The Game Design Round Table

Dirk and David are joined by Gerson Da Silva, Director at Ironhide Game Studio and co-founder of Totem Games. Gerson is best known for his work on the Kingdom Rush series, as well as Water 2050. This episode delves into alternative paths into game design, as well as how to adapt a game to audiences of different investment levels. Topics include the benefit of reaching out to subject experts, innovating on a genre, choosing a market, and how to leave design space for variety and maximizing mass appeal. 

Dirk and David gather for another round of listener questions! They answer how to balance mechanical options and variety in a game, trends in how genres are under- or over-utilized, and the impact of live streaming on designing and marketing a game. Topics include the evolution of Legend of the Five Rings, the gameplay loops of extraction shooters and battle royales, and polarizing opinions on the idle/clicker genre.

Dirk is joined by Pete Angstadt and Michael Peddicard, co-founders of Lion Shield Studios, to talk about the design and success of Kingdoms and Castles. They discuss designing in the city builder genre, as well as how they structure their studio. Topics include how they decided on an art style, ethical employment and business growth, the power of their game systems, and the history of ancient Rome.

Dirk and David join Kaitlin Tremblay, fiction and collaborative game design author and co-founder of Soft Rains Games. In this inaugural episode in the new series of Worldbuilding, the table discusses what role worldbuilding plays in creating a game world, and how a project changes when forced into a group environment. Topics include AAA vs Indie worldbuilding, finding curiosity, how the real world influences fictional worlds, and learning to let go.

Dirk and David interview Mark Rosewater, the long-time lead designer of the legendary card game Magic: the Gathering. Mark shares his wisdom on how to make a game that can continue to be designed over time, as well as how games can excite different kinds of players. Topics include how Mark got his start in game design, the usage of player psychographics, how to design tools not solutions, and different design techniques to improve the longevity of a game.

Dirk and David take a stroll down memory lane and discuss their personal journeys, as well as the evolution the show has taken. They discuss the process of taking on a leadership role, the influence of the market on the enjoyment of game design, how game design as a practice and industry has changed over the last decade and more, and the future of The Game Design Round Table.

Tana Tanoi, technical designer at Dinosaur Polo Club, joins Dirk to discuss designing Mini Motorways and Mini Metro, as well as what goes into designing games that simulate the real world. Topics include the power of simulation, the difficulties in making a realistic yet entertaining city builder, differences in scale between mobile and desktop games, and knowing when a prototype has hit the mark.

Carlos Flores, director of NABERS, and Jess Metherigham, chair of Unlock Democracy, join Dirk in discussing the Green Games Guide, a resource geared towards  sustainability in games, and the reality of what it takes to make a game truly sustainable.  Topics include real-world concerns of environmental policy, what options are available to companies both large and small, the expenses involved with making a sustainable game, and transitioning consumers into new materials and product quality.

Matt, Creative Director for Inworld AI, joins Dirk and David to talk about the potential of generative AI to push the boundaries of what games can do. The three discuss how AI has developed, and what possibilities the technology may hold. Topics include the history of AI, how Inworld serves game developers, current practical uses for AI tools, and how player-driven experiences can be created to draw people together.

AR game designer Graham Moore joins Dirk and David to talk about his work merging tabletop wargaming with augmented reality technology. Topics discussed include how AR can benefit wargaming, the balance of information clarity and tactical decision making, and how things like variable setup options and additional data can help gamers feel better about victory and defeat. Graham also talks about the experience of working with his son on their game project and offers some advice for game designers.