All Episodes

Drew Corkill — Design Solo Game Systems, Speed, and Shipping at Scale (#101)

50 Episodes of Game Design Wisdom

Eric Lang — Designing for Payoff, Ritual Play, and Returning to Your Roots (#100)

Theresa Duringer — UI as Game Design, Onboarding Without Friction, and the Ethics of AI (#99)

Jaimie Wolanski — Tough Truths, Retail Realities, and How Games Create Connection (#98)

Vlaada Chvátil — Designing for Joy, Building Great Games, and Letting Quality Do the Marketing (#97)

Carly McGinnis — Startup Scrappiness, Trusting Your Team, and the Rhythm of Leadership (#96)

Kyle Thiermann — Deadlines, Mentors, Curiosity, and the Craft of Connection (#95)

Touko Tahkokallio — Curiosity, Physics, and the Power of Mental Playtesting (#94)

Jordan Weisman — From Battletech to Shadowrun: The Power of Curiosity and Collaboration (#93)

Jonathan Grant — Critics, Experiments, Secrets, and the Business of Play (#92)

Elan Lee — Building Exploding Kittens, Marketing as Design, Retail Pitches, and Playing to Sell (#91)

Justin Gary — 5 Lessons From 15 Years (#90)

Tim Ferriss — Designing Coyote, Playing to Learn, Publishing Truths, and Saying "No" (#89)

Cole Wehrle — Cute Creatures, Brutal Games, Asymmetric Design, and Subverting Expectations (#88)

Amy Lowe — Finding Your X Factor, Marketing with Heart, and Serving the Right Players (#87)

Derek Sivers — Embracing Simplicity, Owning Your Weirdness, and Designing a Life with Intent (#86)

Dominic Crapuchettes — Designing for Constraints, Rebuilding After Failure, and Finding the Magic in Games (#85)

SolForge Fusion Shadows Over Solis

Kohji Nagata — Building Parallel, Designing with Obsession, and Falling in Love with Your Creations (#84)

Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)

Justin Ziran — Digital Magic: Fear and Success, Leading with Bold Decisions, and Redefining Innovation (#82)

James Introcaso — Game Masters, the Rise of Indie RPGs and Showing Up for Luck (#81)

Jesse Alexander — Mastering the Creative Hustle, Fighting for Bold Ideas, and Thriving in a Changing Industry (#80)

Ryan Soave — Embracing Discomfort, Overcoming Mental Blocks, and Unlocking Creative Growth (#79)

Matt Forbeck — From Warhammer to Marvel: Bold Risks, Creative Freedom, and Collaboration (#78)

Alliestrasza — From Hearthstone Streaming to Web3 Gaming: Building Communities and Crafting New Worlds (#77)

Eric Dieulangard — Altered: Marketing the most successful TCG Kickstarter of all time (#75)

Travis George — From League of Legends to Vela Games: Prioritization, Leadership, and the Power of Constraints (#75)

Alexander Seropian — From Halo to Fortnite: Mastering Team Dynamics, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and User Generated Content (#74)

Richard Bartle & Nigel Roberts — The Power of ‘What If,’ Building Communities, and Navigating Decentralization in Game Design (#73)

Alex Yeager — Mastering Game Pitches, Reviving Evergreen Titles, and Creating Social Experiences in Game Design (#72)

Scott Morris — Building a Brand, Navigating Contracts, and the Power of Relationships in Game Design (#71)

LIVE at Gen Con 2024 (Special Episode)

Ethan Mollick — Navigating AI in Game Design, Ethical Integration, and Supporting Artists (#70)

Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes (Special)

Jonathan Tweet — Pioneering RPG Design, Innovating Dungeons & Dragons, and Crafting Educational Stories (#69)

Geoff Engelstein — Game Design Wisdom, Educational Insights, and Industry Advocacy (#68)

Stephan Brissaud — Industry Leadership, Game Development, and Retail Strategies (#67)

Eric Price — Uniting VTubers and Players, Designing Oshi Push and the Importance of GAMA (#66)

Neeraj Kashyap — Web3 Game Design, Navigating Scams, Success Stories, and Pioneering the Path for Gaming in Emerging Tech (#65)

Ben Robbins — World Building in Microscope, Gaming with Strangers and Writing Effective Rules (#64)

Jason Morningstar — Designing Fiasco, Emotional Risks of Creative Projects, and a Culture of Learning and Play (#63)

Jane Chung Hoffacker — From League of Legends to animating Arcane, Rhythms of Guitar Hero, and Mastering IP Creation (#62)

C. Thi Nguyen — Game Design as Art, Fish Taco Adventures, and Exploring Game Design Principles in Daily Life (#61)

Maxine "MJ" Newman — Leading Arkham Horror into New Realms, Unveiling Cooperative Game Magic, and Navigating Career Crossroads (#60)

Anthony Giovannetti — Crafting Slay the Spire, Nurturing Team Dynamics, Balancing Life and Launches, and Embracing the Magic of Mods (#59)

Casey Yano — Designing with Detail in Slay the Spire, Mastering the Gaming Grind, Marketing dos and donts, and Building a High Trust Company Culture (#58)

Steven Pressfield — Conquering Creative Resistance, The Craft of Historical Fiction, and the Interplay of Games and the Muse (#57)

Tim Hutchings — Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Blending Fine Arts with Game Design, Crafting Emotional RPG Experiences, and Teaching Design Through Philosophy (#56)

Michael Borys — The Art of Immersive Gaming Experiences, Blending Storytelling with Interactive Design, and Crafting Alternate Realities (#55)

Morgan Page — Finding the Shared Rhythms of Music and Game Design, Maximizing Creative Collaborations, and the Importance of the Fundamentals (#54)

Mark Otero — The Artistry of Game Development, Navigating the Crossroads of Engagement and Economics, Reimagining In-Game Asset Strategies, and Cultivating Community Through Gaming (#53)

Reiner Knizia — Systems for Publishing 700+ Games, Crafting Profound Gameplay from Simple Rules, Innovations in Scoring and Auction Systems, and The Joy of Tabletop Gaming (#52)

Stefan Engblom — Designing games for millions of people and billions of dollars, Secrets of building game communities, The 2AM Party Principle, Reacting to player feedback (#51)

Soren Johnson (Part II) — Innovating 4X Strategy Games, Insights from Civilization IV, and Designing the Future of Gaming. (#50)

Think Like a Game Designer: Shards of Infinity Kickstarter Special

Soren Johnson (Part I) — Building Civilization Through 4X Design, Bridging Digital and Physical Gaming, Navigating the Evolving TCG Landscape, and Crafting Games for Varied Playtimes (#49)

Jon Barry — Mastering Game Accessories with Forged Gaming: From Community Insights to Crowdfunding Masterpieces, and the Role of AI in Future Gaming (#48)

Gary Arant — Ascending the Ranks at Stone Blade: From Intern to COO, Designing Iconic Card Games, and Challenging Assumptions in Game Development (#47)

Jamey Stegmaier — Kickstarter Beginnings, Revolutionizing Rulebooks, Mastering Solo Gameplay, and Balancing Game Design with Time Management (#46)

Matt Fantastic — The Indy Game Ethos, Punk Rock Designs, Navigating Success Beyond Sales, Collaborative Dynamics, and the Power of Empathy in Game Design (#45)

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Inferno Special

Isaac Vega — From Humble Prototypes to Bioshock Tables, Navigating Unexpected Successes, and the Freedom of Forging One’s Path in Game Design (#44)

Sean K. Reynolds — Crafting Legendary RPGs, Building Worlds & Teams, Valuing Writer Voices, and the Anatomy of Game Design (#43)

Ben Brode — From Pizza Delivery to Hearthstone's Helm: Crafting Digital Card Games, the Essence of Decision-Making, Building Trust in the Gaming Industry, Innovating with Marvel Snap (#42)

Alex Watkins — From Evolutions in Mechanics to Shaping the Future of Organized Play, The Journey of Crafting a New Gaming Experience in Soulforge Fusion (#41)

John D. Clair — Crafting Award-Winning Games, Navigating Legal Pitfalls, Lessons from Downfall, and Innovating with Kinetic Design (#40)

Luke Peterschmidt — From Dungeons & Dragons to Bakugan: Leveraging Game Design in Marketing, Teaching, and Global Phenomenons (#39)

Phil Walker-Harding — Crafting Accessible Games, The Journey from Self-Publishing to Global Success with Sushi Go!, and Mastering the Art of Core Game Mechanics. (#31)

Think Like a Game Designer: Level Up!

Alan Phan — Charting New Territory: From First-time Game Ideas to Million-Dollar Kickstarters and The Power of Nostalgia in The Grand Archive (#37)

Richard Bartle — Pioneering Virtual Worlds: From M.U.D. to MMOs, Understanding Player Motivations, and Navigating the Ethical Maze of Online Interactions (#36)

Alan Gerding — From Core Principles to Kickstarter Success: The Psychology and Strategy Behind Crafting Mothership: Sci-Fi Horror RPG (#35)

Think Like a Game Designer #34: Mike Turian

Brotherwise Games — From Sibling Bets to Publishing Success: Navigating Collaboration, Fostering Relationships with Influencers, and Championing Local Game Stores (#33)

JT Smith — Crafting the Game Design Journey: From Prototyping with Game Crafter to Navigating Digital Playtesting and Harnessing the Power of Audacity (#32)

Richard Garfield — Crafting Game Legacies: The Evolution of Unique Deck Games, Innovating SolForge Fusion, and Deep Dives into Procedural Generation (#31)

Peter Adkison — Building Gen Con, Empowering Game Designers, and the Thrill of Gathering the Gaming Tribe (#30)

Elizabeth Hargrave — Breaking the Mold with Wingspan, Lessons In Successful Game Pitches, Embracing Unique Genres, and Championing Inclusivity in Game Design (#29)

Jason Charles Miller — From Rockstar Stages to Voiceover Booths, Navigating the Entertainment Labyrinth, Time with Ozzy, Breathing Life into Characters, and The Magic of Live Streaming RPGs (#28)

Bruno Faidutti — Merging Game Mechanics, Simplifying Design, The Art of Drafting, and Unraveling the Myth of Unicorns (#27)

Rodney Thompson — Designing Across Platforms, Crafting Worker Placement Games, Delving into RPGs, and Transitioning from Tabletop to Destiny (#26)

John Zinser — From Pizzas to Publishing, Pioneering CCGs, Community Management, and Trusting the Strength of a Team (#25)

Think Like a Game Designer Mastery Course

Monte Cook — Crafting Immersive RPGs, Mastering Game Narratives, Refining Dungeons & Dragons, and the Nuances of Effective Playtesting (#24)

Rob Daviau — Innovating Legacy Gameplay, Revitalizing Classics, Unpacking the 'Elevator Pitch', and Balancing Game Aesthetics with Mechanics (#23)

Matt Place — From Pro Magic Player to Digital TCG Innovator, Embracing Randomness, Teaching the Fun, and Mastering the Autobattler Genre (#22)

Michael Gnade — From Indie Game Journalism to Board Game Creation, Embracing Feedback, Navigating Kickstarter, and The Cost of Game Marketing (#21)

Elan Lee — From Star Wars Intern to Kickstarter Triumph, Embracing Risk in Game Design, The Power of Storytelling, and Crafting Games that Build Communities. (#20)

Scott Gaeta — From Comics to Card Games, The Art of Forecasting, Driving Growth Through Organized Play, and Lessons from Decades in Game Industry (#19)

Isaac Childres — Crafting the Gloomhaven Legacy, The Power of Audience, Daring Game Design Choices, and Ascending to BoardGameGeek’s #1 Spot (#18)

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Special

Eric Lang — Crafting Immersive Game Experiences, From Sugar Packet Prototypes to Epic Viking Sagas, Navigating Kickstarter Successes, and Fostering Empathetic Design Teams (#17)

Tom Lehmann — From Economics to Game Mechanics, Crafting Strategic Choices, and The Nuances of Cooperative Play (#16)

Keith Baker — Crafting Worlds and Weaving Tales: From Ebberon's Origins to Phoenix Dawn Command's Innovations (#15)

Satine Phoenix — Mastering the Art of Storytelling, Building Gaming Communities, The Power of Streaming in Game Design, and The Journey from Passion to Profession in the World of Role-Playing (#14)

Devin Low — From Magic to Marvel: Game Narratives, Corporate Design Insights, and the Power of Effective Communication (#13)

Wright Bagwell — From Quake Mods to Game Streaming: Bridging Neuroscience and Game Design, Entrepreneurial Journeys, and Crafting Player-Centric Experiences (#12)

Richard Garfield — Delving into Game Narratives, The Essence of Memorable Gameplay, and Building Bridges with Fellow Designers (#11)

Ryan Sutherland — From Instinct to Innovation: Balancing Mechanics and Theme in Game Design at Stone Blade (#10)

Jordan Weisman — Crafting Iconic Worlds, The Interplay of Story and Mechanics, Lessons from Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Virtual Reality (#9)

Liz Spain — From Fashion to Fantasy: Crafting Emotive Gameplay, the Psychology Behind Game Mechanics, and Embracing Adaptability in Game Design (#8)

Tim Fowers — Navigating the World of Indie Board Game Design, Direct Sales Success, and the Craft of Game Development (#7)

Paul Peterson — Unveiling Smash Up's Ingenious Mechanics, Game Design Evolution, and the Creative Challenges of Shuffle Building (#6)

Raph Koster — Game Design Insights: Iteration, Constraints, and Real-World Inspiration (#5)

James Ernest — Mastering Game Design, Navigating Bias Randomness, and Unconventional Pathways in the World of Gaming (#4)

Jesse Schell — Mastering Game Design, Unveiling the Secrets of Fun, and Exploring the Gamification of Life (#3)

Mark Rosewater — Decoding Game Design Principles, The Essence of Interaction, Minecraft's Dual Identity, and Pioneering Magic: The Gathering (#2)

Mike Selinker — Pioneering Puzzle Design, Crafting Immersive Game Narratives, Collaborating with Titans, and The Philosophy Behind Game Tension (#1)