Katelyn Kivel-Reporter

Editorial Team

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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Final Fantasy 14 Players Bringing Blitzball to the Game Wasn't Easy

Despite an official Blitzball minigame being unlikely, Final Fantasy 14 roleplayers talk with The Best War Games about bringing the sport to Eorzea.

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Nightingale Devs Talk Combat Experience, Apex Creatures, and More

Inflexion devs explain how magic permeates the gameplay in Nightingale and how that ties into its combat during a The Best War Games interview.

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Player Feedback Will Be the Ace Up Nightingale's Sleeve

What Nightingale's Early Access will look like will be shaped by player feedback, according to Inflexion's CEO during a The Best War Games interview.

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Nightingale Dev Discusses the Balance Between Lore and Survival Gameplay

The Best War Games speaks with one of Nightingale's developers about the balance between its survival gameplay elements and its rich lore.

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Nightingale Devs Talk All Things Fae Realms

The Best War Games speaks with a handful of Nightingale Devs about crafting, unlocking, and progressing through the various Fae Realms.

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Flashbulb Games Interview: Rubber Warriors Dev Discusses Growing Pains of Mid-Sized Studios

The Best War Games speaks with one of Flashbulb Games' co-founders about its next game, Rubber Warriors, and what it's like to grow as a mid-sized studio.

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Abandoned Press Play Project Knoxville May Be Revived by Rubber Warriors Team

The Best War Games speaks with a Flashbulb Games dev about the studio's origins in Press Play and why they may be interested in reviving Project Knoxville.

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Upcoming Brawler Rubber Royale Renamed as Game's Focus Changes [EXCLUSIVE]

In a The Best War Games exclusive, Flashbulb Games developers discuss renaming Rubber Royale to Rubber Warriors following the December Steam demo.

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Alan Wake 2, Dead by Daylight Devs Explain Why Alan is a Perfect Fit for a New Survivor

Alan Wake joins Dead by Daylight's roster of survivors on January 30, and developers of both games think the crossover is a natural fit.

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Critter Cove Interview: Devs Detail How Their 'Cozy Post-Apocalyptic' Game is Constantly Surprising Testers

The Best War Games speaks with the developers of Critter Cove about its cohesive, yet far-reaching, design for what seems like a simple cozy game.

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The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Devs Explain the Benefits of Giving Enemies Time Powers

In a The Best War Games interview, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's narrative director explains why the iconic Sands of Time are in the antagonist's hands.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Dev Details the Game's Art Direction

The Best War Games speaks with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's art director about how anime influenced Sargon's story, his abilities, and the overall style.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Dev Reveals Why They Finally Named the Prince After 35 Years

The Best War Games speaks with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's narrative director to learn why the team finally named the Prince after all these years.

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Interview: Diner at the End of the Galaxy's Influences Run Deeper than Just Douglas Adams

The Best War Games speaks with The Diner at the End of the Galaxy's creative director about its various influences, including and beyond Douglas Adams.

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The Diner at the End of the Galaxy will be as Much Diplomacy as it is Dinnertime

In a The Best War Games interview, one Diner at the End of the Galaxy dev details how it blends Crusader Kings, Oregon Trail, and more into a restaurant sim.

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How The Thaumaturge's Investigations Add to Gameplay and Worldbuilding

The Thaumaturge's design director tells The Best War Games how investigations fit into Wiktor's skillset, and how they differ from the ones in The Witcher.

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The Thaumaturge Dev Gives Deep Dive into Gameplay Mechanics and More

During a recent The Best War Games interview, The Thaumaturge's design director explains the various elements that define the supernatural CRPG's gameplay.

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Aloft Devs Want Players to Find Challenge and Contemplation in the Sandbox Survival Game

The Best War Games speaks with Astrolabe's CEO Manuel Bergeron about the goals of upcoming sandbox survival game, Aloft, and much more.

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How Survival Sandbox Game Aloft Plans to Soar Above the Competition in 2024

Aloft will let players bring their islands together into a village and heal the world's massive Titans and fly into hurricanes, says the studio CEO.

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Upcoming Survival Sandbox Game Aloft Takes a Humanist Approach to Restoring the Environment

Aloft wants to make players invested in fighting back a corruption by investing players in its environment, letting them make mistakes along the way.