Ludology

Erica and Sen meet up with Jason Perez (Shelf Stories, cultural consultant on Puerto Rico 1897) to talk about cultural consultation, define some of the most prominent terms, and talk about how we can design better games while considering cultural impact.   Timestamp Note Link 00:00:50 Shelf Stories https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnaZ7055IWOdm8XCJfFRDcw  00:01:20 Puerto Rico 1897 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367272/puerto-rico-1897  00:09:30 Uncle Ben dies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dre4TsXm_68  00:09:35 Batman’s parents get shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAyxY5hF3ZE 00:12:58 Andreas Seyfarth https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/117/andreas-seyfarth  00:13:01 Reiner Knizia https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/2/reiner-knizia  0015:05 Jason’s critique of Lost Ruins of  Arnak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU7Mqg3XS4U  00:15:15 Feast for Odin https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/177736/feast-odin  00:15:20 Raiders of the North Sea https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/170042/raiders-north-sea  0016:40 Puerto Rico’s Power Outage Issues https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/12/power-outages-puerto-rico-hurricane-fiona  00:24:15 Cafe con leche https://www.food.com/recipe/cafe-con-leche-puerto-rican-cafe-latte-114354  00:24:34 In The Heights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0CL-ZSuCrQ 00:29:21 “I Wish” songs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22I_Want%22_song  00:29:49 Boriken https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361178/boriken-taino-resistance  00:30:01 The Taino people https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/what-became-of-the-taino-73824867/  00:32:06 Risk https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181/risk  00:33:01 Liz Davidson (Beyond Solitaire) https://www.youtube.com/c/BeyondSolitaire  00:33:06 Jason Matthews (Twilight Struggle) https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/3877/jason-matthews  00:36:43 Chip Theory Games https://chiptheorygames.com/  00:37:53 Unconscious Mind https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329500/unconscious-mind  00:40:06 Jason’s Discussions re: the Designer Diary for Gorinto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNMzATMGYc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wAgg99O0w 00:46:00 Dicetower’s Skymines vs. Mombassa Comparison  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n-vJbGqctE  00:48:27 Ludology Episode with James Mendez Hodes “Orc-kay Computer” https://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-247-orc-kay-computer  00:49:56 Root https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root  00:50:16 Tauren and Native American Imagery https://www.academia.edu/13052741/World_of_Warcraft_the_Tauren_and_Native_American_Imagery  00:52:01 Owl Pizza Chef https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-owl-chef-pizza-cute-image-white-background-funny-cartoon-vector-illustrations-picture-memes-jokes-image69033436  00:52:16 The X-Men as :GBT Champions: From Outcasts to Elites https://rabbitholemag.com/the-x-men-as-lgbt-champions-from-outcasts-to-elites/  00:55:02 Bruno Faidutti’s article on Postcolonial Catan  https://faidutti.com/blog/blog/2017/06/02/postcolonial-catan/  0055:28 Cascadia https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295947/cascadia  0056:43 Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw  00:56:45 Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXGPZaTKik  00:57:18 The Wedding Singer’s rendition of “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB3PdPMjeIY  00:57:30 Howard Zinn’s “The People’s History of the United States” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_of_the_United_States  00:58:28 The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs  01:01:24 Tostones https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16768/puerto-rican-tostones-fried-plantains/  01:01:33 Maduros https://www.dulcetscintilla.com/platanos-maduros-aka-fried-sweet-plantains/  01:02:39 Greg Loring-Albright https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/89308/greg-loring-albright  01:03:01 One Stop Co-op Shop https://www.youtube.com/c/OneStopCoopShop 

Sen and Erica chat with Roberta Taylor about her games, diving deeper into Creature Comforts and the upcoming Maple Valley, specifically. They discuss cozy games and Roberta's philosophy towards design. Roberta's BGG Page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/12374/roberta-taylor

Geoff discusses what he calls the "Sweet Spot" in games, and how it can help your design.

Sen and Erica chat with Brian Neff, the freelance developer who currently handles the Unmatched System for Restoration Games, about the process he uses for playtesting and balancing a game with an ever-expanding roster that boasts just under 40 playable characters to date. They chat about how both quantitative and qualitative data drive the development process and how the game's loyal community has been an invaluable part of the process. Timestamp Note Link 00:01:05 Restoration Games https://restorationgames.com/  00:01:49 Unmatched Game System https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295564/unmatched-game-system  00:02:18 Bruce Lee https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/279645/unmatched-bruce-lee  00:02:19 T-Rex https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284778/unmatched-jurassic-park-dr-sattler-vs-t-rex  00:04:45 Alice https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/274637/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-one  00:04:48 Moon Knight https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326933/unmatched-redemption-row  00:07:00 Cerebus System https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/23550/game-cerberus-engine-heroes  00:08:03 Star Wars Epic Duels https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3284/star-wars-epic-duels  00:08:43 Tannhauser https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25261/tannhauser  00:0901 Magic: The Gathering https://magic.wizards.com/en  00:09:02 Yu-Gi-Oh https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/  00:09:03 Hearthstone https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/en-us  00:09:13 Mondo https://mondoshop.com/  00:16:36 Noah https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/75911/noah-cohen  00:16:41 Rob Daviau https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/442/rob-daviau  00:16:46 Justin Jacobson https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/4083/justin-d-jacobson  00:17:20 The Invisible Man https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294484/unmatched-cobble-fog  00:18:21 Dr. Ellie Sattler https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284778/unmatched-jurassic-park-dr-sattler-vs-t-rex  00:19:10 Beowulf https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/325635/unmatched-little-red-riding-hood-vs-beowulf  00:19:51 Yennenga https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/335764/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-two  00:21:11 Little Red Riding Hood https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/325635/unmatched-little-red-riding-hood-vs-beowulf  00:23:57 Daredevil https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326934/unmatched-hells-kitchen  00:29:01 Restoration Games Discord Server https://discord.gg/TcprtQESad 00:30:55 Medusa https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/274637/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-one  00:30:56 Bigfoot https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/274638/unmatched-robin-hood-vs-bigfoot  00:31:10 Sherlock https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/294484/unmatched-cobble-fog  00:32:57 Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Cloak & Dagger https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326936/unmatched-teen-spirit  00:34:55 Elektra https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326934/unmatched-hells-kitchen  00:40:14 Bovine University https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlGC8YnfhN8  00:41:59 Colossus https://x-men.fandom.com/wiki/Colossus  00:43:49 Wakka https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Wakka  00:44:34 Unmatched Maker https://unmatched.cards/  00:46:27 When I Was A Young Warthog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILeWQEDtMw  00:46:42 Slice & Dice https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.com.tann.dice&hl=en_CA&gl=US  00:48:03 Jawn https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jawn  00:49:25 Willow Nightingale https://twitter.com/willowwrestles  00:5024 Juice Robinson https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Juice_Robinson 

In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes a look at how the horror game Betrayal at House on the Hill came to be.

Erica and Sen talk with Spenser Starke about his game, Alice is Missing, and it's jump to the big screen. They discuss how to design cinematic narrative structure into tabletop games, calibration tools, and more! Timestamp Note Link 00:01:05 Alice Is Missing https://www.huntersentertainment.com/alice-is-missing 00:01:17 Kids on Broom https://renegadegamestudios.com/kids-on-brooms/ 00:01:20 Icarus https://renegadegamestudios.com/icarus-a-storytelling-game-about-how-great-civilizations-fall/ 00:02:51 Dread https://dreadthegame.wordpress.com/about-dread-the-game/ 00:02:53 The Quiet Year  https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year 00:06:47 Life Is Strange https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/319630/ 00:06:49 Oxenfree https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/ 00:06:50 Firewatch https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/ 00:08:25 Vox article https://www.vox.com/culture/21656220/alice-is-missing-rpg-text-message 00:10:19 Hollywood Reporter article https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alice-is-missing-movie-1235173092/ 00:11:10 Papergirls Cancelled https://deadline.com/2022/09/paper-girls-canceled-prime-video-one-season-shopped-season-2legendary-television-1235113183/ 00:20:14 RPG Safety Toolkit https://t.co/gA6hV6VKqm 00:28:39 Chapman Film School https://www.chapman.edu/dodge/index.aspx 00:30:14 Three Act Structure https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/three-act-structure-in-screenwriting 00:35:51 Joseph Campell’s Hero's Journey https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/the-heros-journey 00:35:59 Dan Harmon’s Story Circle https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/dan-harmons-story-circle-screenplay 00:36:15 Save The Cat https://savethecat.com/ 00:36:44 Hamlet’s Hit Points https://gameplaywright.net/books/hamlets-hit-points/ 00:40:25 L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/did-a-silent-film-about-a-train-really-cause-audiences-to-stampede 00:50:59 Ten Candles https://cavalrygames.com/ten-candles 00:53:09 Battleship https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battleship 00:53:10 Clue rottentomatoes.com/m/clue 00:54:16 Image Comics https://imagecomics.com/ 00:56:01 Blades in the Dark TV Show Announced https://www.polygon.com/22652023/blades-in-the-dark-tv-show-announced 00:59:24 Game Night https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/game_night_2018 00:59:43 Dune Imperium https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/316554/dune-imperium 01:02:30 Cash Cab https://www.bravotv.com/cash-cab 01:03:30 Powered By The Apocalypse is the best way to get started with tabletop roleplaying games https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/22787981/powered-by-the-apocalypse-tabletop-rpg-explainer 01:04:26 Wingspan https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan 01:04:30 Succulent https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299372/succulent 01:04:33 Stardew Valley  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332290/stardew-valley-board-game 01:04:59 Scythe https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe 01:05:18 Tales From The Loop https://www.loop-rpg.com/ 01:06:34 Cameron Cuffe https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1949036/ 01:06:50 Rupert Grint https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0342488/

Geoff takes us through the history of the color blue, namely how difficult it is to make as a dye, and considers if we should value it above all other player colors.

Erica, Gil, and Sen discuss some of the tools and processes they use at the various phases of designing a game from their varying perspectives of an in-house designer, a publisher, and freelance designer/developer.  SHOW NOTES: 00:08:31 DDS is an acronym for Detailed Design Specification 00:11:38 LucidChart browser-based flowcharting and more www.lucidchart.com 00:18:43 Canva free online graphic design tool www.canva.com 00:19:13 Tabletop Simulator is a virtual tabletop (VTT) run on Steam www.tabletopsimulator.com  00:19:14 Tabletopia is a browser-based VTT www.tabletopia.com 00:21:26 Also known as an MVP - a “Minimum Viable Prototype” 00:21:45 Filemaker Pro is a relational database www.claris.com  00:21:57 Nandeck is cardmaking software www.nandeck.com  00:22:05 Component Studio is a full game design suite that is hooked up to the Game Crafter https://component.studio/ 00:26:06 Adobe Creative Suite is the industry standard for the industry in terms of graphic design www.adobe.com  00:27:54 Photopea is an online Photoshop equivalent for raster images www.photopea.com 00:28:29 GIMP is an open source Photoshop equivalent www.gimp.org 00:29:15 Inkscape is a free equivalent of Illustrator for vector images www.inkscape.org 00:29:57 The Affinity Suite is a one-time payment suite of graphic design and illustrative tools https://affinity.serif.com 00:36:46 Fiskars Rotary Cutter is Sen’s weapon of choice www.fiskars.com/en-us/crafting-and-sewing/products/rotary-cutters-mats-and-rulers  00:37:13 Arc punches, square punches and corner punches, oh my! This is an example of a 1” arch punch: www.amazon.ca/General-Tools-Instruments-1271M-1-Inch/dp/B00004T7WH 00:41:36 Midjourney and Dall-e are prompt-based AI Art generators www.midjourney.com / https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/ 00:44:58 Some great sources for icons etc. www.flaticon.com https://thenounproject.com https://game-icons.net 00:45:32 Face generating software ThisPersonDoesNotExist https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/ 00:48:46 Functional Fixedness is the psychological phenomena when a person cannot see any other use for an item because their initial understanding of how it’s used is the only way they think it can be used 00:49:10 Sunk Cost Fallacy occurs when a person will not make a change, even one that is likely to be highly beneficial, due to the perceived amount of time, money, effort, etc.they have already invested in the current strategy 00:55:58 You can record your screen right from Windows https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/record-the-screen-d70508e8-25a3-4b97-b78a-a467b5372e21 and MacOS https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208721

In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes us through the history of the game Cluedo, better known to Americans as Clue.

Erica and Sen chat with game designer Mondo Davis about how to market yourself in the game industry.