Design Thinking Games

By Design Thinking Games

Design Thinking Games is a User Experience and Game Design podcast that examines the player experience of different types of games.... more

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FAQs about Design Thinking Games:

How many episodes does Design Thinking Games have?

The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.

Design Thinking Games episodes:

July 14, 2024054: The Designers of Thirst
Listen now (26min) | In their fourth season finale, our heroes reflect on the complexities and achievements of their journey in game design. They discuss their experiences making 'Thirst,' and share their insights and aspirations. What happens next changes everything.
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Things discussed on this episode:
00:15 - Reflecting on Our Game Design Journey
01:32 - Thirst Game Development Updates
03:25 - Future Plans and Strategic Goals
10:08 - The Never Ending Story
16:01 - What we've been playing
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...more
27min
July 07, 2024053: Rose Gauntlet
Listen now (42min) | Our heroes in the final interview of the season clamber before Isaac Vega of the Rose Gauntlet Foundation, who shares his 13-year journey in the board game industry, transitioning from a game designer to a publisher. The Rose Gauntlet Foundation's mission is to foster diversity and inclusivity within the gaming community. He offers insights into the financial and strategic aspects of game publishing and emphasizes the importance of passion and message in game design.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 - Introduction to Isaac Vega
00:35 - Founding Rose Gauntlet Entertainment
00:59 - Nonprofit Initiatives and Community Outreach
02:23 - Big Gay Dinner and Inclusivity Efforts
04:32 - Game Design Journey
05:20 - Early Gaming Experiences
06:45 - Current Projects and Game Preferences
08:52 - Rose Gauntlet's Publishing Philosophy
13:08 - Advice for Aspiring Game Designers
16:00 - Budgeting and Marketing for Games
23:17 - Rose Gauntlet Foundation and Events
24:46 - D12: The Q&A Game
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Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
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Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
43min
June 30, 2024052: Sailor Moon Sabrina Culyba • Ludoliminal
Listen now (50min) | Our heroes encounter Sabrina Culyba, a seasoned game designer and founder of the studio Ludoliminal. Culyba shares her journey from designing digital games to creating board games, emphasizing her passion for experience design. She speaks about her first published game, Diatoms, and imparts a crucial lesson: the importance of crafting memorable experiences, whether digital or analog. Culyba's narrative includes nostalgic moments of her early gaming influences, such as Sailor Moon and the societal fears surrounding D&D, underlining the diverse paths and inspirations that shape a game designer’s career.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 - Introduction to Sabrina Solba
00:15 - Starting Ludoliminal
00:37 - Collaborations and Team
00:57 - Passion for UX and Playtesting
01:35 - Early Gaming Memories
02:32 - Journey into Game Design
03:10 - Influence of Sailor Moon
03:40 - Learning Programming and Web Development
03:59 - Choosing a University
04:49 - Reflecting on Dungeons and Dragons
05:23 - Sailor Moon Reboot
06:51 - The Role of UX in Game Design
21:35 - Current Status and Future Plans for Diatoms
31:01 - Plug
32:01 - Deep Dive: Game Design and Storytelling
33:19 - RPG Choices: Paragon or Renegade
34:31 - Fantasy Preferences: High vs Low
34:39 - Favorite Game Characters: Heroes and Villains
36:27 - Overrated and Underrated Games
37:54 - Cheat Codes and Fun Questions
38:59 - Gaming Preferences and Personal Insights
42:47 - Nostalgic Gaming Memories
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Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
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Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
51min
June 23, 2024051: Archduke John De Campos, Death to Videodrome
Listen now (34 min) | John De Campos, founder of Terrible Games, shares his journey from a comic book-obsessed child to an independent board game publisher, designer, and illustrator. Our heroes glean insights on the comparisons between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and the creative collaborations involved, into building a brand, maintaining a small business, and the importance of community and collaboration in creative ventures.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 - Introduction to John De Campos and Terrible Games
00:56 - Early Life and Inspirations
01:33 - Journey into Board Game Design
02:48 - Building the Terrible Games Team
04:34 - Challenges and Successes in Game Publishing
06:36 - Insights on Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
08:25 - Creative Collaborations and Game Development
20:49 - The Influence of Magic: The Gathering
28:01 - "Death to videodrome."
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Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
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Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
35min
June 16, 2024050: Luis Alejandro Martinez Flores, Creator of Fluffy Dragons
Listen now (31 min) | Midway on their journey, our heroes are reality-checked by Luis Alejandro Martinez Flores (LAMF Games), the creator of Fluffy Dragons. He recounts his pivot to a simpler, more accessible, easier-to-produce game after industry research.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 Introduction
00:07 The Birth of Fluffy Dragons
00:25 From Heavy to Light: Game Design Journey
01:52 Early Inspirations and Gaming Background
02:58 Kickstarter and Playtesting Insights
03:41 Advice and Reflections on Game Design
09:01 Challenges and Future Plans
14:44 Personal Gaming Preferences and Memories
24:58 Final Thoughts and Farewell
Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
32min
June 09, 2024049: The Story of “Serial Killer” with Jack Malacat
Listen now (35 min) | TIn this episode, our heroes embark on a creative odyssey, gleaning insights from Jack Malacat’s unconventional journey into game design. They unravel the tapestry of Malacat’s experiences, from hosting lively parties to crafting the darkly engaging ‘Serial Killer’ game, navigating the realms of business and imagination.
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Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 - Introduction to Jack Malacat and the game Serial Killer
00:34 - Jack’s background and the inception of Serial Killer
01:51 - Venom Haus, the game studio behind Serial Killer
05:00 - Kickstarter campaign and community engagement
09:00 - Iterative game design and manufacturing challenges
15:00 - Future plans for Serial Killer and community expansions
15:17 - Connecting with Jack Malacat and Serial Killer resources
17:58 - Gameplay mechanics and player attributes
18:42 - Jack’s UX title and favorite games
19:28 - Jack’s earliest gaming memories and current favorites
20:22 - The creative process and game design tools
21:03 - Favorite dice and game design philosophy
23:32 - Horror influences and upcoming projects
26:06 - Essential tools for game designers
26:30 - Final words and closing thoughts
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Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
36min
June 02, 2024048: The Man, The Brand, the Gay Edge Lord – Daddy Chaddy
Listen now (41 min) | This fork in the road takes our heroes before an aspiring professional gamer to understand the core element of the player experience: the player.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:00 - The Man, the Brand, the Gay Edgelord
01:10 - Baby Chad’s Exposure to Games
02:02 - Zelda Left the Right Impression
02:50 - The Physicality of Early Video Games
04:20 - How the Dynamic of Chad’s Gaming Experience Changed
06:00 - The Cultural Zeitgeist of Elden Ring
08:48 - The Nostalgia Weapon
18:09 - Choosing Which Games to Stream
21:00 - The Catalyst for Doubling Down on Streaming
23:00 - The Trade-Off of Turning Streaming into a Job
25:50 - Dealing with Envy or Impostor Syndrome Stoked by Other People’s Success
27:00 - How to Connect with Daddy Chaddy
28:00 - D12
Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
42min
May 26, 2024047: Providing Value, Building Community with Kervin from For Why Games
Listen now (34:50 min) | For Why Games' founder advises our heroes to endeavor to provide real value to one's community so that the community will turn out.
Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
00:37 - Kervin discusses his journey into TikTok and board game design
01:31 - Inspiration for creating a Allow Me to Mansplain
04:52 - Why "For Why Games"?
06:21 - Marsh Hallow
09:07 - Explanation of roll-and-write mechanics and their unique approach
12:48 - Kervin's approach to playtesting and community building
16:48 - How to connect with Kervin and For Why Games
18:08 - We play D12
Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
35min
May 19, 2024046: The Creative Partnership and First Principles behind X: Seekers of Fortune
Listen now (38:36 min) | A clear path forward to funding begins to emerge, but it is a long road. Our heroes sit at the feet of the designers of X: Seekers of Fortune, Joel and Danny (Mega Moth Studios), who have been on this journey much longer, and have much to share.
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Things discussed on this episode:
00:27 - Mega Moth Studios
01:58 - Navigating creative differences
04:50 - First principles and the importance of designing the card backs for X: Seekers of Fortune well
06:00 - How do you even define the minimum viable product for a game?
07:19 - Why choose to make a trading card game (TCG)?
10:09 - X: Seekers of Fortune
13:12 - Production progress report
15:53 - D12
Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
39min
May 12, 2024045: Marketing for a Successful Kickstarter with the Co-creator of Trash Cult
Listen now (33 min) | There is much for our heroes to learn, so first they must seek out Hannah Strack - the Supreme Design Queen, creator of Trash Cult - and pay homage.
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Things discussed on this episode:
00:22 - Trash Cult
01:07 - Starting FoxHen Creatives
08:57 - Marketing a game
12:53 - Talking numbers around marketing and ad spend
17:53 - How to get in contact with FoxHen Creatives
18:55 - D12
Support the show on Patreon!

Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.
Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
...more
34min

FAQs about Design Thinking Games:

How many episodes does Design Thinking Games have?

The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.