

RPG Design Panelcast
Jason Pitre
The best panels and seminars about analog game design & publishing.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 15, 2021 • 60min
Episode 286: Consulting 101
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by J Li, Jessica Hammer
Consulting 101: Selling Game Design As a Service for $5K - $250K: . Want to sell game design as a service to large institutions? This panel will walk you through the practical details of the consulting pitch and sales process. Topics include how to get started, finding clients, crafting proposals, asking for money, sales strategy, execution deliverables, and long-term business development.

May 8, 2021 • 1h 13min
Episode 285: English as our Vehicular Language
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Kalum, Pamela Punzalan, Diogo Nogueira, Allan Cudicio.
"RPGs and English as Our Vehicular Language: Beyond the American Culture Online: The internet enables Tabletop RPG fans to come together globally. However, it is difficult for non-American communities to have their voices heard. This due to the use of English as our shared vehicular language combined with the disproportionate American demographics online. In this panel, we'll explore the experience of non-native English-speaking RPG luminaries within this reality. We'll talk through the lens of RPG about local identities and cross-border engagement.

May 1, 2021 • 1h
Episode 284: Don't Kickstart Your Game
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Nicole Cutler, Avonelle Wing.
It seems a little unpopular to tell new designers "don't kickstart your game"; Kickstarter is an invaluable tool. There are so many encouraging blogs and podcasts that talk optimistically about how accessible it is to crowdfund your own game. but there's not a lot that talk in depth about the logistics, liabilities and potential pitfalls. Before making the decision to launch a campaign, we want to give potential new creators a realistic look behind the curtain to see what they're diving into.

Apr 24, 2021 • 1h 2min
Episode 283: Distribution and your Boardgame
Recorded at Metatopia 2020 Online
Presented by Scott Morris, Mike Paschal.
Are you a designer and want to know how your game gets distributed? Are you self publishing and want to know more about Distribution? Are you crazy enough to actually ask a Distributor anything? Join us as Scott Morris from GTS and Mike Paschal from PHD discuss the U.S.'s 3-Tier system and answer questions.

Apr 10, 2021 • 1h 1min
Episode 282: Canada is not a Northern Suburb of the USA
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Jason Pitre, Sen-Foong Lim, Nicole Winchester, Christoph Sapinsky.
For Canadian game designers and pros, it's pretty common to get lumped in with U.S. designers. After all, it's all North America, right? The cultural differences between the two countries often gets lost, especially when discussing the elements that inform game design and aesthetics. Our panelists will talk about the specific parts of their Canadian experience that affect their game development work.

Apr 8, 2021 • 1h
Episode 281: The Human Heart
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Vee Hendro, Hayley Gordon.
All RPGs engage our emotions, and some are made with feels first in mind. We discuss the ethics and how-to of emotional storytelling and RPG design. From buy-in to agency and safety, how can we make anguish and yearning an enjoyable experience? Brought to you by Storybrewers, Australia.

Mar 27, 2021 • 1h 1min
Episode 280: No Gods, No Masters, No GMs
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by A.C., Jay Dragon, and Viditya Voleti.
Being a GM is hard; like, really hard. Having nobody willing to fill that role has been the downfall of many a game group. But there is an alternative! GM-less roleplaying games are getting more and more popular, and this panel is here to discuss why.

Mar 20, 2021 • 1h 7min
Episode 279: What We Mean, When We Talk About Lyric Games
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Maria Mison, Casey Johnson, Jay Dragon.
What are Lyric Games exactly? And why are they deemed an important body of work, both in a personal and game scene level? What makes a game 'Lyric'? Additionally, our panelists share tips on how to go about the process of creating and sharing such games - fever dreams, love letters, rituals and treatise calling to be born. The panel will also have a segment for questions.

Mar 13, 2021 • 1h
Episode 278: How to Playtest Your Game
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Daryl Andrews, Jessie Edwards, Omari Akil, Bruce Harlick.
Join us for a roundtable conversation about how to get the best data from your time at the playtesting table. We'll discuss our experiences running playtests, and talk about common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mar 6, 2021 • 60min
Episode 277: How to Pitch Your Game
Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020
Presented by Alex Cutler, Matt Forbeck, Kenneth Hite.
You made a game! Congratulations! Now explain your incredible game in one sentence. That isn’t as easy as it sounds. You want people to buy into your game as players, as investors, or as retailers. You will only have one chance to make that first impression. It needs to have impact. If you want to see your game successful on a crowdfunding site, or sold by your local game store, then you need to know what kind of pitch types and styles to maximize both what you say and target the right audience.


