Archives: Episode

054: The Designers of Thirst

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.

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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

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053: Rose Gauntlet

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.

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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

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052: Sailor Moon Sabrina Culyba • Ludoliminal

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.

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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

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051: Archduke John De Campos, Death to Videodrome

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.

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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.”

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050: Luis Alejandro Martinez Flores, Creator of Fluffy Dragons

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.

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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

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049: The Story of “Serial Killer” with Jack Malacat

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.

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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

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048: The Man, The Brand, the Gay Edge Lord – Daddy Chaddy

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.

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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

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047: Providing Value, Building Community with Kervin from For Why Games

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. 

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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

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046: The Creative Partnership and First Principles behind X: Seekers of Fortune

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.

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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

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045: Marketing for a Successful Kickstarter with the Co-creator of Trash Cult

Fox Hen Creatives

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.

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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

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