Speaking on writing for game designer Scott Rogers Fundraiser Saturday!

Busy Saturday? You are now! I’ll be speaking about writing along with a bunch of awesome folks in games for the Scott Rogers Fundraiser – A Day of Game Design and Development on Saturday, February 3rd! This game design and development micro-conference will help game designer and author Scott Rogers fight cancer. He literally had a stem cell transplant just last week and is enduring the deleterious effects as I type. He has designed video and board games, written Level Up: The Guide to Great Game Design and Your Turn! The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design, and is a snappy dresser!

Here’s the link to donate to Scott’s fundraiser, and where to RSVP to grab the Zoom link and add the event to your calendar. Can’t wait for you to join us! Of course, if you can’t make it, feel free to donate to Scott anyway 🙂

Schedule (parts of the schedule may change):

🕰 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM PST
🗣 Patrick Schnorbus (Hochschule der bildenden Künste Essen)
🕹 Opening Session: A Beacon in the Storm

🕰 7:30 – 8:00 AM PST
🗣 Stuart Maine
🕹 Balancing chance versus skill in your games

🕰 8:15 AM – 8:45 AM PST
🗣 Chris Totten (Team Nemo, Inc.)
🕹 Making Indie Games with Public Domain Content

🕰 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST
🗣 Paolo Gambardella
🕹 From Books to Games: My Freelance Journey as a Self-Taught Game Designer

🕰 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM PST
🗣 Russell Sng (Inworld AI)
🕹 Bringing AI NPC’s to Life in Your Games

🕰 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM PST
🗣 Floyd Lu (Independent Designer, Self Publisher)
🕹 Managing Multiple Prototypes (Pitch, Publish)

🕰 11:00 – 11:45 AM PST
🗣 Andy Ashcraft (Giantsdance Games)
🕹 Scott, Me, and the Semiotics of Games

🕰 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM PST
🗣 Annie Fox (Electric Eggplant), Patrick Schnorbus (HBK Essen)
🕹 Harnessing the Power of Kids’ Games for Good

🕰 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
🗣 Esteban Enrique M.
🕹 Telling your Development Story

🕰 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM PST
🗣 Anne Toole (The Write Toole)
🕹 Fitting Writers into the Game Development Process

🕰 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM PST
🗣 David Mullich (ArtCenter College of Design)
🕹 Maintaining A Creative Mindset

🕰 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM PST
🗣 Richard Lemarchand (USC Games)
🕹 Fragmented Narrative: Techniques for Design

🕰 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM PST
🗣 Amir Satvat
🕹 Finding Work In Video Games

🕰 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM PST
🗣 Jasmine Kurniawan (xRsion Inc.)
🕹 Starting out in the industry

See you soon!

10/10! Writing for Asgard’s Wrath 2, now on Meta Quest 3!

Blown away by the amazing reviews! Asgard’s Wrath 2, the VR open-world RPG that I wrote for, comes out today! It has already raked in the accolades, including a 10/10 on IGN. In this fantasy adventure, you play in a mythological Ancient Egypt as a fledgling Norse god, who possesses mortals fulfilling their destiny, all the while chasing after your betrayer, Loki. From the Norse realms to the Egyptian underworld, you will find plenty of adventures, enemies, and mysteries. I had a ton of fun writing on this game, and once you play, you’ll be able to see the dev team over at Sanzaru Games had a blast as well. You can buy Asgard’s Wrath 2 now, or get it free when you buy the Meta Quest 3!

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DETAILS!

The award-winning creators of Asgard’s Wrath return with their most immersive VR experience yet in Asgard’s Wrath 2.

60+ hour narrative-driven campaign

Godscale puzzles & physics-based combat

Free-roaming, living worlds

Rogue-lite dungeon mode

Playable on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 2

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FEATURING!

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REVIEWS!

IGN

NPR

“Virtual reality enthusiasts have been begging for a longform AAA title made specifically for VR headsets like the Meta Quest, and here it is.”

GameRant – 4.5/5

“Asgard’s Wrath 2 is without a doubt one of the best VR games and a surefire system seller for Quest 3.” “If there is a game to showcase how VR can match the scope and the scale of games like God of War and Zelda, Asgard’s Wrath 2 makes the strongest case yet.”

Mirror – 5/5

“If you’re seeking a Skyrim-level RPG primed to keep you busy in VR, look no further than Asgard’s Wrath 2.”

The Escapist

“The world is wonderful, the story is great, and the gameplay is exquisite.”

Siliconera – 9/10

“It’s a genuinely cool, well-crafted endeavor”

Android Central

“This isn’t just the best VR game of the year; it’s in the top 3 best games of the year on all platforms. Only Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fit in the same category of content-packed RPGs.”

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I hope you have as much fun playing Asgard’s Wrath 2 as I had fun writing it!

Horizon Forbidden West launches today!

HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST launches today! Years in the making, the sequel to the acclaimed HORIZON ZERO DAWN proves to be, well, equally acclaimed. I had the privilege of writing for both games, and I’m looking forward to playing the latest installment put together by the awesome team over at Guerrilla. Although I contributed less to the actual game this time around (see: pandemic and comics), I’m no less proud to have been involved in such an awesome undertaking. This is what AAA can do!

“Sometimes you just have to sit back and think about what it took to make a videogame and quietly marvel at that. Horizon Forbidden West is a game that invites that sort of quiet awe. Like, Guerrilla games has 360 employees apparently. Obviously many more people will have contributed to this project than those 360. But let’s just say it’s like 1000 right. I still can’t understand how you align the work of 1000 people to produce something like this. … I don’t know man. I legit don’t know. It’s always humbling to play through games like this. It makes you realize what a remarkable accomplishment video games can be. So yeah, Horizon Forbidden West, it’s one for the books.” pulled from https://youtu.be/xdFGdR28Gp8

Continue Aloy’s adventure into HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST on PS4 and PS5 starting today!

Devcom panel on the characters we need right now

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a devcom panel! I’ll be speaking today about writing characters and narrative in games at the devcom Developer Conference (sic). It’s been awhile since I had the opportunity to speak at devcom in person, so it’ll be great to return virtually along with a host of other great speakers. If you’ll be attending, let me know!

Panel: The Stories & Characters We Need Right Now

When: Monday, August 23, 2021, 11:00am PST
Where: Online! Purple Stage at devcom
Narrative and character design have evolved massively in recent years. But while the importance of well-designed and inclusive stories and characters has taken a solid step forward, there’s still a long way to go. This conversation will explore the recent evolution of storytelling and take a look at what the future holds. Join Writers Guild Award-winning writer Anne Toole (Horizon: Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, AC Origins), writer & actress Ashly Burch (Aloy/Horizon: Zero Dawn, Tiny Tina/Borderlands, Chloe/Life is Strange), DONTNOD Montréal’s Lead Narrative Designer Macha Lopez (Life is Strange 2, Tell Me Why), Carlos Rocha Silva (Cris Tales), plus another special guest in this mega panel, hosted by John Gaudiosi.

“See” you soon!

Writing for Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut – live today!

Today’s the day! Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is now available for your enjoyment on PS4/5. Luxuriate in the beauty of feudal Japan while fighting against a Mongol invasion. I had the extreme pleasure of being one of the writers on this expansion, which takes Jin on a journey to the nearby island of Iki to pet all the cats face the truth about his father. Explore the nooks and crannies of the island to find hidden lore, treasure, and of course, stories. I had a blast working on it, and hope you have a blast playing it. With scenery as exquisite as the first — if not more so on PS5 — you’ll hardly be disappointed. Plus you get to pet cats, deer, and more!

Here’s a review that happens to highlight part of what I worked on, but be forewarned there be spoilers: Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island just solidified Jin as one of PlayStation’s greatest heroes

And here’s the launch trailer!

And here’s where you pet kitties:

Enjoy, and if you have any awesome photos, please share!

Writing for Beyond Blue, now available!

Beyond Blue, a game I wrote for, has recently launched on Apple Arcade. Subscribers can now explore the game exclusively through First Look, diving deep into the scientific mysteries of the deep ocean. Developed in partnership with BBC Studios (Blue Planet II), OceanX Media, and E-Line Media (Never Alone), Beyond Blue will also come to consoles later in the year. Eurogamer has already had a chance to enjoy it.

Beyond Blue is a single-player narrative adventure that takes you deep into our planet’s beating blue heart. Set in the near future, Beyond Blue explores the mysteries of our ocean through the eyes of Mirai, a deep sea explorer and scientist.

I contributed to the story and dialog while collaborating with subject matter experts to create a fun, meditative, and ultimately hopeful experience about the future of our oceans. Now we just have to make it happen in real life.

[an image of a diver swimming over the ocean floor with dolphins]

Arrr! Writing for Conan the Pirate

It’s Halloween! Time to dress up as a pirate! Maybe even… Conan the Pirate? I contributed to this Modiphius sourcebook for Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of. It’s a tabletop RPG that allows you to sail down the coast of the Western Sea to discover Shem, Stygia, and Kush and engage in some daring-do. The book can inspire you to write your own adventures using the 2d20 system set in Conan’s world.

Want to know more? Here’s a write-up from Modiphius’s site:

The Hyborian world is home to many dangerous people, and none are more ruthless or dastardly than its pirates, the scourge of the high seas. A menace to civilization itself, these seagoing bandits have their own ways, customs, and traditions, and Conan the Pirate explores pirates and the pirate world.

Detailed within these pages are the countries up and down the coast of the Western Sea — proud Zingara, wealthy Argos, the western reaches of Shem and Stygia — as the setting for pirate-based campaigns.

With this volume, CONAN characters can embark on campaigns of piracy, plunder, and high adventure! So, unsheathe your cutlass and ready yourself for a boarding action, to seize plunder and glory for your captain and fellow buccaneers!

So check out Conan the Pirate for Halloween — or any time you feel like an adventure!

Panels on Writing at San Diego Comic Con 2019

Today’s the day! Comic-con International begins tonight, luring people from all over the world to enjoy perfect weather; infinity comics, games, series, and more; and all the shenanigans you can get into. In addition to signing my latest comic from Kymera Press, I will be speaking on not one, but two panels this week on writing, so if you’ll be attending, come on by and ask your burning questions about writing.

Designing Narrative for Computer Games
When: Friday, July 19, 8pm
Where: San Diego Convention Center, Room 23ABC

What: Some of the most talented storytellers today create worlds for the computer gaming industry. A panel of industry vets share their insights into the creation of these amazing, interactive worlds.

Add it to your Comic-con schedule here.

Diversity in Writing: Women Writers and Producers
When: Saturday, July 20, 5:30pm
Where: San Diego Convention Center, Room 26AB

What: Award-winning diverse women writers and producers will discuss creating stories with strong diverse female characters across TV, animation, comics, and games; they’ll also address the importance of diverse representation, getting started in writing, and their career paths from writing to executive producing top shows. Panelists include Nicole Dubuc (Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Rebels; producer of Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy; winner of WGA Animation Writing Award), Denise Downer (Marvel’s Avengers Black Panther’s Quest, Power Rangers: Beast Morphers), Keto Shimizu (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, executive producer and writer; Arrow), Silvia Olivas (Disney’s Elena of Avalor, producer and writer; Moesha), Anne Toole (Horizon Zero Dawn, WGA Video Game Award winner; The Lizzie Bennet Diaries), Joelle Sellner (DC Super Hero Girls, Sonic Boom), and Gloria Shen (Disney Channel’s Amphibia). Moderated by Kevin Winston, Digital LA, CEO.

Add it to your Comic-con schedule here.

Pet Noir issues #5-6

I’ll also be stopping by the Kymera Press booth 2003 to sign issues 5 and 6 of Pet Noir, following the adventures of a genetically engineered cat on a space station. Pet Noir 6 will be new for Comic-con, so be one of the first to own it! Follow me or Kymera Press on Twitter for updates on when I’ll be signing!

Whatever you do at Comic-con, have a great time!

NBA Live 2019 is Live!

Writing knows no boundaries. Today, my writing appears in EA’s latest installment of the NBA franchise with the launch of NBA Live 2019! I wrote scripts as well as interactive text dialog, along with C.J. Kershner, another fantastic writer. I was super excited to work with such a talented team of devs on my first pure sports game! Available for XB1 and PS4, you can buy it right now. Check it out. Play. Become the One.

Here’s how EA describes it:

NBA LIVE 19 redefines the way you play. With Real Player Motion and 1v1 Everywhere, a head-to-head gameplay feature, you’ll have unprecedented levels of control on every possession. Pursue basketball glory with the freedom to create your path in The League and The Streets, and chart your own hoops journey with the return of THE ONE.

And a little bit on how Polygon describes it:

NBA LIVE 19 SOMEHOW MAKES SOCIAL MEDIA FUN AGAIN

My exploits in The One were wrapped with a fictitious social media presentation that’s the best I’ve seen since sports video games started faking tweets about five years ago.

See you on the court!

Post-apocalyptic games panel at PAX West

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and we can’t wait to play it. If you’re at PAX West this Sunday, I’ll be speaking on a panel with a bunch of other fantastic creators to discuss the appeal of the post-apocalypse in video games. If you can’t wait for the end of the world, join us on Sunday for a sneak peek 😉

Why We Love the Apocalypse
When: Sunday, September 2, 2018, 10:30AM-11:30AM
Where: Sphinx Theatre (Sheraton) in Seattle, WA

Why do we like playing like it’s the end of the world? With so many games set when society crumbles and the worst side of humanity (or inhumanity) takes over, what is it that draws us back to games set around an apocalypse? Join writers and designers from games like State of Decay, Horizon Zero Dawn, BioShock and Shrouded Isle as we talk about what goes into a good apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic game, why we like making them, and what new dark and upsetting places we want to take players next.

Who: Richard Foge [Design Director, Undead Labs], Tanya X. Short [Director/Designer/Writer, Kitfox Games], Jordan Thomas [Designer & Writer, Question], Anne Toole [Narrative Designer & Writer, The Write Toole], Richard Rouse III [Director/Designer/Writer, Paranoid Productions]