About Speaker

"Chelsea Brtis (her/she) is a game designer who creates with the purpose of critically thinking through topics such as climate change, consumption, and gender representation. The games are meant to spark conversation about these serious issues in hopes of encouraging the players to confront them in everyday life. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s of Architecture and an MFA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication where she focused in Game Studies and Development. Currently she is an adjunct professor for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Communication Arts Department. During 2020’s social distancing procedures, Chelsea has started participating in IndieCade’s various GameJams. As climate change and the environment are a large part of her work, she created a character customization game, Local Goods, for IndieCade’s ClimateJam, which was awarded their Most Adventurous category. Local Goods points towards how our individual, seemingly simple choices, have a large-scale impact on our environment. Additionally, Chelsea participated in Jamming the Curve to create a visual narrative, Together, to compare the mental load and struggles between two people during the pandemic. Together focuses on the player’s empathy and understanding around the importance of social distancing and caring for others’ well-being."