Emma Johansson - Creative Director at Runaway Play

Are there any women in the industry that have inspired you?

When I started at Runaway, I was the only woman working at the company. A few years later we got assigned Maya Litani as our producer. She’s one of the sharpest game designers I’ve met, super intelligent, competent, kind AND funny! Meeting her and working alongside her really inspired me. It made me feel like I could do it too! Since then I’ve been super lucky to work with so many inspiring women at Runaway Play. All of them inspire me on a daily basis.

How have the women that have inspired you changed the industry?

I think any woman who is just existing in the game dev space is changing the industry. Anything from creating games for a target audience like ourselves, creating more diverse stories, characters and content to hiring other women, fighting for better maternity leave policies or making sure that the company merchandise hoodies are also available in a female fit! I believe all of us are collectively, in big and small ways, changing it together. 

What other changes would you like to see women make in the future?

I just want us to keep going and change things for the better together! There are more and more women in high positions and leadership roles which is AMAZING but often, the owners behind those businesses are still men. I hope to see more women owning game companies in the future.