Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 101 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Kirsten Lunde about Ovation, a game-school inspired design that originated from her wanting to teach her son about classical music but wasn’t able to find a game themed that way at the time. Since then, she worked to be as inclusive in the creation of the game as she could be as both the designer and publisher. From making sure to include ethnic and gender diversity in the composers you were playing as to hiring the team of artists and graphic designers that worked on the project. She even has a story of playtesting with a color blind playtester in the hope of helping make the game as inclusive as it could be! Listen to all the people that helped her along the way. A rising tide lifts all boats!

Featuring: 

Kirsten Lunde - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 100 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we celebrate the 100th episode with Phil Walker-Harding talking about 10 years of Sushi Go! From his initial self-imposed design challenge of making a simple set collection game to the concept of “panning for gold” when trying to create a simplistic game. We discuss what we as designers can do to make games more accessible. Also, learning and accepting what kind of designer you are is a great thing. To be a “good designer” doesn’t mean being able to design a 90 minute Euro game. You can create a silly small game and be equally as talented.  

In episode 99 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Dan Cassar about his design Arboretum. Dan talks about how you’re building paths of trees while balancing the colors remaining in your hand in order to score. Using the layout of the final path of cards gave the feeling of an arboretum. We talk about themes and how they can add to a design. Plus, the comparisons between his first and second editions of the game. 

Featuring: 

Dan Cassar - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 98 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jacob Jaskov about his design Fog of Love. In the game you play as a fictional couple meeting, falling in love and trying to make the relationship work with each player having their own objectives they want to satisfy while playing the game. Jacob designed the game for his partner at the time hoping to get them into games and to create a unique experience for the players. The gameplay in many ways mirrors the ups and downs of his personal life at the time of designing and producing the game. 

Featuring: 

Jacob Jaskov - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 97 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jason Lautenschleger and Barry McLaughlin about their design Game Night in a Can. Jason and Barry discuss what it means to be an “inventortainer”. How their in-person game shows turned into their Game Night in a Can product that has now had multiple versions both self published and licensed by Goliath. We also get to hear how well they do at their game Frumpy Bumpers! Experience their game by listening to this episode!

Featuring: 

Jason Lautenschleger - Guest 

Barry McLaughlin - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 96 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ellie Dix about her design, A Midsummer Night's Fayre, published by Gamewright. The mechanics were inspired by fairground games. As a kid into adulthood she would gameafy trips and average activities. In her game you play ten mini games. You roll and choose dice while using fairy mischief cards to manipulate the dice to win the game. Her biggest challenge was accepting the loss of the Helter skelter dice tower. They adapted it through development into what you now see on the inside of the box lid.

Featuring: 

Ellie Dix - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 95 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Carol Mertz about multi-disciplinary designing. She starts with the concept before deciding on the form (tabletop, video game, robotic couch, etc.). The focus is on the experience then she builds the medium around it. In the case of Exploding Kittens: Good Vs. Evil she took the tension from the famous wine/poison scene in Princess Bride and injected it into the Exploding Kittens card game as well as taking pieces from the television show to make the gameplay more thematic. Learn the differences between a designer and a developer and how working at Exploding Kittens was a great game development exercise in this episode!

In episode 94 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Phil Gross about his design ContraBanter, a Word-Smuggling game where you'll work as a team to sneak secret words into a conversation! Phil talks about his design breakthroughs in the game like making the players work on teams versus fully competitive. And how there seems to be something in the Syracuse water as he’s worked to design around some impressive designers such as Alan Moon. 

Featuring: 

Phil Gross - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 93 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Julie Chen about her personality type social deduction game inspired by the Myers Briggs test and CLUE. We focus on how learning more about ourselves helped us both in life and in our designing process. She aimed to find a way to help players learn more about the assumptions we make in different situations like "would an introvert or extrovert be more likely to go to a coffee shop?" by building a social deduction game around these choices we’d make depending on the personality types we were given. Learn more about the different types of personalities by playing Emotional Intelligence!

Featuring: 

Julie Chen - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 92 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Joseph Brower, one of the designers of Mondrian: Color in Motion. This Ion Award finalist design brought manufacturing challenges when they had to figure out what materials made the cards stop sliding during gameplay. Learn how they created an abstract game inspired by the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian’s art.

Featuring: 

Joseph Brower - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host