The Game Design Round Table

Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson, friend of the show and founder of Mohawk Games. The trio answers questions and design problems from the community, and follow up on recent episodes. Topics include achievements and collectables, the importance of having an art style, when to innovate and when to fall back on convention, and how to integrate community involvement in the design process.

Dirk and David are joined by Jon Ingold, narrative designer and co-founder of Inkle Studios. They discuss Inkle’s newly released video game A Highland Song, centered around exploration, discovery, and engaging the human form within nature. They discuss the mechanics around rewarding and incentivizing players in an exploration game, ways to hide the quantum ogre, and how to utilize elements of randomness within a story-driven experience.

Dirk and David are joined by Chandana Ekanayake, Game Director of Outerloop Games and long-time designer. They discuss Eka’s newly released Thirsty Suitors, a turn-based adventure game centering around culture, relationships, family, and self-expression. They discuss Eka’s career,  Outerloop’s titles, and what makes Thirsty Suitors so special. Topics include designing in VR, designing the game only you can make, the game’s strengths and weaknesses, and working within budget. 

Listener questions are discussed, including player taxonomies, game jams, and creating expansions. The use of AI-generated art in game design and the benefits and limitations of participating in game jams for full releases are explored. The hosts also debate standalone expansions and taking lessons from mainstream gaming for niche genre games. The challenge of attracting mainstream gamers to hobby niche genre gaming is discussed.

Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman, cofounders of Red Hook Studios, discuss their upcoming game Darkest Dungeon 2. They talk about the risks involved in making a sequel, the use and pitfalls of early access, the importance of balancing strategic and moment-to-moment aspects of a game, creating memorable moments and balancing content, and the future of Red Hook Studios and Darkest Dungeon 2.

Nate Austin, co-creator of tactical RPG Wildermyth, discusses the origins of the game and its mechanics. They talk about character-focused storytelling, different styles of game writing, and the balance between market appeal and complex mechanics. They also explore the journey of turning a side project into a full-fledged game, the impact of narrative direction on game design, and the mechanics behind hero transformations. The speakers touch on balancing player feedback, character-driven stories, and provide valuable game design advice.

Dirk is joined by returning guest host Soren Johnson in today's episode in the Design Talk series. Dirk and Soren speak with Richard Lemarchand, distinguished game designer and now-professor most well-known for his work on the Uncharted series. Richard details his journey through his game design career, and the skills and processes he learned along the way. Special consideration is given to control design, and the importance of them on game feel and playability.

Welcome to episode 300 of The Game Design Round Table! Dirk and David take the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone. They reflect on the role the show has played in their lives, their own journeys as designers, and hear from friends new and old.  Thank you all for listening, whether this is your first episode or you’ve been listening from the beginning. 

Dirk is joined by Ryan Laukat, designer, illustrator, and co-founder of Red Raven Games, for the second installation in this series on worldbuilding. Ryan discusses his introduction and path into game design, the creation of Red Raven Games, and different methods that can be used to worldbuild. Topics include the importance of maps, how storybooks are utilized, the benefits and drawbacks of mixed medium board games, and branching narratives.

Today on the show, Dirk and David are joined by Phil Crifo, game director at Awaceb, most prominently known for his work on Fossil Echo and Tchia. He discusses growing up in New Caledonia, and how it serves as an influence on the creation of Tchia. Topics include the history of New Caledonia and colonization, creating a world based on difficult histories, making an engaging open world, and what soul jumping actually is.