Upending the Status Quo through Tabletop Games

Explore how tabletop games can reshape culture and challenge the status quo in a dynamic panel featuring leaders in game design, storytelling, and activism. In a conversation moderated by USC Game Innovation Lab director Tracy Fullerton, award-winning inventor Mary Jo (MJ) Reutter, narrative designer and screenwriter Lauren Bello, and scholar-artist Mary Flanagan will discuss games that confront inequality, critique dominant narratives, and inspire social change—showing how play is not just entertainment but can be a transformative experience as well.
This event is part of Let’s Play, a three-part series exploring how tabletop games can inspire social change. Related events include a panel discussion with leading designers and an exhibition highlighting games and the power of play to educate, connect, and transform.