So, I’ve already kicked off the weekend with being one of the recipients of the Diana Jones Award 2020 for recognizing Black Excellence in Games. The full awardee list is here, and there’s also a neat piece in Polygon by Charlie Hall about this years awardees.

A Perspex pyramid holding the remains of the “last” copy of TSR’s Indiana Jones RPG.

Next up is a WorldCon [CONZealand] panel on Worldbuilding with lovely folks. You can watch it on YouTube already!

Worlds that Breathe: Interactive Worldbuilding in Games

Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Dark Souls, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Dragon Age immerse us in rich, interactive worlds. What makes worldbuilding in games unique and challenging when players can interact, explore, and miss things? How do game creators balance storytelling with the world itself needing to be a legible interface? How are players influenced to explore or ignore? How do biases on the part of the creators limit world building, and conversely, how do fans react to them?

Panel: Noria Reads (M), Avery Delaney, Helen Gould, Tanya DePass, Elsa Sjunneson You can find our panelists across various social media.

Avery Delany:

Tanya DePass: 

Helen Gould: Twitter: @Alecto101

Elsa Sjunneson: Twitter: @snarkbat Website: https://www.snarkbat.com

Friday, 7/31 I am doing a panel on Charity streaming & fundraising at #GenConOnline!!

“Using Tabletop Gaming for Charity Fundraising” 

Date: 7/31/2020
Time: 1pm Eastern
Where?: twitch.tv/extralife4kids
Panel Topic: Join Extra Life and tabletop experts in a conversation that explores best practices and experiences in charity fundraising. Something for fundraisers of all levels!

Confirmed Panelists: 

Tanya DePass (@cypheroftyr) – Founder/Director of I Need Diverse Games, Producer of Rivals of Waterdeep, Diversity, Equity and & Inclusion Consultant

Vanessa Brasfield (@pleasantlytwstd) – Content Creator, Graphic Designer, Charity Event Specialist

Ivan Van Norman (@hydra_lord)– Host/Producer, Head of Publishing and Media at Hunters Entertainment

Rhonda McBain– Extra Lifer and Program Director at Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Daniel Phoenix – (@RaathCatarn) – Admin for OrderofGamemasters.com (Discord)(@jointheorder)

Moderator: Caity Cooperrider – Extra Lifer, Content Creator

Official GenCon Site: https://www.gencon.com/events/186711

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.