From Table to Console: an interview with Whitney "Strix" Beltrán

Over the last few years, Whitney "Strix" Beltrán has transitioned from tabletop game design (Bluebeard's Bride) to a full-time career in narrative video game design (Holovista, Beyond Blue). In this panel, interviewer Ross Cowman sits down with Whitney to talk about how her tabletop experience influenced her narrative design work and how her time in the video game industry has changed her perspective on tabletop games.

• Ross Cowman (he/him) — Game Designer #fallofmagic, #bffrpg, #cityofwinter Owner @hotdeernicorn | 🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@deernicorn 📺 https://www.twitch.tv/deernicorn  📍https://heartofthedeernicorn.com/


• Whitney "Strix" Beltrán (she/her) is a multiple award winning narrative designer for both tabletop RPGs and videogames. She has designed/written on Bluebeard's Bride, ‎Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (Dungeons & Dragons), State of Decay 2, Beyond Blue, HoloVista, and many more projects. She is currently the Project Narrative Director at Hidden Path Entertainment where they are making a AAA Dungeons & Dragons video game. Strix has a master's degree in mythology, and has published academic papers on the relationship between myth and play. She's done research with Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and written chapters in university level RPG studies textbooks. She is an active diversity and inclusion advocate in the industry, and together with her husband Ajit George, runs a private high potential mentoring program for game developers of color.