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Listen now (24 min) | Origins Game Fair concludes with George Beznik from Gen1400 Gaming talking about their worker placement game Hastilude, Rainbow Quest a nonprofit board game promoting LGBTQ+ diversity and history, and a fundraising program for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals called Extra Life. Read the transcript. Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (23 min) | The Origins Game Fair discussions continue with Christopher Chan volunteer for Unpub, Spencer Reichley with BudStuff Games, Tray Green of Hillary's Toy Box, and Chrys Sellers of Hectic Electron Games. Read the transcript. Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (21 min) | Season 5 continues the Origins Game Fair discussion with Matt Mundy of Sea Cow Games, Absurd Adventure Games, Jordan McLaughlin of Rookie Mage Games, and Matthew Ryan of Envy Born Games. Read the transcript. Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (19min) | Josh Rosing of Lone Colossus Games, Andrew Looney from Looney Labs, and True Dungeon volunteer Andrew Surber discuss gaming. Read the transcript. Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (19min) | Season five starts at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH with Branden Webb and Elliott Hedrick of Amtgard, the world-wide LARPing organization. Read the transcript. Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (26min) | In their fourth season finale, our heroes reflect on the complexities and achievements of their journey in game design. They discuss their experiences making 'Thirst,' and share their insights and aspirations. What happens next changes everything. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:15 - Reflecting on Our Game Design Journey 01:32 - Thirst Game Development Updates 03:25 - Future Plans and Strategic Goals 10:08 - The Never Ending Story 16:01 - What we've been playing Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (42min) | Our heroes in the final interview of the season clamber before Isaac Vega of the Rose Gauntlet Foundation, who shares his 13-year journey in the board game industry, transitioning from a game designer to a publisher. The Rose Gauntlet Foundation's mission is to foster diversity and inclusivity within the gaming community. He offers insights into the financial and strategic aspects of game publishing and emphasizes the importance of passion and message in game design. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 - Introduction to Isaac Vega 00:35 - Founding Rose Gauntlet Entertainment 00:59 - Nonprofit Initiatives and Community Outreach 02:23 - Big Gay Dinner and Inclusivity Efforts 04:32 - Game Design Journey 05:20 - Early Gaming Experiences 06:45 - Current Projects and Game Preferences 08:52 - Rose Gauntlet's Publishing Philosophy 13:08 - Advice for Aspiring Game Designers 16:00 - Budgeting and Marketing for Games 23:17 - Rose Gauntlet Foundation and Events 24:46 - D12: The Q&A Game Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (50min) | Our heroes encounter Sabrina Culyba, a seasoned game designer and founder of the studio Ludoliminal. Culyba shares her journey from designing digital games to creating board games, emphasizing her passion for experience design. She speaks about her first published game, Diatoms, and imparts a crucial lesson: the importance of crafting memorable experiences, whether digital or analog. Culyba's narrative includes nostalgic moments of her early gaming influences, such as Sailor Moon and the societal fears surrounding D&D, underlining the diverse paths and inspirations that shape a game designer’s career. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 - Introduction to Sabrina Solba 00:15 - Starting Ludoliminal 00:37 - Collaborations and Team 00:57 - Passion for UX and Playtesting 01:35 - Early Gaming Memories 02:32 - Journey into Game Design 03:10 - Influence of Sailor Moon 03:40 - Learning Programming and Web Development 03:59 - Choosing a University 04:49 - Reflecting on Dungeons and Dragons 05:23 - Sailor Moon Reboot 06:51 - The Role of UX in Game Design 21:35 - Current Status and Future Plans for Diatoms 31:01 - Plug 32:01 - Deep Dive: Game Design and Storytelling 33:19 - RPG Choices: Paragon or Renegade 34:31 - Fantasy Preferences: High vs Low 34:39 - Favorite Game Characters: Heroes and Villains 36:27 - Overrated and Underrated Games 37:54 - Cheat Codes and Fun Questions 38:59 - Gaming Preferences and Personal Insights 42:47 - Nostalgic Gaming Memories Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (34 min) | John De Campos, founder of Terrible Games, shares his journey from a comic book-obsessed child to an independent board game publisher, designer, and illustrator. Our heroes glean insights on the comparisons between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and the creative collaborations involved, into building a brand, maintaining a small business, and the importance of community and collaboration in creative ventures. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 - Introduction to John De Campos and Terrible Games 00:56 - Early Life and Inspirations 01:33 - Journey into Board Game Design 02:48 - Building the Terrible Games Team 04:34 - Challenges and Successes in Game Publishing 06:36 - Insights on Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing 08:25 - Creative Collaborations and Game Development 20:49 - The Influence of Magic: The Gathering 28:01 - "Death to videodrome." Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (31 min) | Midway on their journey, our heroes are reality-checked by Luis Alejandro Martinez Flores (LAMF Games), the creator of Fluffy Dragons. He recounts his pivot to a simpler, more accessible, easier-to-produce game after industry research. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 Introduction 00:07 The Birth of Fluffy Dragons 00:25 From Heavy to Light: Game Design Journey 01:52 Early Inspirations and Gaming Background 02:58 Kickstarter and Playtesting Insights 03:41 Advice and Reflections on Game Design 09:01 Challenges and Future Plans 14:44 Personal Gaming Preferences and Memories 24:58 Final Thoughts and Farewell Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (35 min) | TIn this episode, our heroes embark on a creative odyssey, gleaning insights from Jack Malacat’s unconventional journey into game design. They unravel the tapestry of Malacat’s experiences, from hosting lively parties to crafting the darkly engaging ‘Serial Killer’ game, navigating the realms of business and imagination. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 - Introduction to Jack Malacat and the game Serial Killer 00:34 - Jack’s background and the inception of Serial Killer 01:51 - Venom Haus, the game studio behind Serial Killer 05:00 - Kickstarter campaign and community engagement 09:00 - Iterative game design and manufacturing challenges 15:00 - Future plans for Serial Killer and community expansions 15:17 - Connecting with Jack Malacat and Serial Killer resources 17:58 - Gameplay mechanics and player attributes 18:42 - Jack’s UX title and favorite games 19:28 - Jack’s earliest gaming memories and current favorites 20:22 - The creative process and game design tools 21:03 - Favorite dice and game design philosophy 23:32 - Horror influences and upcoming projects 26:06 - Essential tools for game designers 26:30 - Final words and closing thoughts Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (41 min) | This fork in the road takes our heroes before an aspiring professional gamer to understand the core element of the player experience: the player. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:00 - The Man, the Brand, the Gay Edgelord 01:10 - Baby Chad’s Exposure to Games 02:02 - Zelda Left the Right Impression 02:50 - The Physicality of Early Video Games 04:20 - How the Dynamic of Chad’s Gaming Experience Changed 06:00 - The Cultural Zeitgeist of Elden Ring 08:48 - The Nostalgia Weapon 18:09 - Choosing Which Games to Stream 21:00 - The Catalyst for Doubling Down on Streaming 23:00 - The Trade-Off of Turning Streaming into a Job 25:50 - Dealing with Envy or Impostor Syndrome Stoked by Other People’s Success 27:00 - How to Connect with Daddy Chaddy 28:00 - D12 Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (34:50 min) | For Why Games' founder advises our heroes to endeavor to provide real value to one's community so that the community will turn out.  Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:37 - Kervin discusses his journey into TikTok and board game design 01:31 - Inspiration for creating a Allow Me to Mansplain 04:52 - Why "For Why Games"? 06:21 - Marsh Hallow 09:07 - Explanation of roll-and-write mechanics and their unique approach 12:48 - Kervin's approach to playtesting and community building 16:48 - How to connect with Kervin and For Why Games 18:08 - We play D12 Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (38:36 min) | A clear path forward to funding begins to emerge, but it is a long road. Our heroes sit at the feet of the designers of X: Seekers of Fortune, Joel and Danny (Mega Moth Studios), who have been on this journey much longer, and have much to share. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:27 - Mega Moth Studios 01:58 - Navigating creative differences 04:50 - First principles and the importance of designing the card backs for X: Seekers of Fortune well 06:00 - How do you even define the minimum viable product for a game? 07:19 - Why choose to make a trading card game (TCG)? 10:09 - X: Seekers of Fortune 13:12 - Production progress report 15:53 - D12 Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Listen now (33 min) | There is much for our heroes to learn, so first they must seek out Hannah Strack - the Supreme Design Queen, creator of Trash Cult - and pay homage. Read the transcript. Things discussed on this episode: 00:22 - Trash Cult 01:07 - Starting FoxHen Creatives 08:57 - Marketing a game 12:53 - Talking numbers around marketing and ad spend 17:53 - How to get in contact with FoxHen Creatives 18:55 - D12 Support the show on Patreon! Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames. Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames. Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/