Gene Koo (Color Jam) ep 285

<p>At the end of the day, TTRPGs share one thing in common —they tell a story. The writers, the players, the DM: everyone is there to tell a story, feel something, and have fun. Gene Koo approaches game creation differently than most of the creators you&#39;ll hear about. His games all stem from deep connections in his life, his own childhood, his daughter, things with real weight. This comes through in every game, from careful, well-placed mechanics to emotional narrative storytelling. </p><p>Today&#39;s episode focuses on player agency, emotional storytelling, and the unique mechanics that bring it all together. Gene talks to us about Color Jam, his newest game that is unique, exciting, and very much its own thing. We also talk in depth about Bonsai Diary, an amazing game that he gives a lot of insight into. </p><p>Follow Gene on Bluesky! </p><p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/stickydoodler.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/stickydoodler.bsky.social</a>Back Color Jam on Kickstarter:<br><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lunarpunkgames/colorjam" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lunarpunkgames/colorjam</a><strong>Themes: Unique Mechanics, Player Agency, Emotional Storytelling</strong></p><p>MENTIONS:<br>Candy Land</p><p>The Hobbit</p><p>Dungeons and Dragons Red Box</p><p>Avatar: The Last Airbender</p><p>Legend of the Elements</p><p>Plus One Forward</p><p>Lego</p><p>The Quiet Year</p><p>Stardew Valley</p><p>DIE: RPG</p><p>Poetry Foundation Podcast</p><p>Lyrical Ludology</p><p>Links: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lunarpunkgames/colorjam" target="_blank">Color Jam</a><br><a href="https://stickydoodler.itch.io/the-bonsai-diary" target="_blank">The Bonsai Diary</a><br><a href="https://thelogbookproject.itch.io/legend-of-the-elements" target="_blank">Legend of the Elements</a>, a PBTA game inspired by <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em><br><a href="https://withfriends.co/event/29017340/peoplecon_3_a_designed_in_the_dmv_game_market" target="_blank">PeopleCon 3</a>, a Designed in the DMV event<br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/notforsalegames.bsky.social" target="_blank">These Games Are Not For Sale</a> (we keep it so real we don&#39;t even have a webpage)<br><a href="https://www.redcircle.com/shows/4dfc3671-a3d8-4018-89ff-dac8786292ca" target="_blank">Lyrical Ludology</a> podcast</p><p>***********************************</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/Thirdfloorwars">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠