With Playtopia, the annual destination of Indie Games & Immersive Arts festival and conference set to return in 2025, GIA has partnered with the event to share insights from the crop of supremely talented creators in attendance. Next up in a series of speaker interviews is Seth S Smith, a Trinbagonian-American writer and game designer who champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through art, entertainment, and technology. As an independent game designer, he creates immersive worlds and experiences that authentically reflect faith and celebrate the richness of cultures across the world, while designing systems that foster healthy player-to-player interactions.

You’ve worked across multiple mediums—film, music, games. How do you see interactivity reshaping narrative experiences, especially in an African creative context?

I believe there is so much potential for us to reshape storytelling, communication, and how we connect with each other on a deep level through cross-experience work. To me, cross-experience simply means telling the same story across multiple mediums. It can live in film, games, music, comic books, novels, anything. Each medium becomes a different doorway into the same world, so people can connect with the story in the way that feels most natural to them.

Maybe the lyrics from a song in a film draw you in. Maybe the art from a comic book makes you curious about the game. Maybe the game gets you so familiar with the world that you want to attend a live event. These intersections create more access points, which means more people can engage with the story.

For me, Pokémon is the perfect example. I could not afford the Game Boy cartridges when I was young, but I could afford Nintendo Power, which had a Pokémon manga. That manga introduced me to the world, the lore, and the core message of friendship and teamwork long before I ever touched the game. So when I finally got the video game as a birthday gift, I was already invested. If those other mediums did not exist, I probably would not have had access to that world at all.

That is the real power of cross-experience storytelling. It increases accessibility, expands the audience, and lets people fall in love with the story from multiple entry points. The themes might express themselves differently depending on the medium, but if the foundation is strong, the heart of the story stays intact. And that creates a richer, more connected experience than any single medium could achieve on its own.

What attracts you to hybrid festivals like Playtopia that blur the boundaries between media?

I think the future of art, experience, and curation is finding meaningful ways to build community across both digital and real-life spaces, and Playtopia is a great example of that. I also believe that curating and telling stories across multiple mediums, or cross-experience storytelling, is the future. We have already seen this across so many iconic IPs. Marvel reaches audiences through comics, television, film, and video games. Pokémon has grown from video games to animated shows, manga, merchandise, and both live-action and animated films. Disney, Pixar, NBCUniversal, all of them have shown how powerful it is when a story can live in more than one place.

We are seeing more of this with newer properties as well. Cyberpunk exists as both a video game and an anime. The Witcher started as a novel, became a series of games, and then a live-action show. This approach continues to grow because it is one of the most effective ways to connect with people. Different audiences resonate with different mediums depending on their lifestyle. If you take the train to work, you might not have time to play the latest Witcher game the way you want, but you can watch the show or read the novel. When art is expressed across multiple forms, it can meet people where they are in their lives and still deliver the same core message.

This gives audiences the opportunity to dialogue with the artist in a more meaningful way. It is no longer just having a game or a book. It becomes a community you can join based on how the creator builds and facilitates their world. You might see someone in a Marvel T-shirt or with Pokémon merch and instantly find a shared interest. It becomes a point of connection.

I believe this will lead to more festivals that merge digital and real-life spaces, and more cross-experience events like Playtopia. These events bring creators together to share ideas, learn from one another, and discover new ways to connect with audiences around the world.

How do you believe your experience at Playtopia will influence your view of African creativity and innovation?

I mean, let’s be clear. All art, creativity, and innovation traces back to Africa. That is the foundation of storytelling. As a Trini American, I have always seen that connection. My favorite art forms and my favorite styles of music all have strong roots in African creativity. There are so many diverse cultures, histories, and artistic traditions across the continent, and each one carries its own depth, rhythm, and perspective.

That has always shaped how I see the world. I know I will encounter things that are both forward looking and deeply familiar. When I touch down in South Africa for the Playtopia experience, I expect to be immersed in new ideas, new forms of creativity, and new ways of expressing stories for this generation. With the technology we have today, and with so many different perspectives and cultures coming together in one space, the potential for inspiration is limitless.

That is what I look forward to most. And that is what I know I will carry with me after this experience.

Do you approach storytelling differently when you’re creating for an African or cross-cultural audience?

Yeah, I think cultural representation is really about empathy. It is understanding who you are, being honest and vulnerable in that space, and also being aware that you are not alone in this universe. You are not alone in this moment in time, and it is a privilege and an honor to be here. For me, it always comes back to what is on my heart and what God is calling me to do in that moment.

When I think about art as dialogue and connection between people, I ask myself what I am downloading or receiving that might help fulfill or unlock something in someone else’s purpose. I absolutely approach that differently based on who that person is, where they come from, and what their background is. I think it is incredibly important to pray, meditate, and learn about who you are communicating with so you can show love, empathy, kindness, and genuine care in a way that they understand.

That is what I think about when I want to make a story or a game for someone from a particular country, who speaks a particular language, or who brings a particular perspective. That is how you create characters and worlds that feel authentic, respectful, and relatable.

It really means something to me when someone goes out of their way to speak to me as a Trini American, as a Christian, as a Black person from Texas, as someone who is first-generation from a family of immigrants. When someone takes the time to see me beyond all of those things, but also acknowledges how those parts of me shape how I experience the world, that effort matters. Even if they do not hit the mark one hundred percent, I am grateful they tried.

That is where the interesting part begins. That is where the dialogue opens up. That is where I can help guide their message toward my true nature, and in that process we both might reveal something about ourselves that we could not have uncovered without that good faith attempt.

So yes, I think it is incredibly important for me as an artist to build trust with the people I am speaking to. I do that by being honest and authentic about who I am, and by showing that I am willing to learn how to do the same for someone else.

How does collaboration with African developers or artists inform your sense of global creative dialogue?

I think it bridges the gap. There is this perceived disconnect, probably because of the physical distance and the miles of water that separate the continents. But for me, as a Trini American, I still feel deeply connected. I can see and appreciate the artistry that comes from the many diverse cultures across Africa. I can hear it in the music I spin and play, and in the music I hear when I’m out in LA or when I’m back home in Houston. I can see it in the stories being told and in the cinema.

The more we continue to create art in this way, the more we start to see the similarities, and the more we start to feel the closeness rather than the distance. I think that is a beautiful thing. I love when an album or a movie or a TV show drops and suddenly people all over the world are talking about the same artist with different perspectives and different takes. Someone is a fan of this, someone else is a fan of that. Someone is working on one thing, someone else is creating something completely different, but the conversation connects us.

The more we collaborate, the more we notice the similarities, and the more we learn to see the differences as strengths that help us grow in character and help us make the world a better place. For me, that is what I get from collaborating with artists from all over the world. It helps me understand the connections we share on this planet.

When it comes to love, family, the desire to belong, the feeling of having a deeper calling or higher purpose, and the belief that if you have faith and trust what God is calling you to do, you can accomplish something great, those are stories I never get tired of hearing. And I feel inspired every time I hear them. I feel even more connected when I hear those same truths coming from people in completely different parts of the world.

What elements of African art or design aesthetics have inspired or influenced your work?

In terms of African art, I want to focus on the art of community. What I mean by that is the way events and experiences are curated, whether it is a braai, a music concert, or an art show. When I went to Johannesburg for the first time, I went to so many different events and communal spaces, and the hospitality was unmatched. There was amazing music everywhere, wonderful food, and such kindhearted people. I have come back to South Africa every year for the past five years purely because of the love, kindness, and genuine care I felt from people I had just met. They were so warm and polite to me, and that is something I carry into my own events.

I always want to create a sense of belonging, a feeling that you truly belong here. That experience taught me so much. One of my strongest beliefs is that a community is a collection of values. That is what connects us. An audience is aligned by interest, but a community is so much more than that. When you are in a space where people value treating each other with care, where they value consideration, where they value what you think and what you feel, that kind of support and kindness is hard to put into words.

But I do believe that kind of love—real love in a person’s heart and soul—is a powerful source of inspiration for anyone creating art. When you create art from that space, that energy carries into the experience. You can feel when someone has curated a space intentionally, where you are going to meet people who share the same belief that human beings should be treated as such, that people should feel safe, empowered, and free to share their voice. Creating art from that place is special, and it is something I am always grateful for when I visit South Africa.

I am genuinely thankful to God that I have been able to meet such wonderful people who curate these incredible events and who have invited me into their homes and shown me such care. When I think about African art and design, that intentionality to show love sits at the core for me. It is something I have experienced deeply from my friends and family in Johannesburg.

In what ways does Playtopia challenge your understanding of what games or interactive art can be?

Honestly, I think any time you interact with another game designer, you’re put in a situation where you can challenge the way you solve problems. And ultimately, that is what design is. It’s the art of using empathy and intelligence to solve problems.

At Playtopia, I know different people have different problems and different ways of solving them, and that helps me stay curious, stay humble, and keep an open mind. It keeps my passion strong for learning and for understanding the nuance behind why people are facing the problems they’re facing and why they’re pursuing the solutions they’re pursuing.

One of the most beautiful things is realizing that you have a particular problem and then connecting with someone else who has the same problem, but sees it differently. Because of your different walks of life, you also arrive at different solutions. That’s where growth happens. That’s where learning happens. That’s when you’re able to turn the Rubik’s Cube, so to speak, and see the puzzle from a new angle.

How do you navigate the tension between accessibility and experimentation in your creative projects?

You know, for me, I think it starts with understanding what your goal is and who you’re creating this for. Experimentation has to happen in order for me to reach that goal. I have to try different iterations, learn from those iterations, and grow from what they teach me.

I think accessibility comes in when you start asking, has this experiment gone outside the bounds of the language I’m using to communicate with my intended audience? And usually you’ll know, because this isn’t a solo process. In game development, we create things with our players in mind, and we think about them as we experiment.

Part of it is not being afraid to go beyond what your audience expects, trying something new, seeing what you learn, and then taking the insights from those experiments and creating experiences you can playtest with your audience. Their reactions help you understand how far you can push and what still resonates.

So I think the tension between accessibility and experimentation is healthy. It gets resolved through trial and error, being clear about your goals, trusting your audience to help guide you, and earning your audience’s trust so you can take them where the story or experience needs to go.

To me, that’s a healthy creative relationship: both me and the audience aligned on the goal, and being unafraid—fearless, even—in experimenting in ways that bring us closer to that goal through their feedback and perspective.

How does being surrounded by African creators change your sense of artistic responsibility or narrative ethics?

For me, my artistic responsibility and narrative ethics are inherently tied to my desire to live in the purpose God is calling me to. I strongly believe that iron sharpens iron, and when we collaborate or share space with others, we refine our ability to seek and pursue truth.

Authenticity, to me, is caring enough about yourself and another person to make sure the truth is reflected in both your perception and your depiction of the story they are living out. I understand the deeper legacy we carry, and I value the authentic stories and truths that live inside every individual. Those truths are worth protecting, worth celebrating, and worth empowering.

I believe anyone with a voice has a responsibility to come from a place of honesty, no matter the genre or medium. What are we truly saying? What are our honest intentions? Being vulnerable and surrendering to that purpose is, for me, the highest calling an artist can pursue. Surrendering to truth is powerful. It carries a weight that is sacred, and it is a power that must be used with intention and responsibility.

What lessons from the African indie games community do you think the global creative industry should pay attention to?

I think having a strong sense of identity, taking in the world around you, looking at the world inside of you, and creating something that doesn’t follow the rhythm of what the market says is successful or what’s trending on the algorithms is extremely powerful. Being able to say, “What is true to me and the people I care about? What is true to the people who came before me? And what can I do to empower those who come after me?” – that mindset matters. And it’s something people all over the world should pay attention to.

When I see people building from a place that asks, “What is authentically meaningful to my community? What am I truly called to do?” instead of, “What do I think will get greenlit or funded or be profitable or popular?”, that inspires me. Sustainability is important. Funding your game is important. But that cannot be the focus. That should be the means, not the purpose.

What I want to see, and what I value, is art created from a meaningful place. And I think that’s something you definitely find here in South Africa.

If you were to create a project inspired by your Playtopia experiences, what themes or emotions would you want to explore?

Personally, I want to explore social connections that grow stronger over time and the importance of finding your tribe. Being able to express aligned values that keep everyone together and growing is deeply meaningful to me. Finding ways to foster real connections for people who are searching for a sense of belonging is something I care about on a soul level.

I hope every game I create gives people a chance to find friends, to find family, and to learn something about themselves in a way that helps them love themselves more deeply and more honestly. I also want people to give themselves grace for the parts of themselves that often go overlooked, the parts that might be hard to face, the parts that may require a shift in mindset before they can be fully appreciated and embraced.

That’s why I’m so inspired to talk about the art of community. I believe that when you curate spaces where people can truly see themselves, it becomes easier for them to appreciate themselves as a whole. It allows them to recognize their value in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.

And I think that is why we are meant to come together as a community – to show love, to create belonging, and to move in a spirit of peace.

Check out the full program and consider joining Playtopia, which will run from December 5th to 6th December 2025 in Cape Town.