Em Acosta (Crescent, Exile) ep. 276

About this episode

Em Acosta discusses their game design process and the complexities of playtesting in the TTRPG space.

Today, we check in with Em Acosta, a game designer known for games like Exile and Crescent. They’re heavily involved in the industry, with a lot of writing credits on all sorts of games, and they’ve just started a blog. Our focus is on the process of game-making. There are so many factors that go into making anything creative, and especially so in the TTRPG space. Em talks about how their process has changed over the years, the importance and complexity of playtesting and interacting with public space, and unique ways to play and consume relationships in gaming. It’s a personal and engaging interview that touches on the larger processes of game writing. Check out Em Acosta at the links below: Buy their books on Mythworks or Itch.io Check out their Bluesky ! And their new blog ! Show Mentions: Bluebeard’s Bride Dungeon World Powered By the Apocalypse Girl By Moonlight Blades in the Dark Neverland Quest DIE RPG Practical Anarchism - Shuli Branson 1000-Year-Old Vampire Ion Heart Pluribus Paradise ************************************ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show for as little as $1 a month…

People in this episode

Host: Craig Shipman

Guest: Em Acosta

Topics covered

• game design
• TTRPG
• playtesting
• creative process
• game writing

Keywords

• game design
• TTRPG
• playtesting
• Em Acosta
• creative process

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mythworks, Itch.io

Books & works: Bluebeard’s Bride, Dungeon World, Powered By the Apocalypse, Girl By Moonlight, Blades in the Dark, Neverland Quest, DIE RPG, Practical Anarchism - Shuli Branson, 1000-Year-Old Vampire, Ion Heart

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