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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Interview: Peachy Keen Discusses the Importance of Representation in Calico

During an interview with The Best War Games, Peachy Keen's founder Kells discusses why good representation is important and how Calico aims to achieve it.

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The Talos Principle 2 Interview: Devs Talk AI, Influences, and More

Talos Principle 2 developers Jonas and Verena Kyratzes sit down with The Best War Games to discuss the game's themes, influences, AI, and more.

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Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company Director Talks Coriolanus, Adaption, Community, and More

From classics like Alice in Wonderland to their recent performance of Coriolanus, the Wasteland Theatre Company keeps art alive in Fallout 76.

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What Makes Games Like Fallout 76 a Great Way to Stage a Play

The Best War Games speaks with The Wasteland Theatre Company's Northern_Harvest about what makes games like Fallout 76 good for staging plays.

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Interview: How Broken Roads Evolved from Road Trip Simulator to Post-Apocalyptic CRPG

The Best War Games spoke with a Broken Roads dev regarding the game's evolution during development and how it became a very Australian post-apocalyptic CRPG.

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The Moral Compass is Broken Roads' Most Revolutionary RPG Mechanic

The Best War Games speaks with a Broken Roads dev about the game's Moral Compass, which is much a deeper feature than a simple good-versus-evil spectrum.

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Interview: Inside The Kweh, a Resource for New Final Fantasy 14 Roleplayers

The Best War Games speaks with the man who spent a year interviewing Final Fantasy 14 fans to create the definitive beginners guide to roleplaying in Eorzea.

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Moonstone Island: Dev Talks Studio Ghibli Inspirations, Expansive Lore, and More

In a The Best War Games interview, Moonstone Island's creator details inspirations, creating the world's lore and characters, not being a farming sim, and more

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Moonstone Island Creator Says Going on Dates is a Great Way to Learn About the World

In a The Best War Games interview, Moonstone Island's creator talks about the approach to worldbuilding through its dating and romance system.

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Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh Dev Talks Adaptations, Facial Hair, Fourth Wall Breaks, and More

Tintin is rebooting into video games with a puzzle adventure title, and publisher Microïds spoke to The Best War Games about building a new adaptation.

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Alan Wake 2 Interview: Devs Discuss Working on a Sequel Over a Decade Later

In the years since Alan Wake, the Remedy Connected Universe has grown, and devs talk with The Best War Games about how that evolution shapes Alan Wake 2.

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How Alan Wake 2 Balances its Dual Protagonists

It was important that Alan Wake 2 provide a 50/50 experience between the titular protagonist and newcomer Saga, Remedy explains in a GR interview.

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Interview: Final Fantasy 14 Restaurateur Roleplayer Talks Food Festivals and the Rise of the Gaming Cookbook

The Best War Games interviews Final Fantasy 14 roleplayer Nyte Snow, owner of Abbiocco Fine Dining, ahead of her annual festival A Feast Reborn.

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Roleplaying, Art, and Charity on the Menu at Final Fantasy 14's A Feast Reborn

Roleplayers in Final Fantasy 14 are gathering for a weekend to talk about food and fight real-world hunger at A Feast Reborn.

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Mineoko's Night Market Interview: Exploring the Games, Lore, and Cats of this Cozy Life Sim

Meowza Games' co-founder Brent Kobayashi explains the cultural influences behind the various features of the cozy life sim Mineko's Night Market.

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Interview: How Solace State 'Puts the Punk Back' in Cyberpunk

Solace State director Tanya Kan talks to The Best War Games about reflecting the rebellious marginalized people at the core of cyberpunk stories.

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Solace State Producer Explains Rise of Cyberpunk Games

Cyberpunk is 'in the daytime now' says Tanya Kan, executive producer of new cyberpunk visual novel Solace State.

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Black Dragon Mage is Designed to Play Like Good Music

Despite not being a rhythm game, Black Dragon Mage's developer started with sheet music and built from there to create something kinetic.

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Interview: Black Dragon Mage Dev Talks Bullet Heavens and Tamagotchi Dragons

In a The Best War Games interview, Black Dragon Mage's solo dev talks about incorporating Survivorslike, Bullet Heaven, and even Tamagotchi-like elements.

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How Black Dragon Mage's Developer Defines the 'Survivorslike' Genre

Vampire Survivors seems to have inspired a new genre, but what that genre entails is up to early 'Survivorslikes' like Black Dragon Mage.