Better Games Better Gamers Creative Showcase: AI and Human Connection
Immediately after GamesBeat NEXT (November 2–3), Better Games, Better Gamers is partnering with TIGG to host a live panel and demo showcase at Art of SF.
Our mission is to bring people together across disciplines to address blind spots and build a healthier, more connected community for everyone who plays games.
Event Overview
Three-hour networking mixer with a panel and interactive experiences
Builder-focused networking - founders, creators, developers, educators, and practitioners
Intimate scale for meaningful connections and conversations
Dinner Included*
Event Schedule
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. All times are Pacific (PDT)
6:00 – 6:15 PM: Arrivals
6:15 – 6:30 PM: Introduction
6:30 – 7:15 PM: Panel: AI Companionship for Games, Romance, and Mental Health
How are games and AI changing the ways we connect?
7:15 - 9:00 PM: Networking & Playable Demos
Do you have a game, interactive tech, or artwork you'd like to showcase? Reach out with a short pitch and tell us what you're bringing.
9:00 PM: Event ends
About the Panelists
Dr. Elizabeth Kilmer
Elizabeth Kilmer, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher focused on the broad intersection of games and well-being. As Senior Researcher at Take This, she leads research and workshops on resilient gaming communities and developer burnout, helping game industry professionals build healthier, sustainable practices.
Carissa Karban
Carissa Karban is Co-founder and CLO of Astrapuffs, an agentic multiplayer game where AI NPC companions tell stories, solve puzzles, and hold heartfelt conversations. She has a background in coaching, community building, and employee experience, with a consistent emphasis on connection, trust, and human-centered leadership.
Jack Simmons
Jack Simmons is the Co-founder and CEO of Playhouse Media, a consumer AI entertainment company building AI companion experiences with 50K+ paying subscribers. Before Playhouse, he led business development at Blitz.
About the Organizers
Better Games, Better Gamers
Better Games, Better Gamers is a public community resource dedicated to creating a more inclusive video game industry. It strives to examine and bridge relationships between game research, intentional game design, trust and safety, content moderation, and community management, and stresses the importance of building deliberate communities of practice that celebrate creativity and shape how players communicate around our shared love of play.
About the Venue
The Art of San Francisco is a creative environment and gathering place presented by DrawBridge, a 501(c)(3) youth development nonprofit that brings together the diverse communities of The Bay under one roof to celebrate art and the power of creative expression. Each artist exhibited has their work displayed alongside the artwork of the children they champion.
Event rental proceeds are intended to support DrawBridge in its mission. Every visit, art acquisition, and shared conversation supports arts programs at housing and shelter sites, empowering Bay Area children to explore their full spectrum of creativity and expression.
Your support helps us cover the venue rental, with proceeds going toward DrawBridge’s expressive arts programs for children and youth.
Drawbridge
DrawBridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers free expressive arts programs for children and youth in under-resourced communities who are experiencing housing instability. Grounded in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, the program fosters creativity, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
Their vision is a world where every child, regardless of circumstance, has consistent access to spaces where their creative expression is honored, their voices matter, and their inherent strengths are recognized through the arts.
If you'd like to support DrawBridge directly, you can donate to their organization at www.drawbridge.org
Sponsors & Community Partners
Thriving in Games Group
Formerly the Fair Play Alliance, Thriving in Games Group (TIGG) empowers game developers worldwide to create safer, more inclusive gaming experiences that help players and communities thrive. Since 2017, they've been working to cultivate a better online gaming experience — one that is free of harassment, discrimination, and abuse, and where players can truly express themselves through play.
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We are still looking for additional sponsors and event partners! Please let us know if you would like to get involved. Partners will have an opportunity to help curate the space and the discussion and will be included on promotional materials.
Please reach out for more information.