Farrah Sarpkaya
Online Nickname: FarrahKaya
Introduction
A passionate storyteller and player of many games, I am endlessly curious about how games evolve to fit the style of storytelling or puzzle solving. I am passionate about learning how and why games are developed, and am always game (pun intended) to try something new.
Why do you play/run RPGs?
I play and run RPGs because I love to tell stories, and experience and learn about how others see the world through stories. From games that leverage tarot cards or stickers or recipes, to complex battle systems that align to popular IP, discovering the world through play is a passion project of mine.
The ENNIES requires a major commitment of time and energy. What resources do you have that will help you discharge these responsibilities? Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you? Does your family support you?
I have a house spouse who manages household tasks, and many friends who enjoy playing games whom I can leverage as play testers.
Judging requires a great deal of critical thinking skills, communication with other judges, deadline management, organization, and storage space for the product received. What interests, experience, and skills do you bring that will make you a more effective judge?
Over ten years in product marketing has given me strong analytical, communications, and project management skill set. Much of my work involves research and data collection and dispersement across multiple stakeholders across the world. My time streaming RPGs provided me an excellent opportunity to play a wide variety of games beyond what I have played in home games, and I am a well seasoned game master.
What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you like? Do you consider yourself a fan of a particular system, publisher, or genre?
I’ve played a wide variety of games, from strongly story-driven, to rules-heavy / crunchy games. There are none I actively dislike, though I am much more likely to reach for a Kids On Bikes or Lacuna-style game that provides some leniency around communal storytelling and Rule of Cool. Besides Kids on Bikes and Lacuna, I’m also a D&D player, Blades in the Dark, and Apocalypse Keys.
List (up to 5) games you’ve played in the last 2 years. What drew you to playing them? Which did you like best and why?
1. Lacuna – I enjoy this game for its simplicity and aesthetic. It balances dream logic / potential power fantasy with intrigue nicely, and its low page count lends itself well to creativity.
2. Kids on Brooms – Magic in a way that feels organic can be challenging, especially when trying to balance a game mechanic. I appreciate this system (and its respective reskins) for the flexibility while providing some guidelines to mitigate the risk of “too much choice”.
3. The Sticker Game – I love a creative, physical game, and the sticker game was a great excuse to use my collection in a way that felt meaningful. The multi-media aspect was exceptionally fun.
4. Heart – The aesthetic of the game is beautifully unnerving, and the mechanics empower a story-driven table, while still deploying opportunities for failure.
5. Delta Green – A more modern, rules-heavy system, I appreciate this game for its thoroughness. It gives extremely clear rails that allow for creativity in the application of rulesets, which provides great moments of problem solving.
Have you been a game master in the past 2 years? If yes, what games have you run? What made you decide to run those games?
Yes, I have been a GM for D&D, Lacuna, Alice is Missing, Blades in the Dark, and Delta Green. I leveraged these specific games to align with the stories I was looking to foster. I often try to align my system with genre, media inspiration, or themes.
Summarize the criteria you would use to determine if a game deserves to be nominated for Best Game.
Beyond any rubric or prerequisites aligned by the Ennie organization at large, my criteria would include:
1. Do the rules foster creativity within their confines?
2. Does the aesthetic or world feel internally consistent?
3. Has the designer(s) provided sufficient guidance to play the game?
4. Does the game’s aesthetic or world exist in conversation with any other games or media? Is it done well?
5. Does the design and / or organization of materials align with the content? (Note: design is a skill; if a piece is done well is not the question — the question is if it complements the game’s aesthetic or theme).
How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed?
I will learn the systems I do not know.
I am not a highly technically critical player or GM, and can overlook bad design if the game makes up for it elsewhere. There’s almost always something to learn.
How would you like to see the ENNIEs change? What should remain inviolate?
Sincerely and truly, I could not say. I do not have an intimate enough understanding of the “guts” of the awards to have an opinion, beyond how valuable it is to give small game producers a place to showcase their work, and connect with others who enjoy playing or creating games.
