Podcasts about Game design

Matt Dalio dreams of a world in which every kid has the resources to shape their own technology instead of being shaped by it.In 2011, he founded Endless which aims to provide universal access to technology and equal opportunities to succeed in the digital world by tackling three key challenges.Endless is harnessing the power of modern games to introduce youth to 21st Century skills like coding and design. Second, it is addressing the internet gap by creating technology that enables youth anywhere to have access to basic educational resources. And lastly, Endless is building a “pay as you go” laptop program making it so that billions more people can afford a computer.Collectively these unlock educational opportunities that allow everyone to be a creatorTakeaways: The average child dedicates approximately 10,000 hours to playing video games by the time they complete their education, an astonishing figure that underscores the pervasiveness of gaming in youth culture. In the last fifteen years, a significant trend in the gaming industry has been the shift towards creation, with platforms like Minecraft, Roblox, and Fortnite leading the way in empowering users to engage in content generation. The concept of transforming players into creators is pivotal; through this transition, youths acquire essential software development skills tailored for an increasingly digital, knowledge-based economy. Endless Studios aims to provide scalable educational solutions that are both affordable and accessible, particularly in communities with limited access to qualified educators, thereby breaking down financial barriers to learning. Feedback, especially peer feedback, plays a critical role in the learning process by providing valuable insights and support without the traditional costs associated with formal education. The future workforce will largely consist of individuals who possess robust digital skills, which are essential for navigating the complexities of an AI-driven world, making it imperative to equip youth with these competencies. www.endlessstudios.comShow Sponsor – National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)https://nape.org.uk/

This episode Shane and Kyle explore the creative journey of Mikey Maneeraj, a key figure in our friend circle and the mastermind behind the card game Ultimate Palace. Check out the kickstarter! Lets make this game happen! https://www.ultimatepalacecardgame.com  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ultimatepalace/ultimatepalace They discuss the evolution of the game, the importance of Kickstarter for funding, and the mechanics that make it accessible to all ages. The conversation also touches on the cultural significance of music, the nostalgia associated with physical media, and the balance between digital and tangible experiences in today's world. We also explore the future of coding in the age of AI, the joy of in-person gaming, and the importance of snacks during game nights. We discuss the role of AI in music and creativity, share nostalgic thoughts on music consumption, and introduce the upcoming card game, Ultimate Palace. The conversation highlights the significance of community in gaming and creativity, while also touching on the impact of AI on artistic expression.

This podcast is a look back at the early creatures that only cost one mana.

I just got back from MagicCon Atlanta, and in this podcast, I talk all about it.

In today's episode we talk about Murdering Your Player Characters To Make Them Better.  Why would you actively murder your player characters?  What lessons are learned by doing this?  How does it change the direction of your games?  What does it do for future games?  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.

Fancy setting us a gaming challenge? Get in touch here!This week it's time for a discussion on all thing EA and the recent buy out. After that's done and we have a shower it's time to create a new game. This week we go for a squad manager walking simulator. Quite the collection!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 text15 years ago, the TTRPG world as we new it came to an end and a new era began. The postapocalyptic era, an era powered by the apocalypse. In 2010 Apocalypse World changed everything. The new take on traditional RPGs quickly changed the landscape from crunchy numbers-based games to one that flowed with the narrative and allowed players the freedom to affect the game unlike anything we have ever seen before.Well, they are back.https://www.enworld.org/threads/apocalypse-world-to-get-third-edition-kickstarter-launching-soon.715124/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lumpleygames/apocalypse-world-burned-overApocalypse World is releasing a 3rd edition of the game.The newest edition doesn't have a set release date at the time of this recording and the Kickstarter page only says coming soon.Christina, I know you weren't necessarily a fan of Apocalypse World, but you are a massive fan of the Powered by the Apocalypse systems. What do you think of this news? Will we see anything revolutionary in the newest edition?[Kick to Christina]Since Apocalypse World could be viewed as one of the big games, at least with name recognition, why are they releasing it through Kickstarter? Is every new TTRPG going to come out through Backerkit or Kickstarter in the future?[Kick to Christina]Next, we have a new game announcement from over at Rascal News.https://www.rascal.news/new-release-posting-through-it-a-social-media-futures-game/Posting Through It is a new roleplaying game from Diegetic Games. The press release describes the game as follows;Posting Through It explores how modern public discourse has changed our experience of global disruption and redefined what it means to “win” and “lose” in an uncertain future. It's played over a group chat platform like Discord or WhatsApp.The game is free to download and looks like it could be very interesting for those of you obsessed with social media.Christina, what do you think of this new game?[Kick to Christina]With Critical Role announcing their Campaign 4 will be a “West Marches” Style game the internet is a tizzy with descriptions of West Marches. That style of play seems to be built for social media. Bigger Question, how has social media changed the way we roleplay? [Kick to Christina]And there you have it, all the news you've already heard?

Overview of ten special weapons for a 2D platformer game, along with demos in MonoGame with explanation of C# code. The weapons covered are normal (buster), eight way, freeze, wave, boomerang, tornado, charge, orbit shield, roller, exploder. Links and Notes Source code – https://github.com/levidsmith/KnoxGameDesign/tree/master/special_weapons Podcast theme music – Ride by Pocketmaster

We scan Steam's latest hits to predict which games could cross over to mobile success.

KeywordsTabletop Sports, Game Design, Powder Blue Sports, John Turnbull, Drive Time Football, Baseline Basketball, Red Ice Hockey, Quick Play Games, Sports Simulation, Community EngagementTakeawaysJohn Turnbull shares his journey into tabletop sports.The importance of simplicity in game design.Quick play games cater to time-constrained players.Community feedback is vital for game development.The balance between realism and playability in sports games.John's games focus on delivering a fun experience first.The evolution of game mechanics over time.Engaging with the community enhances game design.Future projects include baseball and boxing games.The significance of nostalgia in sports gaming.SummaryIn this episode of Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast interviews John Turnbull, the creator of Powder Blue Sports. They discuss John's journey into tabletop sports, his design philosophy, and the games he has created, including Drive Time Football, Baseline Basketball, and Red Ice Hockey. John shares insights into the challenges of game design, the importance of community feedback, and his future projects, including a baseball game and a boxing game. The conversation highlights the significance of simplicity and engagement in creating enjoyable tabletop sports experiences.TitlesExploring the World of Tabletop SportsJohn Turnbull: The Mind Behind Powder Blue SportsSound bites"I want to make things as simple as possible.""My games are free to download.""I do it for others and not myself."Chapters00:00 Introduction to John Turnbull and Powder Blue Sports05:52 John's Journey into Tabletop Sports17:40 The Evolution of Game Design23:30 Designing Quick Play Games30:05 Challenges in Basketball Game Design36:01 Creating Red Ice Hockey42:06 Community Engagement in Game Design45:20 Design Goals and Game Mechanics45:44 Season Availability and Future Plans48:01 Adapting Games for Different Sports50:20 Community Feedback and Personal Stories51:24 Game Mechanics and Player Interaction53:51 Favorite Game Mechanics56:55 Origins of Powder Blue Sports58:25 Future Developments in Game Design01:01:17 Exploring New Sports and Game Concepts01:05:19 Personal Favorites and Historical Seasons01:10:11 Upcoming Projects and Community Involvement01:16:04 NEWCHAPTERhttps://www.powderbluesports.com/

This podcast is another in my quest to talk about every Magic expansion. This time I talk about the third set in the Champions of Kamigawa block, Saviors of Kamigawa.

In this podcast, I talk about the things I have to do to prepare for an upcoming MagicCon (in this case, MagicCon Atlanta).

Greg Loring-Albright is the designer of Ahoy, Keep the Faith, and co-designed Bloc by Bloc: Uprising with T.L. Simmons. Moreover, he teaches Game Studies and Game Design at Harrisburg University. We discuss his recent zine RULEBOOKS FOR RADICALS on the importance of designing games in dire times. Outro music: Radioactivity "Time Won't Bring Me Down" Send us a text

Send us a textOne of the things we are passionate about at the Epic Adventure Podcast is spontaneous story telling. I have been a low prep game master for a very long time, preferring to let my players actions push the narrative and typically filling in the gaps between the sessions to make it feel like I've pre written an epic storyline, when in reality I'm just making it up as I go along.Christina is the same way, playing in her games is a lesson in be careful what you ask for, because you will likely get it.And then we have Mike, the most regimented of the three of us. He loves to spend hours pouring over the perfect game story, layers within layers and mysteries within mysteries, only to have us, the players, show up and burn it all to the ground in minutes.Funny enough, Mike, the planner was the one to come up with the Radiance Adventure Engine.For those of you not familiar Radiance was designed to allow you to solo roleplay any roleplaying game in existence. It is a set of cards that are based on traditional story telling methods that help you create a story for your game, then you use the rule system from your favorite ttrpg to resolve the conflicts that occur. It's amazing as a solo game, but it's story engine design makes it, in my opinion, the greatest GM toolkit ever created. If you are stuck and need a quick story or idea in your adventure because the pure beings of chaos called your players did something different, just pull a Radiance card, and there you go.Instant adventure.We've used Radiance before on this podcast to create adventures on the fly, but today we are going to do something different.We are going to generate a world on the fly.That's right, a world to adventure in. More specifically a Fantasy World to adventure in.Recently we pontificated on the fact that the worlds and settings of D&D sucked. I don't have to read minds to know that the fans of D&D were shouting “Oh Yea, can you do it better?” Well let's find out.On this episode I'm going to pull some Radiance cards and surprise Mike, Christina, and myself with the prompts. From there, we are going to build a Fantasy World for you.So, You guys ready for this?

We dive into Coin Sort, a surprising hybrid-casual puzzler that blends merge + sorting mechanics with clever ad monetization.Flow-state puzzler: players merge and sort coins, driving a satisfying loop.Unique twist: players call in new coins themselves, creating agency.Difficulty ramps as more coins = higher-value merges = more chaos.Shallow progression today (daily rewards, calendar, boosters).Likely to expand into menu + cosmetic/meta systems if scale continues.Early launch style: prove core loop, meta comes later.Revenue ~$120K/day; ~65% IAP, ~35% ads.Banner ads: ever-present, likely a decoy to push “Remove Ads” IAP.Interstitials: after level 3, ~9.7 per DAU. Pop-up after 3rd = strong “remove ads” conversion.Rewarded ads: clever mechanic where frozen stacks of coins drop mid-level for 5s → high-pressure CTA. Also includes 2x post-level and daily reward.Explosive scaling since June 2025, 360K DAU → $40K/day ads + $80K/day IAP.Strong Tier 1 focus: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan.Scaling with playables, though creative variety still thin (3–4 pages).Coin Sort is IAP-heavy (~65% IAP vs HexaSort's 88% ads).Takeaway: Coin Sort proves that hybrid puzzlers don't need to be ad-first — if you build clever ad funnels that push players into IAPs, you can scale fast in Tier 1 markets.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~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Vibe Check03:47 Game Discussion: Coin Sort06:47 Gameplay Mechanics and User Experience09:57 Monetization Strategies and Ad Revenue18:48 Game Launch and Initial Reception21:47 Creative Strategies and User Engagement24:47 Scaling Challenges and Market Dynamics27:55 Comparative Analysis of Game Performance30:47 Future Trends and Market Predictions---------------------------------------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

In episode 124 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Serena Fadlun about creating games that increase human happiness and how she literally dreamed her career into existence when a vision of her future son inspired her to start designing. Serena shares how she blended her work experience (from translating top-secret movie scripts […]

On this in-person episode of On Board Games, Erik talks with Marc Specter from the Grand Gamers Guild  about games (and other things) they've played including: Hamster Roll Koekeshi Bouba/Kiki Clank Catacombs Downfall of Pompei You can get a discount on Zencastr.com using this link. (17:26) Then, the two talk about modernising the Downfall of Pompei and, by extension, other older games. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Inverse Genius: http://www.inversegenius.com/   Patreon account: http://www.patreon.com/obg   Twitter: @onboardgames RSS Feed: http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/rss Email us: onboardgamesmailbag@gmail.com On Board Games Guild at Board Game Geek

Today, we break down the latest Creative Trends in mobile game advertising, separating physics-based ad monsters from emerging AI hooks.Key insights:Golden Goblins & Physics OverloadStill king: physics balls, crystals, pearls, gems.Production values keep climbing = now full 2-minute mini-films.Core loop: satisfying physics + resource overload + fail states.Iteration chains drive CPI drops but blur originality. “UA in a nutshell: copy, tweak, scale.”Fail States as HooksOverstressed trucks, angry exclamation marks, overload explosions.Players are drawn to chaos + comedy.Township 2012-style creatives resurfacing.Cats, freezing families, classic retargeting.AI real-life actor ads (feet glitches give them away).AI anime narrators + skits.Hijacked accounts accidentally running scammy “AI princess” ads.Still clunky — but iteration speed makes it dangerous.Police Snake & Match Villains leading with funny story ads.Humor = harder to copy, longer shelf life.Output BenchmarksTop games producing 60 playables/month to sustain UA spend.Market WinnersIterative ads + humor + AI spillover fuel growth.Takeaway: Physics ads still rule, AI is creeping in, and humor/story hooks are the next battleground.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 Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Creative Trends03:37 Exploring the Golden Goblins11:13 Creative Dashboard Insights14:14 Innovations in Game Creatives20:12 Analyzing New Game Mechanics23:24 The Rise of Short-Form Content26:13 Exploring AI in Gaming30:19 Idle Lumber and Game Mechanics41:26 The Future of AI in Gaming---------------------------------------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 Lancaric

In this podcast, I talk about the times we returned to settings that we'd already visited.

This podcast is another in my quest to cover every Magic expansion.

In today's episode we talk about Adjusting Difficulty On The Fly.  How do you adjust difficulty on the fly?  Why would you want to adjust difficulty in your game?  What are some good rules to follow when adjusting your game?  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.

Today, we fire up the Soft Launch Sonar - scanning the seas of upcoming mobile games to spot which soft launch titles might sink or scale.Key highlights:Monopoly Go & Moon Active's spree – Multiple new soft launches (Monopoly Go, All in Hole, Match Dreams). The hosts argue it's either IP hubris or a UA-driven funnel experiment. “Where's the pig? Where's the bacon?”Rovio + Sega's Sonic Blitz – A Marvel Snap/Hearthstone hybrid with Sonic IP. Hosts skeptical: “Sonic IP is too core to carry this.”Rovio's Angry Birds Rush – A genius comeback: Coin Master meta + slingshot mechanic + Monopoly Go mini-games. Microfun's Icy Hearts – Gossip Harbor clone with icy meta. Hosts roast the reviews but admit: “Nobody cares, it still works.”Playrix surprises – Match Around (merge + match hybrid) and Austin Odyssey (energy adventure + match 3). First real Playrix innovation in years. “Too much innovation, guys. Step by step.”Small Giant's new TD - Tower defense PvE hybrid with heavy meta. “Complexity is not going to help here.”Up for Fun & Vizor persistence – Endless iterations of forex hybrids with sexed-up creatives. Warner Bros' Game of Thrones: Dragonfire – Forex with dragons & real actor rights. Will IP help? Takeaway: Soft launch is alive and messy — clones, hybrids, and bold experiments everywhere. Rovio's Angry Birds Rush and Kitka's Drill game stand out as the most promising.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 Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Soft Launch Sonar02:04 Exploring Recent Game Releases03:55 Analyzing Monopoly Go and Coin Master06:42 Rovio's New Direction with Sega IP10:16 Innovations in Game Mechanics13:45 The Rise of Merge Games16:34 Conclusion and Future Trends17:45 The Evolution of Game Mechanics19:05 Exploring New Game Releases20:44 Innovations in Game Design24:34 The Rise of Tower Defense Games26:20 The Persistence of Game Themes28:47 Ad Creatives and Marketing Strategies29:35 The Forex Game Landscape32:59 Unique Game Concepts and PredictionsMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease 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

Send us a textWelcome to You Heard it Here Last where we talk about news, you've already heard.Ever since Critical Roll announced that Brennen Lee Mulligan would be taking over as GM there has been a ton of buzz around the long running Actual Play show. We were going to see Daggerheart played by its creators, the Critical Roll team, with one of the best Actual Play game masters around at the helm.Then Critical Roll Announced they would be using Dungeons and Dragons, 2024 as the rule system for the upcoming season.https://www.enworld.org/threads/critical-role-to-use-d-d-2024-rules-for-campaign-four-expands-to-three-tables-and-thirteen-players.714934/I don't know about you, but that took the wind right out of my sails.Let's start with you Mike, What's all this then?[Kick to Mike]Christina, your thoughts?[Kick to Christina]Now on to Mike's favorite Post Apocalyptic setting, Fallout. Recently Amazon released the trailer for Fallout Season 2. Last year's hit streaming series is back for another season and this time they are headed to New Vegas.https://youtu.be/7TsP09cZA7o?si=6ryklSJ-C3G1MIenhttps://www.enworld.org/threads/modiphius-reveals-new-art-for-new-vegas-themed-fallout-rpg-expansion-exclusive.714947/Not to be left out Modiphius plans to release Fallout: The Roleplaying Game – Royal Flush in the last quarter of 2025. Modiphius just released some art from the upcoming release which is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2025 which brings the Fallout setting to, you guessed it New Vegas. I love synergy, or at the very least organization. With the second season of the streaming show dropping in December and the new source book coming out at roughly the same time it looks like I should dust off the powered armor and head back out to the wasteland.Mike, since it's your favorite we will lead with you[Kick to Mike]Christina, Thoughts on the new Fallout stuff.[Kick to Christina]And there you have it, all the news, you've already heard.

In this Two and a Half Gamers special, Matej and Felix sit down with Lemon (柠檬游戏说) — WeChat Mini-Game blogger, founder of Hyperjoy, and consultant for Scopely — to unpack the Chinese mini-game gold rush.Key insights:2024 market revenue: $7B+ (¥50B RMB).500M+ MAU, 400K+ dev teams183% YoY increase in advertisers; dev cycles: 4 weeks (hypercasual) to 3–6 months (hybrid/midcore).Balanced demographics: gender 50/50, strong 24–40 y/o core.Winners: 4X/SLG, Tower Defense Roguelike, Merge/Match.Declining: Hybrid RPGs, Simulation.Stable: Idle Card RPGs.60% of UA spend is concentrated in RPG, SLG, and TD.Day-1 payer retention is highest in RPG/4X (18–85%).Top GamesIce War: Three Kingdoms – Whiteout Survival clone w/ localized 3K theme.Bangbang Survivor – Top-grossing $1M+/day, IP expanding into 4X.Penguin Go! – Lucky Defense survivor, meta system differentiates it.Plant Master TD Go – Backpack TD hit (#5 grossing).永远的蔚蓝星球 (Summon & Merge TD) – $30M/month, global Q4 launch.Human Leap: Evolution – Top Douyin ad-mon gameSave the King – Royal Match UA creative turned into a WeChat hit ($70K/day ads).East ↔ West ExpansionWest → East: Supercell, Century Games, Scopely already entering WeChat mini-games.East → West: Galaxy Defense, Legend of Mushroom, Banban Survivor meta systems fueling crossovers.Success requires simplification of meta for Western markets.Takeaway: Mini-games are not “mini.” They're a $7B industry with complex metas, ruthless UA competition, and growing East–West crossover potential.Get 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lemon Choihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lemon-minigame/Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to China's Minigame Market03:01 Minigame Market Overview07:26 Minigame Genres and Trends14:56 Successful Minigames and Case Studies29:04 Key Takeaways and Future 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

Heather, Nick and Matt look back at 40 years of Super Mario Bros! They talk about some of their favorite entries in the series, what makes Mario endure, their first Mario experiences and more! They also talk about WarioLand for the Virtual Boy (prior to the Nintendo Direct announcing it's return), Hollow Knight: Silksong, and the book "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" by Raph KosterCheck out our brand new merch at kinshipgoods.com/getplayed Follow us on social media @getplayedpodMusic by Ben Prunty benpruntymusic.com Art by Duck Brigade duckbrigade.com For ad-free main feed episodes, our complete back catalogue including How Did This Get Played? and our Premium DLC episodes and our exclusive show Get Anime'd where we're currently watching Elfen Lied go to patreon.com/getplayed Join us on our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/getplayed Wanna leave us a voicemail? Call 616-2-PLAYED (616-275-2933) or write us an email at getplayedpod@gmail.com Advertise on Get Played via Gumball.fm All of our links can be found at linktree.com/getplayedpodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fancy setting us a gaming challenge? Get in touch here!This week it's a little reflection on the game Control before we jump into creating a new party video game with survival mechanics and an open world. Interested? So are we!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!

Today, we revisit 15+ mobile games we've covered in the past to see which ones are growing, peaking, or dying. From Vita Mahjong's $200K/day AdMon empire to Century's King Shot at $3M/day, here's the brutally honest state of mobile gaming right now.Highlights:Vita Mahjong: 7M DAU, $200–300K/dayLove & Deep Space: $7M/day gacha spikesMagic Villains: Backed by $60M raise, scaling fastKing Shot: Our pick for “Game of the Year” (so far)Supercell's Mo.Co flop vs Clash Royale comebackLast Z: $6.6M/day forex monster from VietnamDramaBox/RealShort: Short drama apps making $100M+/monthDisney Solitaire: Movie tie-ins fueling $650K/dayChess.com: 14M DAU, $200K/day from app aloneTakeaway: The curse of the podcast is broken (mostly) — nearly all games are still growing, proving 2025 is the year of scale in AdMon, forex hybrids, and gacha monsters.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~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters---------------------------------------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 this episode, Casey Jones chats with the writer, anthropologist, and designer of the game Stillfleet, Wythe Marschall!Listen as we explore: - The jostles and joys of creating your own TTRPG- Finding the perfect people to collaborate with on your passion project- Play testing and fine-tuning a game system you come back to again and again- Building in a post-apocalypse world with cartoon physics Whether you're a game designer, podcaster, or a creative of any kind, you'll find delightful inspiration in this stimulating talk.

In this podcast, I talk about a specific aspect of the color pie and how modern design requires that we care about it.

This podcast is about the most hated mechanic in the history of Magic, ante.

Ready for action! This episode, "Where the Magic Happens", is all about small sound cues, how our brain processes them, and how a specific genre, and series, makes the most of them. This is the kind of show you can listen to out of order, but I'd recommend listening to the first episode at some point. It explains why this podcast exists, and was a lot of fun to make.   And if you end up buying Warcraft 3 because of this episode, be warned: the current remastered version (Reforged) changed the audiovisuals for the worse, but luckily, player feedback got them to add classic graphics and more importantly, a classic sounds toggle. Switch those on, it really does make a difference.

Today, we dissect Little Farm Story Idle Tycoon — SayGames' latest farming-idle hybrid that feels like a mashup of Dreamdale, My Perfect Hotel, and Idle Breaker.Key insights:Gameplay Loop:Clearing grass → unlocking fields → harvesting → selling resources.Heavy reliance on ads for progression (resources, boosts, even eggs).“Annoyance monetization”: progress gates force you to watch ads or buy “No Ads” pack.Monetization:~$67–70K/day in revenue.~53% from ads, ~47% from IAP.Ad breakdown: ~$24K rewarded, ~$10K interstitials, ~$500–700 from banners (“why bother?”).“Remove Ads” pack is likely the top IAP — players pushed into it by frustration.Design Choices:Map expands with resource conversions (tomatoes → ketchup, chickens → eggs, wood → upgrades).Inventory/capacity upgrades disguised as RPG-like gear, but tied to ad rewards.Cosmetic shop + IAP items scattered on map.UA & Creatives:Ads mirror Township / Playrix resource ads and Century Games' UA tricks (suction devices, backpacks).Low-poly art style keeps CPIs down, but LTVs capped.Playables + AI-generated UGC, but “Township-from-Wish” vibe.Heavy interstitial cross-promo inside SayGames portfolio (even multiple in a row).Market & Scaling:Currently SayGames' #1 title by IAP revenue.~$2M monthly run rate, growing but not viral like Dreamdale or My Perfect Hotel.Audience skew: ~63% US revenue, Tier 1 heavy.Takeaway: Little Farm Story is a polished ad-driven idle hybrid, but its top IAP being “Remove Ads” caps its growth potential.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 Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Game Overview03:48 Gameplay Mechanics and Features07:25 Monetization Strategies and Ads12:42 In-App Purchases and User Experience17:17 Revenue Insights and Conclusion18:15 The Decline of Traditional Ads19:23 User Acquisition Strategies in Gaming21:17 Ad Monetization Archetypes23:46 Comparative Analysis of Game Creatives25:57 Performance Metrics and Revenue Insights28:30 The Future of Game Scaling and IAPs---------------------------------------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

In today's episode we talk about Making Better Homebrew Items And Monsters.  What makes good homebrew items and monsters?  Why do you want homebrew items?  How do you make better items?  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 textIn 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped into the sandals of one of pulp's most celebrated heroes and, what was likely the most on point casting in the history of cinema, became legend. Conan the Barbarian.There is a common quote from that film, bandied about by fans, but it's not my favorite. My favorite quote from the film and my favorite scene come at the end of the picture.“Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That's what's important! Valor pleases you, Crom... so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!”To me, that was ConanOver the years the Conan archetype has been shoehorned into many games, Of course I'm looking at the very poor attempt in D&D called the Barbarian class. You might like the class, but it's not Conan, and make no mistake it was supposed to be Conan when it was introduced.In 1985 TSR tried to cash in with its own Conan RPG. In 1989 Steve Jackson Games came out with a Conan supplement for GURPS. In 2004 Mongoose Publishing launched their Conan: The Roleplaying Game which was a d20 variant. And in 2017 Modiphius released a 2d20 version called Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of.All of these games had various levels of success. I mean it's Conan, it doesn't take much for people to pick up the book and several of them were held in high regard. Personally I never found one that really clicked for me. I gave the GURPS version a try, but it just felt a little flat.Then Monolith Board Games Kickstarted Conan the Hyborian Age. This rules light system approached the barbarian and Robert E. Howards tales differently then the other versions. In Conan the Hyborian Age the story mattered. The rules were simple and left the door open for narrative to push the story. Or at least that's what the Kickstarter said.So I backed it and when I downloaded a copy of the core rulebook something special happened.I got excited. I don't know what it was, maybe it was the fantastic art, maybe it was a focus on Robert E. Howard's stories, maybe it was the very simplistic combat system, maybe it was the magic system that pulled your own life to fuel the spells, or maybe they just found the perfect combination.I had to play this thing. So I hit up the Thursday night group and said “What do you guys think about playing a Conan game?”The rest as they say is history.On this episode Mike, Christina and I are going to talk about the new Conan: They Hyborian Age TTRPG. We will talk about the core rules, the book itself and the good, the great, and the bad we've come across after playing it for a couple of months.And just to give you a little heads up for the episode.I absolutely love this game.Christina, let's start with you. What's your history with Conan and what did you initially think when I suggested playing it?[Kick to Christina]Mike, same question, what did you think about Conan going into the game?[Kick to Mike]

In episode 123 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Mitch Wallace about how a wide range of hobbies and a YouTube rabbit hole led him into game design. He shares how his curiosity sparked idea after idea, and how the original concept for Art Society evolved through rounds of feedback to find […]

On this episode of On Board Games, Erik talks with Rob Searing from Board Games with Rob and Insert Here about games (and other things) they've played including: Merchants of Andromeda Samurai / Hanami Lightning Train Stroop Bouba/Kiki Koi Nemesis: Retaliation You can get a discount on Zencastr.com using this link. (24:01) Then, the two talk about length of game play and is playing mulitple short games better than one long one or vice versa. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Inverse Genius: http://www.inversegenius.com/   Patreon account: http://www.patreon.com/obg   Twitter: @onboardgames RSS Feed: http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/rss Email us: onboardgamesmailbag@gmail.com On Board Games Guild at Board Game Geek

Cecil may have a redemption arc, but the rest of the party is completely irredeemable... Matt Storm is back, and we're talking about the first 16-bit Final Fantasy! From its conception and "spoony" localization, to a cast of characters so dumb they nearly hand the planet over to the bad guys but still fall backwards into saving it. WARP ZONES Previous History's (5:12) Development (20:35) Game Design (34:41) Story (1:07:00) Presentation (1:23:00) Legacy (1:47:39) Sorry I Tried To Kill You That One Time (1:52:58) Final Thoughts (2:02:20) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at "Fun" and Games Podcast | Reignite The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast shares updates on his game creation journey, discussing various tabletop games he is designing, including The Bannister Mile, Track the Pack, Calcio, Endure, and Foils. He reflects on the challenges of game design, the importance of playtesting, and the use of AI tools in the creative process.

In this podcast, I sit down with Corey Bowen, the lead set designer of Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel's Spider-Man, to talk about the set's design.

This podcast is a companion to my three-part Making Magic series on the history of tokens. You can read the third and final column on Monday, September 8.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda discusses Game Design with the following panel: Carlos Ayon (Dean of Business and Computer Information Systems at Fullerton College), Carlos Antunez (Instructor of Computer Information Systems at Fullerton College), and AUHSD educators Jason Collar and Bijan Kazerooni. During the talk the panel discusses the importance and potential of game design, a new game design pathway, career opportunities in game design, the role of artificial intelligence in game design, the challenges of building a game design pathway, launching the game design pathway at the AUHSD College and Career Fair, and partnerships with Extron and UC Irvine.

Send us a textWe have talked about AI a lot on this podcast and we plan on talking about it more. It's the future, whether you like it or not. Personally, I don't think the problem is going to be AI. I think the problem, as usual, is going to be people.https://youtu.be/86nhP8tvbLY?si=179uCtun2WcHLHNzI am a music fan and watch many of the big music theory channels on YouTube. Rhett Shull is a musician and YouTuber who has been around the platform for a very long time. In one of his most recent videos, he noticed that YouTube seems to be adding some type of AI filter to his videos and it's not just his videos. In this video he shows several examples and while it looks like YouTube might be using the AI filter to enhance video clarity the most interesting part about it is that he didn't approve it.That's right, it looks like YouTube is adding AI to people's video without their permission or notification.And that to me is the rub.Mike, you're our AI guru what do you make of this?[Kick to Mike]Christina, from an ethics standpoint, what are your thoughts?[kick to Christina]Next, we are back to the world of TTRPGs with a little fun article from EN World.https://www.enworld.org/threads/with-alien-earth-about-to-hit-our-screens-here-for-free-are-a5es-xenid-monster-stats.714828/In preparation for the new Alien series Alien Earth on Hulu, EN World shows some screen shots from the just kickstarted Voidrunners Codex. This new 5E supplement from EN Publishing, the same company that brings you EN World, is a Sci-Fi supplement for D&D Fifth Edition and in their upcoming release they have not one, not two, but 6 pages dedicated to our favorite space monster.Now I bring this up, because some of you might be interested in just such a supplement, and that's cool. But personally, I wanted an opportunity to yell at the Disney Corporation and 20th Century Fox for completely ruining what should have been one of the greatest film franchises in the history of film. I mean seriously, Alien is a masterclass of storytelling and Aliens flipped the script by turning horror into an action/thriller. Then the studio dropped the ball on what should have been a solid David Fincher directed Alien 3. What little good was in that movie was completely excised in Alien Resurrection, then the god-awful Alien vs. Predator films, don't get me started on Prometheus, and Covenant and Romulus just doubled down on the Prometheus crap…And then I tried to watch Alien Earth. It's written by children. Stupid, lazy, and barely literate children.Christina, talk me off the ledge.[Kick to Christina]Mike, what are your thoughts?[Kick to Mike]And there you have it, all the news you've already heard. 

Fancy setting us a gaming challenge? Get in touch here!In this episode Scott and Matt try and create a physics based horror game. Will the results be horrifying? Well yes, in so many ways...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!

In this podcast, I talk about a key component of design: set structure.

In my podcast on Igniting the Spark (the new Magic documentary), I talked about doing a podcast that covered something the documentary didn't. How did Magic grow from a one hundred million-dollar game to a billion-dollar game?

A documentary about how Magic debuted at Gen Con. I had the pleasure of participating in it, and this podcast talks all about that.

This is another podcast in my ongoing quest to record a podcast about every expansion. This episode is all about Prophecy, the third set in the Mercadian Masques block.

John Harper, the designer behind Blades in the Dark, Agon, and several other RPGs, joins Joe and Jared to discuss the design process, the crafting of the Blades in the Dark setting, and the business of developing RPGs with other creators in the space. Plus, John Harper's list of the best crime fiction movies of all time! Watch the video here: ⁠https://youtu.be/dvCoy2CkpDk Access exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes, and livestreams with a 30-day free trial with code "GCN30" at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jointhenaish.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join Troy Lavallee, Joe O'Brien, Skid Maher, Matthew Capodicasa, Sydney Amanuel, and Kate Stamas as they tour the country. Get your tickets today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cn8wr0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more podcasts and livestreams, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cmY380⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, I write a "State of Design" column where I talk about how I feel the last year of Magic design went. This year's column starts with Bloomburrow and goes through Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™. With six sets to talk about, I ended up having a pretty lengthy article, so I made a supplementary podcast where I walk through every new mechanic to give my thoughts on how they went.

This is another podcast in my ongoing quest to record a podcast about every expansion. This podcast is all about Nemesis, the second set in the Mercadian Masques block.