# Kohji Nagata — Building Parallel, Designing with Obsession, and Falling in Love with Your Creations (#84)

An episode of [Think Like A Game Designer](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1450200089), 15 May 2025, 1 h 30 min.

Audio: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/163488599/c91a9ebd590364dc94c94dbfea068cd0.mp3

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 card game Parallel. What started as a passion project has become a genre-defining phenomenon, valued at one point at half a billion dollars. Kohji approaches design from a deep philosophical place, wrestling with fear of failure, perfectionism, and the drive to always improve. In this episode, he and Justin explore the creative tension between success and self-doubt, dissect the mechanics of resource systems in TCGs, and dig into the role of AI in the future of game design. Whether you're an aspiring creator or a veteran designer, this conversation offers a rare window into the mind of someone building at the frontier of games and technology. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe

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