When Jessie Contour moved to Austin, she posted online looking for people to play Dungeons & Dragons. The group began meeting at her house, and a shared game became the beginning of real friendships. That experience runs through the different worlds she works in: games, classrooms, and a strength gym where people can feel at home.
Jessie is a game designer, creative technologist, and educator at the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches immersive media, game development, and the technical skills that turn an idea into something another person can experience. Tab wants to understand how those pieces fit together, especially when the game has to work beyond a screen.
Her arcade class gives them a place to start. Students have built cabinets, developed their own games, and created unusual controllers that change how people play. Jessie explains what makes an arcade game inviting, why short rounds matter, and what happens when people can gather around the same physical experience. Tab brings his memories of arriving with quarters and discovering games you had to leave the house to play.
They also discuss making independent games for a particular audience and learning to recognize when a player simply wants a different experience. Jessie connects that creative work with another part of her life: competing in strength sports and helping build Home Barbell Club. Training in a supportive gym changed her own experience of the sport. She wanted to create that kind of place in Austin, welcoming both experienced competitors and the person who lives around the corner.
Jessie saw a similar change when students returned to an in-person showcase. Some had been nervous about presenting their work. Once the event began, they were playing games, laughing, and celebrating what they had made together. The following year, students volunteered to participate. They had experienced the pleasure of sharing something they created and wanted to come back.
