Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast

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Magic: The Gathering Head Designer Mark Rosewater shares stories, insights, and more while driving to work. Listen in and learn more about Magic!

Wizards of the Coast


    • Jun 20, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 35m AVG DURATION
    • 1,252 EPISODES

    4.8 from 647 ratings Listeners of Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast that love the show mention: mark rosewater, making magic, game ever, play magic, card game, game design, magic the gathering, mtg, i've been playing, guild, uncut, fun stories, cards, mechanics, drive to work, thank you for taking, insider, sets, behind the scenes, i've always.


    Ivy Insights

    The Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast is a fantastic resource for fans of the game who are interested in learning more about its development and history. Hosted by Mark Rosewater, a renowned game designer for Magic, this podcast provides a behind-the-scenes look into the world of card game design. Rosewater's enthusiasm and passion for the game shine through in each episode, making it an enjoyable and informative listen.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the wealth of information it provides about game design. Rosewater discusses various aspects of designing and developing Magic sets, giving listeners insight into the creative process that goes into creating new cards and mechanics. He also shares stories from his own experiences working on the game, providing a unique perspective that can be inspiring for aspiring game designers.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is Rosewater's engaging personality. His enthusiasm for Magic and his genuine love for the game come across clearly in his discussions. He has a knack for storytelling and often shares interesting anecdotes or fun facts about different cards or sets. This makes each episode entertaining as well as educational.

    However, one potential downside to this podcast is that some episodes may not appeal to all listeners. While some topics may be fascinating to those deeply invested in Magic, they may not hold as much interest for casual players or those unfamiliar with the game. Additionally, there are occasionally interviews with other individuals in the industry, which may not resonate with everyone.

    In conclusion, The Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast is a must-listen for fans of the game who want to delve deeper into its development and history. With Mark Rosewater's infectious enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge, this podcast offers both entertainment and valuable insights into the world of card game design. Whether you're an avid player or simply curious about how games are created, this podcast is definitely worth checking out.



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    Latest episodes from Magic: The Gathering Drive to Work Podcast

    #1252: Why We Name Mechanics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 33:45


    In this podcast, I answer a question from my blog about how we decide when to name and not name mechanics.

    #1251: History of Typal Themes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 32:39


    I recently wrote a three-part article about the history of typal themes in Magic. This is my podcast on the topic.

    #1250: Exodus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 34:14


    In this podcast, I talk all about Exodus (the third expansion of the Tempest block).

    #1249: Stronghold

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 30:59


    In this podcast, I talk all about Stronghold (the second expansion of the Tempest block).

    #1248: Futureproofing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 39:43


    In this podcast, I talk about a concept called futureproofing where we design mechanics to better enable us to use them in the future.

    #1247: FINAL FANTASY with Gavin Verhey

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 31:22


    In this podcast, I sit down with the lead designer of Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ to talk about the set's design.

    #1246: Why Mechanics Don't Make It

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 33:35


    We design a lot of mechanics. Most don't make it to print. Why? That's my topic for this podcast.

    #1245: Test Decks

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 30:43


    This podcast talks about a tool we use to playtest new mechanics.

    #1244: Formats I Made

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 31:38


    Someone on my blog asked me if I ever designed any Magic formats. It turns out that I have, so I spent a podcast episode talking about them.

    #1243: Vision Design Issues

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 36:15


    In this episode, I walk through many of the design issues that occur during vision design.

    #1242: Repeats and Tweaks

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 31:31


    In this podcast, I talk about times we decided to reuse mechanics and times we chose to tweak mechanics into something new.

    #1241: Making Mechanics

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 31:46


    Inspired by this year's "Nuts & Bolts" column, I walk through how mechanics are created.

    #1240: Communications

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 30:44


    In this episode, I walk through the history of Magic and talk about how communicating with players has changed over the years.

    #1239: Top 20 Worst Mechanics, Part 3

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 33:10


    This podcast is part three of three on my series about the 20 worst mechanics of all time, based on my talk at last year's MagicCon: Las Vegas.

    #1238: Top 20 Worst Mechanics, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 30:40


    This podcast is part two of three on my series about the 20 worst mechanics of all time, based on my talk at last year's MagicCon: Las Vegas.

    #1237: Top 20 Worst Mechanics, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 30:42


    This podcast is part one of three on my series about the 20 worst mechanics of all time, based on my talk at last year's MagicCon: Las Vegas.

    #1236: Mel

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 31:58


    This is part two of a two-part series on the aesthetic profiles. This time, I talk about Mel, the player who aesthetically appreciates mechanics.

    #1235: Bigger Than the Box

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 31:11


    When Richard Garfield first made Magic, he liked to say it was "a game bigger than the box." In this episode, I walk through what exactly that phrase means and the challenges of making a game that accomplishes this.

    #1233: Arc Planning

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 31:35


    In this podcast, I talk about the team that figures out what in-Multiverse Magic sets we'll be doing in the future.

    #1234: Vorthos

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 32:45


    This podcast is part one of a two-part series on the aesthetic profiles. Up first, I talk all about Vorthos, the player who aesthetically appreciates flavor.

    #1232: Spike

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 31:05


    This podcast is part three of a three-part series walking through the three psychographics. Today, I  explore the psychological analysis of Spike.

    #1231: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Creative with Lauren Bond

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 29:51


    In this podcast, I sit down with the creative lead for Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Lauren Bond, to talk about the worldbuilding and creative execution of the set.

    #1230: Johnny and Jenny

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 34:00


    This podcast is part two of a three-part series walking through the three psychographics. Today, I explore the psychological analysis of Johnny and Jenny.

    #1229: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Set Design with Adam Prosak

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 36:15


    In this podcast, I sit down with Tarkir: Dragonstorm Set Design Lead Adam Prosak to talk about the set's design.

    #1228: Timmy and Tammy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 35:36


    This episode is part one of a three-part series walking through the three psychographics. I start today with exploring the psychological analysis of Timmy and Tammy.

    #1227: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Vision Design

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 30:58


    In this episode, I walk through the vision design for Tarkir: Dragonstorm and talk about the evolution of the Dragon subtype and clan mechanics.

    #1226: Replies with Rachel and Sarah

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 32:15


    Many years ago, I would drive my eldest daughter to school, and occasionally, we did a segment called "Replies with Rachel" where the two of us would answer questions. I then did another segment with my youngest daughter Sarah called "Small Talk with Sarah" when I drove her to camp. Today, for the first time, I have both my daughters and all three of us answer your questions. I will note the audio quality for this podcast isn't my best, but I hope the content makes up for it.

    #1225: Interrupts in Limited Edition (Alpha)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 30:57


    Magic's very first set had a card type that no longer exists called interrupts. In this episode, I walk through all the cards of this card type in Limited Edition (Alpha).

    #1224: Why We Do Themes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 33:43


    In this episode, I explain the value of themes by going through the various teams that work on a Magic set.

    #1223: Design Feedback

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 32:54


    In this episode, I explain the numerous ways designers give feedback to each other by going through the entire exploratory design and vision design process.

    #1222: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 34:31


    This is part three of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.

    #1221: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 43:39


    This is part two of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.

    #1220: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 34:46


    This is part one of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.

    #1219: MagicCon: Chicago 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 30:46


    In this episode, I talk about my recent trip to MagicCon: Chicago.

    #1218: Weatherlight

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 32:08


    This episode looks back at the design of Weatherlight, the third set in the Mirage block.

    #1217: Visions

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 30:52


    This episode looks back at the design of Visions, the second set in the Mirage block.

    #1216: How to Make Losing Fun

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 33:58


    One of the truisms of game design: make sure your players enjoy losing your game. How do we do that? This podcast walks listeners through six key lessons.

    #1215: BroadwayCon 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 35:07


    Every year, my eldest daughter, Rachel, and I go to a convention dedicated to Broadway called BroadwayCon. It's interesting going to a convention from the perspective of a fan. In this episode, I talk about this year's trip, the things I learned, and apply my learnings to Magic design.

    #1214: Why Is Magic So Good?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 31:04


    I do a lot of interviews. A question I often get is, "Why is Magic so good?" I have a lot of answers to that question, enough for a 30-minute podcast.

    #1213: Aetherdrift Set Design with Yoni Skolnik

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 30:44


    In this podcast, I sit down with Yoni Skolnik, the lead set designer for Aetherdrift, to talk about the design after it was handed off for set design.

    #1212: Drawbacks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 32:13


    I talk about the history of drawback mechanics, what they are, how we design them, and how they've changed over the years.

    #1211: Fresh Out of Design – Aetherdrift

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 32:54


    I recorded this podcast two years ago when I handed off the Aetherdrift vision design to the Set Design team. Hear my thoughts on Magic's latest set as it came fresh out of design.

    #1210: Rarity Changes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 31:57


    In this podcast, I walk through the various reasons why we reprint cards at a different rarity.

    #1209: Protection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 31:02


    In this podcast, I talk about the history of the protection mechanic, starting from Limited Edition (Alpha) to present day.

    #1208: History of Creature Types

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 33:04


    In this podcast, I walk through Magic's history to talk about how the use of creature types has changed over time.

    #1207: Lessons Learned – The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 32:31


    This is another in my "Lessons Learned" podcasts where I talk about sets I led or co-led the design for. I walk through the various lessons I learned in leading the design of the set. This episode is about The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.

    #1206: Draft Archetypes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 33:44


    Almost every randomized booster product is designed to be drafted. To do that we have to build around what we call draft archetypes. In this podcast, I talk all about them.

    #1205: Innistrad Remastered with JC Tao

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 31:06


    In this podcast, I sit down with JC Tao, the lead designer of Innistrad Remastered, to talk about the making of the set.

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