Think Like A Game Designer

Justin Gary

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

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118 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes118

Newest first

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Special
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
Jul 7, 2020 · 15 min
Eric Lang — Crafting Immersive Game Experiences, From Sugar Packet Prototypes to Epic Viking Sagas, Navigating Kickstarter Successes, and Fostering Empathetic Design Teams (#17)
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: The Game of Thrones Card Game, Quarriors, and Blood Rage. He’s launched several highly successful Kickstarters and has a lifetime's worth of wisdom in game design. There are a lot of lessons here. Grab your notebooks. 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
Jun 9, 2020 · 1 hr 59 min
Tom Lehmann — From Economics to Game Mechanics, Crafting Strategic Choices, and The Nuances of Cooperative Play (#16)
Tom Lehmann is a former economist, programmer, and game publisher turned full-time game designer. He created Race for the Galaxy and has created expansions for games like Pandemic and St. Petersburg. Today, we discuss everything from economics, expansions, and game reward systems. There’s a lot of wisdom here, so grab a notebook! 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
May 27, 2020 · 1 hr 29 min
Keith Baker — Crafting Worlds and Weaving Tales: From Ebberon's Origins to Phoenix Dawn Command's Innovations (#15)
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 and running Story based games. If you’re into role-playing games like D&D or any other story-driven games there’s a lot to learn here. 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
Apr 30, 2020 · 1 hr 22 min
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)
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 storytelling coach who supports people in regards to writing games, RPG adventures, screenplays, and novels. What’s even wilder is that she travels the world playing role-playing games and bringing gaming communities together. I can’t wait to dig into this episode. 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
Mar 26, 2020 · 1 hr 10 min
Devin Low — From Magic to Marvel: Game Narratives, Corporate Design Insights, and the Power of Effective Communication (#13)
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, and the lead designer of Legendary: The Marvel Deck-Building Game and Plants vs. Zombies Heroes. 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
Feb 18, 2020 · 1 hr 45 min
Wright Bagwell — From Quake Mods to Game Streaming: Bridging Neuroscience and Game Design, Entrepreneurial Journeys, and Crafting Player-Centric Experiences (#12)
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 Farmville franchise at Zynga. Prior to that, he worked on Dead Space as a creative director at Visceral Games and was the lead designer at Electronic Arts. In case that wasn’t awesome enough, he also has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. So… Yeah, this guy is pretty amazing and has a lot to offer. 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
Jan 20, 2020 · 1 hr 26 min
Richard Garfield — Delving into Game Narratives, The Essence of Memorable Gameplay, and Building Bridges with Fellow Designers (#11)
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 the collectible card game genre and one of the most well-known game designers in the world. In this episode of the show, we discuss his life in game design, the development of Magic: The Gathering and KeyForge, and a variety of topics dealing with the challenges of creating collectible card games. This episode is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable episodes I’ve recorded for Think Like a Game Designer – grab a notebook and take a listen! 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
Dec 30, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Ryan Sutherland — From Instinct to Innovation: Balancing Mechanics and Theme in Game Design at Stone Blade (#10)
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 designers on the newest expansion to Shards of Infinity, called Shadow of Salvation. In this episode, we speak about his journey into game design, developing games at Stone Blade, and what it’s like to work on digital games versus physical games. Ryan has a lot of awesome insights that can help anyone who’s looking to develop their game design skills. 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
Dec 12, 2019 · 1 hr 5 min
Jordan Weisman — Crafting Iconic Worlds, The Interplay of Story and Mechanics, Lessons from Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Virtual Reality (#9)
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 Shadowrun and Battletech that have resonated with fans for over 30 years. He launched his first company, FASA, at twenty years old. He created one of the first Virtual Reality Simulation games with Battletech, and he went on to develop the revolutionary Mageknight and Heroclix games and continues to be on the cutting edge of the tabletop and video game industry. He is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in technology, design, and business. Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing this game design legend. 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
Nov 15, 2019 · 1 hr 30 min
Liz Spain — From Fashion to Fantasy: Crafting Emotive Gameplay, the Psychology Behind Game Mechanics, and Embracing Adaptability in Game Design (#8)
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 the remarkable story of designing, producing, and successfully Kickstarting her first game: Incredible Expeditions: Quest for Atlantis. She explains how she was able to raise money and awareness for her first game by attending events that worked thematically with her project's aesthetic. We also speak in-depth about the psychology of game design. Happy Gaming! 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
Oct 8, 2019 · 56 min
Tim Fowers — Navigating the World of Indie Board Game Design, Direct Sales Success, and the Craft of Game Development (#7)
Tim Fowers is the punk rocker of game design. A purely independent tabletop and digital game developer, who distributes his games directly, rather than using big publishers and standard distribution channels. This allows Tim to stand out as a master of indy game design, who develop his games according to his artistic vision. There’s so much to learn 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
Jul 2, 2019 · 1 hr 7 min
Paul Peterson — Unveiling Smash Up's Ingenious Mechanics, Game Design Evolution, and the Creative Challenges of Shuffle Building (#6)
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 creating. In this episode, Paul talks about building a community and company that supports game design and creativity, from big studio work to boutique game design companies. His work in the field of game design has given him incredible insight into what it takes to design and produce awesome games. 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
May 21, 2019 · 1 hr 16 min
Raph Koster — Game Design Insights: Iteration, Constraints, and Real-World Inspiration (#5)
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 Wars Galaxies. In 2004, he wrote _A Theory of Fun for Game Design_ which highlights Edutainment as the driving force behind great games. He speaks all over the world on the subject of game design and I’m super excited to have him here with us to share his knowledge. 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
Apr 23, 2019 · 1 hr 25 min
James Ernest — Mastering Game Design, Navigating Bias Randomness, and Unconventional Pathways in the World of Gaming (#4)
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 Publishing, and even developed the game _Tak_ with legendary fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss. In this podcast, James talks about how he and his company, Cheapass Games, work to designs new games, develop rulesets, and manage the expectations of players. This episode is a treasure trove of game design knowledge. Check it out! 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
Mar 19, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Jesse Schell — Mastering Game Design, Unveiling the Secrets of Fun, and Exploring the Gamification of Life (#3)
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 Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and a former Disney Imagineer. He's also the founder of Schell Games, which has launched countless games including, I Expect You to Die and Domino World. Jesse is an amazing game designer and a fantastic teacher. 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
Feb 19, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Mark Rosewater — Decoding Game Design Principles, The Essence of Interaction, Minecraft's Dual Identity, and Pioneering Magic: The Gathering (#2)
Mark Rosewater head designer of Magic: The Gathering. Mark is one of the most prolific writers on game design, including his long running column, “Making Magic.” We discuss what it’s like working on Magic, with its millions of fans and decades of content and how this can apply to building your own games with similar goals. Mark taught me more about game design than any other person and he has a lot to teach you too! 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
Jan 23, 2019 · 1 hr 27 min
Mike Selinker — Pioneering Puzzle Design, Crafting Immersive Game Narratives, Collaborating with Titans, and The Philosophy Behind Game Tension (#1)
In this first episode, I speak with Mike Selinker. Mike is CEO of LoneShark Games and a legend in the Gaming Industry. He has worked on huge properties like Marvel, Disney Animation, Harry Potter, and Dungeons and Dragons. Mike shares his insights and advice.
Jan 22, 2019 · 1 hr 15 min

Think Like A Game Designer

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Special

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Rosewater — Decoding Game Design Principles, The Essence of Interaction, Minecraft's Dual Identity, and Pioneering Magic: The Gathering (#2)

Mike Selinker — Pioneering Puzzle Design, Crafting Immersive Game Narratives, Collaborating with Titans, and The Philosophy Behind Game Tension (#1)