John Kaufeld
Tabletop game industry veteran, acclaimed author, and innovative educator.
John spent 30 years (and counting!) in the tabletop game industry. “Cloudburst,” his stormwater awareness game (https://bit.ly/stormwatergame), won the 2022 GamiCon Throwdown for Excellence in Low-Tech/No-Tech Gamification and received a silver medal in the International Serious Play Awards. He puts game-based learning to work as a faculty member in the Organizational Leadership department at Purdue University Fort Wayne (Indiana, U.S.). He holds an MA in communication and an MS in computer science. He’s also a best-selling author with over three million books in print, but that’s a story for another day.
Cardboard Matchmakers: Why People Connect over Games
Great games engage people—and connect them, too. This session explores why tabletop games are like happy relationship glue. It's a secret formula built on golden circles, communication theory, interpersonal systems, and personal space. And once you know the secret, it'll supercharge your gamification projects!
