S9E6: Steven Medway, Creator of Blood on the Clocktower

" It's a quirky and complex puzzle."  In the sleepy town of Ravenswood Bluff, on the stroke of midnight during a hellish thunderstorm, you hear a scream. You all rushed to the town square to find that your beloved storyteller has been murdered! This is the work of a nefarious demon... a demon that kills by night and takes on human form by day. Blood on the Clocktower is a game of lies and truth, team building and betrayal, and a game of secret identities. It is also, in our opinion, the best social deduction game in the world. Steven Medway, the creator of Blood on the Clocktower, joins us to talk about fine-tuning the balance of the game, the role of dead players, how the game experience changes depending on which country you're playing in, and so much more. What sets Blood on the Clocktower apart from other social deduction games is how well-balanced it feels as a player. Much of the information given and gathered by the "good team" works like a sort of logic puzzle, as the players piece together the truth in a variety of ways. However, the "evil team" is given many opportunities to spread misinformation, which really levels the playing field. There are also affordances made for "dead players" as well as people joining the game late or leaving early. Steven shares insights about his design process when creating characters and mechanics for Blood on the Clocktower. He also answers questions from our listeners. I was particularly fascinated by the segment where he talks about how the gaming experience varies by country. Whether you're a game designer interested in balancing strategy games or just a fan of Blood on the Clocktower, I highly recommend checking out this interview. Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you.    Weldwood Marketing Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business. Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners: Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Become a Patron Today! Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including:  The REPOD Bonus Show The Spoilers Club The Travelogue Series Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht