Game development process of designing the content and rules of a game
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In this podcast, I sit down with Neale LaPlante Johnson, the creative lead of Lorwyn Eclipsed, to talk all about the worldbuilding for the set.
I spent eight years working on the Pro Tour overseeing the feature matches and final-day video coverage. Those eight years just happened to overlap with the greatest run in professional Magic where Pro Tour legend Kai Budde won seven Pro Tours in five years. This podcast honors Kai, who sadly passed away last week, talking all about that epic run.
We talk about the 1984 book The Art of Computer Game Design by Chris Crawford. Order CMRN's book! Order here as well! Buy the shirt! Support this show on Patreon! Buy books from our Bookshop.org page! Chris Hunt created the theme song for this show.
In this podcast, I talk about a very narrow type of design: Magic cards that interrupt the game and initiate a subgame.
In this podcast, I talk about a big theme from Lorwyn Eclipsed called "color matters."
Theresa Duringer is the owner and CEO of Temple Gates Games, a San Francisco–based digital board game studio known for best-in-class adaptations of modern tabletop games. Her team has brought Ascension to VR and developed acclaimed digital versions of Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Shards of Infinity, and more, with a relentless focus on speed, clarity, and intuitive UI. Theresa works closely with designers and publishers to translate complex tabletop systems into digital experiences that feel natural, responsive, and faithful to the original games, helping players around the world connect and play together online. In this episode, she shares insights on what makes a great digital adaptation, why performance and UX are inseparable from game design, and how to bridge the gap between physical and digital play without losing what makes tabletop 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
#3963D Workflows for Indie DevsInterview2025.07.03We welcome Freya Holmér back into the clubhouse to talk about 3D game development for independent game developers. We get into the specifics of the tools available for devs and why they work and don't work for different teams, but it's mostly an excuse to talk about Freya's new 3D modeling software.Half-Edge - Freya HolmérShapes - Freya Holmér, Unity Asset StoreShader Forge - Freya Holmér, GitHub3D Workflows for Indie DevsGame DesignToolsUI / UXValve Hammer Editor - Valve Developer CommunityPicoCAD - Johan Peitz, itch.ioTrenchBroom - GitHubCrocotile 3DWhat's the difference between OBJ and FBX? And when to you what - Reddit
In this episode I sit down with the evil genius, who built an entire custom app using AI. And we're giving you the prompt FOR FREE! You take our prompt, implement it in your context, and you have a fun, custom sniper game for your next summer camp, winter retrat or d-now! [FREE] AI SNIPER APP BUILDER https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-ai-sniper-147099707?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link SHOW NOTES Shownotes & Transcripts https://www.hybridministry.xyz/186 ❄️ WINTER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK https://www.patreon.com/posts/winter-seasonal-144943791?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link HYBRID HERO MEMBERS GET IT FREE! https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
In today's episode we talk about Making Better Backstories With Plot Hooks. How do you craft backstories with plot hooks? What benefit does it give to the GM? How can it make your players more dynamic? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode.Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgamingpodcast@gmail.comor Follow us on Facebook and engage with us at https://www.facebook.com/LevelUpYourGamingPlease leave us a review or a five star rating wherever you get your podcast.
In episode 133 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer and Creative Director Paul Salomon about his innovative worker placement and tile-laying game, Honey Buzz. The conversation covers the creative path that led him from math, music, and juggling into tabletop game design, the balance between aesthetics and mechanics, designing with math in […]
A common topic on my blog is why some players want to return to blocks. I spend this podcast talking through the various reasons this is unlikely to happen.
In this podcast, I talk all about the vision design for Lorwyn Eclipsed.
#391"The things that create the geometry."Roundtable2025.05.29Your nice hosts all secured a Switch 2 pre-order... from a certain point of view. Then, Stephen examines the body, Mark attempts a vocabulary, and Lydia has recommendations.Chants of Sennaar - WikipediaNintendo Switch 2 preorders were a total mess — at first - Jay Peters, The VergeMissed out on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order? GameStop and Best Buy will have mo… - Demi Williams, TechRadarWhat Happened With Future Club0:22:17Stephen McGregorIRLProductionPart-Time Hero Campaign Ending - Future Club, KickstarterDesign Surface Area0:48:57Mark LaCroixGame DesignRubber duck debugging - Wikipedia
Send us a textWelcome to you heard it here last, where we talk about news you've already heard.Don't worry, there is nothing wrong with your podcast and you don't have to change the dial. This isn't Morning Drive on FM 103 The Wave, it's just Malcolm from the Finding Atoria Podcast stepping in this morning.Say Hello Malcom,[Kick to Malcolm]You know ever since we started chatting, I felt like we had our own Berry White and Isaac Hayes thing going on, so hopefully the listeners can sit back, relax and enjoy.So here is the deal, we are going to break down some recent RPG news and give our opinions, ideas, and feelings on the topic.Our first story comes to us from EN World and its there Most Anticipated RPG of 2026 Fan Vote.https://www.enworld.org/threads/its-time-to-vote-for-your-most-anticipated-ttrpg-of-2026.716726/By now the voting is likely done, but I thought it would be interesting to throw out our votes and get the debate rolling.Malcom, what are your three most anticipated RPG's for 2026?[Kick to Malcolm][Here are my Three, in no particular order; Toon, 2nd Edition from Steve Jackson Games. Procedural from Occupied Hex Games and the mind of Rob Kerkovich. Sisterhood: Nuns with Guns from Parable Games.]https://www.enworld.org/threads/james-ohlen-shifts-from-archetype-entertainment-head-to-creative-consultant-for-tabletop-rpgs-at-wizards.716766/Next up is the announcement that James Ohlen is leaving Archetype Entertainment a Wizards of the Coast video game company and he is being replaced by Blizzard Veteran Paul Della Bitta. This comes as Archetype Entertainment is moving into the final phase of bringing Exodus to release in 2027. But Ohlen isn't leaving Wizards. He is sticking around as a consultant to focus on Table Top Roleplaying Games. This whole thing smells like the fishing docks at low tide to me. What are your thoughts Malcolm?[Kick to Malcolm]And there you have it, all the news, you've already heard.
Sometimes every single part of the game is so good that you simply can't articulate it completely.Today we're talking about Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo! A game about playing a pop album and therapeutic movement!Get Sayonara Wild Hearts everywhere!!! Follow Simogo's work on their website!Discussed in the episode:Sayonara Wild Hearts Analysis – Use of Tarot in Game Design and Narrative by Angie for Backlog CrusaderAdditional links:Fading Memories (Demos and unused tracks from Sayonara Wild Hearts) on YouTubeHow Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage by Matt Leone for Design RoomTeddy Girls: The Style Subculture That Time Forgot by Laura Havlin for AnOther (fashion that inspired SWH's design)---Support us on Ko-fi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - Fem unc? (01:26) - Welcome to 2026! (02:05) - Welcome to 2026 (correct version)! (03:06) - What is Sayonara Wild Hearts? (04:55) - How was it? (12:56) - Spoilers (13:38) - Favorites? (18:54) - The effect of switching stuff up so much (24:04) - There are levels to this game (25:18) - The game is good and we don't know what else to say (31:08) - Big Takeaways (31:29) - Chase's Big Takeaway (34:33) - AJ's Big Takeaway (35:14) - Robin's Big Takeaway (37:17) - It's a good one! (40:00) - Think about sleeping and hire Robin ★ Support this podcast ★
In this podcast, I talk about the third set of the Shards of Alara block.
Part of a designer's job involves figuring out what to include and what not to include. In this podcast, I talk about subjectivity in Magic design.
In today's episode we talk about Game Master Sins. What are some of the cardinal sins for game masters? Why are they so bad for game masters to commit? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode.Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgamingpodcast@gmail.comor Follow us on Facebook and engage with us at https://www.facebook.com/LevelUpYourGamingPlease leave us a review or a five star rating wherever you get your podcast.
Send us a textI've got a lot of games on my book shelves. Some are old games that I have played a lot, others are games that looked good in the store and I picked them up, but never got around to playing them. And then there is my Kickstarter addiction. Yea, I've got several that I picked up through Kickstarter because they sounded good and then once I got them, I never broke them out and played them.I don't think I'm unique in that regard and I also know that I'm on the low end of the collecting scale so really my problem is in my own head. But, it doesn't change the fact that I have a lot of games I want to play.So my New Years Resolution is to pick three of those games on my shelf I've never played, and play them this year.That's it. Just play three games I haven't played before in 2026That couldn't be easier, could it?Well not so fast. You see I'm running an ongoing Conan Campaign that the players seem to love and of course Christina is running her Ghost Hunters in Space game and then Mike keeps promising Cyberpunk … He's a busy man I can't give him too hard a time.So when do you fit it in. What do you stop playing and when do you start a new game.That's a problem for another show. In this episode Mike, Christina and I are going to talk about the three games we are going to try and run this year and why we want to run them or play them so badly.We will do this round robin style with each of us talking about one game we want to play and why, and of course I'm going to start with Christina?[Kick to Christina]Mike, Your turn[Kick to Mike]
In episode 132 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, Amanda Rivera returns from behind-the-scenes to behind-the-mic as a guest host to chat with Danielle about GDU’s sixth season. They talk about how thematic season 6 was, recall insights about arguably one of the most common questions in game design (to pitch or self-publish), share how designers make games […]
In this podcast, I call the upkeep step the appendix of Magic. Why? Listen in as I talk all about the origin and history of upkeep.
In this podcast, I talk about the second set of the Shards of Alara block, Conflux.
In today's episode we help our friend DJ with his upcoming game. We use his notes on the game to help him come up with an ending to his upcoming game. DJ, Josh and I ping pong the ideas around to help craft some ideas for the end of his game he'll be running.Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgamingpodcast@gmail.comor Follow us on Facebook and engage with us at https://www.facebook.com/LevelUpYourGamingPlease leave us a review or a five star rating wherever you get your podcast.
Send us a textWelcome to you heard it hear last, where we talk about news, you've already heard.Well, here we are in 2026 and this is our first episode of Season 4. We are having a great time and I hope you are as well. Speaking of great times our first bit of news is like a blast from the past for me.https://www.rascal.news/steve-jackson-games-announces-toon-second-edition/Steve Jackson Games has just launched a Backerkit for Toon Second Edition. Toon is a roleplaying game set in the world of cartoons. Not the animie stuff, but the good old fashioned Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons produced by Warner Brothers. I grew up on those, routing for Bugs Bunny and always laughing when proclaimed the wrong turn at Albuquerque. Steve Jackson Games launched the first edition in 1984 and I loved it. Now, over 40 years later they are bringing out the Second Edition.Mike, did you ever play Toon?[Kick to Mike]What about you Christina, where the Looney Tunes big for you growing up?[Kick to Christina]Next up we have a little interesting piece of news and maybe, just maybe a view of something to come.https://www.rascal.news/why-did-his-majesty-the-worm-skip-the-kickstarter/His Majesty the Worm is a tarot card RPG that was released in 2023. The creators utilized Itch.io and put up chapters as written with a pay-what-you-want request. They used the money gathered to help pay for artists and final printing costs. Now they are launching a supplement to His Majesty the Worm titled Castle Automatic. This mega dungeon in the Castlevania style isn't going the route of backerkit or kickstarter. Nope, they are simply doing pre-orders through Exalted Funereal. We have talked several times on the podcast about the problems with big companies getting involved in platforms that were originally designed for new creators and this seems like the logical outcome of those markets being dominated now by the big brands.Mike, Put on your business hat. What's this mean?[Kick to Mike]Christina, Thoughts?[Kick to Christina]And there you have it. All they news, you've already heard.
SummaryIn this episode of Tabletop SportCast, James discusses his annual plan for 2026, themed around women's sports, and outlines the structure and goals for the podcast. He shares insights on project planning, including quarterly projects, tournament structures, and game design goals, emphasizing the importance of intentionality in gaming and community engagement.KeywordsTabletop Sports, Women's Sports, Podcast Planning, Game Design, Sports Board Games, Annual Plan, Project Management, Tournaments, Featured Table Fridays, Quarterly ProjectsTakeawaysThe theme for 2026 is the Year of Women's Sports.Podcast structure will include seasonal shows instead of quarterly reviews.Focus on spotlighting great games and community projects.Annual project planning includes various sports-themed projects.Quarterly projects will align with the sports calendar.Reduced tournament frequency allows for better pacing.Featured Table Fridays will highlight new games weekly.Game design goals include debuting a new horse racing game.Project planning will involve sprints for tangible progress.Community engagement is key for feedback and guest suggestions.TitlesThe Year of Women's Sports: A New FocusRevamping the Podcast Structure for Better FlowSound bites"I'm going to do four seasonal shows.""I want to bring new games to the table.""This is gonna be a better story arc for me."Chapters00:00 Embracing the Go-With-the-Flow Gamer00:27 The Year of Women's Sports03:23 Podcast Structure and Goals09:44 Annual Project Planning16:43 Quarterly Projects and Thematic Focus23:59 Tournaments and Retro Replays28:16 Filling the Gaps: Featured Table Fridays30:50 Game Design Goals and Future Plans35:05 NEWCHAPTER
Love & Deep Space celebrates its 2nd anniversary with a massive royal-themed update, CD Projekt sells GOG back to its co-founder, Meta acquires AI startup Manus, Com2uS urges studios to take bigger creative risks, and Gamebyte raises $1M for AI game creation tools.This week connects live-ops spectacle, founder-led platform resets, and Big Tech's AI consolidation into one clear story about where gaming is headed in 2026.What we cover• Love & Deep Space Version 5.0 anniversary• Why live-ops are becoming cultural events• CD Projekt selling GOG back to its founder• Meta acquiring Manus AI• Com2uS pushing cross-media IP• Gamebyte's AI game creation fundingGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Love & Deep Space anniversary madness01:45 — Live-ops as global IP events03:10 — CD Projekt sells GOG back to founder04:40 — Why this GOG deal actually matters05:45 — Meta acquires Manus AI07:05 — Com2uS calls for creative risk07:10 — Gamebyte raises $1M for AI game tools---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
#399"Half trash compactor, half empty."Roundtable2025.07.24Ellen's back for a serendipitously in-sync pair of metacognition-rich roundtable topics. In this episode, Lydia shares a chapter from one of her favorite books and tries to explain ganache while Stephen laments how easy it is to duct tape on features instead of solving problems. Together they discover four brains are better than one when it comes to figuring out how to get out of your head. Composting0:09:56Lydia SymchychMisc.Writing Down the Bones - Natalie GoldbergBonbon - WikipediaThe Croissant Express diner mentioned in the book, formerly located on the corner of the Uptown Theater building.Overdesigning0:36:00Stephen McGregorGame DesignMuralMirovia. "Writing at Night: Lewis Carroll, John Milton, and Me" by Mike Mason. https://www.mikemasonbooks.com/writing-at-night-lewis-carroll-john-milton-and-me/
In this Game Radar episode, we revisit dozens of games reviewed in 2025 and check what actually happened to them. Most didn't fail; they decayed. A few refused to die. And one game completely broke the curve. This is a brutal, data-backed look at what survives in mobile gaming.What you'll learn• Why most games decay instead of dying• The difference between zombies and cockroaches• Why ad-only games hit revenue ceilings• How hybrid monetization keeps games alive• Why UA quality beats game design• How Tasty Travels took over the merge categoryGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — What Game Radar actually measures02:10 — The podcast curse explained05:00 — Zombies vs cockroaches08:40 — Why ad-only games cap out11:30 — Hybrid monetization survivors14:10 — UA quality beats game design17:20 — Tasty Travels breaks the radar21:00 — Merge category reality check25:00 — Elixirs of youth in mobile29:10 — What studios should copy32:10 — Final radar takeaways---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Send us a textIf I have read it once in an online forum I have read it a thousand times.“I want to play game X but my players won't play anything but D&D”I always want to fire back with get new players, but that isn't necessarily realistic and besides it's not a good answer.Over the years I've played a ton of different games and game systems. I personally have never hard a difficult time convincing people to try something different, but maybe that's because I'm good at convincing people to try something different.Taking a step back I can see where someone might struggle with pitching a new game idea. Or have to overcome the inherent biases of their players who just want to keep doing the thing that they like instead of trying new stuff.So, for our last episode of Season 3 and 2025, Christina and I are going to talk about pitching a game idea to your players. We are going to give you some tips and tricks to help sell them on the idea, but first let's start with Christina.Christina, Pitch Mike and I a game idea to make us want to play.[Kick to Christina]It's only fair that I give it a shot. Here goes.[Steve's Pitch]
This episode covers one of the least sexy but most dangerous blind spots in mobile ad monetization:If you don't actively control what ads appear in your game,your retention is being taxed without you noticing.Felix breaks down how creative & category blocking really works across networks and why most publishers misunderstand it.Key truths from the episode:Blocking is mostly reactive, not proactiveMediation is not a global kill switch — you must block ads on every networkCategory blocking alone is never enoughSome networks give full control, others give almost noneAggressive end cards silently kill retentionRevenue loss from cleaner ads is much smaller than people fear (~12%)Having a centralized block list is a massive operational advantage“Parity” is the only language networks respect when negotiating ad formatsGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — Why ad quality quietly kills retention01:45 — Why blocking is mostly reactive03:30 — Category blocking: what it actually solves05:40 — Why category blocking is never enough07:20 — Mediation myth: why ads aren't blocked globally09:40 — Why you need a centralized block list12:00 — Network-by-network control differences14:40 — Aggressive end cards & hidden retention damage17:30 — Revenue trade-offs (the real numbers)18:45 — Final takeaway---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
In episode 131 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Matt Leacock about his “infamous” game Pandemic. Matt explains how his path into game design was shaped by watching his artsy uncle create games as a hobby and by growing up surrounded by “bad” games from the 1970s that he couldn't help but try […]
Design and implementation of a turn based real estate game in twelve steps using MonoGame and C#.
We lay out our 2026 predictions for mobile gaming - from ad monetization ceilings and creative stealing to web-to-app onboarding, roguelite growth, and AI's real impact on UA. No hype. Just incentives.What we cover• $3M/day ad-monetized games• Why creative stealing will go mainstream• Which genres are about to be hijacked• Block Blast vs Free Fire DAU fight• Web → App onboarding for games• Playables as scaling templates• The next roguelite wave• Why AI hits marketing firstKey takeaway2026 won't reward originality - it will reward efficiency at scale.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: Jakub Remiar, Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricPodcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — Why predictions usually suck03:10 — $3M ad-revenue day prediction07:40 — Black Friday eCPMs explained10:30 — Creative stealing goes mainstream14:00 — Hijacking organic genres (Solitaire → Runners)18:40 — Block Blast vs Free Fire DAU war22:40 — Web → App onboarding for games28:30 — Playables as scaling templates33:30 — Roguelites as next growth genre38:10 — AI impact: marketing vs game design45:00 — Open-source AI & creative quality leap51:30 — Final reflections & 2026 outlook---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultanthttps://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultanthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit lancaric.substack.com & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
I had the grand opportunity to cover the 50th Aniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival. With animation being one of my favourite topics in the world, I am grateful that I was able to join this epic conversation and now share it with you. :) DIALOGUES: Creative Visions in Animated Feature Films is a specific TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) event/panel where acclaimed directors like Domee Shi (Pixar's Elio), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle, Summer Wars), and Momoko Seto (Dandelion's Odyssey) discuss balancing artistic vision with studio realities, creative authorship, and the future of bold animation, showcasing diverse global perspectives. This dialogue offers insights into the challenges and triumphs of making visionary animated features, featuring both indie and major studio voices. From intimate, auteur-driven projects to collaborations with major studios, discover how directors Domee Shi (Elio), Momoko Seto (Dandelion's Odyssey), Mamoru Hosoda (Scarlet), and Kid Koala (Space Cadet) balance artistic integrity with industry realities, and what it takes to make animated films that captivate audiences and spark global imaginations. Join us for a candid conversation about creative authorship, industry pressures, and the evolving space for bold, visionary animation. Domee Shi began as a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios in 2011 and was soon hired as a story artist on the Academy Award–winning Inside Out. She went on to work on The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4. In 2015, she was greenlit to write and direct Bao, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. She made her feature directorial debut with 2022's Oscar-nominated Turning Red and most recently co-directed Elio, released June 2025. Born in Chongqing, China, and raised in Toronto, Shi now lives in Oakland, California. Momoko Seto was born in Tokyo and lives in Paris. She studied at Le Fresnoy - National Studio of Contemporary Arts. Her short film series Planet includes Planet Z (11) and Planet Sigma (15). The winner of the FIPRESCI Award at Cannes Critics' Week, Dandelion's Odyssey (25) is her feature film debut. Mamoru Hosoda was born in Toyama, Japan. He has worked on numerous animated series and directed the features One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (05), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (06), Summer Wars (09), Wolf Children (12), The Boy and the Beast (15) which played at the Festival, Mirai (18), and Belle (21). Scarlet (25) is his latest film. Kid Koala (Eric San) is a Montreal-based DJ, composer, and graphic novelist. He directed Space Cadet, his first animated feature based on his graphic novel, which premiered at the Berlinale and will have its North American Premiere at TIFF 50. Known for genre-defying albums and live shows, he has also scored acclaimed films, series, and video games. Moderator Theresa Scandiffio is the Associate Dean of Animation and Game Design at Sheridan College. Prior to joining Sheridan, Scandiffio led archival and curatorial projects at museums, festivals, and universities in Toronto, Chicago, and Orlando. From 2010–2020, Scandiffio was a member of the programming team that launched the Toronto International Film Festival's year-round home, TIFF Lightbox, where she led the Learning, Heritage, and Community Outreach divisions. Scandiffio served as an Ontario delegate for the 2015 Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference and was a 2017 Civic Action DiverseCity Fellow. She received her PhD in Cinema and Media studies from the University of Chicago. Key Participants & Films Mentioned: Domee Shi: Elio (Pixar) Momoko Seto: Dandelion's Odyssey (Indie/Artistic) Mamoru Hosoda: Scarlet (Japan's Studio Chizu) Kid Koala: Space Cadet (Independent) Themes Explored: Creative Authorship vs. Industry: How directors maintain their unique style within large production environments. Industry Pressures: Navigating financial and commercial demands in animation. Evolving Landscape: The growing space for unique, visionary animation. Global Perspectives: Highlighting both auteur-driven projects and major studio collaborations. Stay connected with me here: https://www.instagram.com/shesallovertheplacepodcast
#375Digital Escape RoomsInterview2024.11.28All of your hosts are together in the Clubhouse for a special interview! Lydia Symchych is an impact game designer who has been working with Ellen over the last year. Today, she shares her experience of making an escape room that needed to be rendered in both "physical" and and digital environments. Also, sound effects and pillows.In the USA, November 28th is Thanksgiving Day, and November 29th is National Native American Heritage Day. Happy holidays, if you're in the USA—and if you're not, we hope you have something to be thankful for.
In today's episode we talk about Introducing New Players To Role Playing. What is the best way to introduce new players to role playing. How should you go about introducing new players to the hobby? What types of games work best? What can you do to be most successful in bringing new players into the hobby? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode.Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgamingpodcast@gmail.comor Follow us on Facebook and engage with us at https://www.facebook.com/LevelUpYourGamingPlease leave us a review or a five star rating wherever you get your podcast.
Send us a textWelcome to You Heard it Here Last, where we talk about news, you've already heard.https://www.enworld.org/threads/tolkien%E2%80%99s-writing-desk-on-auction-at-christies.716325/Christie's Action House is hosting a live auction in December, 2025 called Groundbreakers: Icons of our Time and in that auction, you will find a simple 19th Century Merton's College Desk that just happened to be owned by JRR Tolkien. The desk is going for a deal at somewhere between 50 and 80 thousand Pounds.ChristinaYou don't strike me as much of a collector? Do these things interest you?[Kick to Christina]Along with the desk they also have the Winchcombe Meteorite, the Kenbak-1 First Personal Computer, and the original cover artwork for the first edition of Warhammer. Definitely some cools stuff for the collector out there.Next up we have two of our favorite things; Netflix and D&D.Yep, I read that in my sarcasm voice.https://www.enworld.org/threads/shawn-levy-provides-update-on-netflix-d-d-show.716209/Shawn Levy the producer for the upcoming live action D&D Show title Forgotten Realms gave a brief update on what's been going on behind the scenes with the show and his answers are, well, Interesting. Levy said "I think that the reason it's taken so long and the reason why it is a challenging process is you're not adapting story IP, You're adapting a world and a lexicon and a spirit, but story needs to be invented largely from scratch. And it needs to be invented in a way that feels organic to everything that's great about DnD. So that one is in very active every day chipping-away-at-it development at Netflix."Let me translate that for you…This show is going to suck.Christina, what do you think?[Kick to Christina]And finally, from all of us to all of you. Whatever you believe in and however you believe it. Just be happy. And there you have it, all the news, you've already heard.
Fancy setting us a gaming challenge? Get in touch here!In the final episode before Christmas we tackle a stealthy challenge that promises to redefine the stealth game genre.... but no one will ever know as it's so stealthy! Thanks for listening and please leave us a review and subscribe if you enjoyed it. It really helps us out. Also please get in touch with us at @gamingblendpod or thegamingblenderpod@gmail.com with your ideas for new games and challenges.Keep blending!
Send us a textI remember being a young roleplayer diving into my first rpg's. Character creation was similar in most of the games on the market. Make a very basic character, adventure with them, kill monsters, find treasure, gain experience points, gain levels, get more skills, rinse, repeat. Back in the day we would memorize the XP charts so we would know when our characters would level up.Those old TTRPG's were bad enough, but when computer programmers took their favorite table top games and ported them into the computer world the character advancement concept of “leveling up” started to look like heroine dealers giving their junkie friends the first taste for free.Over the years character advancement has been closely tied to the leveling up concept, but I've noticed something interesting as I've become an older and more mature gamer.I don't care about leveling up.It's not the character advancement I'm looking for. I think I first became aware of the anti-leveling up faction when I first started playing Traveller all of those years ago. In Traveller you create a seasoned, experienced character. After character creation nothing really changes. And then there was Call of Cthulhu a game in which your character is more likely to get worse as you play and not better.Funny enough, those are my two favorite roleplaying games.In this episode Christina, and I are going to talk about character advancement. The traditional methods and why it was innovative and important at the time and the current ideas of character advancement and how they have changed over the years.First let's start with the Doc.Christina, what are you personal thoughts on character advancement, before we get into all the scientific nitty gritty?Kick to Christina
In episode 130 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Joe Hout about his fairytale-themed trick-taking game, 3 Chapters, accessibility in gaming, and his design journey. Joe shares how his path into game design began by tweaking games he loved and then took off after completing a passion-project game he self-published via Kickstarter. […]
There are a lot of costs you can pay other than mana. In this episode, I talk about different types of resources in Magic.
This is my fourth and final episode talking about 30 big design evolutions since I started working at Wizards of the Coast in October 1995. This is based on a three-part series I did in my Making Magic column.
Episode 362 where we talk with Returning Special Guest WilhelmShakespeare about Rockstar’s Union Firings, Mainframe Computers, AI slowing coders down, A revisit of the Nintendo Summoning Patent, and more! Join the conversation with us LIVE every Monday on twitch.tv/2nerdsinapod at 9pm CST. Viewer questions/business inquiries can be sent to 2nerdsinapodcast@gmail.com Follow us on twitter @2NerdsInAPod […]
This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett interview Gregory Geiger to discuss accessibility in game design. Recent Gaming – Patreon Plug & Update If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! Thank you to everyone who backed us and contributed to our longevity. We're so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on… The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Bridgett's Pet Pick Shout Out The Pet Pic channel is a community onto itself. On this channel, we post our beloved pets, fosters, pets of family members, and even wildlife shouting “go pods.” These animals, these pets, are members of our collective community. So when we lose a member of this community, one of our precious pets, we often grieve as a community. I've seen the recent pet loss guys. I just want you, and everyone who has ever lost, and will someday lose a pet to know, we're here for you. We're here for each other. Main Topic Links and stuff GregoryGeiger.com TryingToDoBetter.com https://papress.com/products/extra-bold https://www.bispublishers.com/type-tricks-user-design.html https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/accessible_design-inclusive_design/
This is part three of a four-part series talking about 30 big design evolutions since I started working at Wizards of the Coast in October 1995. This is based on a three-part series I did in my Making Magic column.
In this episode, I talk about how the color pie has evolved over the last three decades.
In this podcast, I sit down with Melissa DeTora, the leader of the Casual Play Design team, to talk about Commander design.
This podcast is part two of a four-part series talking about the 30 big design evolutions since I started working at Wizards of the Coast in October 1995. This is based on a three-part series I did in my Making Magic column.
In this podcast, I talk all about the design of the fourth set in the Lorwyn-Shadowmoor block, Eventide.
This podcast is part one of a four-part series talking about the 30 biggest design evolutions since I started working at Wizards of the Coast in October 1995. This is based on a three-part series I did in my Making Magic column.
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