Designer Deep Dive #7: Jo Kelly

SMTT sits down with game designer, Jo Kelly, to discuss their newly released Molly House, along with Cole Wehrle of Wehrlegig Games. Tune in to hear more about the inspiration behind Molly House, as well as the process of researching this important -- but often under-represented -- moment for queer history in the UK!

In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Corey the Village Dog Walker, to play Bark Avenue, a game about walking dogs in New York City. They discuss dog park etiquette, balancing people skills with pooch skills, and the various pressures, and pleasures, of working with animals on the bustling streets of New York.

New Casual Catch-Up episode is now available! In this episode, we discuss our recent trip to Philadelphia for PAX Unplugged. You'll also hear from the designers and developers of several stand-out SM:TT games that we spoke with at the con.

New casual catch-up is out! In this episode, Jordan and Steve spend some time discussing the impacts of settler-colonialism on board games, and celebrating the work of the indigenous designers whose games often cut against the grain of colonial play.Games by Indigenous Creators Dog Eat Dog by Liam and William Burke; Liwanag Presshttps://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/198050/dog-eat-doghttps://liwanagpress.com/Coyote & Crow by Connor Alexander et al.; Coyote and Crow LLChttps://coyoteandcrow.net/https://coyoteandcrow.net/games-accessories/ Wolves by Connor Alexander; Coyote and Crow LLChttps://coyoteandcrow.net/wolves/ Potlatch by N.D.N. Players’ Research Grouphttps://www.ndnplayers.com/informaton-resourceshttps://www.ndnplayers.com/ Nunami by Thomassie Mangiokhttp://www.nunamigame.com/index.php/en/ Burn the Fort by Klee Benally; Indigenous Actionhttps://burnthefort.com/ Further Reading / ViewingNo Pun Included, (2021). “Colonialism – The Board Game Struggle” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQuFSxs9VXA&t=21sLaPensée, E. A., (2016). Indigenous Board Game Design in The Gift of Food. Analog Game Studies, 11(2). https://analoggamestudies.org/2016/03/indigenous-board-game-design-in-the-gift-of-food/ LaPensée, E. A., Laiti, O., & Longboat, M. (2022). Towards Sovereign Games. Games and Culture, 17(3), 328-343. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211029195Murray, Soraya. (2021). On Video Games: The Visual Politics of Race, Gender, and Space. Bloomsbury Publishing. New York. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/on-video-games-9781350217706/

In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Philip Stern, a historian of the British empire, to play John Company 2nd Edition, a game about the rise and fall of the British East India Company. They discuss the colonial origins of the modern corporation, the complex historical relationship between public and private interests, and the capacity for games to dramatize how an empire happens.

In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Michael Goetjen, a musicologist whose research focuses on eighteenth-century opera and the music of Mozart, to play Lacrimosa, a game about Mozart’s final and unfinished composition: “The Requiem.” Together, they discuss the rumor mill of the 18th century music scene, the working conditions of classical composers, and the historical construction of Mozart’s persona as an “artistic genius.”

Happy International Women’s Day! — In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Lisa Tetrault, a historian of U.S. democracy, to play Votes for Women, a game about the struggle for women’s suffrage in America and the historic passage of the 19th amendment. They discuss the obstacles faced by social movements throughout history, the ongoing struggle for voter rights today, and the challenge of making complex historical events more accessible through games.

In this designer deep dive, SMTT talks with Banana Chan, co-designer of Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall and owner and co-founder of Game and a Curry. Banana talks about finding a way into the world of RPG design, what types of games inspired the development of Jiangshi and offers some advice for aspiring designers hoping to write their own RPGs.Check out Banana's work: https://www.gameandacurry.com/

At long last, the first full-episode of season 2 has arrived! — SM:TT sits down with MIchelle King and Heidi Kim, scholars of Chinese history and Asian American literature respectively, to play Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, a tabletop RPG about an immigrant family struggling against discrimination while trying to manage their family business in a 1920’s Chinatown.  Along the way, they discuss the centrality of family in Chinese food cultures, the economic challenges faced by Asian immigrants in the twentieth century, and the potential pitfalls of pursuing the historical experiences of marginalized communities through play.

Jordan and Steve catch up with each other after some time away from your feeds. In this episode, they spend a while discussing the many layers of time in tabletop gaming.