Aran Koning joins Dirk and David to talk about his digital card game, Stacklands. Discussions include an in-depth look at how the pack-buying mechanic ended up in a village building game, how progression works while keeping some things as surprises for the player, and why cards were ultimately chosen to drive the game’s simple mechanics. Finally Aran discusses his company Sokpop Collective and the business side of being an indie design team that focuses on small, more experimental games.

#281 Diving into Cards as a Simplifier

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.

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Welcome back to the Civilization Series. In the third installment, David and Dirk break down their experiences with Millennia, the latest 4X offering from C Prompt Games and Paradox Interactive. They discuss what aspects of the game worked for them, as well as what they would like to see develop as patches and updates are to come. Topics include how Millennia iterates on the concept of Ages, thematic dissonance, the unfinished nature of modern games, and what kinds of strategies the game mechanics reward.

#315 Civilization Series 3

Dirk and David interview prolific designer and leader Xalavier Nelson Jr. They discuss Xalavier’s illustrious and busy career, focusing on his philosophy of how to ship a game as well as knowing your own capabilities. Topics include his work and inspiration for El Paso, Everywhere, how he manages to produce so many games, treating staff fairly and with respect, and the benefits of working within your box.

#314 Designing to Ship with Xalavier Nelson Jr

Welcome to the second episode of the series on the “Civilization” games, as well as other 4X titles. Continuing from episode one, the pair talk about the phenomenon of “One More Turn”, using overlapping progression paths, and quality life improvements for the genre. They also share their insights on the game “Humankind”, as well as how their attitudes toward real life affect how they act within a 4X game.

#313 Civilization Series 2

This episode marks the beginning of a new series focused on the Civilization series of games. Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson to discuss their background with the Civilization games, and how they got introduced to the series. They discuss the development of the earlier games, as well as the broader strokes of Civilization, including the hallmarks of a 4X game, what design space Civ occupies, and where they would like the series to go in Civ 7 and beyond.

#312 Civilization Series 1

Dirk and Kathryn Hymes meet this episode to talk with Anna Anthropy, digital and tabletop designer known for her prolific work with non-traditional themes. They discuss Anna’s career in game design, and her path into becoming an educator. Topics include why violence is an attractive game element, dealing with releasing art and it no longer being one’s own, one page games, and the absence of sex as a theme or topic.

#281 Diving into Cards as a Simplifier

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