TDGRT kicks off its first season on RPGs with a discussion on Dirk and David’s experiences, and where they want to take the season from here. They talk about the pros and cons of modern Dungeons and Dragons, and alternative styles of game design that better suit different genres of play.

Ellie Dix is joined by Adam Porter, designer of Kompromat, Pikoko, and Doodle Rush. Together, they discuss the playtesting process, why it’s so important, and the biggest mistakes people make while playtesting. Topics include tracking confusion during sessions, structuring how and what feedback is given, and being a good playtester.

Dirk and David continue their discussion in part 2 of TGDRT’s Civilization Series Finale! They dive into many of the systems that didn’t work for them, and what they wish had been done instead. Topics include religion and trade, the problems with Civ VII’s map generation, and the costs associated with stripping away flavor in favor of starker mechanics. They also talk about what’s next for TGDRT, and wrap up the Civilization series. Most importantly, is David actually done with Civilization games?

Ellie Dix is joined by Scott Rogers, designer Alien: Fate of Nostrodomo, Pantone the Game, and Marvel Villainous and writer of many books on game design. Together, they discuss how to build the prototype for a game, how to decide whether to continue with a design, and what makes a prototype attractive for publishers among other topics. 

The time has finally come; Civilization VII is out! After many hours with the game, Dirk and David come together to share their thoughts on the game. Did it live up to the hype? How does Civ VII stack up to previous games? Will David ever play another Civ game again? All these questions and more on part 1 of 2 for TGDRT’s Civ Series Finale. Topics include the power of the butterfly effect, the loss of narrative and flavor, troubles with map generation, and the sum effects of the new systems. 

Ellie is joined by Peter Hayward, designer of games such as Robotopia, Fiction, and That Time You Killed Me. Ellie and Peter discuss not only the process for naming a game, but also how names affect pitching and publishing, naming your prototypes, and how the process works for indie and mass market titles.

Civilization 7 approaches! As we prepare to share our thoughts on Civ 7, we answer another round of listener questions. Topics include Dirk and David’s ideal Civ game, how to approach kingmaking in multiplayer games, and why diplomacy in Civilization is often so underwhelming.

This week on Behind the Cardboard, Ellie is joined by Sen-Foong Lim, ENNIE winner and designer of Mind: MGMT, Corpse of Discovery, and The Revenant Society.

The Civilization Series returns with Soren Johnson, lead designer of Civilization IV, Offworld Trading Company, and Old World. They discuss the teasers for Civilization VII, what they’re excited for, what they’re worried about, and what they hope will change about the series. They also discuss the 4X releases since their last meeting, including Humankind.

Ellie Dix is joined for the inaugural episode of Behind the Cardboard by Daryl Andrews, designer of Sagrada, The Real Truth, and Kodama 3D among many others. Together, they discuss Daryl’s career, how he comes up with new games, and how he pitches to publishers. How long to stick with an idea, where to put them, and how should you keep track of them? All this and more in Behind the Cardboard.