The Game Design Round Table

It’s time for another round of listener questions! In this episode, Dirk and David field questions from the community, discussing a variety of …

This week, David is joined by Chris Bourassa, creative director and cofounder of Red Hook Studios, as well as Tyler Sigman, designer and fellow co-founder. Together, they discuss Red Hook’s latest venture, Darkest …

Dirk and David are joined by Nate Austin, co-creator of myth-making tactical RPG Wildermyth. In this entry in the series on worldbuilding, Nate describes the origins of Wildermyth, and how he and his partners grew the …

Dirk is joined by returning guest host Soren Johnson in today's episode in the Design Talk series. Dirk and Soren speak with Richard Lemarchand, distinguished game designer and now-professor most well-known for his work …

Welcome to episode 300 of The Game Design Round Table! Dirk and David take the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone. They reflect on the …

Dirk is joined by Ryan Laukat, designer, illustrator, and co-founder of Red Raven Games, for the second installation in this series on worldbuilding. Ryan discusses his introduction and path into game design, the …

Today on the show, Dirk and David are joined by Phil Crifo, game director at Awaceb, most prominently known for his work on Fossil Echo and Tchia. He discusses growing up in New Caledonia, and how it serves as an …

Dirk and David are joined by Gerson Da Silva, Director at Ironhide Game Studio and co-founder of Totem Games. Gerson is best known for his work on the Kingdom Rush series, as well as Water 2050. This episode delves into …

Dirk and David gather for another round of listener questions! They answer how to balance mechanical options and variety in a game, trends in how genres are under- or over-utilized, and the impact of live streaming on …

Dirk is joined by Pete Angstadt and Michael Peddicard, co-founders of Lion Shield Studios, to talk about the design and success of Kingdoms and Castles. They discuss designing in the city builder genre, as well as how …

Dirk and David join Kaitlin Tremblay, fiction and collaborative game design author and co-founder of Soft Rains Games. In this inaugural episode in …

Dirk and David interview Mark Rosewater, the long-time lead designer of the legendary card game Magic: the Gathering. Mark shares his wisdom on how to make a game that can continue to be designed over time, as well as …

Dirk and David take a stroll down memory lane and discuss their personal journeys, as well as the evolution the show has taken. They discuss the …

Tana Tanoi, technical designer at Dinosaur Polo Club, joins Dirk to discuss designing Mini Motorways and Mini Metro, as well as what goes into …

Carlos Flores, director of NABERS, and Jess Metherigham, chair of Unlock Democracy, join Dirk in discussing the Green Games Guide, a resource geared towards  sustainability in games, and the reality of what it takes to …

Matt, Creative Director for Inworld AI, joins Dirk and David to talk about the potential of generative AI to push the boundaries of what games can do. The three discuss how AI has developed, and what possibilities the …

AR game designer Graham Moore joins Dirk and David to talk about his work merging tabletop wargaming with augmented reality technology. Topics …

Former cohost Rob Daviau joins Dirk and David to discuss card games in the context of his upcoming game Unmatched Adventures.  After catching up on the state of Rob’s company Restoration Games, the trio start their deep …

Kathryn rejoins Dirk and David to answer several questions from listeners in our Discord channel. Former cohost Rob Daviau also records a bonus answer to a question about legacy games.

In another round table episode, Kathryn joins Dirk and David to discuss three previous episodes on the podcast. The first topic is a discussion on information presentation, specifically how much info to include on …

Fertessa Allyse joins Dirk and David to talk about her path in the tabletop industry. She talks about the relatively quick progress she made by iterating over and over on her core idea for Book of Villainy. Then the …

Designer Nikki Valens joins Dirk and David once again to talk about a couple of Nikki’s projects since they were last on the show. The discussion focuses on Artisans of Splendent Vale, a co-op narrative and tactical …

Board game designer Julio Nazario joins Dirk and David to talk about his success in publishing a variety of distinct games in a relatively short …

Aran Koning joins Dirk and David to talk about his digital card game, Stacklands. Discussions include an in-depth look at how the pack-buying mechanic ended up in a village building game, how progression works while …

Bianca Canoza, also known as Momatoes online, joins David and Kathryn to discuss her pathway into games, the lessons she’s learned, and the Southeast Asian RPG community. Bianca talks about different games she’s worked …

Dominique joins Dirk and David to talk about TTRPG design. Topics covered include Dominique’s pathway into the field through a student internship with Monte Cook Games, the challenges of approaching theme-first design …

Kathryn teams up with Dirk and David to tackle another round of listener questions. Topics include microtransactions, free-to-play games, early game design steps, data in game design, and how designers can learn from …

Isaac Vega joins Dirk and David to talk about his experiences in the board game industry and how he has used cards in his games. First the trio …

Kathryn rejoins Dirk and David for another Round Table discussion of past episodes. First, in reference to the recent episode with Sydney Engelstein, the group talks about card-based expansions. Then the discussion …

Sydney Engelstein joins Dirk and David to talk about her history in game design and her work on multiple card-centric games. After discussing some of …

Damon Stone joins Dirk and David to discuss his game Liberation Haiti, a historical-themed deckbuilder and a Zenobia Award finalist. First, Damon talks about his experience in game design and development, including how …

Dave Scott joins Dirk and David to discuss the upcoming tabletop roleplaying system Everyday Heroes, a revived and updated version of the old D20 …

Charlie Cleveland joins Dirk and David to discuss his work on the underwater survival game Subnautica–an indie hit and a standout in the genre. The …

Lauren talks to Dirk about her Regency era game, The Season. She gives a lot of background on the Regency romance setting and the Georgian Era in general. She explains how elements of her game reflect its historical …

Once again, Kathryn Hymes joins Dirk and David for another round of listener questions. The discussion starts with a thorough examination of how to best grow an audience for a game when starting at zero. Other …

Joseph joins Dirk and David to talk about their game Molly House, which was a Zenobia Award finalist. They discuss the historical theme behind the …

Sherria joins Dirk and David to talk about her game From Darkness to Light, which explores the intersection between the education of women in Indonesia and the Indonesians’ fight for independence. Plenty of historical …

Anya, Director of Games for Kickstarter, joins Dirk and David to talk about how the crowdfunding platform works with creatives in the games industry. The three discuss why games, and especially tabletop games, have …

Banana Chan joins Dirk and David to talk about her experience in multiple areas of game design, and how thematic games can be made in each medium. …

Kathryn joins Dirk and David for a round table discussion based on recent shows. Dirk and David get Kathryn’s perspective on card games and how they help her create story-based games. Then discussion moves to market …

Will returns to the show with Dirk and David to discuss his game Winter Rabbit, a finalist for the Zenobia Award. A contest for designers from underrepresented groups in the hobby, the Zenobia Award pairs promising …

Soren returns to the show with Dirk and David for the third and final episode in this mini-series on his game Old World. They talk about the reception for Old World now that it’s been released, the narrative elements of …

MJ Newman joins Dirk and David to discuss co-op card games and her work on the Lord of the Rings and Arkham Horror LCGs published by Fantasy Flight Games. They talk about how these co-op games are designed compared to a …

Firaxis designer David McDonough joins the show to talk strategy game design with Dirk and David. Topics in their discussion include: player stories …

Board game designer Omari Akil joins Dirk and David to talk about Rap Godz, Hoop Godz, and the process of making games that connect both mechanically and emotionally with a specific theme. They discuss the hip hop theme …

Kathryn joins Dirk and David to discuss the recent Rob Daviau episode as well as answer listener questions. In response to Daviau’s design axiom, the …

Ryan “Morello” Scott joins Dirk and David on the show to discuss his design axiom: balance isn’t important, but balanceable is critical. Ryan discusses why planning ahead for a balanceable piece of content is critical …

Kathryn once again rejoins Dirk and David to discuss the last few episodes of the podcast. The trio talks about the differences in edge cases between TTRPGs, board games, and video games. Then they move on to discuss …

Soren rejoins Dirk and David to discuss what’s new with his 4X game Old World—including a new name! The trio talks about publisher changes, how playtesting has incrementally improved the game, and some of the unique …

Tanya X. Short talks with Dirk and David about her design axiom: if the player doesn’t see it, it might not exist. They discuss both some of the games Tanya has worked on, as well as other games that contradict or …

Dirk and David team up with show producer Skye to dive into the MOBA genre, a first in a series meant to explore the design of this popular genre. …

Sen-Foong Lim rejoins the show to chat with Dirk and David about his design axiom: design edge cases out of the game. The definition of an edge case is explored at length, and the importance of context when discussing …

Kathryn returns to the show to chat with Dirk and David about the last three episodes of the Designing Thematic Games series. The group chats about hybrid games, designing additional content for games, and handling …

Chris Bourassa joins Dirk and David to discuss his work on the indie hit Darkest Dungeon. They talk about the inspiration for some of Darkest Dungeon’s characters, enemies, and mechanical systems. They also cover the …

Tim Fowers, a guest on the show in 2016, returns to talk with Dirk and David about designing heist games. He discusses the thematic and mechanical design decisions made in both the original game as well as his upcoming …

Former host Rob Daviau returns to the show to catch up with Dirk and David and talk about Restoration Games and their next big project: Return to Dark Tower. He discusses the decisions made when updating the 1981 game …

Kathryn rejoins Dirk and David to talk discuss the past few episodes in the Designing Thematic Games series. The trio talks art budgets, terminology, …

Dirk and David discuss the card game Legends of Runeterra with designer Shawn Main. This upcoming game will be Riot’s follow up to the wildly popular …

Dirk and David chat with Meguey Baker about her tabletop RPG Apocalypse World and writing in general. The discussion covers Apocalypse World’s approach to the post-apocalyptic theme and how the writing and mechanical …

Dirk speaks with David Dunham, the designer of Six Ages and its predecessor, King of Dragon Pass. These narrative strategy games, built from the Glorantha universe of Greg Stafford, use specific mechanics to invoke the …

Dirk and David speak with former cohost and friend of the show Kathryn Hymes. Together, the three of them discuss important questions and lessons learned from the first four episodes in the Designing Thematic Games …

Dirk and David discuss escape room design with Scott Nicholson, a game designer and professor who has studied escape rooms extensively. Scott talks …

Dirk, David, and designer/artist Kynan Pearson discuss what goes into designing games for Nintendo’s popular themes. Kynan talks about his role on …

Dirk, David, and designer Elizabeth Hargrave discuss the hit game Wingspan: how she decided on the unique theme, why that theme might have been so …

Dirk, David, and designer Nikki Valens kick off the Designing Thematic Games series with a discussion about the highly thematic games Nikki worked on at Fantasy Flight Games: Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror, and Mansions …

Dirk and David catch up with each other and what’s new in their game design careers. They talk about the new direction for the show and announce a new series for the podcast: “Designing Thematic Games.”

Dirk catches up with Cole Wehrle, designer of Root, and they discuss Cole’s latest game Pax Pamir: Second Edition. Cole also talks about starting …

Dirk speaks with game designers Geoff Engelstein and Isaac Shalev about their co-authored book, Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: an Encyclopedia of Mechanisms.

Dirk speaks with former co-host and former Civilization designer Soren about his next game, 10 Crowns. This episode will be the first in a series …

Dirk speaks with Skye and Tony Tran about their experiences attending and starting local game design guilds and how those groups helped them progress as designers.

Dirk and David speak with TTRPG game designer and streamer Adam Koebel about how RPGs often influence one another and how to get your TTRPG in front of an audience.

Dirk talks with digital and tabletop game designer Will Thompson about game themes, including the recent controversy surrounding the game Scramble for Africa. 

What happens when a Kickstarter doesn't go as planned? Dirk speaks with Carla Kopp from Weird Giraffe games about publishing, Kickstarters, and the game Big Easy Busking.

Take a look back at previous TGDRT episodes with a focus on tabletop prototyping. Dirk, David, Kathryn, Harrison, and Isaac Shalev are all featured in this retrospective episode. 

David and Dirk are joined by Anthony Giovannetti, designer of the game Slay The Spire. Together they take a deep dive into the creation and game mechanics of the game.

Skye Larsen calls in from SaltCON to answer listener questions with Dirk and Cole about board and video games.

David and Dirk are joined by game designer, Kevin Kulp. They discuss his new game, Swords of the Serpentine and Timewatch. They also discuss how a …

This week Dirk is joined by Jennifer Scheurle, a multi-award-winning, world-travelling Game Designer and public speaker. They discuss her work, her …

This week Dirk is joined by Emily Grace Buck, Creative Director at Buckshot Interactive. They discuss Emily's background in game design and what she is currently working on.

This week David and Dirk are joined by Jon Shafer, a co-founder of The Game Design Round Table. They discuss Jon's game At the Gates and some of the innovative systems designed into the game.

Cole and Dirk are joined by Kaitie Aidley and take a deep dive into Cole's game Root.

Dirk share results from the recent listener questionnaire. He also shares some exciting changes coming up for the show.

David and Dirk chat with TL Simons of Out of Order Games. They discuss the creation of the game Bloc by Bloc, it's connection to social issues as well as the differences between the first and second editions.

Cole, Dirk and Kathryn take listener questions. They have a great discussion surrounding the topic of accessibility. Additionally they discuss the …

Tim Burrell-Saward joins The Game Design Roundtable and discusses games that use smart speakers.

On this 200th episode of The Game Design Roundtable, many members of the team share thier thoughts on the show, the industry and people who have inspired them to be where they are today. Enjoy!

In this episode, Dirk and Cole have a conversation with tabletop game designer Scott Almes. The discuss tiny box games as well as Scott's experience …

In this episode, Dirk and David have a conversation with Michael Woods. Michael previously worked at 38 Studios as well as Subatomic Studios. He shares his experiences with work on games large and small.

In this episode, Dirk is joined by Ben Kanelos and Leslie Loy about megagames, also known as large scale simulation event with up to hundreds of …

In this episode, Cole, Dirk and Kathryn name some admired designers, some unlikely games that they enjoy and answer some listener questions.

In this episode, Dirk and Harrison chat with game designer Alex Roberts. They discuss her recent experience with The Star Crossed Kickstarter as well differences between live action and table top game design.

In this episode, David, Dirk and Rob get together for a discussion recapping a Kickstarter campaign for Restoration Games' Fireball Island. They also take a couple listener questions and discuss the idea of …

In this episode, Dirk has a great conversation with video game designer Kellee Santiago. They discuss the game Cloud, the state of VR games and this history of game design.

In this episode, Dirk and Harrison welcome Aljernon Bolden to the show. They discuss game design from an engineering approach.

In this episode, David, Dirk, and Rob get together to answer some listener questions, which turn into a good discussion and a deep dive into a single question about promotion. Also, Rob announces a Kickstarter for …

In this episode, Cole, David, and Dirk get together to answer some listener questions.

In this episode, Dirk and Cole have a conversation with Jeremiah McCall who uses games in the classroom to help in teaching history.

In this episode, Dirk, Kathryn and Rob get together to answer listener questions around playtesting and professional backgrounds in design.

Description In this episode, David, Dirk and Harrison get together to answer listener questions. Lots of acronyms and great insights in this episode! JRPG, MUD, MMO ... David Heron - @DavidVHeron Dirk Knemeyer - …

In this final episode of 2017, David, Dirk and Kathryn get together to review 2017 and look forward to 2018.

In this episode, David and Dirk speak with game designer Cole Wehrle. They discuss Cole's work and how to find balance designing games with deep …

In this episode, Harrison and Dirk speak with Edwin McRae, a narrative designer. They discuss the importance of the narrative line in game design and how it can keep game players engaged throughout a game with immersive …

In this episode, David, Dirk and Rob finally get back together to catch up on each other's projects and answer listener questions. --------------------- David Heron - @DavidVHeron Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, artana.com,

In this episode, Dirk and Harrison have a chat with Mike Bithell, designer of games such as Thomas Was Alone, Volume, EarthShape, and Subsurface …

Description David and Dirk answer listener questions surrounding game design, board production, 3d printing and play testing. --------------------- David Heron - @DavidVHeron Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, artana.com, …

In this episode, Dirk is joined by John Schulter, Sarah Graybill and Randy Hoyt to discuss their work on their new game, Spy Club from Foxtrot Games. …

Description In this episode, Elizabeth LaPensée joins Kathryn and Dirk and they discuss indigenous self-determination in game development and how a …

In this episode, Niki Crisci calls in from Germany and chats with David and Dirk about his recently release game, Will Glow the Wisp. They discuss his inspiration for the game and how he's found the time to work on it. …

In this episode, Tomer Perry, political theorists, avid board and table gamer from Harvard University joins David and Dirk. They discuss how games …

David and Dirk catch up and talk about David's new work. They discuss some of the different ways he's found this new studio operates organizationally and how he thinks it may be a growing trend across the industry. …

David, Dirk, and Kathryn dive into the digital mailbag and take a shot at some listener questions. Topics include Kickstarter Cancellations, design organization and ways to pitch a game. --------------------- Kathryn …

In this episode, Mo Turkington from Unruly Designs joins Dirk and Kathryn to discuss LARPs and specifically chamber LARPs focused on women in WWII. …

Dirk, Kathryn, and Rob get together for the much anticipated game design axioms episode. Listen as they share their their top design principles.---------------------Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, …

Paul Kilduff-Taylor from Mode 7, join David and Dirk for a discussion about the games Tokyo 42 and Frozen Synapse. They dive deep into some of the …

This week Tom Francis, creator of the game Gunpoint, joins Harrison and Dirk to discuss the state of games journalism, how Gunpoint came about and …

This week, Dirk and Kathryn talk with Ross Cowman, owner of game design studio Heart of the Deernicorn. They discuss the game Fall of Magic.---------------------Ross Cowman- @rosscowman, www.heartofthedeernicorn.com …

This week, David, Rob and Dirk get together to catch up and answer listener questions. Ice cubes are involved.---------------------David Heron - …

This week, Dirk and Kathryn welcome veteran game designer Emily Care Boss to the show. Emily has a long history in designing RPG games and making …

Dirk and David are joined by Owlchemy Labs’ Chelsea Howe to talk about Virtual Rick-Ality and the new frontier of VR. Chelsea’s involvement with VR …

Dirk and Kathryn are joined this week by designer John Harper, the mind behind Blades in the Dark. John’s transition to full-time developer has been …

Dirk, Harrison, and Kathryn dive into the mailbag once again to answer your game design questions. Is it really that difficult to get published in …

Designer Nels Anderson stops by to talk to Dirk and Harrison about his work on 2016’s hit Firewatch. Nels worked with a small team at Campo Santo studios to create a unique storytelling adventure that was a critically …

Dirk and Rob are joined by writer, artist, and game designer Jason Thompson to talk about his innovative drawing game "Mangaka: The Fast & Furious Game of Drawing Comics", co-published by Mock Man Press and Japanime …

Dirk, David, and Kathryn Hymes are here to answer your questions. This week they go over replayability, ambitious ideas, and the differences between design and development.---------------------Dirk Knemeyer - …

Dirk and Harrison are joined by Jessica Price and Wes Schneider from Paizo games to talk about their voluminous tabletop roleplaying library. Paizo …

Dirk and David are joined by Dominic Crapuchettes of North Star Games to talk about their breakout hits and the process of creating mass market games. North Star Games is most well known for their widely-available games …

Description David makes his return to the show after a brief absence and fills us in with what’s been going on in his world. We’re also happy to …

Dirk and Harrison are joined by Suzanne Zinsli of Cardboard Edison to talk about game design, publishing, and running their amazing resource for game designers. Cardboard Edison is a gather of best practices, tips for …

Dirk, David, and Harrison tackle the mail bag after an exciting announcement about Rob’s new company, Restoration Games. Restoration’s goal is to reprint and modernize classic games that are no longer available. Our …

This week Dirk is joined by new co-host Harrison Pink and guest Kathryn Hymes of Thorny Games. Kathryn brings a unique perspective to the tabletop world with games that take on the challenges of linguistics and the …

Dirk, David, and Rob are back again to talk about what’s going on in their worlds and to answer more listener mail. Rob is back from Europe after attending the Essen (SPIEL) game convention and has stories to tell about …

Description Dirk and David are joined by Rick Ernst and Chris Cantrell of Riot Games to talk about their upcoming board game Mechs vs. Minions. Riot …

Description Dirk, David, and Rob get together to answer more of your questions. The Game Design Roundtable audience continues to provide poignant and intriguing questions, and our trio of hosts is ready to …

Dirk and David get together with Isaac Shalev to talk about the fast-paced development at Kind Fortress. Since his last time on the show Isaac has had several games designed and put into print, and he talks about …

Dirk, David, and Rob are here on the momentous 150th episode of the Game Design Roundtable to talk about their recent travels. David is traveling the globe to support his game studio and Rob returns from the prestigious …

Dirk brings on guests Peter Hayward and Tania Walker to talk about their work at Jellybean Games. Jellybean places an emphasis on family-friendly …

Dirk, David, and Rob are back to answer more of your questions. How viable is it to break into the market and make a decent salary? Is high-quality art worth it? And just how do you get cards …

Dirk and David welcome designer Sarah Graybill of Black Straw Games to the show to talk about their unique brand of games. Black Straw have developed …

Soren Johnson is back to talk to Dirk and David about his new game, Offworld Trading Company. Offworld is the product of Soren’s own game development studio, Mohawk Games. He dives deep into the development process and …

It’s a celebratory show as Dirk, David, and Rob talk about the latest releases from the crew. Rob’s Legacy game Seafall is finally ready for preorder after many years of hard work and Dirk is also pleased to share that …

Dirk and David are joined by designer and board game community member Chris Zinsli. Chris and his wife Suzanne are the founders of Cardboard Edison, a resource for designers of board games. Their blog and other media …

Dirk, David, and Rob peek into the mailbag once again and answer your questions. After a brief celebration over the recent success of Pandemic Legacy, the trio talk about design-driven narrative and a few questions …

Dirk and David sit down this week with game designer Tim Fowers. A physics major gone rogue in the world of game design, Tim has experience in both board games and the digital space. His games Burgle Bros, Wok Star, and …

Description Dirk and Rob help David celebrate the launch of his company’s game: Star Trek Timelines. Timelines was a long time in the making and is an extremely ambitious game for the mobile platform. David reviews the …

This week Dirk and David are joined by Daniel Doan of Black Shell Media. Daniel’s career in games started with mods for the original Starcraft and grew into his breakout game, Sanctuary RPG. He then moved on to …

Dirk and David are joined by guest Justin Gary, accomplished game designer of many deckbuilding games. Justin’s career started as a professional, award-winning player of Magic: the Gathering and has continued with …

Return guest Harrison Pink stops by to catch up with Dirk and David and let us know what he’s been up to. Harrison recently moved to a new studio and is working as a world designer on the next Mafia game. He also had …

Dirk, David, and Rob tackle more listener mail in this week’s episode. We had a lot of great questions come in from our listeners that cover royalty free assets, distribution for board games, and some more from Dirk on …

We’re back! Dirk, David, and Rob are here again to talk about game design after a flurry of activity and travel. David is knee-deep in Star Trek Timelines and Rob is pleased with the success of Pandemic Legacy. …

Dirk and Rob sit down with game designer Isaac Childres to talk about his self-published and Kickstarted game Gloomhaven. Rob seems to have found the game he’s been looking for all along and has plenty of questions for …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about what happens when the game has shipped and there’s still more to do. Post-launch support can come in the form of features that were originally left on the cutting room …

This week Dirk and David are joined by game designer Alex Kevern. Alex has followed the path from gamer to designer and brought several different …

Rob is back from vacation and it’s time for some more listener mail. Is it possible to play a game that is fun but not good? Should you share your …

Dirk and David talk to game designer David Somerville about his game Trove and experiences publishing his first game. David shares his insights as far as community management, how to hand things over, and pitching your …

We’re back! After a brief hiatus due to the craziness of Gen Con the crew is back to tell their stories and get caught up on all the new …

Dirk and Rob sit down with game designer Daniel Solis to talk about his background with card and microgames. Daniel’s games can be played all over …

Dirk, David, and Rob are back to answer more listener questions about budget, toolsets, and …

This week, Dirk and David chat with Meg Jayanth to talk about her experiences as a writer in the games industry. Meg’s prose is probably most well known in the story-heavy gameplay of 80 Days on mobile devices and …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to confirm that no person is an island, especially when it comes to game design. Collaborating with others can be …

Jamey Stegmaier stops by to talk to Dirk and David about his previous games as well as the upcoming and hotly anticipated Scythe. Scythe’s evocative art and theme have piqued the interest of the boardgaming community. …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to answer questions sent in by you, the listeners!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - …

Dirk and David are joined by game designer Isaac Shalev of Kind Fortress Games and the podcast On Board Games. Isaac shares some of the insight he has gleaned about the Kickstarter process, publishing games with a …

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about all of the primary forms of feedback that developers have at their disposal. Reviews can be educational, helpful, or …

Former host and Game Design Roundtable co-founder Jon Shafer stops in to talk about At the Gates. Jon’s been hard at work adding features, taking out …

Dirk, David, and Rob take a moment to check in on their respective projects. Rob details his long and illustrious career as the head of marketing for his game company while David checks in with an update on Star Trek …

Dirk and David talk to Randy Hoyt of Foxtrot games about the art of publishing board games. Randy talks about his preference of publishing over …

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about the current state of Seafall and its latest strides toward completion. Rob is excited about the progress of the game and shares a look at what can happen during a player’s turn as the …

Roleplaying game and novel writer Robin D. Laws joins Dirk and David to share his experience as a designer and writer in the gaming industry. Robin …

Soren is back with forum member and early Offworld Trading Company playtester Scott Hamden to talk with Dirk about the current state of the game. Offworld Trading Company is taking form as it prepares for early access …

Dirk and David are joined this week by Chelsea Howe, game design veteran and current employee at EA. Chelsea brings her experience to the show after working in a wide range of environments from large publishers to small …

Dirk, David, and Rob are back to answer more of your questions! This week’s questions cover digital integration, international design decisions, and …

Dirk and David are at the helm this week to talk about all things Star Trek. David’s upcoming game uses the Star Trek universe to tell a wide variety of stories with a wide cast of characters. But with a fan base as …

Dirk, David, and Rob look back at 2014. Rob’s Kickstarter leads the way with a great success story and a view into just how crazy his life became this year. Dirk and David share their big moves from the year and look …

Dirk and David sit down with game designer and writer Erin Hoffman to talk about her extensive background in game design for education,interacting …

Is there a formula for fun? Nicole Lazzaro joins Dirk and David to talk about what makes games fun, deliver a brief dive into neuroscience, and …

Dirk and David are joined by game designer Susan McKinley Ross, creator of Qwirkle and other well-received board games. Susan shares her expertise in …

Dirk, David, and Rob are on hand to talk about two topics this week. First, the progress of Rob’s current Kickstarter: Funemployed 2nd Edition. He reviews how the Kickstarter is going as well as steps he took on the …

Amy Jo Kim joins Dirk and David to talk about cooperative gaming and the move away from zero-sum game mechanics. Social and online gaming have shown time and again that players want to cooperate and work together rather …

This week it’s a regular-sized show about micro-sized games when designer Chris Handy comes on to talk about his foray into the micro games …

Dirk, David, and Rob Daviau are answering questions this week on topics about board game design, publishing, translations, and more!-------------------Contact Information Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer, www.artana.com, …

Dirk and Soren are joined by strategy games enthusiasts Julian Murdoch and Dr. Bruce Geryk to talk about the current state of Offworld Trading …

It’s just Dirk and David today as the hosts catch up on each of their own projects. David has made some big changes and moved on to a new company in a new town, and Dirk details all of the different irons he has in the …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about things that bug them. Whether is the interplay of turns, the depth of a game, or the wine served at a chain restaurant, some things just aren’t …

Dirk and David are joined by Kristín Guðmundsdóttir of Kvasir Games to talk about board and digital game development. Kvasir is a team of developers …

Alexis Kennedy and Liam Welton from Failbetter games join Dirk to talk about their dark games set in the world of Fallen London. With a background that goes from free-to-play web games to more traditional PC games, …

Sometimes a game design just goes off the rails. Scope creep, overly-ambitious ideas, a loss of focus… these can be devastating to any project. Dirk, David, and Rob Daviau talk about how a game can get off the right …

The title of “writer” can span from creating conceptual direction to creating dozens of iterations of the same lines of character dialog. Guest …

Dirk and David are joined by Karla Zimonja of the Fullbright Company to talk about Gone Home, the challenges and benefits of working on a small team, …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about conventions. Gen Con is the star of the show as the trio talk about tips for both gamers and game designers. Everything is covered from talking with publishers to packing …

This show is all about the listeners! The mail bag is full and it’s time for Dirk and David to answer your questions on game design, the industry, …

Jon and Dirk talk to game designer and TGDRT regular Soren Johnson about his upcoming game, Offworld Trading Company. His real time strategy economic …

Ananda Gupta joins Dirk and Soren to talk about Dynamic campaigns. Series like Total War and XCOM merge tactical battles with larger strategic campaigns - what do these games do well, and what challenges seem to be …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about the betrayal as a game mechanic. Betrayal can bring out the worst in people - yelling, table …

Friend and co-founder of The Game Design Roundtable Jon Shafer stops by to talk about the status of his game At the Gates. Learn about the importance of tribes, one of Jon’s new features that adds replayability and …

Dirk, David, and Harrison Pink get together to reminisce about the games that they enjoyed in their youth. Check out the extensive list below - how many did you …

Dirk and David are joined by game designer Matt Leacock of Pandemic fame. Cooperative games are the topic of the day as Matt goes through his experiences building on the Pandemic …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to talk about information. What are the advantages and disadvantages of perfect information games? How much is …

Dirk and David take a brief respite from interviewing developers to talk about the games they’ve been playing. An extensive discussion on Europa Universalis IV eventually morphs into why people are fascinated by …

Dan Fabulich from Choice Of Games joins Dirk and David to talk about the interactive fiction genre and the process of choosing an adventure that may …

This week Dirk is joined by game designers Jay Cormier and Sen Foong Lim of Bamboozle Brothers. Jay and Sen describe what it’s like working with a partner long distance, getting picked up by a publisher, and their …

Dirk, David, and Rob talk about the the importance of marketing. How important is it and how do the numbers compare between tabletop and the digital realm? And what’s the Wil Wheaton …

Harrison Pink returns to the show to talk with Dirk and David about playing games. This episode is all about what games our panel has been playing and how they have reacted as both players and …

In this week’s episode, Dirk and David take some time to talk about their current projects. Futbol Strategy is around the corner and David’s Knights …

Nels Anderson joins Dirk and David to talk about the concept of “Push and Pull” style games and how it relates to game styles and gamer …

This week Dirk, David, and Rob go over the process that leads up to experiencing the game. From first hearing about it and finally unboxing it, what matters the most to designers and players? And just how many of our …

Harrison Pink joins Dirk and David to talk about what motivates both players and developers. Is it the journey, the destination, or the sweet, sweet Steam achievements at the …

Dirk and Soren talk to Double Fine’s Brad Muir about streaming the development process and interacting with fans. Listen in on how to walk the fine line between listening to your fans and still steering the ship while …

Dirk, David, and Rob get down to the nitty-gritty about prototyping their game concepts, both on the digital side and the tabletop side. What does a good prototype look like, and more importantly: how is one actually …

Dirk and David take a moment to discuss the games they’re working on and the challenges they face when trying to bring new game concepts to life. …

Dirk, David, and Rob get together to discuss the perceived value in infinitely replayable games. Where did this notion come from? The trio discuss …

Dirk and David talk to veteran designer Julian Gollop about his career in gaming and his Kickstarter for a remake of his classic game Chaos Reborn. …

Ryan Dancey joins Dirk and Soren to talk about tabletop RPGs and Pathfinder Online. What’s the cross-section between MMOs and traditional RPGs? Listen in to find out how Pathfinder took the helm from D&D and what …

Rob Daviau returns to the show to talk to Dirk and David about playtesting and the challenges of getting good feedback. Are core gamers good playtesters? How much playtesting is necessary? The show concludes with a …

Telltale Games’ Harrison Pink joins Dirk and David to talk about the difference between designing by instinct and using analysis and data. Can a …

Jon announces that he’ll be retiring from the podcast in order to focus fully on At the Gates. Piggybacking on this topic, he and Dirk discuss …

Jon, Dirk and David discuss the idea of players as designers within the context of house rules, modding and optional rules. Other topics covered …

Soren joins Jon and Dirk to discuss transparency: what a game does and does not reveal to players. The discussion ranges from unpredictability in deckbuilders like ‘Dominion’ and ‘Ascension’, to fog of war in …

Rob joins Jon and Dirk to discuss phases (the early game, the late game, etc.) and ‘pivot points’, which are moments when focus shifts from one aspect of a game (such as economic engine building) to another (scoring …

Jon and Dirk cover many a topic in this episode, but the main discussion revolves around Jon’s plans for diplomacy in ‘At the Gates’, how they’ve …

Dirk and Jon are joined by Geoff Engelstein to talk about his work, design philosophies and podcast. How do you create a real-time tabletop game? What makes inspirations special? How important is theme compared with …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Soren Johnson once again, this time to discuss conflict in games. Topics covered include: What is a conflict? Why is its …

Rob Daviau pays a visit for a discussion about theme. How much theme is enough? How much is TOO much? How do you actually translate theme into gameplay mechanics. And heck, what IS a ‘theme’, …

Why do people cheat? What can designers do about it? SHOULD they do anything about it in non-competitive single-player games?---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Kevin Forbes of Klei Entertainment to talk about Don’t Starve. Topics covered include environmental cycles, crafting, and the unique challenges and perks of developing a systems-based …

Jon and Dirk hand out awards for the mechanics and games they played in 2013 that stood out - for better and worse.---------------------------Contact InformationJon Shafer - @JonShaferDesign, www.JonShaferOnDesign.com, …

Board game designer Tom Lehmann joins Jon and Dirk to talk about Race for the Galaxy, co-designing on existing games, and his design …

Jon, Dirk and David discuss the role of death in games. What is it for? How does it interact with narrative? What games has it been represented well …

Jon and Dirk discuss general design topics relating to their recent work, including playtesting, extending the development of projects, providing players with goals, instilling a game with good pacing and ensuring there …

Jon and Dirk are paid a return visit by first-ever TGDRT guest Rob Daviau to talk about ‘SeaFall’, his new exploration legacy tabletop game, Rob’s company ‘IronWall Games’, and his hopes for further innovation in the …

Jon, Dirk and David share design concepts they find interesting and hope to incorporate into future (or simply hypothetical) projects. The group also digs into why developers are sometimes reluctant to share and discuss …

Jon and Dirk meet up to play several tabletop games and discuss what works and what doesn't. Included in the discussion are Ploy, Race for the Galaxy, and Hansa Teutonica.---------------------------Contact …

Jon and Dirk are paid a visit by regular guest Soren Johnson, who stops by to talk about his brand-new studio ‘Mohawk Games’ and their first project, …

Jon and Dirk are joined by David for the special 1-year anniversary show. They point the magnifying glass back at themselves in this episode and …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Brian Reynolds, designer of ‘Civilization 2’, ‘Alpha Centauri’, ‘Rise of Nations’ and more. They discuss Brian’s career as …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Jamey Stegmaier, co-founder of Stonemaier Games and designer of ‘Viticulture’ and ‘Euphoria’. They discuss Stonemaier’s …

Jon, Dirk and David delve into the most effective ways of teaching both tabletop and digital games. What role do out-of-game video tutorials have to …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Julian Gollop, designer of X-COM: UFO Defense (aka UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a game development veteran with 30 years of …

Our hosts discuss Dirk's recent experience playtesting ‘At the Gates’, dive deep into what makes ‘Agricola’ great, and lament the loneliness of the …

Jon, Dirk and David finally get around to talking about theme, mechanics and how the intersection of the two relates to ‘fun’. What are each? What happens when you favor one over the other? Can you flat out OMIT one? …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Ed Beach, designer of the digital titles ‘Civilization 5: Gods & Kings’ and ‘Brave New World’ as well as tabletop games ‘Here I Stand’ and ‘Virgin Queen’. As you might have guessed, their …

Jon and Dirk discuss Solium Infernum and City of Remnants in-depth, and along the way delve into the issues deep competitive games have and the …

Jon, Dirk and David finally get around to the elephant in the room: randomness. What is it? How can it make games better or worse? How does it relate to the type of audience you’re aiming for? What bad things can happen …

Jon and Dirk are joined by David Dunham, the creator of the classic PC and new iOS game ‘King of Dragon Pass’. The panel discusses the game’s unique …

Jon and Dirk cover a wide variety of topics this week, notably: the problems with automation and user interface in Paradox titles like Hearts of Iron …

Jon, Dirk and David delve into the topic of multiplayer design: How is it different from single player design? What are the strengths and weaknesses …

Jon and Dirk sit down with Chris Park of Arcen Games to discuss his latest game, Skyward Collapse, the development and business challenges of …

Jon and Dirk discuss several games at length this week, namely: Monaco, the new Walking Dead chapter, Super Crate Box for the Ouya and Civ 5: Brave New World. Topics covered include how penalties can improve a game, the …

Jon, Dirk and David discuss the role of failure in games and how it ties in with how people learn how to play. What does punishment add, and where …

Dirk sits down with game designer Vic Davis of Cryptic Comet games to talk about life as an indie designer, Vic’s dark game design decisions, and his …

Jon and Dirk cover a variety of games they’ve played lately, including the new ‘Walking Dead’ expansion, ‘Ascension’ and ‘1775’. The discussion gets …

Soren Johnson returns to the show to discuss progression systems with Jon and Dirk, with a special focus on technology trees. What are the advantages …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Tomislav Uzelac, designer of the amazing WW2 strategy game ‘Unity of Command’ and studio lead for 2x2 Games. They dig into the title’s superb AI, its innovative supply system, building a …

Jon and Dirk discuss a few games they’ve played lately which make good first impressions but ultimately fall short: ‘Don’t Starve’, ‘Shogun’ and …

Jon, Dirk and David discuss tactics in a more general sense. What is a tactical game? What problems does the genre have? Why does Jon hate basically …

Jon and Dirk are joined by David Sirlin, designer of tabletop titles Puzzle Strike, Yomi and Flash Duel. The group discusses his past games, future plans, building a tabletop company, David’s interesting journey from …

Jon and Dirk finally get around to discussing ‘Solium Infernum’, a tabletop-digital “hybrid” strategy title where you aim to become the lord of hell. …

The usual three-man crew discusses - debates, even - the ways in which we win games. The first half of the show is dominated by dissecting the pluses and minuses of victory points, whether they’re inherently arbitrary, …

Dirk (the solo host for this week) sits down with acclaimed game designer Martin Wallace of Tree Frog Games. Martin’s star-studded resume includes …

A lengthy episode where Jon and Dirk cover a variety of topics. First, they discuss the superb ‘Puzzle Strike’, basically “‘Dominion’ done right.” The conversation shifts to ‘Magic’ and the pluses and minuses of an …

David Heron, Jon and Dirk noodle over the role of information and obfuscation in game design. Why does ‘Persona 4’ work when the BioWare games do …

Trademark specialist and actual lawyer-type Dave Fitzgerald joins the show to discuss legal issues relating to games development. Topics covered include the difference between patents, trademarks and copyrights, what …

Dirk shares his first ‘Magic’ drafting experience, and why the game and format now has its hooks into him. He and Jon then step back and evaluate the drafting mechanic and ponder whether the reason why it works is …

The team is joined by Colby Dauch, president of Plaid Hat Games, the developer behind Summoner Wars and the upcoming Bioshock Infinite board game. …

New occasional co-host David Heron rejoins the show to analyze the impact of Free to Play (F2P) from a business and design perspective. The group discusses the philosophical implications of F2P, along with real life …

Jon and Dirk are guest-free this week and provide an update on what they’ve been working on and playing. On the Kickstarter front, ‘At the Gates’ has wrapped up and ‘War Stories’ will soon be doing the same. A recent …

With the sad passing of Allan Calhamer, Dirk and Jon felt it appropriate to honor his memory and the legacy left behind by his finest work: Diplomacy. They are joined by Jim Burgess, a distinguished member of the …

This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Derek Yu, designer of Spelunky. He shares his design approach, the importance of challenge and permadeath. Derek also describes what it’s like to be a designer/artist hybrid, as …

With the At the Gates funding campaign coming to a close, Jon and Dirk are joined by the timely Fred Hicks of Evil Hat to talk about launching and running a Kickstarter drive. They delve into the demands and challenges …

Jon and Dirk are joined by Michael Tan, lead designer of War Stories, a new tabletop wargaming franchise that just launched on Kickstarter. Michael and Dirk talk about the experience of remotely designing a game …

In this week’s episode Jon and Dirk discuss two of their favorite tactical combat games: Relic’s Company of Heroes, and Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Our hosts discuss what these games did well, poorly and what changes …

This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Soren Johnson, best known as the designer of Civilization IV. The gang discusses the 4X genre with a particular …

Lucky #13! In this week’s episode, our hosts discuss Jon’s new game: ‘At the Gates,’ a 4X strategy game where you play as a barbarian tribe during the fall of Rome. They discuss the background for the game’s …

Jon and Dirk are joined by designer David Heron to discuss his work on the Legend of the Five Rings CCG (Collectible Card Game). Along the way, they …

A “high-energy” episode this week as Jon and Dirk are joined by Telltale Games designers (and Idle Thumbs hosts) Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin. The guests share their experiences developing story-based games, with a …

An intimate show this week where Jon and Dirk cover a variety of topics ranging from the new Battle of the Bulge iOS game to Jon’s recent article …

This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Jesse Howard, an academic turned part-time tabletop designer - at age 40. They delve into Jesse’s ongoing journey to develop ‘Ploy’, a promising and innovative abstract card game. …

In the final episode of 2012, Jon and Dirk hand out the first annual TGDRT Game Design Awards. Our hosts highlight some favorites from past episodes but also share their thoughts on a few newcomers - their Games of the …

This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Firaxis designer and programmer Scott Lewis. He comes on the show to jump into a discussion about “experience” games, which target the player’s first experience, and replayable …

This week Dirk and Jon are joined by Uwe Eickert, founder of Academy Games and designer of several acclaimed board games. They discuss a few of Uwe’s projects including Conflict of Heroes and 1775. Also covered is how …

An intimate show this week in which our co-hosts “go commando,” as Dirk puts it. We compare and contrast tabletop and digital game design, and dig into the process Dirk went through when creating Tomorrow. The crew …

Henrik Fahraeus and Chris King from the Paradox Interactive design crew join Jon and Dirk to talk about storytelling in games.

Bill Abner from Conquistador Games joins Jon and Dirk to talk about trends in digital and tabletop games, as well as his experiences transitioning from gaming media into game development.

Risk: Legacy designer and newly-minted indie game design company owner Rob Daviau joins Dirk and Jon to talk about a wide-range of topics including memory and persistence in games, innovation, and starting your own game …

The Game Design Round Table launches with hosts Dirk Knemeyer and Jon Shafer talking about their background in gaming and design.