Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 151 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with game design duo Doug Hettrick and Carl Van Ostrand.

We talk about creating a cozy card game and how My Book Nook was inspired by wanting to make something they and their families could all enjoy together. Doug and Carl talk about their co-designing process and how they discovered they made a balanced team, bringing different ideas and skill sets to the table while having a lot of fun along the way.

They share what co-designing looks like in practice, from coworking and digital prototyping to finding a design partner who complements your strengths. We also dig into the lessons they learned from self-publishing, building a game into a product, finding the right publisher fit, and what innovation really means in tabletop games.

Plus, we get into the art of simplicity, designing for different audiences, challenging yourself with unfamiliar mechanics, sneaking personal Easter eggs into games, and the surprisingly tricky question every designer has to answer: how do you end the game?

Featuring: 

Doug Hettrick and Carl Van Ostrand - Guests

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 150 of Game Design Unboxed, we celebrate 150 episodes of GDU with Ben Rosset, freelance game designer and founder of Bamboo Design Studio, by focusing on his game about manufacturing board games - The Game Makers - a love letter to the hobby and the people who make it!

Ben shares how the idea for a game about making games grew from his 10 years of experience in game manufacturing at Panda, and how working as a freelance designer differs from working through his design studio. We talk a lot about the game's development process, from matching themes and mechanics to the extensive back-and-forth of playtesting and iteration, and how simultaneous play helped reduce downtime and support a larger player count.

We explore the challenges of featuring real-life games, including the long process of securing image rights from other publishers and the fun reactions players have when deciding whether they react to the games represented. Ben also discusses the journey of turning The Game Makers published by Bezier Games into a super-premium experience, the possibility of a retail version, and the uncertainty of getting a game's rights back after signing with a publisher.

Featuring: 

Ben Rosset - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 149 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Zac Loveless, game designer and owner of Lovemore Games, about how anything can provide inspiration; for instance, a random Instagram post about beetles that was the catalyst for our featured game, Jewel Box.

Major topics include the differences between educational games vs. games you can learn from, the knowledge you gain from creating a themed game, how to decipher and apply playtest feedback, incorporating classic mechanics into something new, and “theme” collectors.

We also dig into how to come up with a name for your game, the origin behind Lovemore Games (as opposed to Loveless Games), symbiotic publisher/designer relationships, designing around a theme or mechanic before gameplay, and why butterflies are, in theory, the most well-liked insect.

Featuring: 

Zac Loveless - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 148 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Jason Wong, the designer of PocketParks, a set-collecting card game featuring all 63 US National Parks, with gameplay inspired by Chinese Mahjong.

In episode 147 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with the designer of Lava Run, Louie Loops, whom listeners may also recognize as the professional crocheter and content creator behind the YouTube channel “Louie’s Loops” and Club Crochet.

Louie shares how childhood game-making and a creative challenge called “New Game” sparked his interest in design, and how he eventually merged his love of crochet with game design to create “craftable games.”

We discuss turning frustration into creative inspiration, balancing strategy and randomness, comeback mechanics, expansions, and what happens after a game is published. Louie also shares what it’s like to launch a game with an existing audience, market to non-gamers, and enter a new industry as a beginner after being an expert in his craft.

Featuring: 

Louie Loops - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 146 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Ionah Nguyen, a Seattle-based board game designer and founder of the board game studio Brainy Hearty.

Ionah is also the co-founder and CEO of Everjoy Global, a company dedicated to bringing Vietnamese tabletop games to international publishers and distributors by creating opportunities for Vietnamese designers to gain visibility and connections in the industry.

In this episode, we discuss how games can be used to preserve tradition and bridge cultures through play, accessibility feedback from playtesters, colorblind adjustments, the unique production challenges of manufacturing handcrafted game components, and some of the barriers to entry encountered by international designers.

Featuring: 

Ionah Nguyen - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Featuring: 

Sabrina Culyba - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 144 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with freelance game designer and co-founder of Postmark Games, Matthew Dunstan.

Featuring: 

Matthew Dunstan - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Featuring: 

Emily Vincent - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 142 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with freelance game designer Rosco Schock about his first published game, Diplomacy: The Golden Blade, released by Renegade Game Studios. The conversation focuses on the challenge of translating the "feel" of a classic, beloved strategy game into a streamlined and more approachable card game experience.

Featuring: 

Rosco Schock - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host