Danielle Reynolds interviews first-time game designer Sarah Joshua (they/them) about their debut game, Enchanted Ivy. Sarah opens up about their queer journey, coming out as non-binary in their mid-20s after stepping away from screenwriting and embracing self-discovery, drag, and creative risk-taking. They discuss developing Enchanted Ivy, a cozy solo tile-laying and pattern-building game published by Allplay, where players step into the shoes of a non-binary innkeeper who uses magical plants to customize rooms for travelers. Sarah explains how the game embeds queer themes directly into its mechanics and narrative, from guest tokens that flip between “Sunny” and “Shady” sides to reflect fluid identities, to an explicitly queer romance storyline. Sarah also recounts the nerve-wracking high of pitching the game at Unpub’s Feedback Frenzy, where a Studio Ghibli-inspired thematic pivot helped turn the prototype into reality. You can reach Sarah on BoardGameGeek and find out more about the game at allplay.com.

In the Seasons of Pride bonus segment, Clara Mount chats with illustrator and graphic designer Josie Grundler (she/her) about the art she donated for August. Josie shares how this peaceful digital painting of a German landscape viewed through a train window was inspired by memories from a middle school road trip where she first recognized her queer identity. She also reflects on growing up biculturally, the fluidity of identity, and her graphic design work for games like Biome and FaeKin with Lioness Games. Follow Josie’s updates on the Lioness Games Instagram (@lioness.games).