"Backstory" Backlog

Bait Byout co-founder Fatima Abdul Karim on the birth of larp in the Arab world.

Award-winning RPG designer Aleksandra Sontowska on sex, horror, and unsettling self-knowledge in games.

It’s an episode of unabashed sincerity with artist and coach Tania Carriere of Advivum Journeys.

Writer, designer, and noted gastropod enthusiast Darcy Ross talks evolution, community, and shining a spotlight on the things you love.

Game designer and publisher Epidiah Ravachol talks playstorming, the games you love to teach, and the unheralded joy of double-entry bookkeeping.

Designer Jenn Martin on witches at work, manic pixie dreamgirling, and larp impostor syndrome.

Larpwright Alex Rowland on designing opportunities for care, queering boffer, and the time for subtlety.

Game designer and Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University Jessica Hammer explores how we can take a more precise approach to transformative play through research and iteration.

Video artist and freeform designer Banana Chan talks haunted dolls, designing for anxiety, and new models for publishing larp. (Also! See you at Gen Con, nerds!)

Designer and long-time small-time con organizer Jay Treat joins us to talk cards, larps, and the careful calibration of tone.