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Think Like A Game Designer — Games
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

Copyright: © Justin Gary

Latest Episodes:

Isaac Vega — From Humble Prototypes to Bioshock Tables, Navigating Unexpected Successes, and the Freedom of Forging One’s Path in Game Design (#44) Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Isaac Vega has been designing board games for over a decade. Isaac has sold over 500,000 copies of his games worldwide and is an award-winning designer. He co-founded Rose Gauntlet Entertainment and is the designer of the hit game Dead of Winter. There are so many awesome lessons in this episode. Let’s get started!

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/subscribe

Sean K. Reynolds — Crafting Legendary RPGs, Building Worlds & Teams, Valuing Writer Voices, and the Anatomy of Game Design (#43) Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

Sean K. Reynolds is a prolific writer and game designer who’s worked on hundreds of supplements for various RPGs, including Dungeons & Dragons. Sean and I met years ago when we were both working for Upper Deck, where Sean was an IP developer. From there, he left to develop the Pathfinder RPG at Paizo. He currently works for Monte Cook Games, where he just finished the Kickstarter for the Planebreaker RPG alongside legendary RPG designers Bruce R. Cordell and Monte Cook. Sean is an awesome guest with lots to share!

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/subscribe

Ben Brode — From Pizza Delivery to Hearthstone's Helm: Crafting Digital Card Games, the Essence of Decision-Making, Building Trust in the Gaming Industry, Innovating with Marvel Snap (#42) Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Ben Brode worked for Blizzard for 15 years, working his way up from a low-level position to become one of the lead designers of the monstrously successful game Hearthstone. He is now the Chief Creative Officer at his own game studio called Second Dinner, which created the digital collectible card game for Marvel called Marvel Snap. This episode was super-fun to record, with some great stories and many great lessons about creating some of the biggest digital card games on the planet!

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/subscribe

Alex Watkins — From Evolutions in Mechanics to Shaping the Future of Organized Play, The Journey of Crafting a New Gaming Experience in Soulforge Fusion (#41) Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Alex Watkins is the head of organized play for SolForge Fusion, but before joining our team, he had years of experience running organized play for games like Keyforge and X-Wing. We're super excited to have him on the show today, discussing how organized play systems are developed, the relationship between organized play and game design, and what organized play will look like for SolForge Fusion.

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/subscribe

John D. Clair — Crafting Award-Winning Games, Navigating Legal Pitfalls, Lessons from Downfall, and Innovating with Kinetic Design (#40) Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

John D. Clair is the designer of Mystic Vale, which was awarded the ORIGINS Award and Gamer’s Choice award in 2017. His other titles include Downfall, Rumble Pie, Custom Heroes, Space Base, and Edge of Darkness. He is a fantastic designer with a lot of wisdom to share. In this episode, we discuss learning from mistakes made in previous designs, handling legal protections for new designs, and making the most of game components to make your games more fun and exciting.

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/subscribe

Luke Peterschmidt — From Dungeons & Dragons to Bakugan: Leveraging Game Design in Marketing, Teaching, and Global Phenomenons (#39) Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

Luke has done a lot of incredible work as a game designer, working on indie games like Miskatonic School for Girls all the way up to massive games like Bakugan. He’s worked for a lot of awesome companies (Games Workshop, AEG, SpinMaster, Wizards of the Coast) in a variety of different positions and knows the industry from top to bottom. In today’s episode, we talk a lot about how the game design mindset applies to not just the game industry but also to business and life—Enjoy!

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/subscribe

Phil Walker-Harding — Crafting Accessible Games, The Journey from Self-Publishing to Global Success with Sushi Go!, and Mastering the Art of Core Game Mechanics. (#31) Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

Phil has a great origin story because it is one that represents what it’s like for most designers to make it in the industry. His most popular game, Sushi Go!, has sold over a million copies and has been translated into 20 languages. Phil specializes in games that are easy to learn, and that can be played by people of all ages. In the Think Like A Game Designer course, I often use Phil’s games like Gizmos and Sushi Go!, as examples of elegant distillations of core principles. There are some amazing lessons in this episode—Enjoy!

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/subscribe

Think Like a Game Designer: Level Up! May 09, 2022

Show notes

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/subscribe

Alan Phan — Charting New Territory: From First-time Game Ideas to Million-Dollar Kickstarters and The Power of Nostalgia in The Grand Archive (#37) Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

Alan Phan and his team recently launched a million-dollar Kickstarter for a trading card game called The Grand Archive. What’s amazing is that he and his friends had never made a trading card game before, so today we’re going to learn a little bit more about Alan and his story. Enjoy!

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/subscribe

Richard Bartle — Pioneering Virtual Worlds: From M.U.D. to MMOs, Understanding Player Motivations, and Navigating the Ethical Maze of Online Interactions (#36) Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Richard Bartle is a legend among game designers. He has a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and is the co-creator of the first virtual world ever to exist, a game called Multi-Use Dungeon or M.U.D. Richard authored the book Designing Virtual Worlds and his most recent book is How to be a god: A Guide for Would Be Deities, in which he examines the history, ethics, structure, and technology of MMOs. His research on player personalities and what’s called the Bartle Test had a significant impact on my designs, which is why I’m so excited to interview him today. This episode is a fascinating one, that focuses on virtual worlds: past, present, and future!

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/subscribe

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