Julia Keren-Detar landed on our radar back in February when she gave a talk at the Kinderhook Library about how history and culture shaped early American board games. Turns out the Valatie resident isn’t just an expert on old-school games—she’s a modern-day video game designer loving life in Columbia County. Meet the local mom of two who builds spectacular worlds with equal parts software and passion.
HVM: How did you get into video games?
JK-D: I discovered HyperCard [an innovative application tool for the Mac, created by Apple in 1987] back in high school. Being able to build worlds with software was so powerful. I didn’t have a computer until then and didn’t know they could do such cool things.
HVM: Then what happened?
JK-D: In college [the Cleveland Institute of Art] it occurred to me that games could present a great way for kids who had a hard time learning, like I did, to access curriculum concepts in a different, more hands-on and more visual way. That idea inspired me. My college thesis was to make an educational game about life sciences for 2nd graders, working with teachers in Ohio to design a program that would supplement their existing materials. It was play-tested by over 100 kids. During that time, scholarship funding covered the cost for me to attend an International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA) conference, where I learned more about the industry as a whole and wanted to be part of it.
HVM: So that conference was your tipping point.
JK-D: I didn’t know much about the industry before that, only that I wanted to make games in addition to playing them. Through IGDA I got paired with a mentor and was introduced to what was then called casual games. At the time (the early 2000s), these were PC-downloaded or online games like solitaire, mahjong, and minesweeper.
HVM: How did that connect with educational games?
JK-D: I wanted to learn how to make traditional commercial games first, so I could better understand how to design engaging games for education. My first job was a Flash developer at a company called Arkadium in New York City. I really loved the work and ended up staying in that industry for longer than planned.
HVM: In the meantime, as your career was evolving, you met and married a man whose childhood dream was to develop games. How did you end up working together?
JK-D: My husband (Itay Keren) and I launched our studio, Untame, during our Brooklyn days. Our first game was an award-winner called “Rope Rescue.” Another important game for us was “Mushroom 11,” which you play as a mushroom that explores the earth after the end of civilization.
HVM: What’s something people who aren’t into gaming might not know about your industry?
JK-D: Games, just like movies and books, can transport you to new places and are a great way to tell stories. Some of the best games provide a window on what other experiences can be like, which can move you deeply and change how you might view the world. Some examples that come to mind include “Sign: A Game about Being Understood” by Thorny Games which explores what it might have been like to grow up deaf in 1970 in Nicaragua when there was no national sign language. “That Dragon, Cancer” by Numinous Games works through grieving for a sick child. “Venba” by Visai Games is about immigrating to a new country but continuing to cook your childhood dishes.
HVM: So interesting! But let’s switch gears. What do you love about life in Valatie?
JK-D: Moving up here from Brooklyn has been a dream come true. The views are amazing, and there is always so much to do. I love to garden and this year the kids are old enough that they want to help and have already picked out veggies and flowers they want to grow. Also, our school district, Ichabod Crane, offers great support for my son’s special needs and there’s a notable effort within the school to educate kids about neurodiversity, aiming to eradicate stigma and foster acceptance which makes me so proud. Even more, it’s wonderful to live in an area where you can have real, meaningful relationships with neighbors and discover what they do. There is so much talent up here you never know who you’ll run into!
Related: Field + Supply Founder Brad Ford Dishes on that Market’s History
