Hi, I’m Tyler Johnston-Kent, an independent Indigenous game developer, musician, and founder of formant.ca. I’ve spent years building and releasing projects solo — and being part of the Winnipeg dev scene. That includes participating in the Winnipeg Game Jam Collective and trying to work with the RRC Polytech Game Development – Programming program.

What happened next says everything you need to know about how this scene treats people who speak up.

Let’s Talk About What Really Happened

I shared honest feedback about my experiences in the RRC program. I talked about real issues: the lack of support for neurodivergent and Indigenous students, the selective gatekeeping, the performative inclusion that doesn’t hold up when someone challenges the system.

The result?

• I was excluded from events
• I was mocked in private channels
• I was removed from the Game Jam Collective
• And I was completely ignored by instructors who claim to support diversity

Names like Tom Lepp, Chris Brower, Daniel Voth, and June have been involved in these systems — and either directly or indirectly allowed this behavior to happen. And make no mistake: this wasn’t a misunderstanding or a personality conflict.

This was punishment for speaking the truth.

“We Don’t Tolerate Bullying” — Unless It’s From Our Friends

The Collective and RRC staff publicly say they don’t allow harassment, exclusion, or bullying.

But when their friends and favorites do it? Suddenly, no rules apply. When a marginalized developer tells their story, they circle the wagons. They silence the voice, instead of addressing the message.

That’s not equity.

That’s not safety.

That’s fascism dressed up as community.

I’m Not Afraid to Name It Anymore

I’ve done the work. I’ve shipped games. I’ve written music. I’ve designed full frontend systems, custom engines, mobile releases, Firebase backends — alone. I didn’t need your validation. But I expected at least respect and honesty.

Instead, I got gatekeeping and retaliation.

If you’re reading this and thinking “maybe you’re the problem” — consider this: all I did was tell the truth. And the people in power couldn’t handle it.

If You’ve Been Shut Out Too — I See You

If you’re an indie, a student, an Indigenous creator, or someone who’s been pushed out of the game dev world for not playing politics, you’re not alone. You don’t have to stay quiet just to keep access.

We can build better communities — outside the ones that punish truth-tellers.

I’ll be doing exactly that, with Formant.

Tyler Johnston-Kent

Solo Developer / Musician / Founder of formant.ca

Twitter/X: @formant4udio

LinkedIn: Tyler Johnston-Kent

GameDev #Winnipeg #IndieDev #Accountability #RRCPolytech #TruthMatters