March 31, 2018
Recorded at BreakoutCon 2018
Presented by Sarah Richardson, Michelle Lyons-McFarland, Jaym Gates
Moderator: Brand Robbins
Jaym Gates (BLUE ROSE 2nd Ed., TIANXIA: Blood, Silk, and Jade,), Michelle Lyons-McFarland (Chill, A Tragedy in Five Acts), and Sarah Richardson (Bluebeard’s Bride, Velvet Glove) as they discuss how diverse viewpoints bring new life to tired horror tropes. Topics may include feminine horror, setting the right tone, disrupting player assumptions, plus tips and tricks for running horror in trad, OSR, and story games. Make sure to bring questions of your own!
March 24, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Shoshana Kessock, Neall Price, Susanne Vejdemo, Joshua A. C. Newman.
Art is and has always been political, and game design is no different. In this panel, we'll talk about developing games with political agendas not only wholly in mind, but front and center. We'll tackle discussions about the hard topics that come up in political games, whether or not you design for unity or for controversy, how to use game design to create the political message of your games, and how to design games with political messages in the current charged political world.
February 24, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Tam Myaing, Heather Wilson.
Games by their nature are learning tools. When we play games, we are, at a minimum, learning the mechanics and the boundaries of the game space. Can we use this 'learning mechanic' to design better games, and better players? The panel will explore the mechanics of learning in games and their potential to reach beyond the game space.
February 10, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Kate Bullock, Michelle Lyons, Kathryn Miller, Anna Kreider.
As much as we'd like to banish "Women in Gaming" panels to the depths of our historic archives, there is still value in addressing the fact that being there are challenges for women at the gaming table that different than those faced by our male counterparts. This panel will talk about the ways women have always contributed to gaming, and how to handle some of the more nuanced situations that still come up.
February 3, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Eric Simon, Darren Watts, Shoshana Kessock, and Elsa Henry.
From the implicit imperialism of steampunk to the complicated controversy of HBO's Confederate, it seems like alternate history is often fraught with problems. We provide you with techniques and ideas for writing, designing, and playing with historical and alternate historical themes in ways that are positive, inclusive, respectful, and productive.
The slideshow presentation used at the panel is available at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Uyj3bTumXtXSSz6s7JV_kAc2mwnfSs1abUoeYfjWFfQ/edit?usp=sharing
November 7, 2017
Recorded at Metatopia 2016
Presented by Jason Morningstar, Jay Sylvano, Benjamin Morrow.
Games can obviously be political and create empathy, but can they be journalism? Can they create change, spur activism, prompt meaningful dialog? What does it take to make a game with a contemporary theme or focused on an important issue - and what can go wrong?
December 1, 2012
“Addressing Controversial Topics” presented by John Stavropolous, Bill White & Brennan Taylor. Join our panelists for a discussion on handling delicate and/or controversial topics in your game design. Subjects include political correctness, sexual and romantic interactions and religion.
August 10, 2014
“Gaming As The Other: Race in Our Industry”
Presented by John Stavropoulos, Terry Romero, Ajit George & Mark Diaz Truman.
As many “geek” activities have expanded over the last ten years, role-playing has often struggled to include the voices of racial and ethnic minorities. Join Ajit George, Mark Diaz Truman, and Terry Romero to discuss what challenges the industry faces including “Others”, why increased diversity is valuable and important to the future of gaming, and what path both designers and players can take toward building a more robust, inclusive community.
November 29, 2014
D036 – Accessibility Issues For Game Designers
Presented by Russell Collins & Jason Pitre. Games are about imagination and creativity so the print medium shouldn’t be a barrier to entry. Understanding the needs of persons with learning differences and the options that designers have will keep you from excluding people who are eager to enjoy our hobby. This seminar will focus on blindness, low vision, and dyslexia and strategies to present your game content for those with print disabilities in digital and audio media.
