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About Katelyn Kivel
Katelyn has been a journalist for nearly 15 years, with focuses on science and technology, law, politics, and now the games industry. She's particularly proud of her work interviewing developers of indie hits just before they launch. In her career, she's interviewed game developers, researchers, business leaders, US Senators, and has broken news from game delays to election results.
Industry Focus
Katelyn focuses on interviews with developers of upcoming titles and creative forces within the gaming community. In particular, she's focused on the roleplaying communities in games like Final Fantasy XIV and Fallout 76, and the developers of upcoming cozy games, RPGs, and survival crafting titles.
Favorite Games
Katelyn is an avid player of Final Fantasy XIV with a frankly absurd number of alts. She's a devoted fan of Bethesda RPGs, GreedFall, Star Ocean, and more. Her favorite franchise, though, is the cozy JRPG crafting games in Atelier, which she runs convention panels highlighting.
Favorite Anime
Katelyn's an expert on yuri anime, presenting panels about queer women at anime conventions across the Midwest. In the genre, her top selections are YuruYuri, El Cazador de la Bruja, I'm In Love with the Villainess, and Magical Revolution. She's also a huge fan of the modern classic Frieren and the anime in Type-MOON's universe.
Latest
New Visual Novel Pivot of Hearts Keeps Polyamory in its Spotlight
A new indie visual novel from Brazilian developer Dragonroll sheds light on an underrepresented community with its focus on non-monogamy.
How Final Fantasy 14's Arcadion Boss Howling Blade is Explained by His Theme Song
Jason Charles Miller, singer of Howling Blade's theme 'Unleashed,' explains how his music connects to Final Fantasy 14's world.
Pixelshire Dev Talks Farming Sim Influences
Pixelshire's creator details some of his influences from the farming simulator genre and talks about how he approached the historied genre.
Pixelshire Dev Discusses the World of Arcadia
In a The Best War Games interview, Pixelshire's creator says the companions are the highlight despite all the fan-favorite farming sim mechanics.
Raiders of Blackveil Devs Discuss New Roguelike About Anti-Corporate Revolution
In an interview with The Best War Games, two of the minds behind Raiders of Blackveil discuss the game's origin, themes, mechanics, and more.
New Studio Wombo Games Brings Big Talent to First Title Raiders of Blackveil
Wombo Games has talent from franchises like Tomb Raider, Kane and Lynch, and Hitman working on its debut title Raiders of Blackveil.
How Raiders of Blackveil Brings RPG, Extraction, MOBA Elements to Roguelikes
New studio Wombo Games hopes to blend influences from a wide array of genres to create a cohesive and exciting game with Raiders of Blackveil.
Shadow of the Road Devs Detail CRPG Combat
Another Angle Games' studio head explains how combat works in Shadow of the Road, adding that even he can't always beat its tutorial.
Meet Shadow of the Road's Ronin Protagonists
Satoru and Akira are two very different survivors of war sharing the same disgrace in Shadow of the Road, but they will shape Japan's future together.
Assassin's Creed Shadows: Naoe's Actor Explores the Differences Between Film and Game Acting
In a The Best War Games interview, MASUMI explained how playing Naoe in Assassin's Creed Shadows was different from acting challenges she has had in the past.
Atomfall's Factions Explained
In a The Best War Games interview, an Atomfall dev talks about some of the factions from the folk horror-inspired Druids to the Cold War vibes of Protocol.
How the Windscale Incident Influenced Atomfall
In a The Best War Games interview, an Atomfall dev discusses the flashpoint for its alternative timeline: the 1957 nuclear disaster on England's north coast.
Atomfall's Story DLCs Will Go in 'Different Directions'
In a The Best War Games interview, Rebellion's head of design reveals that Atomfall's two post-launch story DLCs will go in 'different directions.'
Inside the Off-Screen Dynamic Between Assassin's Creed Shadows' Two Protagonists
Naoe actor Masumi Tsunoda spoke about the bond she formed with fellow Assassin's Creed Shadows actor Tongayi Chirisa.
Naoe's Actor Immediately Connected with the Assassin's Creed Shadows Protagonist
MASUMI makes her video game debut in Assassin's Creed Shadows as the shinobi Naoe, a role she was deeply connected to from the first audition.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land Review
Despite a few growing pains, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land is a worthwhile entry in the long-running franchise.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Devs Detail Its Role in the Franchise
In a The Best War Games interview, Assassin's Creed Shadows devs talk about building its world and characters in the context of the franchise and lore.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Devs Detail Developing Parkour for Japan
Architecture is one of the most important factors for parkour in AC games, and that goes doubly so for Assassin's Creed Shadows' Japan setting.
Assassin's Creed Shadows: How the Animus Hub's Anomalies Work
In a The Best War Games interview, a Ubisoft Quebec dev explains how Assassin's Creed Shadows' anomalies work and how they differ from AC Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Dev Talks Casting Naoe and Yasuke
The Best War Games speaks with Ubisoft Quebec about Assassin's Creed Shadows' castings of Masumi Tsunoda as Naoe and Tongayi Chirisa as Yasuke.