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Tabletop role-playing game design, independent publishing, quilt history.
Career
Current occupation: Tabletop role-playing game designer, Independent publisher, Quilt historian.
Current Place of Work: Self-employed.
Skills
Tabletop game design, writing, publishing, quilt history research and documentation, potentially quilting and sewing.
Languages
Languages Spoken: English (Presumed).
Main Milestones
Formative Years and Early Interests
Early Life & Education
While specific details of Meguey Baker's early life are not widely publicized, it's known that her formative years fostered a love for storytelling and creative expression. Her later work as a quilt historian suggests an early appreciation for material culture and the stories embedded within handcrafted objects. These combined interests lay the groundwork for her eventual career in game design, where narrative, mechanics, and thematic resonance are paramount.
Emergence in the Indie RPG Scene
Late 1990s - Early 2000s
Meguey Baker began making waves in the burgeoning indie RPG scene. This period saw her active participation in online forums and communities dedicated to alternative and narrative-focused game design. Her early contributions highlighted a desire to move beyond traditional dungeon-crawling mechanics and explore more character-driven and emotionally resonant gameplay experiences.
The Pool Published
2001
The release of "The Pool", co-designed with Emily Care Boss, marked a significant breakthrough. "The Pool" is a GM-less, narrative-focused RPG emphasizing player agency and improvisational storytelling. Its innovative dice pool mechanic, where success is determined by comparing pools of dice controlled by each player, provided a framework for shared narrative control that was relatively novel at the time. "The Pool" helped define a new wave of indie RPG design and solidified Meguey Baker's reputation as an innovative voice.
Developing Independently Published Games
2000s
Following the success of "The Pool", Meguey continued to design and independently publish RPGs, often in collaboration with her partner, Vincent Baker. This period showcased her commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive design environment within the indie RPG scene. Her work helped create a space where experimental mechanics and diverse perspectives could thrive, allowing more people to see themselves in the hobby.
Apocalypse World Published
2008
Although Vincent Baker is credited as the primary designer, Meguey Baker's contributions to "Apocalypse World" were significant. This game became a landmark title, popularizing the 'Powered by the Apocalypse' (PbtA) system. The emphasis on player choice, emergent storytelling, and defined character playbooks had a profound impact on the RPG landscape. "Apocalypse World" established a new standard for indie game design and spurred the creation of countless derivative works and inspired games.
Continued RPG Design and Influence
Post-Apocalypse World
Following the release of "Apocalypse World", Meguey continued to contribute to the PbtA ecosystem and design other games, often in collaboration with Vincent. Her work focused on exploring different genres and themes, always with an emphasis on character agency and compelling narratives. She maintained a strong presence within the indie RPG community, mentoring aspiring designers and championing diverse voices within the industry.
Quilt History and Creative Pursuits
Ongoing
Alongside her RPG design work, Meguey Baker has pursued her passion for quilt history. She combines her historical research with her creative pursuits, showcasing the rich narratives embedded within textile arts. This dual focus demonstrates a commitment to both historical preservation and artistic innovation, reflecting a holistic approach to storytelling across different mediums.
Baker's most prominent work is Apocalypse World (2010). Apocalypse World is a post-apocalyptic game co-designed with her husband, Vincent Baker, published through Lumpley Games. Apocalypse World won multiple awards such as the 2010 Indie RPG Award for "Game of the Year"[1] and the 2011 Lucca Comics & Games "Best Role-Playing Game" award.[4]Powered by the Apocalypse, the game design framework created by the Bakers for Apocalypse World, has made a lasting impact on role-playing game design.[6][7]
Baker is the founding owner of Night Sky Games.[8]: 185 A Thousand and One Nights (2006), published through Night Sky Games, is a role-playing game based on the collection of Arabic stories The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.[8]: 185 [9][10] According to games scholar Evan Torner, A Thousand and One Nights includes systems for telling stories within stories, establishing and developing jealousies between characters, and reflecting upon metatextuality.[11]
Baker has also designed other indie role-playing games such as Miss Schiffer's School for Young Ladies of Quality (2006),[12]Psi*Run (2012) and Valiant Girls (2013); the latter were Night Sky Games' third and sixth publications respectively.[8]: 185–186 She co-designed with her husband both Firebrands (2017), a romance TTRPG in a sci-fi setting focused on mobile frame pilots[13][14] and Under Hollow Hills (2021), an RPG about fairytales and a traveling circus.[15][16] Chase Carter for Polygon compared Firebrands to adventure romance television shows Bridgerton and Our Flag Means Death.[17]
Baker is a quilter and quilt historian, particularly interested in how the history of non-dominant voices gets transmitted in objects and oral tradition rather than the official written history.[19] Baker collects and restores antique and vintage textiles, as well as creates new works.[19][20]
Baker is a Collections Assistant for the Hatfield Historical Museum and is part of the curatorial team for the Historical Society of Greenfield.[21][22][23]
Baker studied American History at Hampshire College with a focus on early American textile history and material culture.[24][19] Baker highlighted that her first quilt block was hand sewn at four years old; she wrote, "I checked with my mom. She says I was 4 because my sister was a newborn and sewing helped me keep quiet while she was napping. I'm guessing I did about one seam per nap".[25] Baker and her husband Vincent Baker have three children.[26]
In July 2023, Baker was diagnosed with breast cancer.[27][28]CBR reported that a crowdfunding campaign on Meal Train to support Baker "was set with an initial goal of $2,500 and has since shattered that sum with a current total of over $22,800 [on August 26, 2023]. [...] In addition to financial contributions, many TTRPG Game Masters, players, and fans have taken the opportunity to voice their admiration for Baker and all that she has inspired".[29]
^ abMikcs, David (25 July 2011). "Seduction Unending". The New Republic. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^Caruso, Giovanni; Fassone, Riccardo; Ferri, Gabriele; Gualeni, Stefano; Salvador, Mauro (2016). "Games on Games. Game Design as Critical Reflexive Practice". G|A|M|E Games as Art, Media, Entertainment. 1 (5). ISSN2280-7705. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2022-01-02. Meguey Baker's 1,001 Nights is a playable critique of the encased narratives found in Arabian Nights
^"About". Night Sky Games. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2022-01-02. In other aspects of my life, I am a sex ed teacher, a textile artist, and a conservation specialist at the local museum.
^Baker, Meguey (November 16, 2015). "Extraordinary clues in ordinary places". Hatfield Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2021-12-31. Meguey Baker studied early American textile history and material culture at Hampshire College. She is a member of the Mohawk Trail Quilt Guild, a volunteer textile conservation specialist at Memorial Hall in Deerfield, and does textile repair and conservation for private clients.
^"Daggerheart Tabletop RPG FAQs". Daggerheart. Retrieved 2025-05-28. Who is in the Daggerheart Core Set credits? [...] ADDITIONAL WRITING: Layla Adelman, Meguey Baker, Banana Chan, Chris Davidson, Rue Dickey, Felix Isaacs, Erin Roberts, Deven Rue, Rogan Shannon, Mark Thompson, Eugenio Vargas, Chris Willett
This is a community hub built on top of the Meguey Baker Wikipedia article. Here, you can discuss, collect, and organize anything related to Meguey Baker. The purpose of the hub is to connect people, foster deeper knowledge, and help improve the root Wikipedia article.
This is a community hub built on top of the Meguey Baker Wikipedia article. Here, you can discuss, collect, and organize anything related to Meguey Baker. The purpose of the hub is to connect people, foster deeper knowledge, and help improve the root Wikipedia article.
