S2 E2 Episode Title: Self-Expression, Representation, and Generational Gaming with Adanna Nedd
Narrative designer, games writer, and games researcher Adanna Nedd brings her extensive knowledge of what’s current in gaming to expand our horizons. Explore unexpected questions like: what’s “friend slop” and why does it matter? What does self-expression really mean to marginalized groups in games? How is one of the current breakout games innovating in women’s health? Why are some vintage consoles still getting playtime? And… what do spiders have to do with AI? While Adanna’s research focuses on the experiences of players of color in video game spaces, the insights she brings are applicable to all listeners at any stage or role in gaming: player, developer, leader. Adanna is also a speaker at the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming and is nominated for the Black in Gaming Foundation’s 2026 Indie Developer Award for her community engagement and outreach, trying to help solve the discoverability problem by connecting interested gamers and game devs to the games that can serve them. You’ll learn more about the cognitive benefits of gaming, economic drivers of self-expression, and a surprising revelation about a challenge facing younger gamers in this generation. Don’t miss this fun and extremely practical exploration of an astonishing array of modern games and genres.
For readers of host Cheryl Platz’s new critically acclaimed book The Game Development Strategy Guide, this episode not only hits the Motivators of Play, but covers the Spectrum of Gaming Graphics from Chapter 8: Creating Immersive Worlds, some of the topics from Chapter 11: Efficient and Ethical Economies, and goes deep on topics from Chapter 6: The Why of Multiplayer.
Listen Now: Enduring Play Season 2 Episode 2
Episode Transcript [PDF]
Featured in this Episode
Adanna Nedd (she/her)
Narrative Designer, Games Writer, Games Researcher
Adanna Nedd is a Games Writer, Narrative Designer, and Games Researcher based in the United States. She loves writing about magical girls in magical worlds, and her research focuses on the experiences of players of color in video game spaces. When she isn’t writing for games, she loves baking and watching TV with her pet cat August.
Show Notes
Adanna’s Links
Supporting Show Links
Game links are provided for conversational reference only; they are not endorsed, sponsored, or vetted.
Episode Outline
| Scene | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Podcast Start | 1:58 | Introductions |
| Level 1 | 2:55 | Identity and Self Expression |
| Host Commentary | 6:36 | Proteus Effect |
| Level 2 | 10:14 | Queer Representation |
| Host Commentary | 12:50 | Defining Queer |
| Level 3 | 13:32 | The post-pandemic experience of Black game developers |
| Level 4 | 15:05 | Tracking player cycles in Deepspace |
| Host Commentary | 17:23 | Not sponsored |
| Level 5 | 17:53 | The economics of self-expression in gaming |
| Level 6 | 20:29 | Pay to Accelerate gaming |
| Level 7 | 22:05 | Shifting perceptions of gaming value |
| Level 8 | 25:58 | Video games as art |
| Tutorial Level | 27:03 | The Spectrum of Gaming Graphics |
| Level 9 | 30:44 | The shifting role of platform exclusives |
| Level 10 | 33:18 | Narrative design across disciplines |
| Level 11 | 36:22 | Yellow Paint and Yellow Birds |
| Host Commentary | 37:34 | Reminder: The Yellow Paint Meme (S1 E1) |
| Level 12 | 41:14 | The power of audio design |
| Level 13 | 43:24 | Solving the discovery problem with community outreach |
| Level 14 | 45:00 | Variety is the spice of indie life |
| Level 15 | 46:05 | Gaming for Health and Generational Well-Being |
| Tutorial Level | 47:48 | Cognitive benefits of gaming |
| Level 16 | 51:14 | Companionship and Relationships through Gaming |
| Level 17 | 55:20 | The AI Pinata Problem |
| Level 18 | 1:00:08 | Growing yourself through Multiplayer Gaming |
| Final Boss Level | 1:03:37 | The Controller Cliff |
| Final Level | 1:07:47 | Links and Follow-up |
The Game Development Strategy Guide
Enduring Play is the companion podcast to The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games that Thrive. Season 1 features the interviews that inspired the book, and Season 2 expands our understanding of how to create sustainable gaming experiences.
Enduring Play is the companion podcast to The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games that Thrive. Season 1 features the interviews that inspired the book, and Season 2 expands our understanding of how to create sustainable gaming experiences. The book is available at all major online booksellers and at publisher Rosenfeld Media’s website.
Use code ENDURINGPLAYS2 at RosenfeldMedia.com to get 15% off your order – and all physical orders at Rosenfeld Media receive a free ebook. Podcast Season 2 offer expires July 31, 2026.
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ENDURINGPLAYS2
