The Game Design Round Table

Former cohost Rob Daviau joins Dirk and David to discuss card games in the context of his upcoming game Unmatched Adventures.  After catching up on the state of Rob’s company Restoration Games, the trio start their deep dive into the card game Unmatched, including its origins with Star Wars: Epic Duels and what makes the system deep enough for tournament play but simple enough for casual or family play. Rob also talks about adding co-op to the system with Unmatched Adventures, and the challenges that came with making it backwards compatible with previous Unmatched sets. The group ends the show talking about cards as components. Link for crowdfunding campaign: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/856d2baa-cefb-4ae3-a7af-09966bf90339/landing  

Kathryn rejoins Dirk and David to answer several questions from listeners in our Discord channel. Former cohost Rob Daviau also records a bonus answer to a question about legacy games.

In another round table episode, Kathryn joins Dirk and David to discuss three previous episodes on the podcast. The first topic is a discussion on information presentation, specifically how much info to include on cards. The middle topic covers unique types of games that the hosts have always enjoyed and wished they could see more of. Finally, the trio talks at length about the tricky art of knowing when to ship a game and how to set a deadline.

Fertessa Allyse joins Dirk and David to talk about her path in the tabletop industry. She talks about the relatively quick progress she made by iterating over and over on her core idea for Book of Villainy. Then the group discusses her other design projects, Wicked and Wise as well as Mansplaining, before moving on to her current role at Funko Games. Fertessa talks at length about how Funko Games’ IP-focused designs are handled, and how her work as a producer has helped her become a better designer as well

Designer Nikki Valens joins Dirk and David once again to talk about a couple of Nikki’s projects since they were last on the show. The discussion focuses on Artisans of Splendent Vale, a co-op narrative and tactical game coming out this December. The trio also talk about Quirky Circuits, a co-op programming game that came out a few years ago. Other topics include the effect of the pandemic on design and development, as well as Nikki’s experience at Fantasy Flight.

Board game designer Julio Nazario joins Dirk and David to talk about his success in publishing a variety of distinct games in a relatively short amount of time. The trio talk about the vertical, 3D elements of Ctrl and Holi: Festival of Colors, and then the conversation turns to how layering mechanics makes Dulce a deeper game with a shorter playtime. Then a detailed discussion on pitching to publishers eventually leads to an explanation of Julio’s game Borikén: The Taíno Resistance. 

Game designer Aran Koning discusses his digital card game, Stacklands, and how cards drive its mechanics. Topics include pack-buying mechanics, progression surprises, and balancing theme and playability. The podcast also explores the versatility of cards in game design and discusses the business side of being part of the indie design team Sokpop Collective.

Bianca Canoza, also known as Momatoes online, joins David and Kathryn to discuss her pathway into games, the lessons she’s learned, and the Southeast Asian RPG community. Bianca talks about different games she’s worked on, from the Honey Heist-inspired Capybara Capers to the tense, doom-defying ARC to the contemplative There Is a Light at the Edge of the World. Discussion also covers online communities and the Across RPGSEA site, which features Southeast Asian games.

Dominique joins Dirk and David to talk about TTRPG design. Topics covered include Dominique’s pathway into the field through a student internship with Monte Cook Games, the challenges of approaching theme-first design with different RPG rulesets, and how Dominique’s personal connection with many of their games' themes stems from a desire to create specific experiences that aren’t common in other TTRPGs.

Kathryn teams up with Dirk and David to tackle another round of listener questions. Topics include microtransactions, free-to-play games, early game design steps, data in game design, and how designers can learn from other mediums.