Think Like A Game Designer
Justin Gary
124 episodes
In Think Like a Game Designer, award-winning designer and Stone Blade Entertainment CEO Justin Gary speaks with world-class game designers and creative experts from various industries. Each episode deconstructs the creative process, offering insights into the art of game design and the broader cultural, technological, and business influences shaping a myriad of creative mediums. Join us for actionable advice and unique perspectives that will enrich your understanding of what it means to be creative in and out of the gaming world. justingarydesign.substack.com
Episodes page 1 of 3
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Amabel Holland — Games as Political Art, Print-on-Demand Freedoms, and the Architecture of Systems (#113)
About Amabel Holland Amabel Holland is a prolific board game designer, developer, and publisher who, as co-founder of Hollandspiele, has been responsible for over a hundred board games and expansions. Much of her…
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Elizabeth Hargrave — Distilling Wingspan Pocket, AI Ethics in Tabletop, and Building Equity for Designers (#112)
About Elizabeth Hargrave Elizabeth Hargrave is an award-winning board game designer best known for her runaway smash hit Wingspan, which won the Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2019 and has sold over two million copies…
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Scott Morris — Making Memories Over Games, Navigating Personal Tragedy, and the Law of First Principles (#111)
About Scott Morris Scott Morris is the founder and CEO of Steel Wing Games, a boutique tabletop publisher focused on approachable, high-quality games, as well as the Global Brand Director for Lucky Duck Games under…
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Ben Robbins — Revisiting Microscope, Designing Uncomfortable Games, and the Mechanics of Shared Stories (#110)
About Ben Ben Robbins is an acclaimed indie game designer best known for creating Microscope, In This World, Kingdom, and This Means War. Ben’s flagship design, Microscope, revolutionized GM-less storytelling games by…
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Ryan Scott Dancey — From Fake Mail Order to Legend of the Five Rings, the Power of Self-Belief, and the Future of AI (#109)
About Ryan S. Dancey Ryan S. Dancey is an absolute titan of the gaming industry whose strategic vision has fundamentally shaped the modern tabletop and digital landscapes. Ryan co-created Legend of the Five Rings,…
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Game Design Inspiration from Gen Con
I just got back from a whirlwind convention tour, speaking on multiple panels and showing off the early prototype of The Lord of the Rings™: Ascension™ at San Diego Comic-Con and Gen Con. You can see a full…
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Chad Ellis—Reality Gaming at Boda Borg, the Psychology of Negotiation, and Building Ego-Free Teams (#108)
About Chad Ellis Chad Ellis is a game enthusiast, strategist, and designer with an incredible range of experience across competitive tabletop, corporate leadership, and live reality gaming. Chad started his game…
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Luke Peterschmidt — Designing for Massive Fandoms, Eliminating Obstacles, and Exploiting Your Superpowers (#107)
About Luke Peterschmidt Luke Peterschmidt is a brilliant leader in the tabletop gaming industry who currently serves as the Head of Active Category Management at Asmodee. In this uniquely structured role, Luke has…
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Ben Seck—Treating Your Career Like a Game, Shifting from Cards to Mobile, and Being a Boss Who Actually Backs Their Team (#107)
About Ben Seck Ben Seck is an absolute titan of global game development and competitive play whose career path is an masterclass in strategic execution. Ben and I go back nearly 30 years to our early days on the…
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Ivan Van Norman — From Broke Graduate to Geek & Sundry, the Reality of Scaling an Indie Studio, and Embracing Content Innovation (#106)
About Ivan Van Norman Ivan Van Norman is a true powerhouse of indie tabletop publishing and media innovation, bringing over 15 years of deep industry expertise to the table. Our paths cross all the way back to the…
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Zvi Mowshowitz—From the Magic Pro Tour to Wall Street, the Logic of Bookmaking, and the Future of AI Ethics (#105)
About Zvi My history with Zvi Mowshowitz goes back over 20 years to our days as teammates on the Magic Pro Tour, where we won a Grand Prix and top-8ed a Pro Tour together. After his competitive gaming career and a…
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Nate Heiss — Removing Ego from Design, The Magic of Roguelikes, and Building Across Digital and Tabletop (#104)
About Nate Heiss Nate Heiss is a true game design chameleon. His 25-plus year career spans from competitive Magic: The Gathering play to designing iconic cards like Goblin Guide at Wizards of the Coast. He then took…
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Mark Rosewater — Designing for Emotion, Embracing Complexity, and 28 Years of Iteration (#103)
About Mark Mark Rosewater is the Head Designer for Magic: The Gathering and one of the most influential voices in modern game design. With decades of experience shaping one of the most successful and enduring games in…
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Ross Thompson—Real-World Marketing, Influencer Strategy, and Building Community That Lasts (#102)
Ross Thompson is a marketing strategist focused on helping tabletop games and consumer brands grow through real-world connection. A veteran of the industry with over 15 years of experience in community building,…
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Drew Corkill — Design Solo Game Systems, Speed, and Shipping at Scale (#101)
About Drew Drew Corkill is a UI/UX designer with nearly 15 years of experience and a deep background in graphic design, who has quietly become one of the most prolific creators in tabletop gaming. Alongside Gabe…
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50 Episodes of Game Design Wisdom
Guests featured: * Keith Baker * Monty Cook * Raph Koster * Richard Garfield * John Zinser * Elizabeth Hargrave * Eric Lang 00:03:06 — Keith Baker Lesson: Creating a world that becomes a playable game. Baker…
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Eric Lang — Designing for Payoff, Ritual Play, and Returning to Your Roots (#100)
About Eric Lang Eric Lang is one of the most influential designers in modern tabletop gaming, known for bold thematic systems and highly interactive play. Over his career, he has designed or co-designed titles…
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Theresa Duringer — UI as Game Design, Onboarding Without Friction, and the Ethics of AI (#99)
Theresa Duringer is the owner and CEO of Temple Gates Games, a San Francisco–based digital board game studio known for best-in-class adaptations of modern tabletop games. Her team has brought Ascension to VR and…
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Jaimie Wolanski — Tough Truths, Retail Realities, and How Games Create Connection (#98)
About Jaimie Jaimie Wolanski has over 20 years of experience in the games industry, with a career spanning major brands and mass-market hits. She’s worked as a sales rep bringing games into stores like Target and…
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Vlaada Chvátil — Designing for Joy, Building Great Games, and Letting Quality Do the Marketing (#97)
About Vlaada Vlaada Chvátil is one of the most influential game designers of the modern era. As the creative force behind classics like Through the Ages, Codenames, and Galaxy Trucker, and a co-founder of Czech Games…
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Carly McGinnis — Startup Scrappiness, Trusting Your Team, and the Rhythm of Leadership (#96)
About Carly Carly McGinnis is the driving force behind one of the fastest-growing tabletop companies in history. As CEO of Exploding Kittens, she’s helped lead the company to over 25 million games sold and dozens of…
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Kyle Thiermann — Deadlines, Mentors, Curiosity, and the Craft of Connection (#95)
About Kyle Kyle Thiermann is a professional big-wave surfer, journalist, and creative director whose career bridges storytelling, advertising, and adventure. He’s written for Men’s Health, Surfer, and Outside…
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Touko Tahkokallio — Curiosity, Physics, and the Power of Mental Playtesting (#94)
Touko Tahkokallio is one of the rare designers who has mastered both tabletop and digital worlds. Starting out as a theoretical physicist, Touko shifted careers to follow his passion for play. First by designing…
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Jordan Weisman — From Battletech to Shadowrun: The Power of Curiosity and Collaboration (#93)
About this Episode This episode is a little different from the usual Think Like a Game Designer conversation. Instead of a freeform discussion, I came prepared with a curated list of questions to guide the…
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Jonathan Grant — Critics, Experiments, Secrets, and the Business of Play (#92)
About Jonathan Jonathan Grant is a creative director at Zynga, founder of Orbital Games, and co-host of We Thought It Would Be Easy with Jordan Weisman. His career spans startups, acquisitions, and AAA environments,…
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Elan Lee — Building Exploding Kittens, Marketing as Design, Retail Pitches, and Playing to Sell (#91)
About Elan Elan Lee (@elanlee) is the co-creator and chief executive officer of Exploding Kittens, a leading gaming and entertainment company. Under his leadership, Exploding Kittens has expanded its portfolio to…
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Justin Gary — 5 Lessons From 15 Years (#90)
At Gen Con this year, we kicked off Ascension’s 15-year anniversary celebration. I had the chance to meet so many fans who have been part of this community for over a decade; the experience was both humbling and…
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Tim Ferriss — Designing Coyote, Playing to Learn, Publishing Truths, and Saying "No" (#89)
About Tim Ferriss Tim Ferriss is a category of one. His innovative approach to life and business has helped him to launch 5 New York Times Bestellers, build one of the most influential podcasts in the world with over…
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Cole Wehrle — Cute Creatures, Brutal Games, Asymmetric Design, and Subverting Expectations (#88)
About Cole Cole Wehrle is one of the most innovative minds in board game design today. Cole is a partner at Leder Games, but best-known as the creator of Root, the woodland war game that redefined asymmetric play.…
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Amy Lowe — Finding Your X Factor, Marketing with Heart, and Serving the Right Players (#87)
About Amy Amy Lowe is a marketer, strategist, and lifelong nerd whose career spans over two decades helping brands connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Though she’s worked across industries, Amy found her…
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Derek Sivers — Embracing Simplicity, Owning Your Weirdness, and Designing a Life with Intent (#86)
About Derek Sivers Derek Sivers has worn many hats, musician, entrepreneur, author, and philosopher, but his work maintains a single throughline: a relentless pursuit of living deliberately. He first found success by…
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Dominic Crapuchettes — Designing for Constraints, Rebuilding After Failure, and Finding the Magic in Games (#85)
Dominic Crapuchettes is the founder of North Star Games and the designer of massive hits like Wits & Wagers, Say Anything, and the Evolution series—games that have sold over 4.5 million copies. In this episode, Dominic…
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SolForge Fusion Shadows Over Solis
CHECK OUT SHADOWS OVER SOLIS TODAY ON GAMEFOUND 5 Quick Lessons About Crowdfinding * Crowdfunding has changed: You need to bring your own audience and community. Success now requires months of preparation, including…
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Kohji Nagata — Building Parallel, Designing with Obsession, and Falling in Love with Your Creations (#84)
Kohji Nagata has worn many hats—software developer, musician, podcast creator—but today he’s best known as Head of Design and co-founder of Parallel Studios, where he helped launch the massively successful Web3 trading…
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Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)
About Dafna Pleban Dafna Pleban is a veteran comic book editor and narrative developer whose career spans over 15 years across original and licensed publishing. Best known for her work at BOOM! Studios, Dafna has…
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Justin Ziran — Digital Magic: Fear and Success, Leading with Bold Decisions, and Redefining Innovation (#82)
About Justin Ziran Justin Ziran is a veteran of the collectible and strategy games industry. He has decades of experience shaping some of the most successful brands in tabletop gaming. He began his career at Wizards…
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James Introcaso — Game Masters, the Rise of Indie RPGs and Showing Up for Luck (#81)
James Introcaso is an award-winning tabletop game designer and storyteller whose work has helped shape the modern landscape of roleplaying games. As the lead game designer at MCDM Productions, James was integral to…
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Jesse Alexander — Mastering the Creative Hustle, Fighting for Bold Ideas, and Thriving in a Changing Industry (#80)
About Jesse Alexander Jesse Alexander is an Emmy award-winning screenwriter and producer with over two decades of experience crafting iconic television series and groundbreaking game content. If you've watched TV over…
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Ryan Soave — Embracing Discomfort, Overcoming Mental Blocks, and Unlocking Creative Growth (#79)
About Ryan Soave Ryan Soave is a healthcare executive, therapist, coach, and speaker with over 14 years of experience in mental health consulting and counseling. Ryan has dedicated his career to guiding individuals…
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Matt Forbeck — From Warhammer to Marvel: Bold Risks, Creative Freedom, and Collaboration (#78)
About Matt Forbeck Matt Forbeck is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author and game designer with a career spanning over three decades. With more than 35 novels and countless games to his name, Matt’s…
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Alliestrasza — From Hearthstone Streaming to Web3 Gaming: Building Communities and Crafting New Worlds (#77)
Alliestrasza joins us on today’s episode, bringing her extensive experience as a prominent streamer and influencer in the trading card game space. Best known for her long-running success as a Hearthstone content…
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Eric Dieulangard — Altered: Marketing the most successful TCG Kickstarter of all time (#75)
Eric Dieulangard joins us on today’s episode, bringing a ton of experience from the gaming and business worlds. He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Equinox, where he was pivotal during the launch of Altered.…
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Travis George — From League of Legends to Vela Games: Prioritization, Leadership, and the Power of Constraints (#75)
About Travis George Travis George joins us on today’s episode, bringing over two decades of experience in the video game industry. Travis has held leadership roles at renowned companies like Activision and Riot Games,…
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Alexander Seropian — From Halo to Fortnite: Mastering Team Dynamics, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and User Generated Content (#74)
Alexander Seropian joins us on today’s episode, bringing his vast expertise from decades in the video game industry. Alex is the founder of several influential game companies, including Bungie, Wideload Games,…
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Richard Bartle & Nigel Roberts — The Power of ‘What If,’ Building Communities, and Navigating Decentralization in Game Design (#73)
Richard Bartle and Nigel Roberts join us on today’s episode, bringing decades of experience in gaming, technology, and community building. Richard is one of the co-creators of MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), the precursor to…
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Alex Yeager — Mastering Game Pitches, Reviving Evergreen Titles, and Creating Social Experiences in Game Design (#72)
About Alex Yeager Alex Yeager joins us on today’s episode to bring his wealth of knowledge and experience from over 20 years in the board game industry. Alex is the Chief Operating Officer at Amigo Games, overseeing…
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Scott Morris — Building a Brand, Navigating Contracts, and the Power of Relationships in Game Design (#71)
About Scott Morris Scott Morris joins us on today’s episode to share insights into the world of game design and business development. Scott is the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Lucky Duck Games, where he has…
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LIVE at Gen Con 2024 (Special Episode)
In this special live episode recorded at Gen Con 2024, I share key lessons from my 20 years in the game industry, including insights from working with industry legends like Richard Garfield and designing major games…
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Ethan Mollick — Navigating AI in Game Design, Ethical Integration, and Supporting Artists (#70)
Ethan Mollick joins us today to share his insights into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. Ethan is an associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in…
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Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes (Special)
In this episode of "Think Like a Game Designer," I take a different approach by presenting a solo discussion without any guests. Here, I focus on a concept I introduced in a previous episode with Stephan Brissaud: the…
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