Solo/Partner Lectures and Presentations
Focusing on Player Fantasy (2021)
At the East Coast Game Conference and Pocket Gamer Connects Digital in 2021, I did a talk about the Player Fantasy that comes along with all games.
Goes into how to figure out what yours is, and how to use it in your development.
Dynamic Stories for Dynamic Games (2016)
At the GDC Narrative Summit 2016, I did the solo talk Dynamic Stories for Dynamic Games This explores six key techniques
that can be used in your game to make the narrative more dynamic and help player investment in the game.
Narrative Innovation Showcase - The Church in the Darkness and "What If?" (2016)
At the GDC Narrative Innovation Showcase in 2016, I did a 10 minute talk about my game The Church in the Darkness titled "What If?" In it
I go into the narrative inspirations for the game and the aspirations I have for what the game can be (the project is due to be completed in 2017).
Death to the Three-Act Structure! (2014)
At the GDC Narrative Summit 2014, Tom Abernathy (formerly of Microsoft, now at Riot Games) and I did a talk entitled Death to the Three-Act Structure! This explores games that use three act structure, games that use alternate traditional structures, and games that use far less conventional structures (if they are structured at all). In the end we conclude that structure is not what game writers should be most worried about - in games character and setting/context are much more important. It's another 30-minute session, and no video
clips in this one, so you're getting a pretty complete idea of the talk from the slides.
Seven (Or So) Techniques for Writing a Moral Game (2013)
At the GDC Narrative Summit 2013, I did a follow up to my 2011 Seven Ways a Video Game Can Be Moral. It was a quick one
at only 30 minutes, but it was the very first talk of the whole conference so that was fun. This talk only has one video clip toward the
end, so you're getting a rpetty complete version of it in the slides with the notes at the bottom.
Seven Ways a Video Game Can Be Moral (2011)
At GDC 2011 I did a semi-sequel to my 2010 Five Ways a Video Game Can Make You Cry talk. The new one is called
Seven Ways a Video Game Can Be Moral and is a bit more serious, dealing with the importance of
developers putting meaningful, thought-provoking and moral content into their games. No video clips
are included with the PowerPoint, but most of what I said (and more in many cases)
can be found in the notes for the slides.
I redid the talk in a bunch of places, including Mesa Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. They were kind enough to tape me,
so you can watch me do the talk here:
In 2010 I also gave a 50-or-so minute talk titled "Environmental Narrative: Your World is Your Story", which is more practical for your project.
I have included some decent notes in the notes section of the PowerPoint, hopefully those are useful. Sadly the
videos are not included for this talk, but it's still fairly informative.
Group Talks
Rules of the Game 2023 - Deep Techniques from Distinctive Designers (2023)
For 2023, Rules of the Game was back to five speakers, all in person, for the first full session since 2019. The lineup this year included designers Jamie Cheng, Aleissia Laidacker, BethLaPensee, Richard Lemarchand, Tanya X. Short.
Rules of the Game 2022 - Specific Techniques from Discerning Designers (2022)
For 2022, Rules of the Game was back for an in-person GDC in San Francisco. Well mostly in person, as presenter Frank Lantz couldn't make it and was pre-recorded,
but everyone else was live. The rest of the lineup this year included designers Eleanor Todd, Carrie Patel, and Osama Dorias. It was good to
see people in person again. Slides are in PDF format once more.
Rules of the Game - Five Unique Techniques from Distinguished Designers (2021)
After a year off, Rules of the Game returned for online-only GDC 2021 and we experimented with the format for a different style of talk.
The designers this year were Kate Compton, Celia Hodent, Brian Moriarty, Brenda Romero, and Lauren Scott.
Slides were less traditional this year, so not as much text to read for some speakers. Slides are again in a PDF format.
Rules of the Game - Five New Techniques from Especially Astute Designers (2019)
At GDC 2019, Rules of the Game returned for a particular feisty and fast session, now with
Deborah Hendersen, Daniel Cook, Brian Upton, Lisa Brown, and Jesse Schell. Due to the massive size of the Powerpoint, it is again in PDF format.
Rules of the Game - Five Further Techniques from Rather Clever Designers (2018)
At GDC 2018, Rules of the game was back again, now with
Raph Koster, Erin Hoffman-John, Soren Johnson, Josh Sawyer, and Stone Librande.
Amazingly these talks flowed together beautifully without any speakers knowing what the others were saying ahead of time.
This year I posted a PDF due to all our fonts in the talk.
Rules of the Game - Another Five Techniques from Particularly Crafty Designers (2017)
At GDC 2017, I hosted the third "Rules of the Game" session with five new and great game designers
(Chelsea Howe, Damion Schubert, Christina Norman, Hal Barwood, and Luke Muscat) talking about their personal game design rules that they've used in their projects.
Rules of the Game - Five More Techniques from Quite Inventive Designers (2016)
At GDC 2016, I hosted a second "Rules of the Game" session with five new super-experienced game designers
(Liz England, George Fan, Emily Short, Lee Perry, Michael de Plater) talking about their personal game design rules that they've used in their projects.
Rules of the Game - Five Tricks of Highly Effective Designers (2015)
At GDC 2015, I hosted a "Rules of the Game" session with five super-experienced game designers (Nels Anderson, Chris Avellone,
Kim McAuliffe, Laralyn McWilliams,Dan Teasdale) talking about one of their personal game design rules that they've used in their projects.
Very diverse "rules" resulted, and it's worth a read.
Game sequels are strange beasts, particularly when you don't have a lot of time to completely reinvent your game.
The Suffering: Ties That Bind was on a pretty tight schedule, but had some very specific goals that we mostly met.
Below are some of the articles I wrote and interviews I did related to that particular strange beast.
I also wrote some fiction pieces that were used for various promotional purposes. These were carefully crafted to still fit in with The Suffering's game-world fiction, providing some interesting back story not available in the game itself. Fans (established or potential) should enjoy checking them out.
