Complicating player agency with Goldie Bartlett and Jason Bakker

Wayward Strand (Ghost Pattern, 2022) is an upcoming adventure game which follows Casey - a teenager and aspiring journalist - as she explores a hospital airship floating above the Australian country-side. Two of its developers, Goldie Bartlett (she/her) and Jason Bakker (he/him), joined me on this episode to dive into the game's origins, how the continuous in-game clock allows for new forms of storytelling, and how collaborating with indigenous and mental health advocacy groups helped the team write richer, more honest characters.

Wayward Strand releases September 15th, 2022 on Steam, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch.

You can follow Goldie, Jason, and Ghost Pattern on Twitter @GhostTownGoldie, @jason_bakker, and @ghostpattern (respectively).

Goldie and Jason's Inspiring Things to Share
- Goldie: her gratitude towards the Ghost Pattern team for all their work
- Jason: the curiosity and joy of his 2-year-old daughter

Things Discussed
- Wayward Strand
- Sleep No More (Punchdrunk, 2011)
- Little Party (Turnfollow, 2015)
- Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik, 2019)
- Bunurong Land Council
- Dementia Alliance International
- "Growing up and growing old in Wayward Strand" by Stephanie Harkin

Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.