
Creatures and Cocktails: David Gallaher on Immersive D&D and Live Storytelling Design
24/12/2025 | 50min
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, we sit down with David Gallaher to talk about Creatures and Cocktails, an immersive Dungeons and Dragons experience built to feel welcoming, premium, and deeply communal. David shares how his background across games and comics shaped the way he thinks about “ramp up,” onboarding, and reducing lore overload so new players can jump in without feeling lost.Together, we explore what changes when D and D becomes a live, hosted experience. How you design for comfort and confidence, how you fight choice paralysis, and why the real goal is not telling people a story, but helping a table build a shared one. If you care about narrative design, live play, or building experiences that make people feel seen, this conversation has a lot to steal.Topics Include:Creating a strong “on ramp” for new players without dumping loreDesigning immersive tabletop experiences that feel premiumReducing choice paralysis while preserving player agencyBuilding community rules and values that protect the tableWhy shared authorship creates ownership and deeper play👤 Guest: David Gallaher, writer and creator working across comics and games, and a driving force behind Creatures and Cocktails, an immersive Dungeons and Dragons experience📌 Perfect for: Narrative designers, tabletop creators, indie devs, GMs, and anyone curious about immersive RPG experiences and live storytelling design.David's Links:-> LinkedIn (Profile)-> LinkedIn Articles Archive-> BlueskyThe Corner of Story and Game:-> Discord-> Facebook-> Instagram-> Bluesky-> LinkedIn-> Email: [email protected]#WritingForGames #GameNarrativeCraft #NarrativeDesign #TabletopRPG #DungeonsAndDragons #ImmersiveExperience #LiveStorytelling #Worldbuilding #CreativeCommunity #TheCornerOfStoryAndGamePodcast #DavidGallaher

Building an Earthquake‑Proof Career: Chris Tran on Story, Change, and Creative Resilience
09/12/2025 | 1h 6min
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, I'm joined by Chris Tran - a narrative designer, esports leader, educator, and creative strategist - for a rich conversation about building a resilient career grounded in values, adaptability, and community.Chris shares how his professional journey, from law school to esports management, and eventually narrative design, has been guided by empathy, mentorship, and the desire to create space for others. Together, we explore what it means to design a life that can withstand upheaval, thrive through change, and stay aligned with your creative core.🎯 Topics Include:How storytelling frameworks can shape career decisionsNavigating pivots across disciplines and rolesMentorship as a narrative and professional toolHuman-centered design in games and leadershipDesigning a career that reflects your personal values👤 Guest: Chris Tran, narrative designer, former Head of Esports (SEA, Hong Kong, Taiwan), and mentor/strategist with a focus on education and inclusive design📌 Perfect for: Narrative designers, creative professionals, career changers, and anyone building a values-driven path in the game industry.Where to find Chris:Website: https://www.christran.gg/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisltran/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisTranCoachBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ctcoach.bsky.socialThe Corner of Story and Game:DiscordFacebookInstagramBlueskyLinkedInEmail: [email protected]#WritingForGames #NarrativeDesign #CreativeCareerDesign #StorytellingInGames #EsportsNarrative #MentorshipMatters #GameDevLife #CareerPivot #TheCornerOfStoryAndGamePodcast #ChrisTran

Prototype Everything! How Scott Rogers Uses Early Testing to Power Creative Success
19/11/2025 | 45min
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, returning guest Scott Rogers -- game designer, author, and educator -- joins us for a deep dive into the power of prototyping. From his roots in video games to his current focus on board game design, Scott shares how early testing and iteration drive creative clarity, strengthen pitches, and shape player experience.Together, we explore how functional and attractive prototypes are not just tools for refinement, but essential components of storytelling, development, and even day-to-day creative thinking. Whether you’re building your first board game or designing narrative systems for digital worlds, this episode offers valuable lessons on starting early, testing often, and learning fast.🎯 Topics Include:Why prototyping is a storytelling toolLessons from translating ideas into testable formatsMaking prototypes pitch-readyThe emotional value of hands-on iterationHow prototyping influences creative thinking beyond games👤 Guest: Scott Rogers, Game designer (God of War, Pac-Man World), author (Level Up!, Swipe This!), and instructor at the New York Film Academy📌 Perfect for: Narrative designers, indie creators, game developers, and anyone exploring how structure and experimentation shape creative identity.Where to find Scott:Website: https://mightybedbug.blogspot.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrogersdesigner/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottRogersDesignerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightybedbug/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/scottrogers.bsky.socialThe Corner of Story and Game:DiscordFacebookInstagramBlueskyLinkedInEmail: [email protected]#WritingForGames #GameNarrativeCraft #GameDesign #NarrativeDesign #GamePrototyping #BoardGameDesign #CreativeProcess #TheCornerOfStoryAndGamePodcast #IndieDev #BuildPlayIterate #ScottRogers

Building Story in Open Worlds: Winter Mullenix & Tormod MacLean on Narrative Design in Sandbox MMOs
28/10/2025 | 49min
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, we sit down with Winter Mullenix and Tormod MacLean to explore what it really means to tell stories in open-world, player-driven spaces. Together, we dig into the challenges and opportunities of crafting narrative in sandbox MMOs, where story doesn’t come from scripted quests alone, but from the players themselves.Winter and Tormod share insights from their work on large-scale projects, unpacking how narrative design can survive (and even thrive) in worlds defined by freedom.Whether you're building your first open-world game or looking for ways to weave narrative meaning into systems-driven experiences, this episode will help you think differently about what “story” really means in a sandbox MMO.Where to find Winter & Tormod:LinkedIn (Winter): https://www.linkedin.com/in/wintermullenix/LinkedIn (Tormod): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tormod-maclean-6b230012/EVE Online: https://www.eveonline.com/The Corner of Story and Game:DiscordFacebookInstagramBlueskyLinkedInEmail: [email protected]#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #MMORPG #SandboxGames #OpenWorldDesign #EmergentStorytelling #GameDevelopment #StoryInGames #PlayerAgency #InteractiveNarrative #GameDesign #StorytellingInGames #TheCornerOfStoryAndGame #IndieDev #SystemsDesign #WritingForGames #BuildingWorlds #GameNarrative #NarrativeCraft #WorldBuilding

No Cutscene, No Problem: Sagar Beroshi on Fear, Flexibility, and Narrative Grit
17/10/2025 | 1h 6min
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, we sit down with Sagar Beroshi, Principal Narrative Designer at The Chinese Room. Together, we unpack what it really means to write horror when you're working without a blockbuster budget, and why narrative constraints can be an unexpected ally.Sagar shares the realities of writing in a system where your cutscene might get cut, your VO might vanish, and your fallback might be a single line of environmental text. But through all of it, one thing remains: the emotional core of fear and the creativity it takes to build it.From writing on a sliding scale of scope, to finding horror in humanity, to surviving the cascade of shifting narrative tools, this conversation is packed with wisdom for game writers navigating the edge between ambition and reality.Whether you're working on your first indie horror game or juggling narrative priorities in a larger production pipeline, this one’s for you.Where to find Sagar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagarberoshi/The Chinese Room: https://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/Website: https://www.hellosagar.com/The Corner of Story and Game:DiscordFacebookInstagramBlueskyLinkedInEmail: [email protected]#GameWriting #NarrativeDesign #HorrorGames #GameDev #StorytellingInGames #IndieDev #WritingForGames #NarrativeTools #EmotionalStorytelling #GameNarrative #CreativeConstraints #MakingGames #EnvironmentalStorytelling #PlayerExperience #HorrorNarrative #NarrativeCraft #VoiceAndTone #NoCutsceneNoProblem #DesigningFear #GamesThatHaunt



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