Talks

PODCASTS

Check out my prior contributions on the Ludology Podcast.

PANELS

Building A Local Design Community

Surrounding yourself with a community of inspiring and supportive designers is a crucial part of furthering your career in game design. Join us as we talk about how to not only start building a community, but how to grow it, how to manage it, and what pitfalls to avoid. We’ll also cover the roles of playtesting, networking, and professional development. Even if you already have a great group, you’ll walk away with some new ideas and tips to make your local design scene shine!

What We Do in the Shadows (of Kickstarter)

A lot of work goes into a successful Kickstarter that is invisible to the average backer. This includes marketing, page design, community management, planning for logistics, and delivering Rewards. What do we do before we Kickstart? What do we do while we’re Kickstarting? What happens after we’re done Kickstarting Accomplished Kickstarters will provide insights on these challenges and opportunities.

Casting Without Components: RPG Rules That Halt the Story

Some tabletop RPG rules are great on paper but grind your story to a halt in practice. A spell caster’s need for materials is great world building, but who wants to spend their whole session haggling for discounts at the shop? Surely there are less cumbersome ways to calculate carry capacity? Join us as for a brief look at our favorite games from D&D to Alternity as we discuss the best rules to modify, break, or throw out in our search for the perfect tabletop experience!

From Pixels to Pieces: A Digital/Tabletop Game Design Mashup

The lines between digital and tabletop game design are blurring. Though they are often pitted against one another, future innovations hinge on learning from both: leaning into the accessibility and immersion of digital while embracing the visceral feel and camaraderie of tabletop. Hear from speakers pushing the boundaries between the two: digitizers of tabletop games, makers of “digital board games,” and designers experienced in both who advance their craft on each side of the fence.

Tabletop Game Design: From Idea to Reality

Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, 7 Wonders… ever wonder how tabletop games come into being? Our panel of experts will take you along a journey to discover how a tabletop game gets created. From chicken scratches on a napkin to full distribution through retail (and everything in between), this panel will explore the steps it takes to create a great game that others can play. Come for the insights and maybe even leave armed with the next steps to take for developing your own game.

Side Hustle: How to Make Games After Work Hours

Have you ever wanted to make games but life is getting in the way? With the right tools and mindset, you can profit from making games during the hours left over in your day. In this panel, we’ll address many of the common struggles like time management, emotional stress, daily routines, passion, motivation, finding resources, building a support network, and funding. You’ll also hear personal stories from both digital and tabletop game creators who are currently living this side hustle lifestyle.

Finding the Fun - The First Step in Game Design

An idea is hatched for a game, a mechanic, or a new type of sound. Frenetic action ensues. A prototype is released into the world. It's weird, it's different, it's ugly, it's broken, and yet there's clearly something there worth bringing to life. In this panel, we talk about the experience of releasing those first threads of controlled chaos onto the world, before the balance, before the tuning, before the grind of working a game to perfection. 

Make It, Test It, Break It, Fix It - Prototyping and Feedback in Game Design

As designers, we build, we destroy, we learn - and then we start the cycle over again. We have many tools and systems that let us share our work with the world and collect reactions from our communities throughout this cycle. The key to good design is to filter this feedback and turn it into a powerful tool as we balance our vision with the needs of the players, progressing our designs based on a blend of data and personal intuition.