Amata World Podcast

In this episode of the Amata World Podcast, we dive into the enchanting world of analog gaming with London-based board game designer Alan Wallet. Blending creativity, emotional impact, and innovative tech, Alan shares his incredible journey from mechanical engineering to crafting immersive tabletop experiences. He discusses the creative process behind his upcoming games, 'War of the Toads' and 'Posers,' and explores how board games serve as a powerful antidote to screen fatigue by fostering authentic human connections. The conversation takes a fascinating turn into the intersection of technology and tabletop gaming, revealing how AI is being utilized not to replace human artistry, but as an advanced algorithmic playtesting tool to balance complex game mechanics. Alan also highlights the profound social impact of board games, noting their ability to create structured, safe spaces for neurodivergent players and his ambition to design games that evoke deep, complex emotions.

Key Takeaways
Analog gaming offers a vital human remedy in the AI era: Tabletop games are rising in popularity as an authentic, screen-free way to forge real human connections.

AI serves as a powerful analytical ally, not a creative replacement: While the board game community resists generative AI for art, algorithmic AI agents are revolutionizing playtesting by running data-driven simulations to balance game mechanics.

Board games provide structured social sanctuaries: The clear rule sets of tabletop games create accessible environments for social interaction, offering profound benefits for neurodivergent and autistic individuals.

The future of tabletop gaming lies in emotional depth: The medium has the unique potential to explore profound human experiences, such as integrating the real mental toll of conflict into war game mechanics.

To find more about Allan:
Portfolio: https://aw-designs.myportfolio.com/
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/164676/alan-wallat

AAAR GAMES
Website: https://aaargames.co.uk/
This is where you can sign-up for the WAR OF THE TOADS newsletter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaar.games/

War of the Toads
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aaargames/war-of-the-toads-a-pocket-sized-18-card-game
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/467275/war-of-the-toads

POSERS
https://www.boardcubator.com/games/posers/
https://poserslaunchparty.rsvpify.com/
https://guesstheposer.netlify.app/

Additional links:
Resources: Ellie Dix's blog for new designers.
https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/
Testing boardgames with AI
https://www.whatifgames.co.uk/using-ai-in-board-games-design-a-conversation-with-alan/
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/02/26/how-artificial-intelligence-can-make-board-games-better

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In this episode of the Amata World podcast, Henry Stuart, Co-founder of Visualise and Meta Camera, shares his incredible journey through the evolving landscape of XR technology. Exploring the evolution of immersive media from early 360-degree photography to high-stakes virtual reality filmmaking, the conversation traces his path from a biology graduate to an industry leader. He discusses capturing monumental events like the 2011 Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympics, highlighting how the advent of Oculus headsets transformed his agency, Visualise, into a powerhouse for VR and AR innovation.

The conversation turns to one of Henry’s most challenging projects: a high-stakes VR production for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone. He recounts the intense logistical and physical challenges of filming in a heavily militarized, radioactive environment during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They also explore how Henry leverages VR for profound social impact, detailing his work with Mission Rabies in Malawi to build donor empathy, and with St. John Ambulance's Young Responders program, which uses choice-driven VR scenarios to teach disengaged youths life-saving first-aid skills for knife wounds. Transitioning to practical advice, Henry shares actionable tips for aspiring creators, noting that modern, affordable 360 cameras and standard non-linear editors like Adobe Premiere make immersive storytelling more accessible than ever.

Finally, Henry offers a contrarian take on the trajectory of immersive technology, arguing that the true future of the XR industry lies not in bulky, isolating VR headsets, but in lightweight, contextually aware AR smart glasses. For anyone interested in the intersection of technology, storytelling, and social impact, this episode provides a thrilling and deeply knowledgeable glimpse into where immersive media has been and exactly where it is heading.

You can connect to Henry on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrystuart

Learn more about Meta Camera:Website: https://meta-camera.io
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meta_camera

Learn more about Visualise:
Website: https://visualise.com

Other projects mentioned:
Mission Rabies: https://www.missionrabies.com
St John Ambulance’s Young Responders Program: https://www.sja.org.uk/get-involved/young-people/young-responders

Each week we release an episode in the field of either Metaverse/Gaming, Web3/Crypto/Blockchain, AI or XR and if we have an extra week, we are posting an episode with a guest from Creative industries. Tune in, there are more amazing guests and stories to come up in the future.

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In this episode of the Amata World podcast, producer and creative technologist Chris White joins us to demystify the intersection of artificial intelligence and modern filmmaking. With nearly two decades of genre storytelling experience, from launching MTV's cult horror franchise My Super Psycho Sweet 16, to executive producing V/H/S: Viral, to creating the interconnected sci-fi worlds of Portals and DOORS, Chris has built a career around scalable, character-driven narratives. Now, as an executive producer on Backrooms (alongside A24, Atomic Monster, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Chernin Entertainment) and producer on the upcoming The Heretiks, he offers a pragmatic look at how creators can leverage emerging technology to tell bigger stories on tighter budgets. He shares his journey from initial experimentation with generative tools to integrating them into the professional pipeline of high-stakes productions.

The conversation navigates the complexities of the hybrid production model, where traditional live-action is augmented by AI post-production. White breaks down how tools like Runway are being used to handle dangerous stunts, manipulate environmental visuals, and create high-fidelity pre-visualizations that secure investor funding where traditional pitch decks fail. He also addresses the elephant in the room: the ethics of AI, likeness licensing, and the pushback from traditionalist circles. White challenges the "lack of soul" critique, arguing that AI is merely an evolution of the creative toolkit, comparable to the industry's shift toward CGI in the 1990s. As an instructor at Arcana Academy, where he teaches AI filmmaking with a strong emphasis on classical narrative craft, he brings both the practitioner's and the educator's perspective to the debate.

Looking ahead, White envisions a future where audiences prioritise narrative immersion over the specific technical processes behind the curtain. Whether you are a skeptical traditionalist or a tech-forward creative, this episode provides a realistic roadmap for how the industry is quietly embracing AI to bypass the gatekeepers and unlock new levels of production quality.

You can connect to Chris on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwcreatorproducer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xmister_whitex
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1184214

Each week we release an episode in the field of either Metaverse/Gaming, Web3/Crypto/Blockchain, AI or XR and if we have an extra week, we are posting an episode with a guest from Creative industries. Tune in, there are more amazing guests and stories to come up in the future.

Follow us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amata-world-podcast/
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In this episode of the Amata World podcast, we speak with Bridget Doran, founder and CEO of Traceport. Traceport is a blockchain-based infrastructure platform that provides an API enabling any organization to prove their data externally — think of it as a digital public notary that uses cryptographic verification to ensure data has never been altered. Bridget shares her journey from database administration and nonprofit tech into Web3, discovering BitcoinSV in 2019 after becoming disillusioned with the scalability limitations of other blockchain platforms.

Bridget discusses how building Traceport for Charities (a SaaS application demonstrating the platform) led to a bigger vision: abstracting blockchain complexity so any sector - compliance, IoT, pharmaceuticals, or beyond - can use immutable data attestation without understanding the underlying technology. She explains the revolutionary concept of "applications logging into you" rather than vice versa, and why Bitcoin SV's scalability (1-2 million transactions per second) makes enterprise-grade blockchain verification finally practical.

Key takeaways
Traceport's API acts as a digital notary with cryptographic verification—organizations can prove their data hasn't changed, and the public can verify it independently (not just trust Traceport's word)

The pivot from charity-focused SaaS to infrastructure API came through the iterative process of building—founders shouldn't get locked into their initial vision

Each organization using Traceport gets its own cryptographically isolated space for data attestation, making it plug-and-play ready for any sector

The "apps log into you" paradigm shift: cryptographic keys enable zero-knowledge proof of identity without handing over personal data

IoT and compliance are promising sectors where organizations are required to prove data integrity

Micropayments on scalable blockchain could transform developing economies by removing middlemen

Bitcoin SV's new node software handles 1-2 million transactions per second, enabling enterprise use cases that weren't previously practical

Bio:
Bridget Doran is the founder and CEO of Traceport, a blockchain infrastructure platform providing cryptographic data verification. With 20+ years in technology and financial systems across Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits, she co-founded the Minnesota Blockchain Initiative and has been teaching and building on Bitcoin SV since 2019.

You can connect to Bridget on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bcdoran
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgetdoran
Website (Bitcoin teaching app – Gaming lesson): https://bitcoin-teaching-tool.vercel.app/lessons/blockchain-gaming

Learn more about Traceport:
Website: https://traceport.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/traceport-io
Website (Traceport for charities): https://traceport.io/charities/

Each week we release an episode in the field of either Metaverse/Gaming, Web3/Crypto/Blockchain, AI or XR and if we have an extra week, we are posting an episode with a guest from Creative industries. Tune in, there are more amazing guests and stories to come up in the future.

Follow us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amata-world-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amataworldpodcast/
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In this episode of the Amata World podcast, we speak with Daniel Clothiaux, an AI researcher and co-creator of Tower Crawl and the Wyrd platform. Daniel shares his background in AI and his current indie game project, Tower Crawl, and an experimental platform called Wyrd. He discusses the inspiration behind Tower Crawl, which emerged from experimenting with AI tooling and structuring a chat loop into a game engine. Daniel highlights the unique user freedom that AI unlocks in gaming, allowing players to do crazy things and explore possibilities beyond traditional game constraints. He also touches on the challenges of developing AI-driven games, including maintaining coherence, managing costs, and adapting to language model updates. Daniel expresses his hopes and fears for the future of the gaming industry, emphasising the importance of meaningful and creative experiences over addictive but shallow AI-driven content. He envisions a future where the community can craft their own game worlds and collaborate with brands to shape their favourite media.

Key takeaways
Generative AI unlocks unprecedented user freedom in gaming, allowing players to explore creative possibilities beyond traditional game constraints.

Developing AI-driven games presents unique challenges, including maintaining coherence, managing costs, and adapting to language model updates.

Community involvement is crucial in shaping the future of AI-driven games, with players actively contributing to world-building and game design.

The future of the gaming industry holds both promise and potential pitfalls, with the need to prioritize meaningful and creative experiences over addictive but shallow AI-driven content.

You can connect to Daniel on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-clothiaux-7748b727b

Find out more about Tower Crawl:Website: https://tower-crawl.fun
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TowerCrawl

Find out more about Wyrd:
Website: https://wyrd.gg

Each week we release an episode in the field of either Metaverse/Gaming, Web3/Crypto/Blockchain, AI or XR and if we have an extra week, we are posting an episode with a guest from Creative industries. Tune in, there are more amazing guests and stories to come up in the future.

Follow us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amata-world-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amataworldpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amataworldpodcast
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