Creative Reactive Art - Naphtali Faulkner

With the constant discussion of whether games should be political there is often not much discussion on how. Often times games which attempt to tackle political themes can seem exploitive or shallow at discussing this topic. However political discourse has a long history with Games and some of the greatest games of all time reflected their societal evils so expertly the removal of those political elements would reduce the work. In this discussion Tali Faulkner will be explaining the concepts of Respectful Design and how this was used as a framework to find earnest critique of 2020 in the critically acclaimed Umurangi Generation.

When In Doubt, Get Weirder - Charlene Putney

Writer Charlene Putney shares some tips and techniques for letting your inner weirdo shine. From her work writing Divinity: Original Sin 2, to writing the indie game NUTS, to designing and writing the upcoming word puzzler VITRIOL, to her current role as Story Lead on an upcoming title at Die Gute Fabrik, Charlene’s work has always been infused with a “genuine cosmic weirdness” (VICE review of NUTS). In this talk, she will demonstrate how she brings approachable weirdness and warmth to her stories and characters.

Writing Their Story: Writing Trans and Non-Binary Characters - Rowan Williams

In a time where equity and inclusion is at the forefront of people's minds, we find that our writing reflects efforts of diversity and intersectionality in previously untold ways, which leads us to ask: What does the work look like as we seek to tell these previously untold stories? What does good representation look like, and how can we achieve intentional, authentic representation for otherwise underrepresented voices? Rowan Williams talks about their experience leading the effort for Tyari the Traveler, Riot's first openly transgender character, and working on the cast of A Long Journey to an Uncertain End.

How to Go From "Aspiring" to "Narrative Designer" - Karrie Shirou

So you want to break into narrative design & writing for games. Awesome! Where do you start? Tune into this 15-minute blitz where we'll lay out the roadmap to get you making games, building a portfolio, and setting yourself up as a Narrative Designer to watch. We'll laser focus on actionable tips that you can get started on right away.

A New Era for Interactive Live Action Stories - Jack Attridge

Tune in for an overview of the work we've been doing at Flavourworks to innovate new storytelling technologies and design philosophies, starting with our debut experiment "ERICA" and leading to increasing ambitions over 2021.

Revolution: 40 Years of Captivating Stories - Charles Cecil

Charles Cecil, renown developer for Revolution Software, 40 years has developed titles across all formats and has dedicated his time towards the ever growing field of narrative in video games. From turn of the century Paris to the far fetched future where A.I must be subverted, there are no subjects that he's not thought about, or written about.

Solving Impossible Design Problems with Story - Greg Lobanov

Designer Greg Lobanov (Chicory, Wandersong) takes a look at how characters and story can be leveraged to solve age-old game design problems.

Exploring Narrative Projection - Blaseball VS. Where Cards Fall

Sam Rosenthal, Joel Clark, Stephen Bell

The stories we tell through video games begin with the player. Although they may be written about characters, it is the player's experience of the story told through the characters that really matters. This idea of narrative projection is explored in both of indie studio The Game Band's two titles - spatial puzzle coming-of-age game, Where Cards Fall, and absurdist text-based baseball simulation, Blaseball.

Although wildly different in gameplay and aesthetic style, both Where Cards Fall and Blaseball invite narrative projection in unique ways. Join Sam Rosenthal, Stephen Bell, and Joel Clark as they reflect on the stories being told through these games.

Telling Dark Stories with Games

Richard Rouse III, Emily Short, Thomas Grip and Marta Fijak

For a medium long known for being "fun," some of our most interesting and challenging games can actually be quite dark in the stories they tell. From horror games to characters with inner torment to games taking on societal critique, this panel explores the appeal of dark stories in games and discuss the advantage and challenges of tackling dark subject matter. We'll also talk about how best to embody the darkness through game mechanics and difficult choices for players to make. The panel will discuss games we think have tackled dark subjects particularly well, and will ponder if it's possible to ever go too far into the darkness.

Narrative Systems: From Pen and Paper to Video games

Gareth Damian Martin, Inari Bourguenolle, Bertine van Hövell, Soraya Hajji

The past decade has seen a revival tabletop and pen and paper RPGs, with independent, experimental and narrative-focused systems and games reinventing the TTRPG scene. What narrative systems and methods can videogames draw from this reinvention of the form? Three designers and developers talk about the influences they take from running and playing TTRPGs, and how this effects the way they tell stories through games.

Diverse Cyberpunk Stories: Humanizing Identities and Finding Alternative Universes

Tanya Kan, Son M., Christopher Ortiz, Naphtali Faulkner

The cyberpunk genre offers so much possibility space for presenting alternative identities, non-Western cultures and values, as well as examining social ruptures. These BIPOC indie game creators discuss how their sociocultural examinations and lived experiences reflect in worldbuilding and character development. Join us on a panel discussion about how diverse developers use aesthetics, narrative, and game mechanics to build resonant and meaningful speculative fictions about marginalized groups that challenge the status quo. This can include the investigation of imperialism and hegemony, uneven political access, and discrimination in urban spaces and the periphery. Featuring developers from Love Shore, Solace State, Umurangi Generation, and VA-11 Hall-A!

Stories are Structures, Videogames are Places

Claris Cyarron, Zoyander Street, Nathalie Lawhead, Jord Farrell

Videogames give us places to experience and explore. Stories offer us escape and example. The advantages and appeal of spending time in the many worlds or stories on offer through videogames has never been more clear, but the spaces where we spend our time shape us, even as they are shaped by us. Videogames are more than portals to other situations; they are places. At least, that is (part of) how these artists see them. Join videogame developers Nathalie Lawhead, Jord Farrell, Zoyander Street, and Claris Cyarron as they discuss the structural, material, and experiential aspects of their artforms.

Totally 90s: A Decade We May or May Not Have Experienced

Dave Proctor, Saffron Aurora, Yash Kulkarni, Corina Diaz

Thanks to either the 30-year retro loop of pop culture, the adult authority of the generation that lived it, or just the awesome aesthetic attitude that continues to inspire younger gens since, the 90s is an undeniably unique and radical decade that warrants being explored through its own narratives. This panel will bring together unique perspectives on the 90s: both from those who lived it AND those who have mastered its style through study; and we'll try to understand the universal appeal and challenges of exploring stories about, like, everything totally 90s that went into 'The Big Con'.

Good Stories Must Die

George Ziets, Annie VanderMeer, Märten Rattasepp, Ata Sergey Nowak

In this casual panel we explore games and developers who faced the difficult challenge of ending their games. The panel will go over the topics such as branching narratives and how multiple endings function, the impression that a game leaves at the end of the experience, and the challenges which were faced in bringing everything together in a conclusive and satisfying manner.

Creating and Breaking the Immersion in Localization

Vladimir Konoplitsky, Ramón Méndez, Eric Holweck, Ash Tregay

Game developers and localizers will discuss what helps immersion and what breaks it when the game is localized. What must be lost in translation, and what should be created anew. We will see how different workflows between developers and localization team can influence the players’ experience.

The Stories We Share: Crafting Game Narratives for Change

Jenny Windom, Cara Hillstock, Picogram, Tanya Kan

Can games make the world better? They can certainly try. Each of the games in this panel -- Garden Story, To Be With You, and Solace State -- has a message and goal that goes beyond the hope of "having fun". In addition to providing an engaging experience, they are trying to convey specific areas of reflection and action they hope their players take by the time they've reached the credits. We'll discuss the power of narrative, and how each of these developers fuse real-world experiences, storytelling, and game design to create an unique experience that helps players consider the world we live in today, reflect on how they can make it better, and perhaps, begin to take action.

Pacing and Storytelling with Constant Death

Tanya X. Short, Tyler Sigman, Tarn Adams, Adam Saltsman

Game designers often have a unique challenge: storytelling with death as a beat, rather than an end of a character. The average roguelike has more deaths in it than three Hamlets. How do you make your games and narratives "make sense" in this low-key morbid situation? Listen to designers of various kinds of games think through these problems, and mistakes they've made regarding it in the past!