Stephen T. Slota

@steveslota.bsky.social

Co-author of The Worldbuilding Workshop: Teaching Critical Thinking and Empathy Through World Modeling, Simulation, and Play Learning Scientist, EdTech Expert, Instructional Designer, GameDev, Former K12 Teacher They|Them 🏳️‍🌈🎮 https://www.steveslota.com/

Special shoutout to my @uconn.bsky.social colleagues who've contributed so much to #STEM education, including Todd Campbell, John Settlage, @toriwagner.bsky.social, & @ddburkey.bsky.social! 🧑‍🔬⚗️ Hear about their work for *FREE* wherever you get your podcasts! 🔬🧬 #EduSky #engineering #technology

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · yesterday

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social go deep on the unique opportunities and challenges of worldbuilding in #STEM classrooms: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #highered #science #education #K12 #chemistry #physics #biology #math #enged

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Thank you to the teachers, researchers, authors, thinkers, & artists who have influenced us (including Bill Watterson, @billamend.bsky.social, Carl Sagan, George Orwell, China Miéville, @ibogost.com, @colinwoodard.bsky.social, & more). Visit the episode page a full resource list! #EduSky #highered

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · last wk.

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social retrace the books, articles, & other thought-provoking media that have most inspired their scholarship: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #highered #research #reading #learning #education #K12

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

In which we discuss how meticulously designed games like @bandainamcousa.bsky.social's #darksouls and historical cities like Madrid communicate complex narratives through geography and artifacts! 🌎🎮 #EduSky #creativewriting #storytelling #worldbuilding #history #historyed #education #gbl #highered

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 2w ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social assess the intersection of environmental/emergent storytelling practices in physical and digital realms: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #storytelling #writing #design #gamedev #indiedev #narrative

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

How often does @kballestrini.bsky.social think about Rome? Every day! But not for the reasons those weirdos on Twitter do... Tune in to learn about the development and implementation of the text-based Latin #language #ARG #RPG Operation LAPIS! #EduSky #roleplay #classics #Latin #k12 #highered

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 3w ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social interview award-winning Latin and classical history educator @kballestrini.bsky.social: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education #teaching #Latin #ACTFL #classics #Rome #history #languageed

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

"Going on a hyperfixation deep-dive into municipal water systems and treatment after reading the quarterly water bill and having your curiosity piqued by the freakish consistency in your monthly water usage" is a weird way to remind yourself that you're solidly middle-aged and neurodivergent.

In addition to discussing how Mike Young & I conceptualized "Epic Fail," we talk through the rise/fall of Seymour Papert's Logo, overlap between "Epic Fail" & @doctorow.pluralistic.net's "Enshittification," & implications for collaborative worldbuilding! #EduSky #edtech #design #highered #research

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · last mo.

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social review the (2017) Exploding the Castle book chapter “The Inevitability of Epic Fail” and discuss its implications for worldbuilding: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education #teacher #edtech

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Throughout the convo, we offer examples drawn from our classes & personal gameplay experiences, including @vaesen-rpg.bsky.social & @dndbeyond.com as well as smaller TTRPGs like Coyote & Crow, Dream Askew, and @snowbrightstudio.bsky.social's Teatime Adventures. ✨ #EduSky #gaming #GBL #worldbuilding

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social talk tabletop roleplay to break down its affordances for collaboration, reflection, & creative writing: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education #teacher #learning #teachered #ttrpg #gamedev #rpg

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Grateful that Mike, my former doctoral advisor & @uconn.bsky.social colleague, hopped on a call with us to discuss ideas I've not heard in other convos about #genai, both wrt philosophy & direct application. Lots to unpack—hope our fellow educators will tune in! #EduSky #edu #edtech #technology

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social interview @uconn.bsky.social #edtech scholar Dr. Michael Young abt #GenAI impacts on #K12, #highered, & corporate education: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education #teacher #learning #teachered

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

We just saw Backrooms. A few thoughts: 1. If you don't know it, it's a mix of psychological, horror, and fantasy stories concerning the discovery of a seemingly endless series of office-like rooms. The source is internet video and writing.

Bild

Tune in to hear a trio of nerdy nerds nerding out about mythology, stories, & playful learning, incl. Roger's forthcoming book re: cooperative adventure card games! We hope you enjoy the convo as much as we did! ☺️ #EduSky #GBL #design #indiegames #games #cardgames #mythology #CCGs #creativewriting

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social interview classics scholar @tinperegrinus.bsky.social about recombinatorial storytelling in ancient epics & cooperative adventure card games: www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #gaming #education

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Join us as we disentangle five decades of Star Wars' social, cultural, and economic ascendance (including shoutouts to @the501stlegion.bsky.social, The Rebel Legion, and my mentor #teacher Terry Becker) plus a TON of related topics! #EduSky #teaching #highered #gamedev #indiedev #storytelling #K12

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 3mo ago

In this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social and @thergenrader.bsky.social honor May the 4th/Revenge of the 5th by expressing their love of (and frustrations with) the best example of transmedia storytelling on earth: Star Wars www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Do you love storytelling? Creative writing? Escaping the daily horrors of your doomscroll? Tune in tomorrow at 2:00p ET via Twitch/YouTube as we frolic in the flowery fields of hopeful speculative fiction with our friends at @worldanvil.com! #EduSky #indiedev #k12 #design #worldbuilding #stories

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 3mo ago

TOMORROW (SATURDAY) MAY 2 at 2:00PM ET Join @thergenrader.bsky.social & @steveslota.bsky.social for a Q&A about hopeful speculative fiction w/@worldanvil.com's @worldanvil.bsky.social! Twitch: www.twitch.tv/worldanvil YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9tH... #EduSky #gamedev #education #teaching

Promotional image for the World Anvil Podcast featuring images of authors Trent Hergenrader and Stephen Slota. The episode is titled "Ask the Expert: Writing Hopeful Spec-Fic."

Is there a term for articles written in such a way that the authors seem to have been asleep underground on Mars for the last 15 years? What's the equivalent "Betteridge's Law of Headlines" or "Brandolini's Law" for this?

Image of a (April 24, 2026) Washington Post article titled "Elon Musk's near-daily online posts about race are turning off some fans." Underneath an artistic rendition of Musk wearing a MAGA hat, the caption reads: "Elon Musk posted almost daily about race on X in recent months, a Washington Post analysis found, at times sharing views experts said echoed white supremacy. The article was written by Faiz Siddiqui and Jeremy B Merrill.

Tune in to learn where our world came from & where it's headed, ft. Pixar's "Monsters, Inc.," the Coen Brothers, FX Hulu's "Alien: Earth," @hbomax.bsky.social's "IT: Welcome to Derry," and one of our favorite TTRPGs, Free League Publishing's @vaesen-rpg.bsky.social! #EduSky #indiedev #K12 #writing

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This week's episode features the second in a three-part series where @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social construct a storyworld to demo the collaborative #worldbuilding process! www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #highered #design #education #teaching #gamedev

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Tune in for our characteristically quirky banter as well as discussion about Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," Frank Herbert's "Dune," Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Dispossessed," and... The Smurfs!? #EduSky #teaching #k12 #creativewriting #design #gamedev #indiegames #roleplay #ttrpg #simulation

The Worldbuilding Workshop@wrldbuildingwrkshp.bsky.social · 4mo ago

For this week's episode, @steveslota.bsky.social & @thergenrader.bsky.social cooked up something REALLY special: The first in a *THREE-PART SERIES* demoing the collaborative #worldbuilding process from beginning to end! www.theworldbuildingworkshop.com/podcast/epis... #EduSky #education #highered

Album cover-style image for The Worldbuilding Workshop Companion Podcast depicting a pencil-holding hand hovering above a city skyline. The podcast features conversations between co-authors Stephen Slota and Trent Hergenrader.

Amberspire is out May 6th! 🌇 Build a science-fantasy city atop an abandoned mausoleum 🎲 Roll dice to collect resources and keep your city running 🏠 Grow your population and influence 👥 Earn the favour of off-world factions 🌧️ Manage the unusual ecology Wishlist on Steam!

A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire (without UI), showing a growing settlement with a large Starport at the centre.A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire, this time with UI. Five resource dice have been rolled and are currently being distributed into a number of buildings: the Cistern, Ruster, Habitat, Bazaar, and Landing Pad.A screenshot of our upcoming city-building game Amberspire, with resource dice again being allotted different buildings. This time, a Lighthouse is in the process of being built.A screenshot from our upcoming game Amberspire. One of the factions, Void Lineages, has arrived in the city. To the right is a portrait of one of their members. To the left, a description:

"The city has drawn the attention of a new off-world faction...

Void Lineages

The Void Lineages are a rhizomatic family of pilots, traders, smugglers, and shipbuilders. A familial structure organized under hierarchs maintains strict controls over its members, but this structure is frequently threatened by desires within and forces external. Ultimately the lineages remain reactive to an ever-shifting political landscape.

The Void Lineages favor increases the maximum dice pool limit to eight, and the penalty reduces it to four.