I’ve spoken about escape room games, puzzle design, player behavior, and environmental storytelling at conferences, festivals and workshops around the world.
Interested in inviting me to give a keynote, provide expertise on escape rooms and immersive work, or speak at your organization? Please email me for my availability.
Short bio (50 words):
Laura E. Hall is an artist, writer, puzzle-maker, immersive environment and narrative designer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of Katamari Damacy for Boss Fight Books and Planning Your Escape for Simon & Schuster. Her work focuses on the intersections between arts, culture, and technology, especially in gaming.
Longer bio (109 words):
Laura E. Hall is an artist, writer, puzzle-maker, immersive environment and narrative designer living in Portland, Oregon. Her work focuses on the intersections between arts, culture, and technology, especially in gaming.
Hall is a co-founder of Portland’s first escape the room game company, the award-winning 60 Minutes to Escape, and the author of KATAMARI DAMACY for Boss Fight Books and PLANNING YOUR ESCAPE for Simon & Schuster. She now creates exciting adventures for the curious at heart with Timberview Productions and Meridian Adventure Co. She proudly serves on the board of the Portland Indie Game Squad (PIGSquad), a non-profit organization supporting game development and indie game enthusiasts in Portland.
My headshots:
Coming soon
Selected Interviews
Gamasutra
Script Lock podcast
Oregon Business
Feminist Frequency
Portland Mercury Spring Arts Guide
Voices of VR podcast
Public Speaking
2019
- NarraScope
- Game Developers Conference (GDC), “Environmental Narrative: Telling Stories in Spaces Without Saying Anything Aloud”
- Immersive Design Summit, Narrative Panel
2018
- Immersive Design Summit, “Environmental Narrative: Telling Stories In Spaces Without Saying Anything Out Loud”
- Game Developers Conference (GDC), “Narrative Innovation Showcase”
- Design Week Portland, “You + Me = Us: A Talk About Collaboration”
- Freeplay Independent Games Festival (Melbourne), “Get In, Get Out: A Conversation on Escape Room Games”
- Strange Tales x Wonderbly 2018
- Location-Based Games for PIGSquad’s Summer Slow Jams
- UX Week 2018, “Caring for Players in Real World Spaces: Lessons from Escape Room Games” (August 2018)
2017
- Game Developers Conference (GDC), “Lessons from Escape Rooms: Designing for the Real World and VR”
- Intel Buzz Workshop for Game Developers, “Human Behavior in VR”
- PAX Prime, “Boss Fight Books”
2016
- Oregon Game Studies Conference
- Alt Ctrl Workshop for PIGSquad’s Summer Slow Jams
- GaymerX 4, “Alternate Controllers: Designing for the Real World”
2015
- IndieCade East, “Environmental Storytelling and Real-Life Escape the Room Games”
- IndieCade LA, “Analogue Games”
- Portland Film Festival, “Indies Creating Immersive Stories”
2014
- Adventure Design Group, “Spark of Resistance”