kids of all ages and dogs are welcome — find more info and get tickets at craftlakecity.com!

The gaming ecosystem for the modern video game enjoyer is a busy one, rife with expensive remakes, repetitive sports titles and enough micro-transactions to bankrupt Mansa Musa. All is not lost, however, as passionate indie game developers like the talented Incan Arcade Studios, also known as Dominic Ojeda, continue to produce high-quality pieces filled with attention and creativity.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved drawing, especially creating my own characters. I also played a lot of classic pixel art games … There’s just something really nostalgic and magical about them,” says Ojeda, whose unique pixel-based style furnishes throngs of quirky and wonderful worlds. “I try to focus on infusing energy and personality into every detail, especially through animation and color. I often aim for cartoony styles that feel vibrant and alive, where the characters move with a sense of fun and intention. I also make my games as a form of wish fulfillment. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play as a rampaging dinosaur? I lean into those wild ideas and try my best to bring them to life,” he says.

I’d recommend you play everything Incan Arcade Studios has ever made, but Ojeda says Dino Mayhem best exemplifies his skills. “It’s the game I’ve poured the most into, especially the character designs and animations … But I’m even more excited to see my skills improve with each new game I make.” Find his creations at the DIY Fest and at incanarcade.itch.io.

Read more from SLUG about DIY Fest Artisans here:
Respectable Hoe Chainmail: DIY Festival Artisan
Dark Muse Altars: DIY Festival Artisan