The British Are Coming: Using TTRPGs To Teach History
Summary:
How can educators bridge the game table and the classroom? Join a panel of designers and educators in discussion on TTRPGs and reflecting local history in gameplay.
Description:
What are the best practices, challenges, pitfalls, and rewards of using tabletop roleplaying to help students learn history, think critically, and build curiosity? Join Patrick Mooney (co-creator of Nations & Cannons) and professional educator Mollie Brewsaugh in discussion about teaching key topics in American History and civics with TTRPGs.
When designing a game, should you start with the mechanics or the story? Why not both? Come learn how narrative and mechanics can blend together to form a whole greater than the parts.
Description:
** GAME DESIGN ACADEMY ONLY EVENT / NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL TRADE DAY AUDIENCE **
The Non-Academics Guide To Games For Your Classroom : Learning Outcomes Map To mechanics, Not Themes
Summary:
Educators need librarians and game devs to coordinate a controlled vocabulary mapping mechanics to learning outcomes. Theme DOES NOT dictate learning goals.
Description:
Mechanics reinforce a lesson, through emergent play, but only when they match the narrative; for example an environment game about resource management instead of extraction and domination. Use our framework to select the best possible games to iterate for your classrooms needs and goals. Well apply it to a sample game, then finish with group discussions. When replaying games, students receive progressively more complex knowledge and wisdom, increasing the return on time spent teaching a game to apply and activate class content. Selecting the best takes time, vocabulary, and breadth of experience. In the end, to explore and evaluate which game will best serve your classroom, youll need to play many more games.
The Quest Begins: Engaging Community Partners To Reimagine Free RPG Day
Summary:
Join staff from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as they reveal how they planned and executed a Free RPG Day festival, leveraging community partnerships to elevate the event to the next level!
Description:
Get ready for an exciting behind-the-scenes journey with staff from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as they share how they planned and executed a successful Free RPG Day. The festival celebrated the diverse gaming community of Charlotte through a panel presentation on representation in gaming as well as many workshops for all ages! Discover how they crafted an immersive experience by forming strong community partnerships, like local businesses and community organizations. Learn about the strategies they used to engage attendees, attract volunteers, create lasting connections, and maximize the event's impact. Whether you're an RPG enthusiast, an educator, or just looking to bring your community together, this presentation will provide valuable insights on making your own Free RPG Day event a thrilling and memorable experience!
The Rulebook Isn't Broken: Adaptive Strategies For Neurodiverse Gamers
Summary:
Don't let the rules make or break a game for you. Learn how simple adjustments can open up a world of new games for neurodiverse gamers.
Description:
Board games and TTRPGs can often be made adaptable with simple changes to the rules that keeps the spirit of the game while making it more fun for everyone. Take home some tactics for making small changes that can benefit all players as well as exploring examples of adapted games that work really well for a variety of audiences. These tools are useful for library programing, casual gaming, and educational settings for all ages.
The Tomb Of Annihilation: Programming Dungeons & Dragons For Tweens
Summary:
D&D is in high demand at libraries. Tweens have a desire to play, but often lack the opportunity to do so. I'll share tips and strategies for converting D&D into a digestible format for kids aged 8-12
Description:
For the past five years I've run two concurrent Dungeons & Dragons games for library patrons aged 8-12. While kids that age have a strong desire to play, their energy level, limited attention span, and the often complicated rules of D&D can be a recipe for a truly harrowing experience.
I'll share the strategies, careful preparations, and modifications to the game that can make the experience smooth and enjoyable for players and DM alike.
Learn about starting, running, and the outcomes of a therapeutic gaming group in a community college setting.
Description:
Therapeutic tabletop gaming uses RPGs as a way to challenge players and broaden their perspectives. Through the game, students work on achieving personal goals like problem-solving, communication, building coping skills and conflict resolution skills. We have found that people learn and grow while theyre having fun. While the speaker is a counselor and approaches therapeutic gaming from a mental health perspective, this presentation can be relevant to any educator that wants to use RPGs as a way to benefit their students.
How do you take your game from prototype to product? Well get you thinking about what goes into making a game retail ready, from cost considerations to box design and consumer appeal.
Description:
We'll also look at how to balance creativity with marketability.
** GAME DESIGN ACADEMY ONLY EVENT / NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL TRADE DAY AUDIENCE **
Thursday Assignment Session - Theme: Game Design Foundations
Summary:
Kick off with an immersive dive into the fundamentals of game design. Explore core mechanics, player psychology, theme development, & what makes a game meaningful. Today sets the stage.
Description:
Get your daily assignment during this session as you set off and explore Gen Con. Today well dive into core concepts, mechanics, and what makes play meaningful.