RPG Design Panelcast

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Mabel Harper , Avonelle Wing , Misha Bushyager , and Eli Eaton. A discussion about why some people, specifically members of minority groups, might feel drawn to darker games and survival narratives, and how fiction of this nature both describes reality and can also provide answers, empowerment, and revolutionary verve in a world that is hostile to racial, se...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Chandler Copenhaver , Steve Segedy and Christopher Batarlis . Kickstarter today is a different animal than it was a year or five years ago. Let's talk about the things you need to know if you're launching a campaign next year.

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Kristen Roberts and Jennifer Gutterman Eat, Drink & Be Merry: Developing Cultural Touchstones for Immersive World Building".  Building dynamic worlds for your game is not just about swords, guns and magic. Much of what gives our world it's depth and richness is rooted in environment and evolving cultural traditions. Using examples like native cuisines, holid...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Anne Ratchat, Misha Bushyager , James Mendez Hodes , Eli Eaton & Jonaya Kemper with moderation by Jason Pitre Knowing how to support people is always difficult. When considering different backgrounds and identities, good intentions can backfire. This panel will introduce what to consider when being an ally and some ways to assist in a productive manner. ED...

Recorded at Breakout 2019 Presented by Daniel Kwan, Agatha Cheng , Amar, Kienna S. and James Mendez Hodes with moderation by Daniel Kwan. How do we make our games and tables more inclusive? How do we make our stories more interesting and diverse? Join the Asians Represent! podcast crew as they discuss and answer these questions.

Recorded at Breakout 2019 Presented by Nicole Winchester , Mo Turkington , Misha Bushyager , Sharang Biswas & Jonaya Kemper with moderation by  Jason Pitre Different individuals, communities, countries, and cultures have different ideas about what LARPs and roleplaying games should and should not address, and as gaming communities interact on and offline these ideas often come into conflict. What...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by  Tracy Gibbons , James D'Amato , Bianca Zelda , Daniel Kwan with moderation by Victoria Rogers You don't need to prep for hours to run a fun game that everyone will enjoy. GMing doesn't have to be a daunting experience. This panel will talk about ways to let go of the reins and give everyone at the table a chance to collaborate and create the story togethe...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Chris Spivey, Robin Laws, James Mendez Hodes, with moderation by Corey Reid Bring your thorniest GMing problems to our doughty panel, in a Q & A event focused on practical solutions to dilemmas both classic and new

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Stephanie Bryant , Harlan Guthrie , Jo Fallak with moderation by Jennifer Adcock An overview and discussion of virtual tabletops for playing tabletop games online, remotely as well as with an at-table device. Features to expect, different playstyles, etc.

Recorded at Breakout 2019 Presented by  Camdon Wright , Angela Murray and Chris Spivey , with moderation by  Senda Linaugh Let’s face it, some games are just better for cons than others! This panel of experts will discuss what makes a game a good pick for a con. What kind of mechanics work best? What kind of stories? How do you stay on time? How do you invest your players quickly in your game? All...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Anne Ratchet  Nicole Winchester , Moyra Turkington and Jonaya Kemper Have you always wanted to play LARPs at Breakout or out in the ‘real world’? Or are you wary of LARP and want your questions answered about this embodied form of play? Come on by to learn more about the different kinds of LARP, how to decide if a LARP is for you, how to tell if a LARP is...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Emily Griggs , Camdon Wright , Sharang Biswas , & Cat Ramen Most great stories start with great characters, and the stories told around a game table are no exception. A discussion about creating player characters that will engage everyone in the table, and help tell amazing stories that everyone will enjoy. Panelists: Emily Griggs, Camdon Wright, Sharang B...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by James Mendez Hodes , Sharang Biswas , Agatha Cheng.  Moderated by Daniel Kwan   Regrets from Banana Chan   Are you interested in how Asian cultures can inspire games and game design? Are you curious about Asian portrayal in games? Join us for a panel discussion about these topics as experienced Asian TTRPG, LARP, and board game designers discuss cultural a...

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by Shel Khan & Emily Griggs , with moderation by Jonathan Lavallee A breakdown of how the art you include in your RPG book contributes to your RPG as a marketing technique, as education and information for your GM, and as permission and inspiration for players.

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by  Allysha Tulk , Nikki Valens , Shannon McDowell  and moderated by Daryl Andrews Common practices and workflow when designing games, including the basic expectations, and the basic assumptions of design work. Notes, playtesting, knowing your audience and art will all be discussed as we walk through what it is like to build a Boardgame.

Recorded at BreakoutCon 2019 Presented by  Todd Crapper , Tim Rodriguez , Cheyenne Grimes with moderation by Bronwyn Friesen Not everyone has access to thousands of dollars or the benefit of a successful Kickstarter under their belt. Many indie publishers start off with financial difficulties, including poverty, but are driven to create new and exciting games. This panel looks to provide some "tip...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Anne Ratchat, Kenneth Hite , Elsa Henry , Julia Ellingboe , Jabari Weathers .  Horror Mechanics (For More Than Just Horror)"In the genre of horror, game designers and writers have developed an arsenal of tools specifically to disempower the characters in their worlds. These mechanics are assumed one-trick ponies but can also serve as useful mechanics for emp...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Anne Ratchat, Rob Donoghue In each game, players make choices starting character design/assignment. How does a designer balance creating meaningful decisions while balancing choice paralysis? How does the feel of the game change by increasing and decreasing choices available?

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Nicole Perry, Peter Hayward. When turning your board game idea into a board game company, the first step is sorting out the logistics. Unless you have a burning desire to deal with accountants, spreadsheets, corporate structures, and The Joy of Taxes, you need a business partner. Nicole Perry and Peter Hayward are business partners; listen to them discuss ho...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Philip Vecchione , Senda Linaugh , Monica Speca . Podcasting is the new blogging. Fame, fortune, influence. Or...software glitches, audience-building, busy cohosts. Let's talk about the complications and joys of being a podcaster in a roundtable format.

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by: Beth Rimmels, Mike Roberts & Mandy Perry . Learn the answers to your specific marketing & promotion questions from the experts. Beth Rimmels & Mike Roberts work for a digital marketing agency and are experts in social media marketing and SEO (how people find you on Google). Mandy Perry is an expert in tumblr marketing who just wrapped their first highly suc...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Kate Beaman-Martinez and Jonaya Kemper "Love Like A Bomb". We're going to examine some evolving wisdom about balanced, healthy intimate relationships and apply it to group dynamics. In this case, we're going to talk about how the concept of "love bombing" applies to gaming communities.

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by Julia Ellingboe , Moyra Turkington , Jonaya Kemper , and Misha Bushyager . "Intersectional Feminism: Game Design That Tackles Topics that Matter". Designing historical games is complicated, especially when we're telling the stories of people who are often forgotten. How do we handle those stories without accidentally perpetuating or compounding existing dama...

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...

Recorded at Metatopia 2018 Presented by  Nicole Perry, Peter Hayward , &  Curt Covert. Every publisher is looking for the next big hit. Every time they sit down with you, they want your game to be that hit. Here are some simple tips to making games that publishers are excited to sign.