In this episode of the Nice Games Club podcast, I got to chat with hosts Ellen, Mark, and Stephen as well as fellow guest (and good friend) Jon Kiehne about some of my favorite topics: roleplaying games, game mastering, and game design. The Nice Games Podcast is a Minneapolis-based crew that usually focuses on gamedev in the video game space, but in this episode we examined the subject of game design through the lens of tabletop game mastering. Some of the things we talked about included the dynamic between system design and session design, the balance between planning and improvisation, and how players can be encouraged to participate in the process. You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, on the web, or in the embedded video below!
As part of the #GenConOnline programming this year, I got to chat all things Arkham Horror with my colleagues MJ Newman and Philip D Henry as well as some of the awesome authors at Aconyte Books.
Arkham Horror is the classic board game of Lovecraftian adventure originally designed by Richard Launius in 1987 and revitalized in 2005 (2nd edition) and 2018 (3rd edition) by Fantasy Flight Games. As a setting, its stories primarily revolve around a group of ordinary folks investigating mysteries of cosmic horror in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and creepy New England. Unlike some traditional Cthulhu Mythos games or stories, Arkham Horror has strong pulp and even noir influences, so during the game players can end up with a nun riding a motorcycle shooting Cthulhu in the face with a blessed shotgun. That’s one extreme, anyway, and other games and novels explore the creeping dread and horror aspects of the setting.
Like many people, Arkham Horror 2nd edition was actually my first “hobby” board game. I’ve been working on the Arkham Horror brand since 2014, first as the editor for the Investigators of Arkham Horror anthology and the seven Arkham novellas that are soon to be collected in Aconyte’s first omnibus, Dark Origins. As time went on, I also began coordinating FFG’s internal story group for the Arkham Horror setting, so I’ve gotten to work with MJ and Phil on games such as Mansions of Madness 2nd edition, Arkham Horror 3rd edition, the Living Card Game, and more. Now I get to work closely with Aconyte to get the tone and feel and details of the setting right.
I was recently interviewed for an article in WIRED magazine regarding my thoughts on why there are so few women in wargaming, especially compared to similar hobbies such as board gaming and tabletop roleplaying. The article also goes into possible solutions to make the hobby more welcoming, not just for women, but for anyone who’s new to the hobby.
In the April 2021 issue of The Imperial Herald, Paul invited me on to chat about the climactic chapters for the Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game story arc as well as the narrative process behind L5R in general. I discuss how I came to work on the setting and what it was like to work with the many freelance fiction writers who contributed to the storyline. We also discussed the balance between preparation and spontaneity when working on a serialized story, especially when that story is interactive and involves input from a community. You can read the full interview on the Imperial Herald website.
In this episode of the Court Games RPG podcast, Kakita Kaori and Korvar invited me on to discuss my role in the development of Fantasy Flight Games’ story reboot for the Legend of the Five Rings as well as the writing I’ve done for it since. They asked me about my background with the setting as well as the aspects of the world that drew me in and are the most interesting for me to explore in the fiction and adventures I’ve created for the setting. We also consider player interaction with the storyline as well as some of the challenges of writing an inclusive and diverse setting. You can listen to this episode on Apple iOS, Spotify, or on the web!
Welcome to the professional portfolio and personal blog of Katrina Ostrander, a writer of fiction and games who works full-time in the tabletop games industry. Here you can find resources and advice on writing, roleplaying, and gamemastering, as well as updates on her latest publications.
