#40 – Charlie Czerkawski: Inside Game Economy Design, Monetization & Progression

In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Charlie Czerkawski, veteran game designer behind Shadowgun Legends and Payday 3, and now part of Sharkmob’s design leadership team on Exoborn. Charlie is also the author of Game Economy Design, and he pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build player-friendly yet profitable game economies.

Expect deep dives into:

- What game economy design actually is (and how it differs from monetization)
- The biggest misconceptions developers have about economy design
- Vertical vs. horizontal progression, and why many games get it wrong
- Lessons from case studies like Clash Royale, Marvel Snap, and The Finals
- How to balance free vs. premium currency without alienating players
- Why testing “feels good” is harder than it sounds
- Career lessons from building his own studio and working across Europe
- Writing the go-to book on game economy design

Whether you’re an aspiring game designer, a live-ops manager, or a player curious about how games keep you hooked, this episode is a rare inside look into one of the most complex and misunderstood roles in game development.

Connect with Charlie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-lees-czerkawski-46293524/
His book: https://www.routledge.com/Game-Economy-Design-Metagame-Monetization-and-Live-Operations/Czerkawski/p/book/9781032479903

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:40 What is game economy design?
05:07 Common misconceptions about game economies
07:45 Player experiences & roguelite preferences
11:14 Target audiences & mobile vs. hardcore players
14:57 Single-player vs multiplayer economy design
17:09 Biggest challenges in economy systems
22:40 Vertical vs. horizontal progression explained
24:23 Marvel Snap’s clean economy breakdown
29:04 Cosmetics, battle passes, and player psychology
33:35 Balancing free vs. premium currency
37:02 Testing whether an economy “feels good”
39:31 Charlie’s career journey across Europe
43:59 Lessons from different studio cultures
45:47 Defending economy design decisions with stakeholders
47:46 Leadership, alignment, and team dynamics
51:41 Structuring your work week as a creative lead
57:31 Why economy design is one of the hardest jobs in game dev
59:28 Breaking into game economy design
01:01:53 Writing the book: Game Economy Design
01:03:40 Closing thoughts and how to connect with Charlie

#GameDesign #GameEconomy #MonetizationDesign #VideoGameDevelopment #IndieDev