“Better, Faster, Cheaper, Healthier” - The Xalavier Nelson Jr. Interview

This week! Liv Kennedy, Candace the Magnificent and Jeremy Cobb are joined by the amazing Xalavier Nelson Jr! The Halflings go behind the scenes of what it really takes to make games, from early ideation through to release, and what it means to build a studio from the ground up as a Black creator. Xalavier shares how his identity and lived experience have shaped both his work and leadership, and why that perspective is so important in today’s industry. The conversation also explores how Strange Scaffold operates differently from more traditional studios, offering a fascinating look at how rethinking structure and process can unlock entirely new kinds of games. Along the way, The Halflings dig into building and nurturing creative communities, supporting fellow developers, and the continued rise of indie games, why they are thriving, what sets them apart, and where the future of the industry might be heading. Media Mentioned in today's episode: Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠City of the Black Rose Campaign setting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in collaboration with ⁠⁠⁠Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like! Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent Find all of our links here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can buy all our lovely merchandise ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠as featured on Critical Role! Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“Better, Faster, Cheaper, Healthier” - The Xalavier Nelson Jr. Interview is an episode from Three Black Halflings by Three Black Halflings.

This episode is 56:31 long.

This episode was published on Mar 26, 2026.

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