29. J Li
Larpwright J Li joins Alex to talk emotional immersion, user-centric game design, and engaging in a fictional dialogue with the space around you. Curious about pervasive games, and one-player games? This one’s for you.
Design
27. D. Vincent and Meguey Baker
To celebrate one year of Backstory, Alex brings on indie legends and Apocalypse World co-creators Meguey and D. Vincent Baker. Topics range from sex education to censorship to masonic initiation ceremonies and quilt preservation – and yes, it’s all related to game design.
23. Whitney Beltràn
Game designer, writer, and consultant Whitney “Strix” Beltràn talks designing with fairy tales, role-playing with archetypes, and keeping mythologies alive.
22. Ben Schwartz
Professional organizer Ben “Books” Schwartz talks larping with kids, larping with different traditions, and larping when it’s your actual job.
21. Hakan Seyalioglu
What happens when you publish your own game from scratch? How do we welcome new players to the table? Game designer Hakan Seyalioglu on game publishing, community building, and the beautiful collision of the obvious and the unexpected.
18. Ross Cowman
How do you teach analog game design? What makes a game “for kids?” How does the context in which we encounter games influence how we play? Designer and community organizer Ross Cowman talks design, play, music, and more.
16. Jacqueline Bryk
Is Pokemon Go a larp? What’s the difference between torturing your characters and torturing your players? Can game design help you conquer your fears – or just spread them around a little? Larpwright Jacqueline Bryk is here to pose all these questions and many more. We may answer a few of them, too.
15. Kat Jones
Larpwright and theorist Katherine Castiello Jones talks sexuality, intimacy, feminism and other hot topics in game design. Can a game about painting your nails make a point about intersecting axes of oppression? We certainly think so.
14. Johanna Koljonen
Experience designer, broadcaster and author Johnna Koljonen joins us to talk about the difference between role-play and character play, between feeling safe and being safe, and between design and tradition.
13. Evan Torner
What do game design and education design have to say to each other? How about larp and VR? Larpwright and academic Evan Torner joins us to talk uncertainty, ideology, transparency, and other fun things hiding in your games.