Podcasts about Game design

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

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

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!

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.

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 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 this special Two and a Half Gamers episode, Matej and Felix sit down with Zino Rost van Tonningen (TyrAds) to deep dive into the history, present, and future of rewarded monetization & offerwalls.Key insights:History of rewarded ads:Early “incent installs” → rank-boosting campaigns (TapJoy, FreeMyApps).Multi-reward systems (TapJoy, IronSource, Fyber).Misplay breakthrough: timer-based playtime rewards + personalization.AdJoe & others scaled Misplay's model into SDK solutions.The shift to personalization:Old offerwalls = one-size-fits-all.New generation = hyper-personalized rewards per user.Use of media source data (Google, Unity, AppLovin, etc.) to adapt rewards based on traffic quality.Publisher perspective:Offerwalls can contribute 5–30% of game revenue depending on genre.Biggest impact: retaining non-payers & dolphins by giving them an alternative to IAP.Integration fights today echo old mediation wars (bonuses, rev guarantees, exclusivity deals).Best practices for choosing an offerwall partner:LiveOps environment — events, hot deals, timed offers.Transparency — explain revenue spikes/drops & media source impact.Personalization — reward scaling, segmentation by user type & UA source.UI/UX — aesthetics matter; no more “Windows 95” offerwalls.Zino's TyrAds SDK v3.0:One-time integration, no updates needed.Customizable design to match game branding.Hyper-personalized rewards, dynamic leveling systems.LiveOps events triggered per user (push, in-app messages).Takeaway: Rewarded monetization has entered its 4th generation: hyper-personalized, data-driven, and LiveOps-powered.https://tyrads.com/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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Special guest: Zino Rost van Tonningenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rovato/zino@tyrads.comJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Rewarded User Acquisition04:30 The Evolution of Rewarded Monetization07:10 The Shift from Incentivized Installs to Quality KPIs09:51 Innovations in Rewarded Advertising: Multi-Reward and Playtime Solutions12:33 The Role of Personalization in Rewarded Monetization14:56 Challenges in Current Rewarded Solutions17:48 Evaluating Monetization Solutions: Key Considerations20:15 The Importance of LiveOps in Engagement23:06 Transparency and Optimization in Offer Walls28:34 Differentiating Offer Walls for Monetization30:44 The Importance of Data in Monetization Solutions31:28 Personalization and User Engagement in Offer Walls33:18 SDK Evolution: From Version 1 to Hyper-Personalization36:14 Leveraging Machine Learning for Offer Wall Optimization40:14 Engaging Users with LiveOps and Hot Deals44:01 Dynamic Leveling Systems for Enhanced User Experience46:58 Criteria for Effective Offer Wall Implementation48:47 Revenue Impact and Client Engagement---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comZino Rost van TonningenCEO of TyrAdshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rovato/zino@tyrads.com---------------------------------------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 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

Today, we break down Galaxy Defense, a sci-fi-themed tower defense/survival clone that's generating $100K/day in IAP with only around 135K DAU.

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.

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 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.

We dive into AceCraft, Moonton's new Tom & Jerry–themed midcore gacha shooter that mixes Cuphead-style 1930s cartoon art with Habi-inspired systems and miHoYo-style monetization depth.Key insights:Gameplay & Core Loop: Systems & MetaDual banners (Tom & Jerry separately) with pity timers, skewed rates, and duplicate scaling.Each major character has a signature weapon requiring rolls.Collectible album (Royal Match / Monopoly Go style) with trade functionality, now ported into midcore — a first.Co-op synchronous modeThree-layer skill trees, elemental affinities, wingman companions.Monetization:~$330K/day IAP revenue post-launch (peaking with Tom/Jerry banner).Battle Pass upsell trick: Downloads ~300K/day at launch, half from China.Scaling across 17+ networks: TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Unity, AppLovin, IronSource, Mintegral, etc.UA creatives lean on retro cartoon surrealism, dancing ads, Tom & Jerry music, plus street interview trend (borrowed from Raid Rush).Prediction:Likely to fade in Western markets (art style too niche, monetization too punishing).Moonton may line up other WB/Looney Tunes IPs (Sylvester, Tweety, Popeye, Roadrunner) for similar launches.Takeaway: AceCraft is one of the deepest midcore gacha launches in 2025 — but built for Asia, not the West.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 Intro03:46 Discussion on Ace Craft and Impressions09:22 Core Gameplay Mechanics and Innovations12:14 Character Development and Gacha Elements15:04 Battle Pass and Game Structure21:05 Exploring Game Modes and Social Features23:05 The Collectible Album Revolution25:23 Gacha Mechanics: A Deep Dive31:48 Event-Driven Engagement Strategies41:03 Nostalgia in Gaming: The Influence of Classic Titles47:09 The Role of IP in Game Development50:32 Cultural Differences in Game Reception---------------------------------------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 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. 

In this special Two and a Half Gamers duet episode, Matej and Felix walk through how to set up Ad Monetization (AdMon) from scratch using Matej's own test app as a live case study. This episode is part tutorial, part comedy of errors, and part step-by-step guide for anyone new to AdMon.Key insights:App-ads.txt basics:Required by IAB for fraud prevention.Must be hosted on the developer's listed website (App Store/Google Play).Each network (Google, AppLovin, IronSource, Unity, Meta, Mintegral, etc.) requires unique entries.Some networks (like IronSource) force you to request Publisher ID via support, making setup painful.Mediation setup (MAX):One network is never enough — competition = higher eCPM.Best practice: integrate multiple (Google AdMob, AppLovin, IronSource, Unity Ads, Meta Audience Network).Connect networks directly in MAX for payout reconciliation & fraud safety.Network quirks:Google AdMob: straightforward, rewarded bidding setup.AppLovin: entries visible in account dashboard.IronSource: must email for Publisher ID.Unity & Mintegral: dashboard accessible.Meta/Facebook: painful; rewarded ads disabled for non-games, only interstitial/rewarded interstitial available.Best practices shared by Felix:Always keep app-ads.txt updated with every network.Cross-check revenue between MAX vs. direct networks.Expect a lot of clicking, logins, and waiting, but setup today saves revenue disputes later.Live Learnings:Matej's developer website missing → crawlers failed.Felix guided step-by-step through creating ad units, adding IDs, and verifying setups.By the end, Matej had MAX + multiple networks integrated, app-ads.txt updated, and was ready to monetize his app.Takeaway: AdMon setup is annoying, but essential. Do it properly once, and it will pay you back forever.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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 to App Development and Advertising03:51 Understanding AdMob and App Ads TXT06:22 Navigating Ad Networks and Their Requirements08:52 Setting Up Ad Units and Bidding Strategies11:36 Integrating Multiple Ad Networks14:25 Finalizing App Setup and Future Steps---------------------------------------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

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 today's episode we talk about Setting Up A Space To Play.  How do we set up a good play space?  What should we focus on?  will this cost me a lot of money?  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.

We break down Epic Plane Evolution – Voodoo's hypercasual throwback hit that's pulling in ~$150K/day in ad revenue with over 100K daily downloads.Key insights:Gameplay: Players start with a broken cardboard plane and unlock wings, tails, and rockets through upgrades. Controls are intentionally clunky — planes crash often, driving engagement and retries.Monetization: Heavy use of rewarded ads (“convert or die” mechanic) and interstitial spam. iOS users see gems + VIP purchases, while Android has no gems at all, leading to 80–85% of revenue coming from iOS.Retention: Despite frustration, average playtime is ~13 minutes/day across 3 sessions, powered by the addictive slingshot mechanic.Revenue Mix: Estimated $150K/day, 80–84% ads, minimal IAP. VIP subscriptions and gem bundles exist only on iOS.Creative Strategy: Basic hypercasual creatives (gates + plane gameplay). Some gameplay ads actually teach players how to steer — a sign of design flaws.Market Context: Falls under “Arcade Driving” genre, sitting alongside Hill Climb Racing & Traffic Rider. Current run rate ~$10M annually, but easily cloneable. Vietnam devs likely to copy/expand with IAP depth.Future Potential: If Voodoo adds events/meta (e.g. Legend of Slime style), this could evolve from hypercasual into hybrid-casual. But for now, it's a hypercasual money-printing surprise hit.Takeaway: Epic Plane Evolution proves hypercasual isn't dead — it just needs the right loop, frustration, and ads.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 to Epic Plane Evolution04:08 Gameplay Mechanics and Challenges11:39 Monetization Strategies and Ad Revenue14:10 Unexpected Success and Future Improvements18:15 The Decline of Banner Ads21:13 Analyzing Competitor Strategies24:14 User Acquisition and Monetization Trends28:24 Creative Strategies in Mobile Gaming32:16 Future of Mobile Gaming and Audience Engagement---------------------------------------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 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?

Send us a textI waved goodbye to Mike and Christina and made my way through the throngs of people getting their last chance to shop in the exhibit hall. By 1pm on Sunday of GenCon 2025 I was tapping out.I was exhausted, hungry, and my capacity for patience was at an all-time low.By the time I got back to my car and put Indianapolis in the rearview mirror I started to settle down and even though GenCon was only an hour behind me I realized I was already starting to miss it.For those gamers out there not familiar with GenCon, shame on you. For the rest, here is a quick rundown.GenCon is the largest and longest running tabletop gaming convention in North America. It was started by Gary Gygax and friends in 1968 and was originally called the Lake Geneva Wargames Convention. The name was quickly shortened to GenCon and in the early years the convention bounced around from location to location, but in 1985 it landed in Milwaukee Wisconsin. GenCon called Milwaukee home until 2003 when the convention moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, and that's when it really blew up. If it is even close to the tabletop gaming space, it's at GenCon.Fast Forward to 2025 where the convention once again broke previous attendance records with over 72,000 people, 595 unique vendors, and nearly 30,000 events. Our friends at the Finding Attoria Podcast described it aptly as “Butts to Nuts” But GenCon just uses the tagline “The Best 4 Days of Gaming” and for once, they're underselling it.In this episode Mike, Christina and I are going to do a little wrap-up of GenCon 2025. We'll throw out some observations, complaints, kudo's and maybe even chat about what's planned for next year.Christina, let's start with you. Give me your big takeaway from GenCon.Kick to ChristinaMike, what about you. What's your big takeaway from the con.

Examples of the various types of gates used in the design of games.   Links and Notes The Level Design Book – https://book.leveldesignbook.com/process/layout/typology/gates What Games Are – https://www.whatgamesare.com/gating.html Mapcore – https://www.mapcore.org/topic/20013-player-gating-in-level-design/ Gating in level design – https://shaunspalding.co.uk/gating-in-level-design/ Technical Game Design – https://technicalgamedesign.blogspot.com/2011/04/gating.html Podcast theme music – Ride by Pocketmaster

In episode 122 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we talk with owner of MaKa Games and designer of License to Krill, Matthew Kambic, about how a pun inspired his debut game — and how he brought it to life with a custom plushie component. Matthew shares how his engineering background, early love of […]

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.

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

In this week's episode we interview Joe Hout, the designer of 3 Chapters.01:33 - Joe Hout's Love for Gen Con02:29 - Joe Hout's Gaming Origin Story03:36 - Twin City Games and Game Design Journey05:03 - The Concept Behind 'Animal Espionage'06:34 - The Transition to Game Design08:35 - Balancing Game Design with a Full-Time Job09:53 - The Art of the Pitch at Gen Con12:45 - The Journey of 'Three Chapters'14:36 - Self-Publishing vs. Working with a Publisher20:13 - Pitching 'Three Chapters'22:11 - Understanding the Game Mechanics of Three Chapters24:06 - Future Projects and Game Design Aspirations25:54 - The Appeal of Lighter Games29:44 - The Importance of Accessibility in Gaming32:58 - The Joy of Game Design and Community35:07 - The Unique Value of Tabletop Gaming36:25 - Celebrating Community and Librarians in Gaming

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

Send us a texthttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/godzilla-franchise-enters-new-era-with-multiple-sequels-in-the-works/ar-AA1ISBUfOh No, there Goes Tokyo, Go Go Godzilla.No, this story isn't about Blue Oyster Cult, but we could do a full episode on the Long Island Psychedelic Rock Band that gave us Don't Fear the Reaper and of course Godzilla. No, this story is about Godzilla himself. There are 33 Japanese movies about Godzilla with another 5 English language films.Currently a sequel to the fantastic Godzilla Minus One is in development along with a sequel to 2016's Shin Godzilla. There is also collaboration with Legendary Pictures upcoming Godzilla x Kong Supernova and Monarch: legacy of Monsters Season 2 on Apple TV.With that much Godzilla out there I can actually hear Chrsitina smile. We will start with you Christina, what do you make of all the Godzilla love?Kick to ChristinaMike, why do you think Godzilla is back dominating the box office again?Kick to MikeNext, we have a major announcement from Critical Role. Matt Mercer will be stepping aside as the GM for the 4th campaign and Brennan Lee Mulligan will be stepping in.https://www.enworld.org/threads/brennan-lee-mulligan-to-gm-critical-role-campaign-4.714671/This was announced right before Critical Role's live show in Indianapolis during GenCon.Matt Mercer has been the only GM behind the first 3 campaigns of Critical Role so this is a big departure for the series, but Brennan Lee Mulligan is no stranger to Critical Role and the Live Action Play space himself. Mulligan is a writer, actor and comedian who has been featured as the gamemaster on Dimension 20 and has also run several short spin-off adventures for Critical Role in the past.Mike, what are your thoughts on this. Good, Bad, Indifferent?Kick to MikeChristina, I believe you've been a fan of Mulligan for a while, what do you think this move means for him and critical role.Kick to ChristinaAnd there you have it, all the news you've already heard.

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.

Jake Martin and Landry Smith dive into their review of Donkey Kong Bananza for the Switch 2, sharing their honest thoughts and critiques. Don't miss Skill Tree Triviai!! Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:53 COVID Experiences and Parenting Challenges03:02 Book Discussion: East of Eden05:24 Gaming Disconnection and Industry Trends12:08 Housekeeping and Podcast Overview12:47 Donkey Kong Bonanza Review14:25 Gameplay Mechanics and Design Critique24:35 Exploration and Level Design Issues36:53 Critique of Game Design and Levels37:27 Challenge Rooms and Puzzles38:32 Character and Enemy Design Flaws40:21 Music and Soundtrack Disappointments42:23 Suggestions for Improvement45:58 Boss Fights and Mechanics53:18 Comparing to Mario Odyssey58:32 Skill Tree Trivia01:06:58 Podcast Conclusion and Future Plans

Game designer, entrepreneur, visionary: Dominic's guide to purpose-fueled growth Dominic Crapuchettes founded North Star Games in 2003 after several near death experiences as the captain of an Alaskan boat. His designs, which include Evolution, Oceans, Say Anything, and Wits & Wagers, have sold nearly 5 million copies and won countless awards. For the past five years, Dominic has been working on an enormous project: a modular game system called Nature that makes Evolution more accessible and easily expandable.  We sat down to talk about his unique definition of courage and how it has helped him rebuild a beloved company. Creative leadership hits home in this conversation. The Nature Game Box Cover Connect with North Star Games NorthStarGames.com https://www.instagram.com/northstargames/ Facebook.com/northstargames Solve the Mysteries in History. Get the introduction to my brand new series, The Gemma Blackthorne Mysteries in History True Crime Podcaster series. You can read it before anyone else has the chance. You'll get the short story that introduces Gemma and Earth-shattering mystery at the center of her world and ours. Here's the cover. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series   Flip Your Inner Script to Stop Negative Thoughts From Ruining Your Day.   This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Are you enjoying the show? I'd love it if you would buy me a coffee.   Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic |  

Magic is made not by a single designer but by a large group of people. In this podcast, I talk about how that affects game design.

This is another podcast in my ongoing quest to record a podcast about every expansion. This podcast is all about Mercadian Masques.

Interview with Vlad Prelovac, CEO of Kagi OpenAI Just Released Its First Open-Weight Models Since GPT-2 Genie 3: A New Frontier for World Models Kitten TTS: The 25MB AI Voice Model That's About to Change EVERYTHING (Runs on a Potato!

Interview with Vlad Prelovac, CEO of Kagi OpenAI Just Released Its First Open-Weight Models Since GPT-2 Genie 3: A New Frontier for World Models Kitten TTS: The 25MB AI Voice Model That's About to Change EVERYTHING (Runs on a Potato!

The very nature of a trading card game is that it's always evolving. In today's podcast, I talk about what that means for Magic design.

In this podcast, I talk all about my trip to this year's San Diego Comic-Con.