Design Doc

Latest Episodes:

The Art of Perfect Art Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

When people decide what art is worth looking at, they look for the very best. In a world that demands creative endeavors be perfect, how do we find the confidence to make and share our own art?

Episode mentions:

Olga Smirnova / Dutch National Ballet:

https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dancers/olga-smirnova

Toki Pona:

https://tokipona.org/

A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart (essay):

https://worrydream.com/refs/Lockhart_2002_-_A_Mathematician's_Lament.pdf

The Jewish Wedding by Jovan Obican (lithograph):

https://rogallery.com/artists/jovan-obican/jewish-wedding-2/

Links/Credits:

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Website: turtlebun.com

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

What Makes a Good Playtest? Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Is playtesting more of a science, or more art? How prepared should you be for a playtest if you're testing rules that might change on the fly, never to be seen again? In this episode we talk about playtesting our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, and how that went!

Links/Credits:

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Website: turtlebun.com

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

When Mechanics Don't Match Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

Our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, began as a hack of Questlandia. But what happens when the mechanics of an old game don't work with the story you want to tell? In this episode we talk about hacking games to do what we want them to do.

Links:

Support Design Doc on Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Find our games at: 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

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Going Places! (or, Navigation Mechanics in Games) Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

We often ask ourselves, "Do we need a mechanic for that?" In our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, we want to encourage players to travel across a haunted amusement park. How can the rules create meaningful choices about the places they should and shouldn't go? And when is it better to lose that choice, and end up somewhere randomized or predetermined? Join us as we navigate these questions and arrive in unexpected places!

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

A Moment of Rest Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

We're taking a week off to recharge! We'll see you back in two weeks with a new episode of Design Doc. Rest easy.

Sincerely,

Hannah and Evan

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

Finding Community Again Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

We recently realized that we’ve drifted apart not just from our games community, but from our community at large. Now, in a world where the future feels uncertain and dire, we're asking ourselves: how do we reconnect?

Escape from Wonderland has just one week left on Kickstarter. You can read more and back the project here.

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

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

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

Support Design Doc on Patreon: Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

Levels of Doneness Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

The Kickstarter for Escape from Wonderland is LIVE! Support the game here!

How do you know when a game is ready for Kickstarter? How far along should it be before bringing it to the world? In this episode, we talk about the delicate balance of presentation—slick, but not *too* slick; done, but not *too* done. We explored how crowdfunding has changed for small creators now that big, well-resourced companies are bringing their games to Kickstarter too. When faced with a rising standard of "doneness," should we try to match them, or pave our own scrappy way?

Mentioned in this episode:

Yes, L'Oreal did do a Kickstarter (we're not linking to it).
Double Fine's adventure game Kickstarter (for the game that would eventually be called Broken Age).
Czech Dream documentary.

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

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

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

Support Design Doc on Patreon: Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

Judging a Book by Its Cover Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

The first conversation we've had about cover design in games! We discuss how book covers are often the first thing people see of our games, how a well-designed cover can stick in someone's memory, and how a great cover isn't just about first impressions—it can make you want to pick up a book again and again.

And a special thanks to our editor, Rob, for letting us know that yes, Scholastic Book Fairs do still exist. Link here: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com

Covers mentioned:

The Martian Chronicles (Link to cover, art by Michael Whelan)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Link)

The Golden Compass (Link to cover, art by Eric Rohmann)

Our covers mentioned, all by Evan Rowland:

Questlandia original edition

Questlandia second edition

Noirlandia

Mud: A Golem Memoir

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

The Ideas You'll Be Buried With Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

One of the hardest lessons in game design is coming to terms with the fact that many of our favorite ideas will remain unrealized. In this episode, we explore the games we may never complete, our lingering dream of bringing them to life, and how accepting their incompleteness might help us face the reality of death.

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

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

instagram.com/turtleandbun

Designing a Spooky Game (Part 4): Finally, the Playtest Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

Evan and Hannah try playing their new game with a very rough draft of the rules, in a cross between a playtest and design session. New ideas and new questions abound as they explore uncharted territory.

To follow along with the design, Questlandia character sheets and reference rules can be downloaded for free here:

https://turtlebun.com/pages/downloads

Questlandia can be purchased here:

https://turtlebun.itch.io/questlandia-second-edition

https://turtlebun.com/products/questlandia

Links/Credits:

Website: turtlebun.com

Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun

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

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

Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc

Get in touch: