BACKSTORY
93 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 49 ratingsBACKSTORY is an ongoing series of interviews with game designers and other notable members of the role-playing community, hosted by Alex Roberts. This show is all about the person behind the work: how did they get into gaming? Why did they start designing? What are they most excited about for the future? Alex loves getting to know people, and you'll love coming along for the ride.
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Episodes
43. Alex Rowland
August 31, 2017 12:14 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBLarpwright Alex Rowland on designing opportunities for care, queering boffer, and the time for subtlety. Alex Rowland on twitter Nordic Larp article New World Magischola Event Horizon The "Black Box" Technique Games on Demand Here is my Power Button Old Friends Hlasko Monsterhearts A Place to Fuck Each Other Out of Dodge Contrapposto Golden Cobra Challenge Privilege, Power, and Dungeons & Dragons
42. Jessica Hammer
August 24, 2017 13:08 - 1 hour - 65 MBGame designer and Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University Jessica Hammer explores how we can take a more precise approach to transformative play through research and iteration. Jessica's website Jessica Hammer on Google Scholar Scott Nicholson on "Playification" Mary Flanagan's Tiltfactor Game Lab Treehouse Dreams Erika Chenoweth's research on civil resistance
41. Banana Chan
August 06, 2017 15:08 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBVideo artist and freeform designer Banana Chan talks haunted dolls, designing for anxiety, and new models for publishing larp. (Also! See you at Gen Con, nerds!) Game and a Curry Banana Chan on YouTube Wandering Tribe Games (the creators of Yeah! Diamonds): The Impostors Golden Cobra Honorable Mention "The Other Place" Kat Fajardo VidCon Mo Mo O'Brien The Itras By Menagerie Before and After Silence
40. Jay Treat
July 20, 2017 12:46 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBDesigner and long-time small-time con organizer Jay Treat joins us to talk cards, larps, and the careful calibration of tone. Treat Games Merchants of Araby Strange Gravity Damned Love Psychic Detective Agency
39. Todd Nichols
July 06, 2017 13:15 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBSociologist and podcast co-host Todd Nichols joins us to talk making stuff, putting it out there, and encouraging other folks to do the same.
38. Misha Bushyager
June 08, 2017 13:06 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBWriter, designer, and #Feminism co-editor Misha Bushyager joins us to talk worldbuilding, YouTube, and blending the personal and historical in game design. Also: Alex learns what a Steak-umm is. Misha on G+ Misha on Twitter War Birds #Feminism Earthdawn Shadowrun Rolemaster The Duvet Trick Apocalypse World 14 Days The Watch Epyllion Fastaval Chill Lovecraftesque Masks Chain World Female Re-Enactors of Distinction
37. Graham Walmsley
May 25, 2017 12:55 - 1 hour - 77.1 MBIn this episode: exciting announcements, horror and disco, tango and cooking, and award-winning game designer and author Graham Walmsley's realizations about Lovecraftian gaming had while watching Iron Fist! Big Bad Con Fairweather Manor College of Wizardry Play Unsafe We Are Roommates Now Will That Be All? Not Gay: Sex Between Straight White Men "Impro" by Keith Johnstone Cthulhu Apocalypse A Taste for Murder Disco World Just a Little Lovin' Just a Little Lovin' USA T...
36. Kimberley Lam
May 11, 2017 12:58 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBStealth designer and prolific hacker Kim Lam joins Alex to talk playing by post, making games that aren't products, and origami. We also discuss Kim's upcoming larp about the legacy of the Cambodian genocide, so please listen with care. The 200 word RPG challenge The Sundered Land: A Doomed Pilgrim in the Ruins of the Future Atop a Lonely Tower Cleanse By Claw and Talon Skinchangers Misspent Youth S21 - The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine Kim on G+
35. Brodie Atwater
April 27, 2017 13:01 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBResearcher and larpwright Brodie Atwater brings a lively perspective on larp accessibility, marginalization in gaming communities, and the importance of staying hydrated. Social Mechanics: A Study on Inhibition and Intersectionality in Larp We Need to Talk: A Literature Review of Debrief The "Ok" Check-in System Psychodrama Bread and Puppet Theatre The Icarus Project In Residency Her Here is My Power Button
34. Robert Bohl
April 13, 2017 13:25 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBStick it to the man! Game designer Robert Bohl talks Misspent Youth, Demi-Humans, and Bitch Goddesses. A little SALT with your usual Backstory sweetness. Misspent Youth Game Chef The Forge Burning Wheel Tabletop with Wil Wheaton Rob on G+ Sebastian Baker on Patreon Apocalypse World Le Tigre - Get off the Internet
33. Caitlynn Belle
March 30, 2017 13:37 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBDesigner Caitlynn Belle joins Alex to talk about creating, refining, mentoring and problem solving. But more importantly: dying in space and bug sex. WISCON Caitlynn's website Caitlynn's Patreon Caitlynn's Games Fiasco Indie Groundbreaker Awards Singularity
32. Emily Care Boss
March 17, 2017 16:27 - 1 hour - 38.2 MBDesigner and theorist Emily Care Boss joins us this episode to talk Living Games, loving games, and being vulnerable in play. Can role-playing be therapeutic? How do we unite disparate gaming communities? What larp-adjacent practices can we learn from? What's physi-ing??? You'll have to tune in to find out!
31. Josh Jordan
March 02, 2017 14:17 - 53 minutes - 40.5 MBGather 'round as designer and educator Josh Jordan tells us about about the unstoppable force of creativity, candy as cultural exchange, and collaboration as the cure for impostor syndrome. Should larpwrights be keeping an eye on reality TV? Well, probably not, I guess... Josh's Website Living Games Tyrkisk Peber Sarah Lynne-Bowman on Backstory Evan Torner's "Literary and Performatice Imaginaries - Where Characters Come From" Sons of Kryos Teacher Has Personalized Handshakes ...
30. Maury Brown
February 17, 2017 14:46 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBResearcher, educator, writer, and President of LearnLarp LLC, Maury Brown joins Alex to talk safety, empowerment, and empathy in live-action play. If you've been curious about New World Magischola, come hear Maury describe the larp that's not about being a wizard, but "becoming the kind of wizard you want to be." Learn Larp New World Magischola Maury's Living Games Keynote: "People-Centered Design" New World Magischola's Safety and Calibration Techniques College of Wizardry Dy...
29. J Li
February 03, 2017 14:13 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBLarpwright J Li joins Alex to talk emotional immersion, user-centric game design, and engaging in a fictional dialogue with the space around you. Curious about pervasive games, and one-player games? This one's for you. J's website J's Keynote at Living Games Argentin Twain Magician Mermaid Big Bad Con What is a "Secrets and Powers" Larp? with Susan Weiner A Pattern Language for Larp Ars Amandi Videos The Golden Cobra Challenge Teen Witch, by Avery Alder J's Blog
28. Rachel Kahn
January 19, 2017 14:20 - 1 hour - 35.8 MBArtist and GM Rachel Khan joins us to talk about running an RPG campaign based on Persian mythology at the Aga Khan museum in Toronto. Isn't that the coolest thing ever? We also discuss illustrating for games and the magic of dice bowls. Warning: major spoilers for a thousand-year-old poem! Weald Comics Rachel on Patreon The Aga Khan Museum Shahnameh Gumshoe The Drama System Dungeon World Pathfinder Swords Without Master Glorantha Call of Cthulhu Sword & Backpack The Ro...
27. D. Vincent and Meguey Baker
January 05, 2017 14:23 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBTo celebrate one year of Backstory, Alex brings on indie legends and Apocalypse World co-creators Meguey and D. Vincent Baker. Topics range from sex education to censorship to masonic initiation ceremonies and quilt preservation - and yes, it's all related to game design. Lumpley Games Vincent on G+ Meg on G+ Apocalypse World Urban Shadows Monsterhearts Monster of the Week The King is Dead The Princes' Kingdom Shadowrun Cyberpunk 2020 Ars Magica Our Whole Lives The Ven...
26. Ole Peder Giæver
December 22, 2016 14:22 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBGame designer Ole Peder Giæver, co-creator of Itras By (with Martin Bull Gudmundsen) and Old Friends (with Jason Morningstar) joins Alex for a dreamy chat about magic, masks, and Norwegian folklore. Also: an exciting announcement. Ole Peder's G+ Condensed Chaos, by Phil Hine Old Friends Impro, by Keith Johnstone Archipelago Cards Whimsy Cards Interview with Ole Peder on Analog Game Studies The X-Card Fighting Fantasy Books Knutepunkt Itras By RESISTOR Lovecraftesque T...
25. Mo Turkington
December 08, 2016 14:18 - 58 minutes - 38.9 MBLarpwright and publisher Mo Turkington on larping theatrically, embodiment and immersion, and "the unbearable weight of representation." Unruly Designs Mo's Keynote at Living Games The Climb, by Jason Morningstar Big Dicks, by The Countess Dillymore New World Magischola Just a Little Lovin' Summer Loving Ars Amandi
24. Avery Alder
November 24, 2016 20:01 - 54 minutes - 43.3 MBProlific and influential game designer Avery Alder joins Alex to talk about re-entering game design with collaboration and care at the forefront. We also talk queerness, monstrosity, and kids in rpgs. Lots of other stuff too. It's a good chat. Monsterhearts 2 on Kickstarter Avery's Website RIFTS The Quiet Year A Place to Fuck Each Other The Rentpunk Game Jam
23. Whitney Beltràn
November 10, 2016 14:27 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBGame designer, writer, and consultant Whitney "Strix" Beltràn talks designing with fairy tales, role-playing with archetypes, and keeping mythologies alive. Strixwerks Bluebeard's Bride The Golden Cobra Challenge Weekly Affirmations on Hyper RPG Whitney's esearch on Academia.edu Mulaka, by Lienzo Studios Twine Strix on Twitter
22. Ben Schwartz
October 27, 2016 13:10 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBProfessional organizer Ben "Books" Schwartz talks larping with kids, larping with different traditions, and larping when it's your actual job. Event Horizon Ben on Twitter Trackers Bay The Wayfinder Experience College of Wizardry Living Games New World Magischola Magischola's Houses Brute Force Design in Larp The Monitor Celestra Planetfall
21. Hakan Seyalioglu
October 13, 2016 13:09 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBWhat happens when you publish your own game from scratch? How do we welcome new players to the table? Game designer Hakan Seyalioglu on game publishing, community building, and the beautiful collision of the obvious and the unexpected. Thorny Games Big Bad Con Old Friends Juggernaut Games within Games Morgan Stinson and Joe Greathead's Fedora Noir will be available soon! Roses and Thorns Mouse Guard Dread The Prisoner GURPS Kathryn Hymes on Backstory Games on Demand CAT...
20. Mark Richardson
September 29, 2016 13:12 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBDo maps make statements, the way games do? Game designer and cartographer Mark Richardson joins Alex to talk publishing games, being sober, and running Vampire larps in the '90s. Mark on Twitter Green Hat Designs Inuktitut Syllabics 7th Sea Urban Shadows Project: Dark King Wen's Tower Fastaval Headspace Apocalypse World Fiasco Mind's Eye Theatre Inheritance Metatopia/Dreamation F.A.T.E.
19. Katherine Cross
September 15, 2016 01:53 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBWhat do digital and tabletop roleplaying have in common? Can worldbuilding in a game help us change the real world? And just what is the "real world" anyway? Scholar and critic Katherine Cross is here to talk digital citizenship, identity plurality, and more. Katherine on Twitter On Patreon On Gamasutra World of Warcraft: Night Elves The New Laboratory of Dreams: Roleplaying as Resistance and Ethics for Cyborgs: On Real Harassment in an "Unreal" Place Knights of the Old Repub...
18. Ross Cowman
September 02, 2016 19:13 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBHow do you teach analog game design? What makes a game "for kids?" How does the context in which we encounter games influence how we play? Designer and community organizer Ross Cowman talks design, play, music, and more. Heart of the Deernicorn Fall of Magic Arbutus Folk School Fabricated Realities Monsterhearts Living Games
17. Gabriel de los Angeles
August 18, 2016 14:36 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBWhat role can Larp play in education across the lifespan? Can it help us develop responsible, reciprocal relationships with our land, waters, and communities? Gabriel de los Angeles joins us to discuss his work integrating role-playing into STEAM education. NDN Players Research Group Red Eagle Soaring Storyteller Roger Fernandes Sakura Con Northwest Nerdcast Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman Gabriel's Living Games Keynote Gabriel's research presentation at the Education and Simulation ...
16. Jacqueline Bryk
August 05, 2016 14:37 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBIs Pokemon Go a larp? What's the difference between torturing your characters and torturing your players? Can game design help you conquer your fears - or just spread them around a little? Larpwright Jacqueline Bryk is here to pose all these questions and many more. We may answer a few of them, too. Jay Sylvano MagFest Double Exposure Conventions Games on Demand The Queer Gaymes Anthology K. N. Granger David Schirudan's 200-Word RPG Contest Julia Ellingboe Brie Sheldon Kat...
15. Kat Jones
July 21, 2016 14:17 - 56 minutes - 41.3 MBLarpwright and theorist Katherine Castiello Jones talks sexuality, intimacy, feminism and other hot topics in game design. Can a game about painting your nails make a point about intersecting axes of oppression? We certainly think so. Kat's Living Games Keynote Julia Ellingboe Cady Stanton's Candyland What is "Parlour Sandbox?" Swords Without Master Evan Torner Intercon Slash: The Card Game There's a Fan Fic For That The #Feminism Anthology Millian Kang's "The Managed Han...
14. Johanna Koljonen
July 07, 2016 14:06 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBExperience designer, broadcaster and author Johnna Koljonen joins us to talk about the difference between role-play and character play, between feeling safe and being safe, and between design and tradition. Johanna's Blog: Participation Safety Introduction to Nordic Larp The "Everyman's Right" or "Right of Public Access" SCA: The Society for Creative Anachronism Burning Man Alibis for Interaction Cut and Break Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Johanna's Living Games Keynote: Opt-...
13. Evan Torner
June 23, 2016 14:06 - 55 minutes - 43.5 MBWhat do game design and education design have to say to each other? How about larp and VR? Larpwright and academic Evan Torner joins us to talk uncertainty, ideology, transparency, and other fun things hiding in your games. Evan's website Evan on twitter Evan's talk on Teaching German Literature Through Larp Eirik Fatland What's a "nanogame?" Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" Larps from the Factory The #Feminism Nanogames Anthology The Golden Cobra Challenge What's "...
12. Kira Magrann
June 09, 2016 14:15 - 58 minutes - 44.3 MBCan games unite the mystical and the digital? Writer, game designer, and cyberwitch Kira Magrann is here to talk magic, technology, and her new digital zine, RESISTOR. Kira on Twitter Kira on Tumblr RESISTOR A Cyborg Manifesto Eliza Gauger's Problem Glyphs The Witch (2016) Aleister Crowley Meg Baker on Rituals in Play Mad About the Boy Origins Game Fair Vampire: The Masquerade White Wolf Strict Machine, in the Indie Mixtape Megamix Mistress Matissse Blue Rose Just a ...
11. Sara Williamson
May 26, 2016 14:20 - 58 minutes - 43.4 MBFreeform designer Sara Williamson chills and chats with Alex about co-designing, designing for bleed, designing adaptations, and the potential of touch as a game mechanic. Also: a few very exciting announcements. Sara on Twitter Sara on Google+ Gen Con Industry Insider Featured Presenters New World Magischola Babycastles Sleep No More Double Exposure Events Fastaval See Me Now 183 Days Group Date, in the 2014 Golden Cobra Anthology 6 Months, 3 Days by Charlie Jane Anders...
10. Sean Nittner
May 12, 2016 14:19 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBPodcaster and Big Bad Con organizer Sean Nittner shares his love of Actual Play reporting, staying positive, and making gaming events safer and more inclusive. Key quote: "If you feel awkward or like you're going outside your comfort zone... you're probably on the right track." Sean's website Big Bad Con Kickstarter Have Games, Will Travel Blades in the Dark Fiasco Mage: The Ascension Adam Koebel on Twitch George R. R. Martin's LiveJournal Narrative Control Katanas & Trenc...
9. Kathryn Hymes
April 28, 2016 14:00 - 53 minutes - 44.5 MBGame designer and computational linguist Kathryn Hymes shares her love of locksmithing, larpspotting, and the incredible power of play. Is this the golden age of gaming? We certainly think so. Thorny Games Star Wars RPG by West End Games The Battlestar Galactica Board Game Games on Demand CAT Sign The Golden Cobra Challenge Big Bad Con Dialect Conlanging J Li Jason Morningstar Metatopia Xenolanguage "Stories of Your Life" by Ted Chiang "The Dispossessed" by Ursula Le...
8. Glenn Given
April 14, 2016 11:18 - 54 minutes - 31.9 MBGame designer Glenn Given joins Alex to talk about the theater, philosophy, taxonomy, loving analog games in a digital world, and the curious gratification found in following the rules. Want to hear Alex call Wittgenstein a dirty word? You should hear what she says about Hegel. This episode comes with a content warning for brief discussion of self-harm. Take care, heroes. Games by Play Date Metatopia and Dreamation XCOM Majestic The Golden Cobra Design Competition Nemesis 382,...
7. Shanna Germain
March 31, 2016 13:06 - 50 minutes - 39.1 MBShanna Germain, co-founder and Creative Director of Monte Cook games, joins Alex for a deep dive into her creative process and bevy of current projects. We chat about everything from the challenges and rewards of designing games for kids to the interesting parallels between the role-playing and kink communities. What could be more intriguing than that? Shanna Germain's Website Monte Cook Games The Numenera Kickstarter Digipen No Thank You, Evil The Cypher System Bunnies and B...
6. Sarah Richardson
March 19, 2016 14:03 - 54 minutes - 39.4 MBThis episode we're joined by game designer, graphic designer, illustrator, and Director of Marketing at Magpie Games: Sarah Richardson! She chats with Alex about designing, GMing, and what is really at the heart of the OSR movement. Plus: two very special announcements about two very special events! Sarah's website Magpie Games Ken Hite on Twitter The Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) Lamentations of the Flame Princess Fire on the Velvel Horizon, by Scrap Princess and Patric...
5. Sarah Lynne-Bowman
March 03, 2016 14:16 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBSarah Lynne-Bowman, PhD, sits down with Alex to chat about educational larps, transformational larps, and what place words like "fun" and "self" can have in role-playing discourse. We also take a moment to defend that Lightning Bolt guy. See you at Living Games, heroes. Sarah's website Living Games Conference The Functions of Role-Playing Games Østerskov Efterskole Kapo, the Danish Prison Larp Shoshanna Kessok's Nordic Larp Talk X-Card College of Wizardry Wyrd Con Companion...
4. Laura Simpson
February 18, 2016 14:14 - 52 minutes - 43.3 MBDesigner and artist Laura Simpson chats with Alex about too many things to list! Highlights include her upcoming game Companion's Tale, designing in community, and pretending to be a vampire on the internet. If you remember what a MUSH is, you're in luck. Laura's Website http://www.laura-simpson.com/ Laura's Twitter https://twitter.com/labmouse What's a MUD/MUSH? http://www.topmudsites.com/article01.shtml Changeling: The Dreaming https://rpggeek.com/rpg/426/changeling-dreami...
3. Hannah Shaffer
February 05, 2016 14:42 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBTabletop game deigner Hannah Shaffer chats with Alex about collaborative design, collaborative worldbuilding, and finding one's place in the roleplaying game community. We also briefly attempt to define the word "game," but thankfully give up quickly. Works Cited Hannah's website http://makebigthings.com/ Hannah's twitter https://twitter.com/hanbandit Games People Play http://makebigthings.com/games-people-play-podcast/ Tabletop Superhighway http://thetabletopsuperhighway.c...
2. Lizzie Stark
January 21, 2016 15:12 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBIt's a very larpy episode with author, journalist, and larpwright Lizzie Stark. She shares her experiences and insights from long-form boffer campaigns, experimental Nordic larps, and much more. Lizzie's blog http://leavingmundania.com/ Lizzie's book http://leavingmundania.com/the-book/ This Miracle http://leavingmundania.com/2015/04/06/this-miracle/ The Curse http://leavingmundania.com/2013/05/28/the-curse-a-freeform-game-about-brca/ Larps from the Factory http://larpfact...
1. Jason Morningstar
January 06, 2016 03:58 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBFor our inaugural episode, Alex chats with Fiasco creator Jason Morningstar. We discuss his early forays into game design, his philosophy of play, and exciting happenings in the world of larp. Have you gone to Ghost Court? You will.