On this episode, Rosie chats with Magic: The Gathering enthusiast, games researcher and Class of 2024 Ambassador - Sahar Mirhadi. We discuss iGGi, (The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence), which is a leading PhD research programme aimed at the Games and Creative Industries. Links:https://www.zjayres.com/ h…

Rosie chats with Dr Raffael Boccomazzo, or Doctor B, who is a clinical psychologist and clinical director at video games mental health non-profit Take This. We talk about Dr B's long history in psychology, therapy and diagnosis, why he's got to where he is today, and his own experiences in diagnosis. Raffael discusses the intricacies of intersectio…

Content Warning: In this episode there are non-graphic mentions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, drug abuse, overdose, emotional abuse and violence. Please proceed with care and remember you can pause the episode and step away at any time. Charlie Mullins from Companion Group joins Rosie on the podcast to discuss Borderline Person…

Rosie is joined by two guests; Charlotte McBurney, BAFTA-nominated actress known for her role as Amicia in the Plague Tale Series, and Hannah Rutherford, content creator and SIOW patron. We deep dive into both A Plague Tale Innocence and Requiem to uncover what goes into emotionally preparing for a character such as Amicia's. Charlotte talks about …

In this episode, Rosie chats to Demi Fortson, Co-Founder at Mendu and Doctoral Student Researcher at Columbia University in the City of New York. We talk about the origins of Mendu, and it's purpose. Mendu is a self-care app built with a culturally competent AI to talk through your problems with you. It promotes the premise of prompted audio journa…

In this episode of the Safe Space Podcast, Rosie and Harry chat to Adam J. Harrington, the wonderful voice of Sindri, from God of War. Now, before we go any further, this is an official spoiler warning. SPOILER WARNING In this episode we will be discussing heavy spoilers from God of War Ragnarok. If you'd like to avoid spoilers, please don't listen…

In this episode, Rosie is joined by Dr Emma Reay, Senior Lecturer at the University of Southampton, who researches Games Studies and Game Design. Emma has previously looked at exploring the therapeutic effects of games for mood repair, building resilience and community, and joins us to discuss games and grief. We chat about how death is interpreted…

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie talks to JJ Fox about neurodiversity - specifically, JJ's experiences being an autistic game dev and how it links to mental health. JJ is an indie game developer currently working on Hymble Ventures, as well as a Safe In Our World Class of 2023 Ambassador. They are also a fan of cosplaying, kung-fu and heavy met…

On the first episode of 2023, Rosie talks to Ladell Smith, the Associate Social and Community Manager at Auroch Digital, Safe In Our World Ambassador in our Class of 2023, and owner of They Play Podcast - which is a space for gender non conforming people to share their stories and love of games! We kick off the episode discussing their history of m…

We welcome Sajam to the Safe Space Podcast, to talk about his experiences in mental health within his content. Sajam is a Twitch Partner and fighting games commentator/analyst, segue specialist, with a passion for DnD. He was also one of the commentators in Intel Gaming World Relay 2022, which supported Safe In Our World alongside 3 other charities…

On this episode of the Safe Space podcast Rosie chats with Ambassador Renji, who talks about his journey into mental health advocacy in content creation amongst a myriad of other topics. Renji dives into his mental health experiences including relating to relationships, ADHD, depression and anxiety, as well as his recent coaching with HealthyGamerG…

In this episode, Rosie chats to Blizzb3ar, Producer and Content Creator at Rooster Teeth, Twitch Partner and Bisexual Villain (Icon). We discuss his path into content creation, as well as his motivations for getting into Twitch and the relationship he has with his community. Blizz talks about how his mental health has been affected by content creat…

In this episode, Rosie chats to The Witcher voice actor, Geralt himself. Though we know him as one of our wonderful Patrons, Doug Cockle. We delve into mental health in acting as Rosie quizzes Doug on his journey to becoming Geralt, the paths he's chosen, and the obstacles he's faced. Doug talks about how he first became involved with Safe In Our W…

In this episode, Rosie chats to Posy Brewer (Founder, Game Creator and Designer at MYU Creations) about her upcoming game ROBIN, and its role in exploring emotional resilience in video games. We talk about Posy's experience in creating her first ever game, and the challenges she has faced in the development process so far. Posy explains how the ins…

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie chats with Dr Emilia Molimpakis, CEO and Founder at Thymia, and Neuroscientist working within the games industry. We discuss how games can be used as a tool to assess and monitor mental health using theory from neuroscience, and how cognitive neuroscience and linguistics can be gamified to support clinicians. Em…

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie and Sky talk to Dr Matthew White, CEO of Whitethorn Games about the culture around easy and casual games. We chat about Matthew's path into the games industry, and going through the teaching aspect as an assistant teaching professor at Penn State University, having been in the industry for several years and now …

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie chats with Ellen Rose from Outside Xtra about her experiences being an immunocompromised creator throughout Covid-19. We also discuss the anxieties that accompany us from events, travelling and day-to-day life. We discuss the ins and outs of 'Stray', a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neo…

In this episode, Rosie is joined by Dr Kimberly Voll, Head of Studio for Brace Yourself Games, Co-Founder of the Fair Play Alliance and is on the Advisory Council at GDC. We discuss the previous work that Kim has been involved in, including focusing on player interactions and reducing harassment and hate within her role at Riot. Kim talks about how…

In this episode, Rosie talks to Paul Fletcher, Professor of Psychiatry and a neuroscientist, known for advising Ninja Theory in the depiction of mental health within video games, specifically for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and their depiction of psychosis. Paul is also on our Clinical Advisory Board here at Safe In Our World. Paul goes into depth…

In this episode, Rosie is joined by Rami Ismail, an independent game dev and influence within the games industry. Rami was a part of Vlambeer, and is a part of The Habibis Podcast. Rami has created Meditations, developed presskit(), and is a big voice within the game dev space in advocating for change. Rami talks about his new passion in flying, an…

In this episode, Rosie and Mikayla (Safe In Our World Patron) talk to Katy Bentz, aka the voice of Steph Gingrich from Life is Strange! Katy talks about her experiences as a voice actor, touching on the distinction between the games industry and the film industry, and how to handle audition rejection. We discuss the impact of characters like Steph …

In this episode, Rosie and Sky chat to Momo Misfortune. Momo is a Twitch partner who is known for streaming The Sims, as well as campaigning for pronouns in the Sims, and a founder of YOUphoriaTV which is stream team focused on uplifting the voices of Nonbinary and Gender Non Conforming creators on Twitch. We discuss the incredible causes such as A…

In this special episode, Rosie is joined by Sky, who has recently joined our team as our Partnerships and Training Officer. We talk about loneliness, and how Minecraft was a big part of helping combat it during a time where Sky and their partner were living far away from each other. We also delve into Eating Disorders, Self Harm and Medications and…

In the first episode of Season 2 of the Safe Space Podcast, Rosie talks to Paula Angela Escuadra (she/her) about her vast experience within the game development space where she has broadened the conversation around inclusivity, representation, sustainability and climate consciousness. We talk about the importance of using games to portray important…

In this special episode of the podcast, Rosie talks to our new Strategy and Corporate Partnerships Officer; Benn Wiebe! Benn has an incredibly varied and interesting career, from working on the Twilight film (!) to the United Nations. He talks about his passions in moving into the video games space, and actively pushing for positive change for topi…

In this special episode of the Safe Space Podcast for Mental Health Awareness Month, Rosie talks to Alex King, Community Manager from Ripstone. Alex and Rosie discuss the power of games communities, and in particular how Alex found his friendship group of 12 years through Minecraft. There is also a wasp related incident that occurs mid-recording so…

In this short series of stories as part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Rosie talks to Liam Wilson from Sock Monkey Studios about his journey in mental health, and how supportive workplaces are foundational to supporting our teams and employees. We also discuss the power of FFIX in Liam's story and how a story arc within the game helped with his …

In the season 1 finale of the Safe Space Podcast, Rosie talks to Grant Hill, esports caster for Race to World First for Method and occasional streamer. He's previously delved into esports journalism, as well as casting for Starcraft II. In this episode, we discuss Grant's journey, including how he was introduced to Safe In Our World, and the recent…

In the penultimate episode of the season, Rosie chats to Paige Harvey about her incredible work with the gamers charity Special Effect and the annual Gameblast event that unites gamers each year in support of the charity. Paige also discusses their work in Charity Stream Team Cosmic Hearts, which is a team of content creators devoted to raising fun…

In this episode, Rosie chats to Dave Cottrell (aka Mindset by Dave) who is a content creator, mindset coach and fellow podcaster! Dave talks about his journey into becoming a Mindset Coach and Mental Health Educator, and his previous work in challenging the stigma, including in schools. The main focus of the podcast however, is around Dave's upcomi…

In this episode, Rosie talks to Jake Kulkowski about his role at Dead Good Media, his podcasts with Wired Productions and Special Moves, and his career path into the video games industry. We also focus on what games we go to for our own stress relief, and the kinds of titles that enable us to relax, including the discussion around why some gamers f…

In this episode, Rosie chats to the lovely GeekyCassie; who is one of the most wonderful creators on Twitch, Director of Nox Lumina, Co Founder of Black Twitch UK and the Community Manager for the Noir Network! We discuss mental health through content creation and the pandemic, as well as the return to events through Cassie's recently announced Nox…

In this episode, Rosie is joined by Mark Flynn, PR & Community Manager at Numskull Games, PR and Marketing Manager at Lost In Cult as well as a content creator on YouTube! Mark delves into his passions about mental health, his current projects, and his journey into the games industry. We talk about Hoa; a delightful Ghibli-style puzzle-platformer, …

In this episode, Rosie is joined by Charlotte Callister, ‘New Impacts’ MCV/Develop IRL Award Winner 2021, disabled queer gamer and Press Engine Platform Coordinator. Charlotte opens up about the effects of epilepsy on her life, and how she games with that in mind. She also dives into the effects of bullying on mental health, as well as the experien…

In this episode of Safe Space Rosie chats to Char; Distribution Manager at Bossa Studios, as well as an Ambassador for Special Effect and Safe In Our World. Char opens up about what it's like to work in the games industry with BPD/EUPD and ADHD, and how they intertwine with her wellbeing. She talks about her fantastic work supporting charity throug…

In Episode 12 of the Safe Space Podcast, Rosie talks to Nigel Twumasi from Mayamada about his latest campaign: Do I Look Like a Gamer, and the importance of representation and diversity in games. We discuss the stigmatisation around the word "gamer" and the general associations with the word, and touch on how attitudes are changing around gaming an…

In this episode, Rosie talks to Rachel Henderson from the Samaritans. Rach is the Streaming and Gaming Fundraising lead for the Samaritans, creating a unique position in combining the world of streamers with vital awareness for the Samaritans. We talk about The Night Shift Before Christmas, where creators fundraise over shifts as the volunteers at …

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie chats to Dr Rachel Kowert PhD. Rachel is a research psychologist and research director for Take This, as well as a creator of content from books to her YouTube channel Psychgeist which bridges the gap between moral panic and scientific knowledge on psychology and games. We kick off the podcast with important que…

On this episode of Safe Space, Rosie is joined by Eliana Zebro, creator of the recently released #AudioIndustryGame and audio professional in media projects. We discuss the motivations behind releasing the game, which tells the stories of marginalised gender folks and their experiences within the audio industry; including stories referencing discri…

On this episode of Safe Space we welcome Dominic Shaw from UKIE as our latest guest. In this episode we talk about Dom’s life; from games he enjoyed growing up through to the games industry introduction and eventually him settling into UKIE. We also go into depth about LGBTQ+, autism, dyslexia and support within the industry, as well as the journey…

On this episode of Safe Space we welcome Adam Clarke from Game If You Are as a guest! We talk about his personal reasons into getting into the games industry, which include talking about his experience as a carer for his sister and her passion for games. We cover Hot Fuzz and the accuracy of the levels of Irish accents within Adam's world, which is…

In this episode of Safe Space, Rosie is joined by Shahid Kamal Ahmad for a fantastic discussion covering Code Is Just, imposter syndrome, game development and personal growth. We go from games industry history to jeopardising relationships in Monopoly, and it's worth the ride. Shahid is in his 40th year of working in the games industry, and discuss…

This week we were delighted to have Raccine Malcolm on the Safe Space podcast! Raccine is a communications professional that specializes in empathy-driven, engagement-based community development and management. Multicultural awareness, belonging, EDI, mental health, along with the interconnectedness of communities are some of her deepest interests …

On this episode of Safe Space, Rosie and Jake chatted to Hannah Rutherford on all things charity streaming. We get into some of the evolution of games, from Mario is Missing to Lara Croft, as well as the struggles that individuals face when creating content and how we can take care of ourselves.

We had a conversation on the support and challenges within the games industry for LGBTQ+ communities with the wonderful Robin Gray from Gayming Magazine. We chatted representation within video games characters, groups in the industry who rally for change, and touched on tips for those entering the industry on how to find support. Robin is the Found…

This episode, we chat with Mxiety (or Marie) about the work she does in broadening the conversation around mental health through platforms such as Twitch, Twitter and more. We discuss the importance of sharing our personal stories, boundaries between creators and their audience, and the pros and challenges that accompany the above.…

For the very first episode of Safe Space, we wanted to introduce our listeners to the Safe In Our World team, the aims and mission of the charity and some insight into why we're passionate about the conversation surrounding mental health within the games industry and beyond.

Episode 27 Wow, it's hard to believe it has nearly been a year, but excited to discuss Star Wars: The Last Jedi and look back our favorite movies of 2017. We have some guests filling in our regular spots and look ahead to some of the bigger movies coming in 2018 as well. Thanks for listening! 00:48 - Guest Intros & First Impressions 09:42 - Last Je…

Episode 26 We're still kickin' it with episode 26 of our podcast. Starting off with a special tribute to our favorite Oscar winner, we end up discussing a ton of cooperative games like Pandemic Legacy, Mechs vs Minions, and some in-depth discussion revolving around Fireteam Zero and game design in general. We then take a glance at Netrunner before …

Episode 25 We bring in 2017 with episode 25, starting with our Star Wars: Rogue One discussion and a look back at all the movies from 2016. Moving on to 2017, we talk about the newest trailers before moving to game talk with the Kingdom Death: Monster Kickstarter and Mechs vs Minions. The legacy games model becomes a focus before we finish with gam…