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Design Thinking Games
Design Thinking Games episodes
- 049: 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.
Read the transcript.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
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/
36 min - 048: 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/
42 min - 047: 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/
35 min - 046: 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.
Read the transcript.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/
39 min - 045: 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.
Read the transcript.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/
34 min - 044: Fourth Season’s a Charm
Listen now (21 min) | Thought surely dead, our heroes return from the Outer Rim to kick off a new season of game-design interviews. Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
- 00:34 - Game of the Year
- 02:20 - Tim on Super Mario Brothers Wonder
- 03:56 - Michael on Baldur's Gate 3
- 04:26 - Our Tiktok algorithms
- 05:48 - What we've been playing
- 06:42 - Tim on Dave The Diver
- 08:50 - Thirst, our game!
- 11:01 - What to expect from this season
- 13:48 - What folks should follow
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/
22 min - 043: Season Finale – Playthroughs with Matthew Visyak
Listen now (41 min) | After playing a game with the three-headed dragon, and dreaming that night of LARPing, our heroes wake to find an old man Matthew Visyak who says, "It's dangerous to go alone!" Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
- 04:13 Final Fantasy
- 06:01 Breath of Fire 4
- 06:28 The Last Ninja
- 06:40 Simon's Quest
- 12:33 Dice Invasion
- 12:49 It's Kind of a Fun Story
- 13:39 Gloomhaven
- 23:57 The Outlast Trials
- 34:40 Resident Evil 4
- 35:22 Diablo 4
- 35:53 Hogwarts Legacy
- 37:26 Jedi Survivor
- 37:51 Final Fantasy XVI
- 38:22 Tears of the Kingdom
- 38:40 Sons of the Forest
- 39:30 Spider-Man 2
Support the show on Patreon!
Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
41 min - 042: Design Thinking LARPing :: The Audiodrama
Listen now (19 min) | Design Thinking LARPing is a fully immersive, fully cast, tongue-in-cheek radio play about LARPers taking over a gaming convention. Join Tim, Michael, and Rapid Protobot on this adventure. Read the transcript.
Support the show on Patreon!
Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
20 min - 041: It’s Kind of a Fun Story
Listen now (61 min) | Heeding the warning from the space wizard, our heroes make camp for the night in a nearby cave. They soon discover that the cave is inhabited by a three-headed dragon named PopHaus, who just wants to play a new game called It's Kind of a Fun Story! Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
- 02:44 Final Fantasy VII
- 03:30 Crash Bandicoot
- 04:06 Dream Phone
- 05:22 Mouse Trap
- 09:06 Animal Crossing
- 15:11 Codenames
- 15:30 It's Kind of a Fun Story
- 20:01 Cards Against Humanity
- 31:29 Gloomhaven
- 39:41 Spot It
- 41:37 Betrayal at House on the Hill
- 42:34 Secret Hitler
- 45:49 Skippo
- 46:46 Dragula
- 49:01 Final Fantasy XIV
- 51:39 Big Brother
- 55:04 Monikers
Support the show on Patreon!
Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
1 hr 2 min - 040: Designing Tabletop Games with Connor Wake
Listen now (53 min) | After parting ways with their old friend, our heroes travel until they encounter Connor Wake, a tabletop game wizard from outer space! Read the transcript.
Things discussed on this episode:
- The Mind
- Roads & Boats
- Scythe
- Framework
- Into the Breach
- Herbacious
Support the show on Patreon!
Follow us on Twitter @DTGamesPodcast.
Follow us on TikTok @designthinkinggames.
Subscribe on Twitch at DesignThinkingGames.Tim Broadwater is @uxbear on Twitter.
Michael Schofield is @schoeyfield on Twitter.Send us stuff, contact us, get merch, news, and more at https://designthinkinggames.com/
54 min
About Design Thinking Games
From the publisher's feed
Design Thinking Games is an indie game design, play-testing, and user experience podcast that examines the player experience of different types of games.