At the end of the day, TTRPGs share one thing in common —they tell a story. The writers, the players, the DM: everyone is there to tell a story, feel something, and have fun. Gene Koo approaches game creation differently than most of the creators you'll hear about. His games all stem from deep connections in his life, his own childhood, his daughter, things with real weight. This comes through in every game, from careful, well-placed mechanics to emotional narrative storytelling.
Today's episode focuses on player agency, emotional storytelling, and the unique mechanics that bring it all together. Gene talks to us about Color Jam, his newest game that is unique, exciting, and very much its own thing. We also talk in depth about Bonsai Diary, an amazing game that he gives a lot of insight into.
Follow Gene on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/stickydoodler.bsky.socialBack Color Jam on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lunarpunkgames/colorjamThemes: Unique Mechanics, Player Agency, Emotional Storytelling
MENTIONS:
Candy Land
The Hobbit
Dungeons and Dragons Red Box
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Legend of the Elements
Plus One Forward
Lego
The Quiet Year
Stardew Valley
DIE: RPG
Poetry Foundation Podcast
Lyrical Ludology
Links: Color Jam
The Bonsai Diary
Legend of the Elements, a PBTA game inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender
PeopleCon 3, a Designed in the DMV event
These Games Are Not For Sale (we keep it so real we don't even have a webpage)
Lyrical Ludology podcast
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