Let’s make an 80 Days tabletop roleplaying game

We're joined by TTRPG designer Graham Walmsley (Cthulu Dark, Cosmic Dark) to discuss his approaches to creating table-top games. How do we create a coherent world when don't have control? How do we know when our mechanics are working?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

You're Not a Bad Writer, You Just Don't Get the Assignment

When writers join a project, they're not always fully aligned with that project's tone and style - sometimes, it hasn't even been defined yet. Today we talk with Jill Scharr (Destiny 2, The Lamplighters League) about that crucial process of getting aligned with the game, the vision and the team. How do we promote good on-boarding for new writers? How do we, as writers, explore concepts to find the style that's right for the game? And what do we do when this process is difficult, or isn't working?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

A Simple Pawn

A wide-ranging and fascinating conversation with writer and narrative designer Pietro Polsinelli (Football Drama, Becoming Saint) about writing games embedded in history, developing from the theme outwards, the importance of testing, and lessons that games writers can take into wider artistic contexts.

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

Localisation, Localisation, Localisation

Philippa Warr (Little Kitty, Big City, A Monster's Expedition) joins us to talk about the process of localisation. Can digging into your script in immense detail make you a better writer? And how intentional do we need to be to cross the cultural divides?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

"Tell Me More About That": Writing Characters Using a Devised Theater Approach

We're joined by freelance writer Anna C. Webster (Echoes of Wisdom, Bloodlines 2) about using theatre techniques to bring your characters to life. How much can we let characters drive the writing themselves? And how do we extend this approach to cover wider casts and variable production environments?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

Make Something Insane: A Guide To Short Twines

Nessa Cannon (Borderlands 4, Endoparasitic) joins us to explain how making fast, scrappy Twine games quickly and intuitively can develop your portfolio as well as developing your core skills and confidence as a writer. What can we learn by doing things fast?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

Two Tips for Better Dialogues

We're joined by Kevin VanOrd (Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2), who tells us about his approaches to writing interactive conversations that keep the player involved at every step. How can a choice point keep the momentum going?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

On the Purpose of Choices, and What Keeps Players Engaged

We're joined by Deborah D'Antonio L.B. Almeida (SideQuest Vol 1, Drintera) to talk about writing and designing choices for the most interesting player experience, and the benefits of using a very structure-first approach to write for games.

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

On Entering Cities (In Interesting and Memorable Ways)

Konstantinos Dimopoulos (Zero Parades) is a game urbanist who designs cities for games. How do we bring big urban spaces to life? How do we make the best introductions to these spaces? And should we be thinking more about different ways of presenting them?

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)

Silence!

We talk to Anthony Jauneaud (Night Call, Flat Eye) about the value of silence in conversations. How do encourage players to hold back, and let the other characters do the talking? We discuss how to make stories more dramatic by doing less, and why every game should have a Greek chorus.

For more info the GNK book, and to buy, visit the website: https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/

Music by Laurence Chapman (https://www.laurencechapman.com/)