The RETRORONTO Report #9
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Tuesday, July 1, 2025
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Cloudy 21C
📅 Tuesday, July 1, 2025 ☁️ Cloudy 21C
This is The RETRORONTO Report, your go-to source for all the latest happenings and updates in the evolving city of Retroronto!
Retroronto Tours Toronto Games Week
Retroronto at XP Game Summit 2025, with a brand new banner!
In its second consecutive year attending XP Summit, Starspray Studios Ltd. was an official participant in the event’s Indie Game Showcase. Thanks to a raffle win from XP Gaming Inc, the team was awarded booth space, full event access, and even a printed banner to display on the showroom floor. The event saw over 40 indie developers in attendance, with Retroronto attracting players, industry attention, and a few press interviews. The visibility gained was a win in itself, and Retroronto earned mentions in online writeups and LinkedIn posts from well-established names in the local scene.
Retroronto and 24 other indie games at The G.R.I.D. Playtest
Later in the week, the team presented Retroronto at The G.R.I.D., a playtesting-focused event held at George Brown College. Designed specifically for gathering in-depth player feedback, this event offered a more focused environment, with printed playtest sheets and a closed-door format. The structured feedback was invaluable, with a welcoming atmosphere, raffle prizes, and plenty of pizza. Retroronto’s time at G.R.I.D. proved not just productive, but thoroughly enjoyable. Special thanks go to event organizer Antonio Miceli for the opportunity and encouragement to participate.
Seriously Fun Showcase & Social, hosted by Wero Creative.
The last showcase for Retoronto was at the Seriously Fun Showcase & Social, a more intimate affair hosted at Danu Social House. With a relaxed setting, couches, and casual conversation, this event allowed Retroronto to shine in a different light. Conversations centered less around business metrics and more around meaning, how games like Retroronto reflect culture, civic life, and the future of urban living. The team spent the evening deep in discussion with fellow developers, artists, and curious attendees until last call, leaving with a renewed sense of purpose and perspective on the game’s direction.
Games were projected on the Canada Malting Silos building down near Billy Bishop Airport at Toronto’s waterfront.
Originally, Retroronto was also slated to appear at Giant Video Games, the kickoff event for Toronto Games Week, which featured building-sized projections, an arcade tent with games by local indie studios, and a surprise appearance by Mayor Olivia Chow. Although scheduling conflicts prevented the game’s inclusion this year, Starspray Studios is eager to coordinate early for future editions of this landmark event. The evening brought out many familiar faces from Toronto’s indie scene, and included speeches by the mayor and deputy mayor celebrating the city’s growing influence in the game development world.
Retroronto on one of Hand Eye Society’s ‘Torontron’ machines.
That said, Retroronto still made a surprise cameo elsewhere, featured on one of Hand Eye Society’s Torontron arcade cabinets during the Alternative Arcade: Hardware for Accessible Play workshop at InterAccess. Set alongside experimental controllers and forward-thinking design, the appearance offered a welcome chance to highlight Retroronto in a new context focused on accessibility, innovation, and community hardware. The Torontron arcade machines are a staple in Toronto’s indie game development community, and a personal win for the Retroronto development team.
With three successful showings wrapped and one more on the horizon, Retroronto will next appear at the Get On My Level esports event from July 4–6. The studio has turned its focus toward implementing the many notes, conversations, and bug reports gathered from the past week into it’s new July update. From media attention to design insights to thematic inspiration, each event offered something unique, and all of it is being funneled back into Retroronto’s ongoing development.
-Mahdi Villa, Lead Journalist
XP Game Summit 2025 – Event Recap
Podcast by Arcade Pizza
XP Game Summit Toronto: Indies, Biz Talks, and Game Chatter Galore
Written by Katya Ryabova
XP Game Summit 2025 in Focus
Written by Daniel New
No Place Like Hotels
With more people arriving in the city each day and apartment vacancies becoming harder to find, local hotels are stepping up to fill the gap. New short-stay options are now available across the city for those needing a place to rest, especially after hours when most businesses shut their doors.
The addition of hotel accommodations helps address the growing issue of late-night wandering, giving folks a reliable way to pass the time and reset for the next day.
“I used to ride the streetcar until sunrise,” said one commuter outside a modest midtown inn. “Now I just book a room, no questions asked. It’s not luxury, but it’s peace of mind.”
Though amenities are currently limited, the decision to implement hotels has also unlocked new infrastructure behind the scenes. Interior transitions and multi-room functionality are now possible, paving the way for future expansions that more accurately reflect Toronto’s rich variety of hotel experiences, from mom-and-pop stays to luxury suites overlooking the skyline.
Plans are being drawn up to best represent the more luxurious hotels, namely the iconic Royal York Hotel at the centre of downtown Retroronto.
-Nora Maples, Reporter
Streamlining Urban Life
In response to growing resident feedback and everyday confusion, city authorities have rolled out a series of quiet-yet-crucial updates designed to improve the overall livability and navigability of daily life.
For one, signage across food stations now previews the items being prepared, a long-requested change by both workers and customers hoping to avoid cooking the wrong dish. Map applications have also been upgraded with a legend, finally clarifying what each city icon means.
Other improvements include clearer door signage in buildings, smoother transitions between indoor spaces, and broader support for directional input across personal devices. Perhaps most praised among couriers and cyclists is the long-overdue fix allowing residents to enter buildings while still mounted on bikes.
“You’d think I was trying to break in,” said one downtown delivery rider. “Now I can just roll through like a normal person.”
All these changes stem from recent resident surveys and public feedback initiatives, showing that when people speak up, the city listens, eventually.
Ezra Wagner, Writer
Where citizens say what’s on their mind, and we print it anyway.
Keep Your Beats to Yourself
By Jasmine L., 28
If you're blasting music on the bus with no headphones, just know everyone hates you. It's selfish, obnoxious, and no one asked to hear your playlist. Get some earbuds or stay home!
Let the Raccoons Be Free!
By Naomi W., 17
I saw one washing its little hands in a puddle and nearly cried. They’re like grubby little angels in fur coats. People need to stop demonizing them, they just want snacks and friendship!
Is the Sidewalk Actually Melting?
By Colin W., 41
The city turns into a frying pan by noon and there’s no escape. I’m sweating through my clothes by the time I reach the next intersection. Can we please get more fountains or something?
Classifieds
WANTED: LOST PARROT
Lost parrot answers to “Gary.” Last seen near Bloor and Ossington yelling “Go Leafs Go!” Reward if found. Call 416-***-****.
FOR SALE: CRT TV
Working CRT television, 20-inch, perfect for retro gaming and watching old morning cartoons on. Heavy as sin, $50, pickup only.
SEEKING: CHESS PARTNER
Weekend chess partner for matches in local park. No grandmasters, just good company. Text 647-***-****.
Obituaries
THE HONOURABLE LEONARD “LEN” HALPERN (1951-2025)
Longtime community librarian Gloria Mendel, 74, passed away peacefully last week in her downtown apartment, surrounded by books and memories. Known for her soft voice, encyclopedic knowledge, and unwavering patience, Gloria spent over four decades helping Torontonians navigate everything from fiction shelves to filing taxes.
Though retired for years, many recall her handwritten book recommendations still taped to library bulletin boards and her habit of pressing gently used novels into the hands of new patrons. Her impact, like the quiet corners she curated, was subtle but enduring. A public memorial is planned at her former branch next Tuesday.
She is survived by her two children, Eli and Marissa, and four grandchildren who lovingly called her “Nana Glo.” In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Toronto Public Library Foundation.
Events
SIDEWALK CHALK FESTIVAL
Join artists and amateurs alike for a weekend of pavement masterpieces at the annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival. Stretching several blocks along Queen West, this community-driven event invites residents to decorate the streets with colourful, temporary works of art. Free chalk will be provided at select stations, and the best creations will be featured in a local gallery exhibit later this summer.
GARBAGE GALA
Retroronto’s most glamorous recycling fundraiser returns with a twist, formalwear made entirely from trash. Expect runway shows, music, and a silent auction of upcycled art and fashion. All proceeds support city clean-up initiatives and local green programs. Entry is pay-what-you-can, but participation in the fashion show requires at least 60% repurposed material.
Changelog
Changes/Fixes:
- Swapped Back And Use Item Button on gamepad between X and B
- Adjusted Main Menu Help Page with added Phone Controls and changed/removed buttons
- Fixed bug where players wouldn't carry items with uiItemSlot highlighted when entering interiors
- Player Feedback for "Hands Full" will play when interacting with a timedFill station while carrying an item
- Fixed Fetch Task where players could break objective UI with multiple items and do task infinite amount of times. Task is now a one-off, only to be done once. Task NPC now has alternative dialogue for when task is active
- adjusted doors that are open when entering interiors to close after a certain amount of time
- Fixed bug where moving after eating food would cancel out energy gain from food
- Adjusted dialog near union station to mention using the phone to access the game's map
- Adjusted landlord dialog for basement apartment to mention 600 bucks a week between you and roommate
- Changed dialog for money loss from "You've Lost.." to "You've Spent..."
- Left-most doors in the food and bank places can no longer be interacted with as they're only for minigame customers
- Moved plants and ATM in Bank so Objective UI doesnt cover the ATM's UI
- Fixed Bug where other NPCs would show in the NPC window for dialogue, all NPCs now use a seperate NPC gameobject in the window instead of themselves in the scene.
- Fixed bug where opening the map on your phone indoors wouldn't work. Now the player can view the game map while inside.
- Fixed bug where player movement animation would keep playing when talking to NPCs in overworld
- Fixed bug where players would get off their bikes when talking to NPCs
- Adjusted all building colliders in world so players won't walk over lower parts of them
- Fixed a bug where player could cycle through inventory and fridge as well as start and proceed dialogue while in phone menu
- Fixed bug with home fridges not saving it's items when leaving and re-entering homes. Fridges now retain their stored items
- Adjusted all colliders for landlords
- Adjusted colliders for Home places so you can enter them more easilly
- Players can now enter interiors while riding their bike, instead of needing to get off it somewhere away from the place
- Certain stations now no longer highlight with player nearby while they're producing items
- Fixed bug where pizza oven didn't open when item was produced
- Fixed a bug where players could start minigame carrying an item they can't swap out during minigame
Additions:
- Added Dpad Functionality to the Player, Phone, Player Customization, Dialogue Choices, and the Main Menu
- All interiors now have an 'Exit' text show up above/next to the doors when highlighting them
- Adjusted Map to have a legend for all the map icons
- All stations in food places now show a 'ghost' item when highlighted to show what they make
- Newspaper items now give dialogue notifying players and giving them a choice to open a website link to the devblog
- Added Hotel Places, which load up Lobby interiors where you must book a room from a concierge to gain access to a bed for a fee
- A fading animation now plays when loading interiors, so players don't see the jank of loading everything
- Added a '-' to penalties score for paycheques for better clarification
- Players now start within work area of minigame, and Managers don't despawn anymore when minigame starts, blocking the player from exiting the work area. Players can speak to the manager in order to end the minigame prematurely
Got feedback, questions, or concerns about the development of Retroronto? Join our discord server below!
EDITOR’S NOTES
Howdy folks!
Summer really just crashed into us like a freight train… We’ve already gone through a huge heat wave, though luckily for me, the life of a game developer mostly involves staying indoors. That is, of course, unless it’s Toronto Games Week, where I was out and about attending showcase after showcase. It’s genuinely heartening to see how much Toronto’s game dev scene continues to grow, and this past month, it felt like the stars were aligning for both Retroronto and Starspray Studios to be part of something bigger.
Most of June was devoted to showcasing the game, meeting players, networking, talking to industry folks, and gathering as much feedback as possible. With the majority of events behind us (with just one more on the horizon), I can finally turn my attention back to development. That means hopefully expanding the map, adding new jobs, improving systems, and building more of the weird, wonderful city I’ve always envisioned. Of course, I’ll be keeping the scope creep in check, especially with a major milestone approaching: the Ontario Creates IP Fund. It’s a big opportunity, and one I’ve been trained and steadily working toward for over a year now.
In the meantime, I’m juggling a small animation contract, assisting on another game, and considering further education to round out my skills and support this indie journey. One way or another, I’m in it for the long haul. Huge thanks to everyone who chatted with me at events, played Retroronto, joined the Discord, or even just followed along. I truly appreciate every bit of support as we continue to build this virtual city together.
Alright, alright. Back to it. See you next month!
Cheers,
- Sean Browning
Disclaimer:
The names, classifieds, obituaries, and events featured in this publication are entirely fictional and not associated with any real people or entities. While the content is loosely inspired by the development of Retroronto, it is largely embellished for the sake of engagement and fun. The goal is to present the city and its progress as closely to a newspaper as possible. Please don’t take it all too seriously!