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.

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

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034: We’re Back!

Listen now (45 min) | Our heroes kick-off season 3 of the podcast discussing changes to the podcast, what they’ve been playing, the Devil In Me, and the Season Challenge: Outlast Trials! Read the transcript.

Things discussed on this episode:

  • 02:44 What we’ve been playing since last season
  • 02:56 Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within
  • 03:21 Titanic: Adventure out of Time
  • 03:54 Regency Call of Cthulhu
  • 04:27 Flourish
  • 05:34 Gears of War 5
  • 05:49 The Stick of Truth and the Fractured But Whole
  • 05:55 Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
  • 10:41 The Devil In Me
  • 28:18 The Season Challenge: Outlast Trials

Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.

Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.

Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

029: Game Mechanics We Love

Listen now (34 min) | After communing with the game designer, our heroes blast through a dense asteroid field made up of simulator, voice chat, collaboration, totaling, karma, and other game mechanic rocks. Read the transcript.

Games discussed on this episode:

  • 1:33 Stray
  • 2:21 Goat Simulator
  • 2:35 Maneater
  • 4:20 Fly Simulator
  • 7:34 Hell Let Lose
  • 9:40 Battlefield 4
  • 10:39 Friday the 13th
  • 13:14 Dead by Daylight
  • 15:48 Spy Vs. Spy
  • 16:28 Oregon Trail Card Game
  • 16:47 Munchkin
  • 17:33 ROBOT RISE!
  • 19:34 Vampire the Masquerade
  • 24:35 Ticket To Ride
  • 25:57 Settlers of Catan
  • 27:32 Lords of Waterdeep
  • 28:05 Call of Cthulu
  • 30:21 Marvel Superheroes RPG

Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.

Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.

Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

017: N7 – The Holy Day of Mass Effect

Listen now (43 min) | Upon entering the castle our heroes are instantly transported to a universe of advanced technologies, odd alien species, and sentient artificial beings. Could this be home to the most usable game? Read the transcript.

Games discussed on this episode:

  • 0:50 Mass Effect
  • 7:54 Until Dawn
  • 10:27 Call of Cthulhu
  • 13:20 Final Fantasy
  • 16:50 Starfinder
  • 20:42 The Witcher
  • 31:40 Mass Effect 4
  • 33:27 Pokemon
  • 34:19 Mass Effect 5e
  • 36:23 Legend of Zelda

Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
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Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.

Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Categories

015: Usable Games with Michael Fienen and Aaron Hill

Listen now (112 min) | Just as our heroes walk down the street of a newly found village, suddenly a pair of drunken adventurers (Michael Fienen and Aaron Hill) stumble out of the Drunken UX tavern, knocking them all down. Read the transcript.

Games discussed on this episode:

  • 6:12 Monopoly
  • 10:40 Chinatown
  • 17:12 Diablo 2
  • 20:28 Sonic the Hedgehog
  • 22:18 For Honor
  • 26:14 Betrayal at House on the Hill
  • 30:38 Dominant Species
  • 31:29 Roll for the Galaxy
  • 32:46 Zombicide
  • 34:29 Call of Cthulu
  • 37:07 Gloomhaven
  • 39:22 Psychokiller
  • 41:49 AD&D 2nd Edition
  • 44:08 Camel Up
  • 46:25 Condottiere
  • 48:34 Kill Doctor Lucky
  • 50:41 Lords of Waterdeep
  • 52:06 Firefly
  • 55:29 Fury of Dracula
  • 57:01 Valiant Hearts
  • 1:02:50 Munchkin
  • 1:03:25 King of Tokyo
  • 1:06:42 Smash Up

Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.

Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.

Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/

Categories

013: Roll for Sanity

Listen now (29 min) | Our heroes are suddenly interrupted by a jump scare, which forces them to run, hide, and navigate various horror mechanics. Read the transcript.

Games discussed on this episode:

  • 5:11 The Thing
  • 6:31 Call of Cthulhu
  • 7:19 Silent Hill
  • 8:58 Lit
  • 10:00 Outlast
  • 16:00 Resident Evil
  • 17:39 Thief
  • 20:32 Zombies Ate My Neighbors
  • 21:17 Dead Rising
  • 24:42 Fury of Dracula
  • 25:50 Outlast 2
  • 27:15 Dead by Daylight

Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.

Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.

Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/