Katelyn Kivel-Reporter

Staff Writer

Reporter

February, 2023
10+ years of journalism experience, ranging from science and technology to politics to gaming.
Indie Games, Final Fantasy 14, Community
  • 181
    articles
  • 1
    News
  • 266
    Features
  • 1
    Reviews

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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

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Hyper Light Breaker's Cursed Outpost Explained

As the player hub of Hyper Light Breaker, the Cursed Outpost is obviously significant to gameplay, but it seems like it'll be more than that.

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Heart Machine Outlines Hyper Light Breaker's Early Access Plans

For The Best War Games Advance, Hyper Light Breaker lead producer Michael Clark outlines what fans can expect of its Early Access launch and beyond.

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Samsung to Unveil AI-Powered TV Lineup at CES

CES 2025 is almost here, and tech giant Samsung is preparing to reveal a new AI-powered TV lineup that comes tricked out with new features.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Devs Talk Accolades, PC Release, and Part 3

The Best War Games caught up with Yoshinori Kitase and Naoki Hamaguchi at The Game Awards to reflect on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's success.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Has Good News for Steam Deck Users
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Devs Discuss Its Ending and Biggest Changes

In an interview with The Best War Games, Square Enix's Naoki Hamaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase discuss the various changes made in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

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Meet the Leader of the Miscrits Revival

Led by developer GK, a diehard Miscrits community is working to bring the beloved 2011 Facebook creature collecting game back to players.

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Seven Years After Miscrits Shut Down, Original Creator Joins Fan Revival Project

Robert Nelson of Broken Bulb Games has joined a fan Miscrits revival as a consultant to bring the classic creature collector back to fans.

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Facebook Games Classic Miscrits Revived by Fan Community

Fans of the 2011 Facebook game Miscrits are working on a revival project set to restore and expand the game, while also bringing it to mobile devices.

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How Monster Hunter Wilds' Weather System Affects Gameplay

Monster Hunter Wilds' new weather system has wide-reaching effects, and its Inclemency events radically transform the environment.

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Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is More Chronicles of Riddick Than Wolfenstein

Despite being a MachineGames title that heavily focuses on fighting fascists, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is surprisingly unlike Wolfenstein.

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Todd Howard's Influence on Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Explained

After fifteen long years, Todd Howard is finally able to explore the mystery at the heart of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

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Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Devs Go Behind the Scenes on its Development

In a The Best War Games interview, MachineGames devs talk about the development of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle alongside Lucasfilm and Todd Howard.

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Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a Full Circle Moment for One Dev

Todd Howard has held onto the idea of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle for 15 years, but he's not the only dev with a long story with this game.

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Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: Meet Gina Lombardi

Ginetta 'Gina' Lombardi is more than a sidekick in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but an equal for the legendary archeologist.

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Devs Share Insights on Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets' Reception

In an interview with The Best War Games, Outright Games developers discussed the importance of games like Monster High for young girls.

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Beyond These Stars Devs Talk Building a City on the Back of a Space Whale

The Best War Games speaks to developers at Balancing Monkey Games about Beyond These Stars, a citybuilder set on the back of a space whale.

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Why Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets Is the Perfect Christmas Gift for Pre-Teen Girls

Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets is more than a game using a license popular with young girls, it aims to give them the challenge they deserve.

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How Lost Ark's Mechanics Fit Into Its Narrative

Lost Ark's gameplay mechanics weave into its narrative the same way the latter feeds into mechanics, and its community lead explains how this is done.

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Lost Ark's Community Lead Talks Release of its 'Biggest Endgame Update Ever'

In an interview with The Best War Games about Lost Ark's October updates, Community Manager Roxanne Sabo detailed new mechanics and future dates to watch.

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Yooka-Replaylee Hands-On Preview: A Rewritten, Rare Love Letter

Yooka-Replaylee stands to be the definitive version of the game if Playtonic keeps going in this direction, but it needs some polish.

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