A New Adventure For Synagon In TTRPG, Higher Education, & Business Development
Summary:
A writer of plays, poems, and TTRPGs and a professor/health care provider passionate about role playing games & education teamed up to solve problems in a fun interprofessional educational experience.
Description:
Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to describe the competencies of Interprofessional education (IPE) and how it can be applied to their own career and professional development (i.e, Values and ethics, Roles and responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, & Teams and Teamwork) 2. Participants will be able to define People, Process, and Product, and apply to this framework to the development of a project or business in their own workspace 3. Participants will be able to explain how this TTRPG is progressing in development and steps taken in a new business adventure.
Professional developers lead a deep dive into iterative design principles and editing with a focus on tools, processes, and communication across teams.
Description:
** GAME DESIGN ACADEMY ONLY EVENT / NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL TRADE DAY AUDIENCE **
All Brains Welcome: Making Cons Accessible For Neurodivergent
Summary:
Public events can be daunting for neurodivergent participants. How can convention and conference organizers better help this community succeed? Autistic designer Pat Mooney shares his thoughts.
Description:
The path to presenting, exhibiting, or even casually networking at a professional event is full of invisible roadblocks for neurodivergent participants. Even though accessibility is on the rise, there are still many ways that cons and conferences can improveand make meaningful changes to their programs and policiesto lower this barrier to entry, and help neurodivergent creators have a seat at the table.
Pat Mooney, who (somehow) managed to smash his special interests in D&D and the American Revolution together into a successful TTRPG, shares his experiences as an autistic designer and small business owner. Neurodivergent members of the audience are welcome to share their struggles and stories.
Ask The Question - Connect With Your Military-Connected Community!
Summary:
No matter your role (librarian, educator, game store owner, designer), you interact everyday with those in the military-connected community. Learn about military culture and available resources!
Description:
This training has the following objectives:
- "Ask the Question" and military-connected population identification
- Military Culture Training
- Connection to resources
- Ideas for outreach to the military-connected population
BattleBattle! - How Do You Balance a Massively Complicated Game?
Summary:
In this hands-on game design workshop, we will be taking on this kind of problem as we collaboratively balance a large-scale character battling game.
Description:
Contemporary game design is filled with wicked design problems - like balancing the many card interactions of a CCG or the complex interplay of characters, classes, equipment, and skills.
Beginning & Sustaining A Magic: The Gathering Youth Club For Free!
Summary:
As a non-profit, MagiKids supports youth programming throughout the United States. Learn how to apply and sustain materials to support your program for no cost to your organization.
Come learn how a unique setting can reinforce investment from adventurers and storytellers alike! Library programs, school clubs, and game stores can all benefit as we present and then worskshop!
Description:
With burnout high and budgets low for library programs, afterschool groups, and small game stores, keepings players interested and game masters involved can be exceedingly difficult. We have found that utilizing a world setting that receives story contributions from both players and dungeon masters keeps those demographics engaged. After a short presentation, we will do some brainstorming in small groups so event participants can begin the process for their own organizations!
Beyond D&D: Building Indie RPG Programs At The Library
Summary:
The WWPL has a vibrant adult RPG community, featuring several RPG programs beyond D&D. In this session you will learn to adapt several indie RPGs into robust and creative library programing.
Description:
The West Warwick Public Library has built a vibrant adult RPG community, featuring several RPG programs beyond D&D. In this session you will learn to adapt several indie RPGs into robust and creative library programing, including epistolary RPGs like Five Hundred Year Old Vampire, Live Action RPGs like A Murder Most Foul, and RPGs that utilize remote technologies like This Discord Has Ghosts in it. We will even touch on adjacent programming that is easy to branch off of the RPG community like board games and Jackbox clubs and parties. This session will cover actual models, best practices, and requirements, to prepare attendees to implement these programs and grow them in their own libraries and communities.
Beyond the Board: Designing Games Beyond Dice & Cardboard
Summary:
Crafting toyetic games requires thinking beyond the conventional realm of dice & cardboard. Explore the potential of transforming everyday toys into engaging gameplay experiences.
Description:
Experiment with unconventional elements such as marbles, strings, fabric, magnets, and other dynamic materials to create innovative and interactive designs.
** GAME DESIGN ACADEMY ONLY EVENT / NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL TRADE DAY AUDIENCE **
Beyond the Dice: How Games Fostered Connection For A Neurodivergent & Queer Community
Summary:
Tabletop games build community for queer & neurodivergent folks. A mental health professional shares how games foster connection & safe spaces with practical applications.
Description:
Tabletop games became the foundation for a thriving community of neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ individuals in Lynchburg, VA. This talk explores how shared play combats isolation and fosters belonging. A mental health professional shares insights from organized community game nights and from a therapy group, highlighting how games create safe spaces and promote mental well-being for those with intersecting identities. Discover how role-playing encourages self-expression and how games provide a framework for social connection and cognitive growth. Learn practical tips for building inclusive gaming communities that embrace diversity and celebrate the power of connection.