#266 Banana Chan Talks Suburban Consumption of the Monstrous

Banana Chan joins Dirk and David to talk about her experience in multiple areas of game design, and how thematic games can be made in each medium. First, Banana discusses live action roleplaying (LARP) design at length, providing tips for a thematic design and explaining how monetization might work as a LARP designer. Next, the trio talks about tabletop roleplaying games and specifically on how to pick the right system and mechanics for a theme. Finally, Banana shares some thoughts on her current Kickstarter projects, Suburban Consumption of the Monstrous and An Exquisite Crime.

Episode Outline

1:10 Banana Chan introduces herself and her various roles in the board game and roleplaying game industries

4:50 What does game design for LARPS look like? How are thematic gaps handled for mechanics in LARP design?

10:57 What is the monetization of LARP design like?

15:35 Banana discusses what makes LARP design different and challenges for new designers to expect

18:14 How can roleplaying game designers set up a thematic experience for players?

31:20 Shifting to tabletop RPG game design, and what Banana enjoys about designing in that space.

37:33 Designing as part of a gig for a larger corporation

41:12 Talking about Banana’s two simultaneous Kickstarter projects, which were both live while recording.

49:09 A theme that Banana has always wanted to portray in a game, and her advice for aspiring game designers

In this Episode

Banana Chan - @bananachangames
David V. Heron - @davidvheron
Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer