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Think Like A Game Designer

Latest episodes

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Feb 18, 2020 • 1h 46min

Devin Low — From Magic to Marvel: Game Narratives, Corporate Design Insights, and the Power of Effective Communication (#13)

Devin Low is an award-winning designer who’s worked on some of the most popular games in the world. He was the head developer of Magic: The Gathering, and the lead designer of Legendary: The Marvel Deck-Building Game and Plants vs. Zombies Heroes.  Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Jan 20, 2020 • 1h 26min

Wright Bagwell — From Quake Mods to Game Streaming: Bridging Neuroscience and Game Design, Entrepreneurial Journeys, and Crafting Player-Centric Experiences (#12)

Wright Bagwell started his career by designing mods for Quake. He is the CEO and co-founder of Outpost Games. He was the design director of the Farmville franchise at Zynga. Prior to that, he worked on Dead Space as a creative director at Visceral Games and was the lead designer at Electronic Arts. In case that wasn’t awesome enough, he also has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. So… Yeah, this guy is pretty amazing and has a lot to offer. Enjoy! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Dec 30, 2019 • 1h 28min

Richard Garfield — Delving into Game Narratives, The Essence of Memorable Gameplay, and Building Bridges with Fellow Designers (#11)

Richard is the creator of Magic: The Gathering, KeyForge, Netrunner, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Battletech(CCG) and a lot more. He is a pioneer in the collectible card game genre and one of the most well-known game designers in the world. In this episode of the show, we discuss his life in game design, the development of Magic: The Gathering and KeyForge, and a variety of topics dealing with the challenges of creating collectible card games. This episode is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable episodes I’ve recorded for Think Like a Game Designer – grab a notebook and take a listen! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Dec 12, 2019 • 1h 5min

Ryan Sutherland — From Instinct to Innovation: Balancing Mechanics and Theme in Game Design at Stone Blade (#10)

Ryan Sutherland is one of the top up-and-coming game designers in the industry and lucky for me, he works at Stone Blade. Ryan was one of the lead designers on the newest expansion to Shards of Infinity, called Shadow of Salvation. In this episode, we speak about his journey into game design, developing games at Stone Blade, and what it’s like to work on digital games versus physical games. Ryan has a lot of awesome insights that can help anyone who’s looking to develop their game design skills. Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Nov 15, 2019 • 1h 30min

Jordan Weisman — Crafting Iconic Worlds, The Interplay of Story and Mechanics, Lessons from Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Virtual Reality (#9)

I’ve looked up to Jordan Weisman for years. He is a revolutionary story-teller, game designer, and Entrepreneur. He created the legendary worlds like Shadowrun and Battletech that have resonated with fans for over 30 years. He launched his first company, FASA, at twenty years old. He created one of the first Virtual Reality Simulation games with Battletech, and he went on to develop the revolutionary Mageknight and Heroclix games and continues to be on the cutting edge of the tabletop and video game industry. He is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in technology, design, and business. Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing this game design legend. Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Oct 8, 2019 • 56min

Liz Spain — From Fashion to Fantasy: Crafting Emotive Gameplay, the Psychology Behind Game Mechanics, and Embracing Adaptability in Game Design (#8)

Today I speak with Liz Spain from Lone Shark Games. Liz entered the game industry through the unusual path of fashion and costume design. Liz tells the remarkable story of designing, producing, and successfully Kickstarting her first game: Incredible Expeditions: Quest for Atlantis. She explains how she was able to raise money and awareness for her first game by attending events that worked thematically with her project's aesthetic. We also speak in-depth about the psychology of game design. Happy Gaming! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Jul 2, 2019 • 1h 7min

Tim Fowers — Navigating the World of Indie Board Game Design, Direct Sales Success, and the Craft of Game Development (#7)

Tim Fowers is the punk rocker of game design. A purely independent tabletop and digital game developer, who distributes his games directly, rather than using big publishers and standard distribution channels. This allows Tim to stand out as a master of indy game design, who develop his games according to his artistic vision. There’s so much to learn in this episode – Enjoy! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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May 21, 2019 • 1h 16min

Paul Peterson — Unveiling Smash Up's Ingenious Mechanics, Game Design Evolution, and the Creative Challenges of Shuffle Building (#6)

Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, Smash Up, Guillotine, and The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game are just a few of the games Paul Peterson had a hand in creating. In this episode, Paul talks about building a community and company that supports game design and creativity, from big studio work to boutique game design companies. His work in the field of game design has given him incredible insight into what it takes to design and produce awesome games. Enjoy! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Apr 23, 2019 • 1h 26min

Raph Koster — Game Design Insights: Iteration, Constraints, and Real-World Inspiration (#5)

Raph Koster has undoubtedly changed the world of gaming. He was the lead designer of the legendary Ultima Online and the creative director behind Star Wars Galaxies. In 2004, he wrote _A Theory of Fun for Game Design_ which highlights Edutainment as the driving force behind great games. He speaks all over the world on the subject of game design and I’m super excited to have him here with us to share his knowledge. Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe
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Mar 19, 2019 • 1h 28min

James Ernest — Mastering Game Design, Navigating Bias Randomness, and Unconventional Pathways in the World of Gaming (#4)

James Ernest is a man of many talents. He’s a screenwriter, poker player, juggler and game designer. He’s worked with Wizards of the Coast, Paizo Publishing, and even developed the game _Tak_ with legendary fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss. In this podcast, James talks about how he and his company, Cheapass Games, work to designs new games, develop rulesets, and manage the expectations of players. This episode is a treasure trove of game design knowledge. Check it out! Get full access to Think Like A Game Designer at justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe

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