RPG Design Panelcast

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 "tips and tricks" for creating games on a tight budget or with no funds at all.

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 empowering play as well when understood. The goal of this panel is to break down why specific horror mechanics work and how to use them effectively, regardless of genre.

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 how they split tasks, make sure that everything is covered, and the unexpected benefits of working closely with a partner. 

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 successful Kickstarter. This interactive workshop will also include live analysis of web sites as time allows. Bring your questions and learn how to get the word out about your product and establish a professional presence online. 

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 damage?

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 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.