Nicolas Merle is a South African writer, comedian, and avid geek. With his Masters in playwriting and a passion for gaming, Nicolas is an expert in narrative analysis in all forms of media, finding a particular joy from the fantastical and the speculative. A well-rounded sort of geek, he is also a nerd for musical theatre, social-economic theory, and world history.

Video games have been one of Nic's favourite forms of art since he was a child, holding a particular affection for RPGs and RTSs/RTTs, pouring thousands of hours into prolonged campaigns. Nic is an expert in exploring themes, emergent storytelling and narrative tropes, with experience in examining the video game industry and extensive experience in creative writing

Nic has an unexplainable fondness for "so-bad-it's-good" media, or "so-buggy-it's-a-feature" video games, finding lessons within them and exploring the philosophy of the design.