Think Like A Game Designer

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Think Like A Game Designer

In Think Like a Game Designer, award-winning designer and Stone Blade Entertainment CEO Justin Gary speaks with world-class game designers and creative experts from various industries. Each episode deconstructs the creative process, offering insights into the art of game design and the broader cultural, technological, and business influences shaping a myriad of creative mediums. Join us for actionable advice and unique perspectives that will enrich your understanding of what it means to be creative in and out of the gaming world. justingarydesign.substack.com

102 episodes transcribed

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Michael Gnade — From Indie Game Journalism to Board Game Creation, Embracing Feedback, Navigating Kickstarter, and The Cost of Game Marketing (#21)

Episode Date: October 21, 2020

Michael Gnade is the founder and lead designer at Rock Manor Games. He started his career in games with Indie Game Magazine, writing and reporting abo...

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Elan Lee — From Star Wars Intern to Kickstarter Triumph, Embracing Risk in Game Design, The Power of Storytelling, and Crafting Games that Build Communities. (#20)

Episode Date: September 10, 2020

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/s...

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Scott Gaeta — From Comics to Card Games, The Art of Forecasting, Driving Growth Through Organized Play, and Lessons from Decades in Game Industry (#19)

Episode Date: August 4, 2020

Scott Gaeta has been in the game industry for over 20 years. He’s the founder of Renegade Game Studios. Scott started as a comics and game store owner...

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Isaac Childres — Crafting the Gloomhaven Legacy, The Power of Audience, Daring Game Design Choices, and Ascending to BoardGameGeek’s #1 Spot (#18)

Episode Date: July 21, 2020

Isaac Childres is the creator of Gloomhaven and Frosthaven. Gloomhaven is the #1 rated game on BoardGameGeek for three years, and Frosthaven, the high...

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Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Special

Episode Date: July 7, 2020

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/s...

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Eric Lang — Crafting Immersive Game Experiences, From Sugar Packet Prototypes to Epic Viking Sagas, Navigating Kickstarter Successes, and Fostering Empathetic Design Teams (#17)

Episode Date: June 9, 2020

Eric Lang is a legendary game designer who has created more games that I’ve personally enjoyed than almost anyone. Just to name a few, Eric designed:...

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Tom Lehmann — From Economics to Game Mechanics, Crafting Strategic Choices, and The Nuances of Cooperative Play (#16)

Episode Date: May 27, 2020

Tom Lehmann is a former economist, programmer, and game publisher turned full-time game designer. He created Race for the Galaxy and has created expan...

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Keith Baker — Crafting Worlds and Weaving Tales: From Ebberon's Origins to Phoenix Dawn Command's Innovations (#15)

Episode Date: April 30, 2020

Keith Baker is a renowned game designer and storyteller. He was the creator of the D&D setting Ebberon and Gloom. He has traveled the world creating a...

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Satine Phoenix — Mastering the Art of Storytelling, Building Gaming Communities, The Power of Streaming in Game Design, and The Journey from Passion to Profession in the World of Role-Playing (#14)

Episode Date: March 26, 2020

Satine Phoenix is the first non-game designer on our podcast, but she is an icon in the gaming industry. Satine is a professional Dungeon Master and s...

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Devin Low — From Magic to Marvel: Game Narratives, Corporate Design Insights, and the Power of Effective Communication (#13)

Episode Date: February 18, 2020

Devin Low is an award-winning designer who’s worked on some of the most popular games in the world. He was the head developer of Magic: The Gathering,...

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Wright Bagwell — From Quake Mods to Game Streaming: Bridging Neuroscience and Game Design, Entrepreneurial Journeys, and Crafting Player-Centric Experiences (#12)

Episode Date: January 20, 2020

Wright Bagwell started his career by designing mods for Quake. He is the CEO and co-founder of Outpost Games. He was the design director of the Farmvi...

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Richard Garfield — Delving into Game Narratives, The Essence of Memorable Gameplay, and Building Bridges with Fellow Designers (#11)

Episode Date: December 30, 2019

Richard is the creator of Magic: The Gathering, KeyForge, Netrunner, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, Battletech(CCG) and a lot more. He is a pioneer in...

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Ryan Sutherland — From Instinct to Innovation: Balancing Mechanics and Theme in Game Design at Stone Blade (#10)

Episode Date: December 12, 2019

Ryan Sutherland is one of the top up-and-coming game designers in the industry and lucky for me, he works at Stone Blade. Ryan was one of the lead des...

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Jordan Weisman — Crafting Iconic Worlds, The Interplay of Story and Mechanics, Lessons from Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Virtual Reality (#9)

Episode Date: November 15, 2019

I’ve looked up to Jordan Weisman for years. He is a revolutionary story-teller, game designer, and Entrepreneur. He created the legendary worlds like...

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Liz Spain — From Fashion to Fantasy: Crafting Emotive Gameplay, the Psychology Behind Game Mechanics, and Embracing Adaptability in Game Design (#8)

Episode Date: October 8, 2019

Today I speak with Liz Spain from Lone Shark Games. Liz entered the game industry through the unusual path of fashion and costume design. Liz tells th...

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Tim Fowers — Navigating the World of Indie Board Game Design, Direct Sales Success, and the Craft of Game Development (#7)

Episode Date: July 2, 2019

Tim Fowers is the punk rocker of game design. A purely independent tabletop and digital game developer, who distributes his games directly, rather tha...

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Paul Peterson — Unveiling Smash Up's Ingenious Mechanics, Game Design Evolution, and the Creative Challenges of Shuffle Building (#6)

Episode Date: May 21, 2019

Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, Smash Up, Guillotine, and The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game are just a few of the games Paul Peterson had a hand in cr...

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Raph Koster — Game Design Insights: Iteration, Constraints, and Real-World Inspiration (#5)

Episode Date: April 23, 2019

Raph Koster has undoubtedly changed the world of gaming. He was the lead designer of the legendary Ultima Online and the creative director behind Star...

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James Ernest — Mastering Game Design, Navigating Bias Randomness, and Unconventional Pathways in the World of Gaming (#4)

Episode Date: March 19, 2019

James Ernest is a man of many talents. He’s a screenwriter, poker player, juggler and game designer. He’s worked with Wizards of the Coast, Paizo Publ...

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Jesse Schell — Mastering Game Design, Unveiling the Secrets of Fun, and Exploring the Gamification of Life (#3)

Episode Date: February 19, 2019

Jesse Schell wrote, The Art of Game Design, the number one book on the subject in the industry. He was a founding member of the Entertainment Technolo...

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