Kelly Tran @ GDC
@kellymtran.bsky.social
Senior Game Designer at Believer working on an unannounced project.
Designer, writer, Ph.D. and former Assistant Professor of Game Design.
Rolling Hills 🍣 | Fetch my Blade 🐕 🗡️
Designer, writer, Ph.D. and former Assistant Professor of Game Design.
Rolling Hills 🍣 | Fetch my Blade 🐕 🗡️
I’ve been waiting with excitement to announce this…at the beginning of the month, I joined CD PROJEKT RED as a Senior Systems Designer on Cyberpunk 2! CP77 is an all-timer game for me and I’m thrilled about the project and team ✨
September 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I’ve been waiting with excitement to announce this…at the beginning of the month, I joined CD PROJEKT RED as a Senior Systems Designer on Cyberpunk 2! CP77 is an all-timer game for me and I’m thrilled about the project and team ✨
If I could have any power from any videogame it would be the ability to reload from a previous save
August 1, 2025 at 7:06 PM
If I could have any power from any videogame it would be the ability to reload from a previous save
Reposted by Kelly Tran @ GDC
I don't have a mind palace. I have mind backrooms. I have to noclip through my consciousness to access it and there is nothing back there except various horrors
April 5, 2025 at 3:48 PM
I don't have a mind palace. I have mind backrooms. I have to noclip through my consciousness to access it and there is nothing back there except various horrors
Listen there's going to be a lot of discussion about the Switch 2 but my main Boo got this outfit and it's all I care about tbh
April 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Listen there's going to be a lot of discussion about the Switch 2 but my main Boo got this outfit and it's all I care about tbh
It’s been a windswept and wild GDC, but I’m still around for one more day! Say hi if you see me :)
March 21, 2025 at 7:37 PM
It’s been a windswept and wild GDC, but I’m still around for one more day! Say hi if you see me :)
Reposted by Kelly Tran @ GDC
it's been 10 years and i still can't believe this fucking icon
March 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
it's been 10 years and i still can't believe this fucking icon
Headed to #GDC2025 next week? Come say hi! I'll be talking about playtesting with younger audiences and how to set yourself up for success.
schedule.gdconf.com/session/when...
schedule.gdconf.com/session/when...
When Playtesters Are Children: Lessons in Patience and Play
21st March, 2025 11:30am - 12:00pm - When playtesting, one group that offers particularly candid and insightful feedback is children. Dra...
schedule.gdconf.com
March 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Headed to #GDC2025 next week? Come say hi! I'll be talking about playtesting with younger audiences and how to set yourself up for success.
schedule.gdconf.com/session/when...
schedule.gdconf.com/session/when...
This book is killer, grab it if you haven't read it
Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others (Kindle ebook) is $1.99 on Amazon zdcs.link/QGGv8B
Includes "Story of Your Life," which was adapted into the movie Arrival.
Includes "Story of Your Life," which was adapted into the movie Arrival.
January 21, 2025 at 10:29 PM
This book is killer, grab it if you haven't read it
Reposted by Kelly Tran @ GDC
I still have a few irons in the fire that I'm really excited about, but it looks likely that I'll be kicking off 2025 with a job search.
If your team could use a narrative-y, systems-y designer (with S-tier soft skills & procedural narrative XP) for either an IC or lead role, let's chat!
If your team could use a narrative-y, systems-y designer (with S-tier soft skills & procedural narrative XP) for either an IC or lead role, let's chat!
I went freelance in 2017 because it felt more stable than full time employment in games—I knew my runway, I could scale work up or down, & after two layoffs in a year, I didn't trust the stability of FTE.
Funny enough, 8 years later, in the worst economy…I think I'm ready to return to FTE
Funny enough, 8 years later, in the worst economy…I think I'm ready to return to FTE
January 6, 2025 at 4:41 AM
I still have a few irons in the fire that I'm really excited about, but it looks likely that I'll be kicking off 2025 with a job search.
If your team could use a narrative-y, systems-y designer (with S-tier soft skills & procedural narrative XP) for either an IC or lead role, let's chat!
If your team could use a narrative-y, systems-y designer (with S-tier soft skills & procedural narrative XP) for either an IC or lead role, let's chat!
You know when little kids play Mario Kart and lean their whole bodies when they turn the kart? That’s me in-engine. Lemme just crane my neck to see into this corridor. I need to zoom in, ooh I’ll also get super close to the screen for no reason.
December 4, 2024 at 7:57 PM
You know when little kids play Mario Kart and lean their whole bodies when they turn the kart? That’s me in-engine. Lemme just crane my neck to see into this corridor. I need to zoom in, ooh I’ll also get super close to the screen for no reason.
Reposted by Kelly Tran @ GDC
The reason crafting is in every game now: It's like money laundering for game designers
Let me explain.
Let me explain.
December 3, 2024 at 9:18 PM
The reason crafting is in every game now: It's like money laundering for game designers
Let me explain.
Let me explain.
Intro now that we’re all migrating here! I’m Kelly. I’m a Senior Game Designer and wear a lot of hats across dev areas. I’m also a TTRPG writer and doer of (too) many side projects.
Oh, and I want to see your pets 👀
Oh, and I want to see your pets 👀
October 22, 2024 at 9:23 PM
Intro now that we’re all migrating here! I’m Kelly. I’m a Senior Game Designer and wear a lot of hats across dev areas. I’m also a TTRPG writer and doer of (too) many side projects.
Oh, and I want to see your pets 👀
Oh, and I want to see your pets 👀
Reposted by Kelly Tran @ GDC
My latest review is of @ethanyen.com and @kellymtran.bsky.social's"Fetch My Blade!" I love the trope of dogs with swords, and I think this game does a great job of using the history of canine loyalty to create a game about unwavering devotion. Transcript below
Fetch My Blade and the Canine Legacy of Loyalty
This is a review of the TTRPG "Fetch My Blade, written and published by Ethan Yen and Kelly Tran. It is available on itch.io- https://ethanyen.itch.io/fetch-...
youtu.be
April 15, 2024 at 3:09 PM
My latest review is of @ethanyen.com and @kellymtran.bsky.social's"Fetch My Blade!" I love the trope of dogs with swords, and I think this game does a great job of using the history of canine loyalty to create a game about unwavering devotion. Transcript below
This will be a fun convo, can’t wait!
⚔️TTRPG DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT⚔️
This week's Designer Spotlight features @ethanyen.bsky.social and @kellymtran.bsky.social with Fetch My Blade, a journaling game of the dog of a retired swordmaster, tasked with a quest of your own! 🐕
LIVE Jan. 9th, 3:00pm ET
This week's Designer Spotlight features @ethanyen.bsky.social and @kellymtran.bsky.social with Fetch My Blade, a journaling game of the dog of a retired swordmaster, tasked with a quest of your own! 🐕
LIVE Jan. 9th, 3:00pm ET
January 8, 2024 at 11:13 PM
This will be a fun convo, can’t wait!
One of my projects this year that I wrote with @ethanyen.bsky.social, Fetch My Blade, was named as one of Polygon’s best tabletop RPGs of the year! www.polygon.com/23989775/bes...
It’s an honor to be recognized and gets me excited for new creative adventures next year 🎉 #gamedesign #ttrpg
It’s an honor to be recognized and gets me excited for new creative adventures next year 🎉 #gamedesign #ttrpg
December 14, 2023 at 4:27 PM
One of my projects this year that I wrote with @ethanyen.bsky.social, Fetch My Blade, was named as one of Polygon’s best tabletop RPGs of the year! www.polygon.com/23989775/bes...
It’s an honor to be recognized and gets me excited for new creative adventures next year 🎉 #gamedesign #ttrpg
It’s an honor to be recognized and gets me excited for new creative adventures next year 🎉 #gamedesign #ttrpg
Hi friends! I've been off social media for a bit. What's everyone working on these days? What are you excited about?
December 1, 2023 at 2:51 PM
Hi friends! I've been off social media for a bit. What's everyone working on these days? What are you excited about?
Come fetch our game!
Going to PAX U? FETCH MY BLADE ⚔️🐕 will be sold at @ipr.bsky.social Booth 3426! Only 35 copies in stock!
Play as the dog of a retired legendary master of the sword, sent on a quest to retrieve your master's fabled weapon in time for their final duel!
www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Fetch-...
Play as the dog of a retired legendary master of the sword, sent on a quest to retrieve your master's fabled weapon in time for their final duel!
www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Fetch-...
November 27, 2023 at 8:04 PM
Come fetch our game!
How do you all paper prototype remotely? Any favorite tools, tricks, etc?
October 2, 2023 at 7:02 PM
How do you all paper prototype remotely? Any favorite tools, tricks, etc?
Happy Monday, from someone who find this all too accurate
September 18, 2023 at 4:37 PM
Happy Monday, from someone who find this all too accurate
One of my biggest learning projects this year has been switching to Unreal. This looks like an excellent resource for any making the switch now!
Decided to do something useful: whipped up a quick Internet Site for all the Unity folks who now want to learn Unreal and don't know where (or whether) to start because it's daunting as hell.
www.ughiguessiwanttomovefromunitytounreal.com
www.ughiguessiwanttomovefromunitytounreal.com
September 13, 2023 at 4:12 PM
One of my biggest learning projects this year has been switching to Unreal. This looks like an excellent resource for any making the switch now!
I asked on the bird app a while ago for level design recommendations. No one mentioned this book, probably because it’s new, but I think it’s very practical and useful. If I was still teaching it would be a great course book.
September 1, 2023 at 8:24 PM
I asked on the bird app a while ago for level design recommendations. No one mentioned this book, probably because it’s new, but I think it’s very practical and useful. If I was still teaching it would be a great course book.
@gamedevlist.bsky.social Just joined up here! 😄
July 28, 2023 at 7:51 PM
@gamedevlist.bsky.social Just joined up here! 😄
Koromaru from Persona 3! Every game should have a dog party member.
July 28, 2023 at 7:41 PM
Koromaru from Persona 3! Every game should have a dog party member.