Beyond Romance: Parenthood, Friendship, and Other Complex Relationships in RPGs

Now that romance is actually pretty mainstream in roleplaying these days, let's talk about designing mechanics that support and explore other kinds of relational complexity.

• Alex Roberts (she/her) is a live-action and tabletop game designer whose work is defined by mechanical elegance and relational complexity. You might know her two-player game about precarious romance (Star Crossed), her card-based storytelling game about devotion (For the Queen), or her cute little journaling game about the good things in your life (Precious Little Animal). She's also a graduate student in Counselling Psychology, researching game-making and personal change.


• Jamila R. Nedjadi (they/he) is a non-binary himbo of the TTRPG indie space, cheering on BIMPOC and queer folks! He's a prolific game designer, and his games include BALIKBAYAN: Returning Home which was nominated for the IGDN Indie Groundbreaker Award for best setting, and Apocalypse Keys which will be published through Evil Hat Productions. Jammi is also one of the co-hosts for The Gauntlet Podcasts, where folks chat about the indie games they've played in the Gauntlet community.


• Jenn Martin (she/her) is a maker, writer, game designer, and project manager living outside of Chicago, IL. She keeps her feet on the ground as Production Manager for Bully Pulpit Games— with fair play and a square deal. She keeps her heart on her sleeve as the Larp Coordinator for Big Bad Con—where safety and care are central values. She keeps her eyes to the stars making games about space, curiosity and exploration. Her games include The Goose of Grillner Grove, Reunion (co-designed) and the forthcoming Beneath Violet Waves (Games that Bind Us) and Folly & Fortune (Fiasco playset).


• Meguey Baker (she/her) started playing rpgs with her sister and two friends in the 1970s. As a co-designer with her husband, her work on their award-winning Apocalypse World broke ground with attention to the characters' relationship to sexuality, and in their newest game Under Hollow Hills, a key question is how characters are in relation to each other when times are good and when times are bad. Meg has a background in counseling, education, ritual design, and dance. She believes everyone has a story worth telling, and that we are all connected. She is the assistant curator of a local history museum, where she delights in the stories of all kinds of relationships.


• Whitney Marie Delaglio (she/her) is a game designer, artist, and a biracial nerd. Her aquatic roleplaying game, Prism, focuses on sensuality, relationships, and conflict resolution. She also recently wrote a game about half-orcs being loved by both their halves (Tiny Tusks) for 9th Level Games. As a support class in the gaming community, she is an advocator of providing a safe space for intimacy, emotional vulnerability, and non-toxic bro culture. You can find her on Twitter at @widdledragon and you can find Prism at Little Wish Productions.