I speak about cultural game development, design fundamentals, building diverse teams, funding your work, and more.
Upcoming Talks
November 10, 2026 · 4:35–4:55 p.m. · Green Stage, Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) · Montreal
Less Is More: A Writer/Narrative Designer's Request for Fewer Words
With the rise of AI and the mentality that "anyone can write", writers/narrative designers seem to be the first positions cut from game development teams or brought on too late.
This talk covers where teams can streamline dialogue, where to cut scope, and ultimately how to save time, money, and resources that can be better directed elsewhere. But this talk also makes the pitch that writers/narrative designers (even part-time or as consultants) can make games more emotionally resonant and memorable, ultimately helping sales in a market where 18,000+ games are released on Steam every year.
I moderated the roundtable session, "When You're the Only BIPOC in the Room," at East by Northwest (EXNW) in Vancouver.
Presented by the Writers Guild of Canada, with panelists Ryan Atimoyoo and Tanvi Bhatia.
Writers' rooms are a collaborative space for working together and sharing ideas, but what happens when you're the only BIPOC? We'll discuss lived experiences; the added proverbial labour tax when default representing all BIPOC everywhere; being the gateway with access; choosing your battles for when to speak up; and doing all the things just trying to be invited back. This session is for gearing up with clear boundaries, positive mindsets, actionable tasks, and support for writers (and other creative professionals) who may in future or have found themselves as The Only BIPOC in the Room.
ONLINE, Friday, September 19, 2025 at 9:35 a.m. Pacific / 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
Delighted to be a speaker for the Game Devs of Color Expo. My talk is called "Achievement Unlocked: Diversity Success".
This is the most hopeful DEIA talk you've ever seen! From the writer/narrative designer of Rooster, who got to feel the joy of being in the majority on a racially diverse team, bringing her best self and most vulnerable, heartfelt work to a stunning video game. In especially troubling times, it's important to celebrate a win when people of East Asian heritage got to highlight the best parts of their culture for a marketable viable product. Deb will discuss how to build and foster a racially diverse team and highlight economic benefits that make for better games and greater global market reach.
July 18-20, 2025 · East by Northwest (EXNW)
Photo credit: Georgia EsporlasPhoto credit: Ronald Lee
June 3, 2025 talk for Full Indie Game Dev Meetup "Scavenger Hunt Tutorial: Using Game Design Fundamentals".
