Jonaya Kemper
@violetriotgames.bsky.social
Assistant Teaching Professor of Playable and Participatory Media in Creative Technologies and Performance, Play & Design:Games @ UCSC. Award winning Game Designer/Artist. Afrofuturist. Opinions are my own.
jonayakemper.com
jonayakemper.com
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I'm Jonaya, and introductions are not my jam, but you know what is? This weird list of attributes:
-award winning game designer
-chaotic academic
-Interdisciplinary Artist.
-pioneered the theory of emancipatory bleed
-exceptional writer of theater and all game types
-Play is my business
-award winning game designer
-chaotic academic
-Interdisciplinary Artist.
-pioneered the theory of emancipatory bleed
-exceptional writer of theater and all game types
-Play is my business
It should also be pointed out that WGA representation can't be just for Video Games. People who make ttrpgs are literally creating games that studios want for IP. SFWA values us, if WGA takes us in, the Union only gets stronger. 🤷🏾
I may delete this because it’s a bit spicy but it shouldn’t be lost on us that games being turned into TV is essentially harvesting the stories written by those who don’t have union representation or healthcare with WGA by those that do. Our stories are good enough for TV but the writers aren’t?
February 6, 2026 at 6:14 AM
It should also be pointed out that WGA representation can't be just for Video Games. People who make ttrpgs are literally creating games that studios want for IP. SFWA values us, if WGA takes us in, the Union only gets stronger. 🤷🏾
Every once in a while I have to use Tumblr for fandom research and I always come away with the feeling that maybe some of their thoughts should be inside thoughts not post it on the internet thoughts.
February 4, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Every once in a while I have to use Tumblr for fandom research and I always come away with the feeling that maybe some of their thoughts should be inside thoughts not post it on the internet thoughts.
I don't know who needs to hear this, but teachers (ECE- graduate school) are fucking exhausted right now and have to keep teaching during *points to world*. It's rough normally, it's been extra rough for years, and right now it's basically boss levels rough. Don't beat yourself up, fellow educators.
February 2, 2026 at 7:16 PM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but teachers (ECE- graduate school) are fucking exhausted right now and have to keep teaching during *points to world*. It's rough normally, it's been extra rough for years, and right now it's basically boss levels rough. Don't beat yourself up, fellow educators.
Ash is correct! Consider learning how to be a street medic, you can also do childcare, conflict de-escalation, food distribution. There's a wide variety of ways to be useful to your neighbors.
Okey dokey, so in about five different discord servers, i've seen threads on how to arm yourself.
As you resident neighborhood theydie with a long history of suicidality (it's been years, but I'm intimately familiar with the statistics and how brains work), I SHOULD NOT OWN FIREARMS. Periodt. 1/7
As you resident neighborhood theydie with a long history of suicidality (it's been years, but I'm intimately familiar with the statistics and how brains work), I SHOULD NOT OWN FIREARMS. Periodt. 1/7
January 25, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Ash is correct! Consider learning how to be a street medic, you can also do childcare, conflict de-escalation, food distribution. There's a wide variety of ways to be useful to your neighbors.
Are you doing a journalism in this time? Consider talking to Freedom of the Press. Especially if you are not a trained journalist. ✨ freedom.press
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Defending press freedom for the next generation
freedom.press
January 25, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Are you doing a journalism in this time? Consider talking to Freedom of the Press. Especially if you are not a trained journalist. ✨ freedom.press
Thanks to the work of Nicole Furtado, I taught my students about Indigenous Futurism and its connection to Afrofuturism, the fetishistic treatment of Asian cultures in cyberpunk, and the connection between California missions, oppression in Oceania, Japanese internment, Slavery and the Holocaust. ✨
January 23, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Thanks to the work of Nicole Furtado, I taught my students about Indigenous Futurism and its connection to Afrofuturism, the fetishistic treatment of Asian cultures in cyberpunk, and the connection between California missions, oppression in Oceania, Japanese internment, Slavery and the Holocaust. ✨
Guess it's time to write that Goth Club larp.
2026 THEME & CALL FOR LARP PITCHES
The scenarios at Make A Scene: TEMPO explore new realms of time and pace, harmony and discord, synchronicity and stasis.
They’re flooding the zone – we’re dreaming futures worth living in.
Time to make a scene!
The scenarios at Make A Scene: TEMPO explore new realms of time and pace, harmony and discord, synchronicity and stasis.
They’re flooding the zone – we’re dreaming futures worth living in.
Time to make a scene!
January 23, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Guess it's time to write that Goth Club larp.
Frankly this is the type of shit I wanna see in AP. Give me some fucking improv musicals. PUT IT IN MY VEINS.
I’m really not over the fact that we made a whole ass improv musical actual play on One Shot so I’m sorry but I’m not remotely done yelling about it
January 15, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Frankly this is the type of shit I wanna see in AP. Give me some fucking improv musicals. PUT IT IN MY VEINS.
Are there hour long boffer larp examples? If not I think my spring class is going to get a custom bespoke boffer larp I have to make. 😅
January 14, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Are there hour long boffer larp examples? If not I think my spring class is going to get a custom bespoke boffer larp I have to make. 😅
I can't explain how grateful I am for the open kindness and collaboration I experienced in the KP scene. I'm assigning my students work that I literally hand carried to the US. Finances, world interruptions and burnout, has made it near impossible to go "home" but at least I can share it.
January 12, 2026 at 10:54 PM
I can't explain how grateful I am for the open kindness and collaboration I experienced in the KP scene. I'm assigning my students work that I literally hand carried to the US. Finances, world interruptions and burnout, has made it near impossible to go "home" but at least I can share it.
I taught two classes today with brilliant students that deserve a future overflowing with goodness. I think about what happened today and what continues to happen and know that I'll protect them in any way I can. I can't fix everything, but I can try and create a just future with and for them.
January 8, 2026 at 2:05 AM
I taught two classes today with brilliant students that deserve a future overflowing with goodness. I think about what happened today and what continues to happen and know that I'll protect them in any way I can. I can't fix everything, but I can try and create a just future with and for them.
In my larp course I introduced my class to the form by playing Ghost Court from @bullypulpithq.bsky.social . It's genuinely one of my favorite ways to erase a preconceived notion of what a larp is while teaching basic forms. And my students dressed up. 😭 They are all perfect and can do no wrong.
January 7, 2026 at 11:11 PM
In my larp course I introduced my class to the form by playing Ghost Court from @bullypulpithq.bsky.social . It's genuinely one of my favorite ways to erase a preconceived notion of what a larp is while teaching basic forms. And my students dressed up. 😭 They are all perfect and can do no wrong.
Reposted by Jonaya Kemper
important message to all bluesky users
January 7, 2026 at 7:53 PM
important message to all bluesky users
Do I have to write grants? Can't some patron just gift me a large sum of money (10k) so I can make a game about a juke joint with a happy ending? 🎶
January 6, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Do I have to write grants? Can't some patron just gift me a large sum of money (10k) so I can make a game about a juke joint with a happy ending? 🎶
Did the projector work today for class enabling me to show my syllabus? No.
Did I absolutely make my students make larps using gym equipment like the giant parachute? Absolutely.
Did I absolutely make my students make larps using gym equipment like the giant parachute? Absolutely.
January 5, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Did the projector work today for class enabling me to show my syllabus? No.
Did I absolutely make my students make larps using gym equipment like the giant parachute? Absolutely.
Did I absolutely make my students make larps using gym equipment like the giant parachute? Absolutely.
Americans don't have universal healthcare, childcare payments are frozen, our infrastructure is crumbling, our education system has been gutted, our protected lands are being sold, wealth disparity is at an all time high, and our government thinks the thing to do is kidnap the Venezuelan president.
January 3, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Americans don't have universal healthcare, childcare payments are frozen, our infrastructure is crumbling, our education system has been gutted, our protected lands are being sold, wealth disparity is at an all time high, and our government thinks the thing to do is kidnap the Venezuelan president.
Reposted by Jonaya Kemper
On the off chance you might want to make little drawstring bags of your own, I've put my directions in the alt text!
January 2, 2026 at 9:28 PM
On the off chance you might want to make little drawstring bags of your own, I've put my directions in the alt text!
This is one of the reasons I like Party of One. Not only is there a massive amount of different games tried, and different people sitting down to play them, this is also just... unvarnished and endearing? Who doesn't want to go outside* and play?
*stay inside and make pretend people together.
*stay inside and make pretend people together.
Who wants to play a game on Party of One (@partyofonepodcast.bsky.social) in 2026?
January 2, 2026 at 4:54 PM
This is one of the reasons I like Party of One. Not only is there a massive amount of different games tried, and different people sitting down to play them, this is also just... unvarnished and endearing? Who doesn't want to go outside* and play?
*stay inside and make pretend people together.
*stay inside and make pretend people together.
We should all aspire to be as thirsty as Nicole Kidman's character Chase Meridian, in Batman Forever. Batman literally accuses her of using the batsignal like a pager.
January 2, 2026 at 5:26 AM
We should all aspire to be as thirsty as Nicole Kidman's character Chase Meridian, in Batman Forever. Batman literally accuses her of using the batsignal like a pager.
Reposted by Jonaya Kemper
There has not ever, in my knowledge, been a collection of new and established black TTRPG designers like the Griot Anthology.
The industry has largely not given a shit.
I expect the same for Five Fires.
This was going to be a rare whining post, but actually?
Fuck that.
Instead: Thank you
The industry has largely not given a shit.
I expect the same for Five Fires.
This was going to be a rare whining post, but actually?
Fuck that.
Instead: Thank you
December 31, 2025 at 1:53 PM
There has not ever, in my knowledge, been a collection of new and established black TTRPG designers like the Griot Anthology.
The industry has largely not given a shit.
I expect the same for Five Fires.
This was going to be a rare whining post, but actually?
Fuck that.
Instead: Thank you
The industry has largely not given a shit.
I expect the same for Five Fires.
This was going to be a rare whining post, but actually?
Fuck that.
Instead: Thank you
Reposted by Jonaya Kemper
Not to get too sappy about it, but I’m really glad people are responding by making shitpost games and really clever little post-sized games. It’s a form that I love, because I love how it highlights games as language and gamemaking as communication and jokes as a wonderful form of play.
December 31, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Not to get too sappy about it, but I’m really glad people are responding by making shitpost games and really clever little post-sized games. It’s a form that I love, because I love how it highlights games as language and gamemaking as communication and jokes as a wonderful form of play.
I missed the networking discourse, did anyone talk about the fact that during BLM Black creators and academics were reached out to in record numbers and then when we thought we had solidarity it vanished? Which led to many folks suffering representational burn out and distrust for ttrpgs as a whole?
December 30, 2025 at 4:40 AM
I missed the networking discourse, did anyone talk about the fact that during BLM Black creators and academics were reached out to in record numbers and then when we thought we had solidarity it vanished? Which led to many folks suffering representational burn out and distrust for ttrpgs as a whole?
Time for my annual listen to all the records I bought but haven't spun yet. First up, a pristine 2021 German pressing of the rereleased Batman Forever soundtrack. In case you forgot this is FIRE. Sure A Kiss From a Rose, but PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Method Man, Mazzy Star...Nick Cave. All Bangers
December 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Time for my annual listen to all the records I bought but haven't spun yet. First up, a pristine 2021 German pressing of the rereleased Batman Forever soundtrack. In case you forgot this is FIRE. Sure A Kiss From a Rose, but PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Method Man, Mazzy Star...Nick Cave. All Bangers
Every time I hear the words "magic circle" said in a professional context by someone who very obviously has no idea what it is, I want to stand up and explain it like that one annoying kid in class who actually did the homework.
December 22, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Every time I hear the words "magic circle" said in a professional context by someone who very obviously has no idea what it is, I want to stand up and explain it like that one annoying kid in class who actually did the homework.
Reposted by Jonaya Kemper
Today is the last day you can apply to our GDC scholarship! 📝
Our goal is to improve access to in-person opportunities and provide valuable experiences for anyone trying to advance their careers in the game industry.
www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship
Our goal is to improve access to in-person opportunities and provide valuable experiences for anyone trying to advance their careers in the game industry.
www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship
December 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Today is the last day you can apply to our GDC scholarship! 📝
Our goal is to improve access to in-person opportunities and provide valuable experiences for anyone trying to advance their careers in the game industry.
www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship
Our goal is to improve access to in-person opportunities and provide valuable experiences for anyone trying to advance their careers in the game industry.
www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship