Following the success of previous tabletop games like Dialect (SXSW 2019 Game Finalist), Thorny Games devoted 2020 to developing their third story game. In a time where physical connection feels lost, Xenolanguage uses our most human tool, language, to tell a deeply personal story of first contact with alien life.

Originally the game was built to be played in person with touch as a core action, but with the pandemic taking a front seat, the team had to innovate fast. They built an online version with a first-of-its-kind channeling mechanic so they could keep iterating. Now all development is online and they’re more efficient than ever before.

In this panel, they’ll share the evolution of a game that invokes a sense of connection through storytelling, in a time when we need it most.