So I’m going to be at PAX East 2025 even though it’s a little bitter sweet to be there post layoff. But things worked out and I’ll still be able to attend after all and I’ll be doing panels! So without further ado, here’s my current schedule.
Last year, a panel idea sparked by LadyLuck34’s whimsical and thought provoking questions during her streams packed the room and was a great time. Let’s revisit and have some much needed whimsy & silliness but in the spring! LadyLuck will have new thought provoking questions such as; Can ghosts be tried for murder? Are zombies undead or merely shambling meat bags and more!
There’s plenty of information out there on how to start DMing. You might have been given “beginner scenarios” to run, and heard a lot about safety tools and consent sheets. But once you’ve spent enough time building that trust and rapport, you may feel like it’s time to step up your game. In this panel, our cohort of DMs and game runners will share experiences and offer tools to help you lovingly torment your players (consensually!) with things like mind control, secrets, and even the famed TPK!
Panelists: Ders [M], Austin/@dungeonartist, Radiant G/@radiantg, Diana F/@dianaoftherose
A lot of people think Streaming is easy you just turn on the console PC a cam and go! We’ll have some real talk on what actually goes into streaming and the harsh reality that often you will spend more time money and energy creating a stream community and more than you will earn back. TL;DR You need to be in it for the love of it to start and if you earn some money? Bonus!
Friends gather to discuss the multiple award winning third entry into the Baldur’s Gate series of games, over a year & a half since it’s release! We’ll discuss our fave characters, how our thoughts and playthroughs have evolved and how the game made us feel as many of us spent dozens if not hundreds of hours wandering about in Faerun.
You and another player (or your GM) have spent session after session developing a story and dynamic as your characters pine, flirt and fall for each other. The big moment arrived, and feelings were confessed! Gasp! Maybe there was a dramatic kiss before a big fight. Even bigger gasp! You’ve survived another harrowing quest, hooray! Except… the story is far from over. So are you like, a couple now? What does that look like in an adventuring party? When will there be time for date night when the Big Bad still threatens the world? Join our panelists as they talk about the power of giving space for romance after the “happily ever after,” and the importance of fostering queer romance beyond the angst-phase of will-they-won’t-they.
Panelists: Mel [M], Sachi/@versachiko, Whitney/@smokingglueguns, Patrick K/@thatgreygentleman, Juicy Garland/@juicygarland
There’s been a 10 year wait to adventure in Northern Thedas since we last ran around with the Inquisitor. Let’s take a deep dive into Rook, discuss the Veil Guardians and other assembled crew of misfits we meet during our time running around saving Thedas once more. Note: we will be discussing spoilers, end game and getting a little nerdy (ok a lot nerdy) about the world of Thedas, the lore and more.
Romance is a thing in games and it’s thoroughly evolved over the years. We started with 8 bit pixel kisses but at a certain point games added a new element: Games like Dragon Age Origins & Mass Effect introduced the idea of romanceable companions you could learn about whoo with the right answers or gifts and eventually have sex with. The problem is for much of gaming this has become a standard: People show up you learn about them you give gifts and your reward is sex. Sex has effectively become a Win State in gaming and this panel of people across the industry spectrum aims to address the problem with this games that get it wrong games that get it right and where we go from here. We are looking to further expand upon the ideas originally gotten into and discussed in a similar panel we explored in PAX West.
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.
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