Name: SpilBar 65: Hell Is Other Players - The Psychology of Multiplayer Design
Start: 2026-02-19T17:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-02-19T20:30:00+01:00
Location: Den Danske Filmskole

SpilBar 65: Hell Is Other Players - The Psychology of Multiplayer Design

At SpilBar 65, we dive into the joys, pains, and pitfalls of multiplayer games – from couch co-op chaos to larger online arenas. How do we design better shared experiences, and how can the psychology of teamwork strengthen the bonds between players?
Programme
16:45
Doors open
17:00
Welcome w. Thomas Vigild, SpilBar coordinator
17:05
The co-op mechanics of Void Crew
Laurids Binderup, Hutlihut Games
A talk about the co-op multiplayer design of Void Crew, with a focus on the challenge of making players feel like they are uniquely contributing to the shared success/defeat of the crew in a session.
17:30
Same Game, Different Roles: Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Roles in Co-op Games
Leonora Collitz Boesen, Visual Design and Interaction at the Royal Danish Academy/ Game designer intern at LEGO
This talk explores how symmetric and asymmetric player roles shape collaboration, communication, and the experience of playing together in co-op games.
I’ll present findings from playtests comparing two versions of the same game I created: one with symmetric roles and one with asymmetric roles. By observing how players interact and talk to each other during play, the project examines how collaboration unfolds differently depending on whether players share the same abilities or have interdependent roles.
The talk highlights how role structure influences coordination and engagement, and whether players feel equally involved and important to the shared goal.

17:55
Short Break
18:10
A Friendship Building Experience: Non verbal narratives and puzzles for two players in LEGO® Voyagers
Karsten Lund, Light Brick
It’s been an interesting journey bringing the second game from Light Brick to life. This talk takes you through the vision, ideas and problem solving that went into making two one-by-one bricks collaborate with co-op mechanics and move the audience with a nonverbal narrative about friendship and play.
18:35
The co-op mechanics of Bobls
Tore Lehmann, Softlock Interactive
We will dive into the development of the physics-based platformer Bobls to explore the fundamental differences between single-player and co-operative game design. Bobls is a 2D precision platformer featuring a complementary co-op campaign and an online level editor. By comparing the game’s two distinct campaigns, game designer Tore Lehmann will examine how mechanics must evolve to accommodate the shift from solo precision to collaborative strategy. The talk offers a transparent look at the creative process, supported by anecdotes and a visual journey into the making of.

19:00
News, announcements, and info
19:10
Mingling + Game Showcases
Sign up here https://forms.gle/hpHg7vF9pf3TybabA, if you are up for showcasing your game
20:30
Goodbye

BIOS
Laurids Binderup
Partner and Game Design Lead at Hutlihut Games - 20+ years experience building games and immersive experiences. Worked on games such as LIMBO, Subway Surfers, Blades of Brim, and many others.
Karsten Lund
A creative director with more than 30 years of experience. Worked at Io-interactive, Square Enix Montréal, The LEGO Group, and currently at Light Brick Studio, which he also co-founded.
Leonora Collitz Boesen
Leonora Collitz Boesen is studying Visual Design and Interaction at the Royal Danish Academy. This spring, they are working as a game designer/director intern at LEGO.
Their work focuses on game design and player experience, with an interest in developing and playtesting their own games to explore what drives player engagement and makes games feel meaningful to play. Through research and experimentation, they investigate why some games encourage stronger collaboration, immersion, and a more engaging player experience than others.

Tore Lehmann
My name is Tore, in some contexts better known as “pr0te,” a username I have, for reasons unknown, never quite outgrown since my teenage gaming years. I am an independent game developer based in Aarhus, and I also work with electronic music. Last year, I released a small side project titled Trimjob, which—despite its potentially eyebrow-raising name—is a harmless, minigolf-inspired game about trimming weeds. Currently, I am working on a larger project, Bobls, published by Bedtime Digital Games. I would describe myself as something of a “jack of all trades, master of none,” as I handle a wide range of tasks, including programming, graphics, sound effects, music, and various other aspects of development. In addition, I have a strong interest in retro games and enjoy speedrunning when time permits.