Today's guest is Richard Lemarchand. A game designer with an enviable CV including Jak X, Soul Reaver and the Uncharted series, Richard is now an associate professor at the University of Southern California where he lectures on the videogame programme. We talk about that transition from AAA development to teaching, how his mum was responsible for getting him his start, the similarities between magic and design, and how sometimes being bad at games can help you be a better designer. Along the way we cover Sonic the Hedgehog, F15 Strike Eagle, Electroplankton, Hurt Me Plenty, Syndicate and Portal. This is a triumph.