Recorded at Metatopia 2018

Presented by Jason Pitre, Mark Diaz Truman, Kate Bullock

Games are art, and can explore challenging subject material. It can often be useful to use fictional metaphors to recontextualize these difficult topics and make them easier to to examine with a layer of emotional distance. On this panel, the speakers will explore how and when to use metaphors in your game design, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Elsa Henry and Lauren Roy.

Fiction writing and game writing are definitely two separate skillsets, but they are complimentary. This panel will feature people who do both, discussing how to develop these skillsets to further both parts of your career, with extra attention to the ways they diverge and how to know which skills to use. Where do these skillsets not overlap, how do they fight against one another? What are the best ways to develop both skills without shortchanging one or the other.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Joshua Yearsley.

Writing Rulebooks: An Introduction and Workshop. Trying to write your first (or seventh) rulebook? Want to build a solid foundation on rules writing fundamentals? Ready to get your hands dirty with real rules revisions? This is for you. We'll first explore why rulebooks are so difficult to get right, discuss the goals of the rulebook itself, and then jump into the fundamentals. You'll learn a new language for describing rules, the theory and application of rules structure, and tons of tips and tricks to improve flow. After the talk, we'll break into groups and put these skills to use, workshopping badly written rules into better ones, guided by a professional rules writer and editor. This talk + workshop was first given as part of a course on game design taught by Rob Daviau, co-designer of Pandemic Legacy, at Hampshire College, where it received a great response (though the METATOPIA version probably won't give you college credit)

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by John Adamus and Ann Stolinsky.

Editing is the crucible through which your idea passes in order to emerge as the game and experience you intended. Find out what works, what doesn't, and how to navigate the red flags and feelings around them. 

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2018

Presented by: Robin Laws, Rachel Kahn, Jax Bryk, and Cindy Moore

Moderator: Pieter van Hiel

From fascinating NPCs to deadly dragons, each adventure the heroes brave must be memorable. Join our incredible panelists to discuss how to keep your adventures interesting and keep your players coming back for more!

Recorded at Metatopia 2016

Presented by Joshua Yearsley, John Adamus, Dr. Jessica Hammer.

Writing and editing rulebooks is still a black art, not an empirical science. In this panel, Dr. Jessica Hammer and professional editors John Adamus and Joshua Yearsley hash out the state of the rulebook. What works? What doesn't? Why do so many professionals (including us!) disagree about how to write good rulebooks? Why are so many rulebooks still bad, and what can we do about it? We won't have all the answers - maybe you'll help us find some. It is somewhere between a panel and a roundtable. We'll certainly have things to say and discuss with each other, but we absolutely welcome audience input to figure out what the world's thinking about.

Apologies for the poor sound quality.

Structuring Game Texts

Recorded at Metatopia 2015

Presented by Jason Pitre, Robert Bohl, Jay Treat and Cat Tobin.

You’ve designed your game, you’ve playtested it, and you’ve decided you want to publish it as a text (either for free download or sale). How do you structure that text so that it will draw readers in and make the game easy to understand the first time, and easy to use as a reference later?

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Why do you Hate your Readers and Players?

Recorded at Metatopia 2015

Presented by John Adamus

When writing a game or project, it’s important that the language be clear and enjoyable, not just showing off how smart the author is. Learn techniques to keep your project readable and enjoyable.

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Episode 99: Why do you Hate your Readers? [ 56:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (889)

Ten (More) Ways To Make Your Rulebook Awesome

Recorded at Metatopia 2015

Presented by Joshua Yearsley.

Your rulebook is the heart of your game, so why not give it the love it deserves? In this seminar, you’ll learn ten best practices for improving the structure, style, and clarity of your rulebook. Did you come last year? These tips and tricks will be all new! Got any burning questions about rules craft? Get answers from a professional rulebook editor.

Link to the full presentation here!

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What an Editor can do for you

Recorded at Metatopia 2015

Presented by John Adamus

Editors are here to help. It’s their job. They’re tasked with making your project better. So why not use one? Get answers to what they do and how they can benefit you. Trust us, everyone needs one. Really

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