Design Doc

Even after years of working together, there are times where we just can’t agree. The work grinds to a halt, and we end up frustrated and confused. When there’s a breakdown in collaboration, how do you diagnose what went wrong, repair the rift, and move forward together?

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

In the early stages of a game's design, it's hard to even know what questions to answer. We've hit a turning point with Escape from Wonderland where we can see the shape of the game taking form. Big, abstract questions are getting small and specific. Now that the game has real structure, what comes next?

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord:⁠⁠⁠ https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠ 

Buy our games:⁠⁠⁠ https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado:⁠⁠⁠ https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠

Bluesky:⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

After you’ve made the rules, you need to decide how you’re going to tell them. The right rule in the wrong order can make all the difference!

In this unscripted episode, we share our initial thoughts about how we want our next rulebook to start, how to include immersive writing without sacrificing clarity, and (for some reason) reminisce about spooky VHS covers we encountered as children.

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord:⁠⁠ https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠ 

Buy our games:⁠⁠ https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost:⁠⁠ https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado:⁠⁠ https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠

Bluesky:⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

Story endings are hard! The epilogue of a game not only has to logically wrap up the story and tie up any loose ends—it’s also the moment to reflect on how your character has grown over many sessions, and a moment for you as the player to feel like the time spent playing was worthwhile.

In this episode, we talk about what makes roleplaying game epilogues special, and how we're approaching epilogue design in Escape from Wonderland.

Episode Mentions:

Return to Oz (1985 film)

Fortunately (1964 illustrated book, Remy Charlip)

Something Wicked this Way Comes (1962 novel, Ray Bradbury)

Tuiti and R2D2 at Dakin Animal Shelter

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord:⁠ https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠

Support our work on Patreon:⁠ https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠ 

Buy our games:⁠ https://turtlebun.com/⁠ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost:⁠ https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado:⁠ https://robabrazado.com/⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky:⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

This week, we talk about the unpredictable mechanical swings that can happen between different versions of a game. Small tweaks to mechanics can trigger a cascade of unintended effects, causing the game design pendulum to swing from too many choices to too few and back again. We talk through examples of how we've managed these swings in Escape from Wonderland, and discuss our ongoing efforts to find the right balance.

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun 

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

We’re introducing a new dynamic to our latest roleplaying game! You all came to this amusement park as friends, but one of you started serving the park’s demonic forces. And things are about to get mean.

How can characters become enemies while players remain friends? When the rules ask you to clash with you peers, care and consideration needs to be given to keeping the antagonism fun.

Links:

Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Support Design Doc monthly on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun 

Where to buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

Hannah had to get a full time office job. Since then, finding the time and energy for creative work has been an uphill battle. In this episode, Hannah sits down with close friend and fellow game designer Joshua A.C. Newman to talk about life, art, and staying true to your values in trying times.

Support Joshua’s work!

https://www.patreon.com/joshua

https://www.patreon.com/PunkPedagogy

Links:

Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun 

Website: https://turtlebun.com/ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

Hannah and Evan discuss Wonderland's first four-player playtest. When a playtest goes wrong, it can be tricky to diagnose the cause. How much is due to the rules, and what's connected to the more subtle influence of mood and flow?

Links:

Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Website: turtlebun.com

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

Slow and steady wins the race... but does it work in a one-session RPG? From what we've seen in Escape from Wonderland, not quite. In this episode, we discuss pacing in roleplaying games: from the moment players arrive at the table to leaving everyone feeling satisfied with the story's twists and turns. We dig into the challenge of building uncanny horror—where a slow burn creates the best dread—and whether it's possible to communicate that in a single sitting.

Mentioned in this episode:

Visioneers (2008 film)

Links/Credits:

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Website: turtlebun.com

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com

Sometimes a secret is worth more than gold. But how do you make concrete rules for something intangible? Hannah and Evan talk about the secrets of Wonderland and what to do when the rules are out of step with the story.

Links/Credits:

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Website: turtlebun.com

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz

Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun

We're now on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com