Selected games
Outer Wilds
Mobius Digital • Annapurna
May 29, 2019
Writing and narrative design
Outer Wilds is an open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop. You’re the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program searching for answers in a strange, constantly evolving solar system.
“Outer Wilds… is a tremendous experience and a game unlike anything else I’ve played.”
“…a triumph of execution and narrative design. Every story or history somehow makes sense no matter where you’re joining it. Even if you stumble into the endpoint of a strand, there’s satisfaction in filling out the backstory, and that’s some galaxy-brained thinking.”
“By turning lore into puzzle elements into progress, into the meat of the experience rather than the dressing, [Outer Wilds] elevates the process of learning about these worlds to heights rarely seen in games.”
“…Outer Wilds' ending left me totally shook and drained and hopeful in a way that only a very particular type of art does. Not only can games do more, they can do anything.”
— Austin Walker via Twitter, Vice (review)
Talks
Game Developers Conference 2021 — Independent Game Summit
”Sparking Curiosity-Driven Exploration Through Narrative in Outer Wilds” (slides)
LudoNarraCon 2021
Fireside chat with Dan McPhee
MediaXchange 2020
”Worldbuilding and Narrative in Outer Wilds”
Meaningful Play 2018
“Inspiring Player Curiosity Through Text and Narrative in Outer Wilds”
podcast guest
Script Lock
Episode 53: “Kelsey Beachum & Olivia Alexander”
No Cartridge
Episode 135: “Outer Wilds Forever! with Alex and Kelsey Beachum”
National Centre for Writing (UK)
Episode 51: “Writing Nonlinear Narratives with Outer Wilds’ Kelsey Beachum”
Boss LVL
Episode 8: “feat. Kelsey Beachum”
other projects
Horrorscopes
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Aries
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Before Games
Onion, Inc.
Editorial operations for The Onion, Instagram team lead
The Cryogenic Society of America
Editing, writing, design
WyzAnt, Inc.
Content editing, proofreading