Design Doc

Latest Episodes:

Short Break Announcement Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Just a quick announcement that we'll be skipping a release cycle for the Thanksgiving holiday. See you back in two weeks with a new episode!

In the meantime you might consider:

Joining the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supporting Design Doc on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Picking up one of our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Design Doc Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Making Game Hacks That Stay Small Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

It's hard for us to make a hack that doesn't grow into a game of its own. In this episode, we talk about two playtests—one for a game variant, another for a new hack—and say what went well, what needs work, and how to keep small things small.

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support Design Doc Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

You Can’t End the Game Until You Know What It Means Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Endings are hard. The ending of a roleplaying game isn’t just the culmination of the story; it’s also when the themes and purpose of the game become clear. In this episode we talk about designing a conclusion that comes at the right time, conveys the right message, and still leaves room for all the improvisation of roleplaying.

Episode mentions:

Ready Player One—but just a brief mention this time, promise!

Mother! (2017 film written & directed by Darren Aronofsky)

Other Design Doc episodes mentioned:

Epilogues in Games (May 2025)

Finding the Game's Emotional Core (March 2019)

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Design Doc 101 Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Is Design Doc a game design podcast? A saga about the challenges of making art for a living? A never-ending field trip? In episode 101 we talk about how Design Doc began, what it became, and what we hope it could become. Plus, dinosaurs!

Episode mentions:

Internet Shaquille video about short-form content - “I Posted a Short EVERY Day and THIS Happened!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvu3SDigoMA

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Bonus: Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 2—the Movie!) Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

We conclude our discussion of Ready Player One with an updated review of the movie. In pondering this mid movie, we leave no stone unturned... and no critically-acclaimed director forgiven. Come for the movie critique, stay for the poetry!

Find part 1 of the discussion, Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 1), here.

Find our original review of the movie on Patreon here.

Episode Mentions:

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013 directed by Tommy Wirkola)

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Bonus: Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 1) Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

We’re pulling an unaired episode from the archives this week! We talk about Ready Player One, the dystopian virtual-world novel that took the world by storm over a decade ago. We each completed the book independently, then came together in this conversation to share our thoughts with each other (and the world). In part 1 we discuss the novel, in part 2 we watch the movie and read an illuminating poem.

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

The Realest Place on Earth Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

Happy Design Doc episode 100! In this special episode, we take a field trip with our game Escape from Wonderland. Trapped in an amusement park with a half-finished game, we explore liminal spaces, shuttered VIP lounges, and mind-bendingly long queues. To escape Six Flags New England, we must first fix our broken larp.

Creepy circus music is ⁠Creepy Circus Music from Derek Fiechter & Brandon Fiechter on Soundcloud⁠

Roller coaster screams captured by Carrie, who can be found ⁠here⁠

Find Jill Bernard's Small Cute Book of Improv here

Find Thank You, Places in Philadelhpia

Experience Houdini's Great Escape

The ⁠circular piano keyboard patent⁠

The ⁠⁠Brock360 Circular Keyboard⁠⁠

Previous Six Flags episode include Roleplaying in the Park and The Liminal Spaces of Six Flags

And more links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by (and spooky laugh by) Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Game Design Grab Bag Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

In an impromptu recording, we decided to take turns setting a 6-minute timer and sharing whatever topics came to mind. The result was a series of compressed design conversations and a snapshot of our current ambitions and troubles.

1 - Sandbox exploration (chicken)

2 - Questlandia audio drama (cow)

3 - Traits & Conditions accounting (duck)

4 - Making the bed (whale)

5 - Null result (seagull)

6 - Mud gallery (horse)

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode edited by Hannah Shaffer. Episode editing usually by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Roleplaying in the Park Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

We're going back to the park and taking Wonderland with us! To get the game off the table and into the real world, there are a number of changes we'll have to make. We talk fanny packs, waterproof paper, coordinated outfits, and ditching friends.

You can listen to our previous episode about Six Flags here.

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

Creative Disagreements Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Even after years of working together, there are times where we just can’t agree. The work grinds to a halt, and we end up frustrated and confused. When there’s a breakdown in collaboration, how do you diagnose what went wrong, repair the rift, and move forward together?

Links:

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠