#326 Therapeutic TTRPGs with Daniel Hand
The Game Design Round Table
Dirk is joined by Daniel Hand, therapeutic counselor and author of “Role-playing Games in Psychotherapy: A Practitioners Guide”. Together, the pair discusses Daniel’s journey into TTRPGs and his process of introducing them into his practice, and eventually designing his own game for therapeutic purposes. Topics include adjusting crunch, the benefits and difficulties of using games in therapy, what kinds of issues they can help with, and what the future of this treatment modality might look like.
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#325 Civilization Series 7 with Jon Shafer
The Game Design Round Table
Enjoy episode #325 of The Game Design Round Table. In this episode, we discuss the new Civ 7 game with Jon Shafer, the co-founder of the show and a digital games designer. This will be our seventh episode in the Civ games series.
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#324 Civilization Series 6: Civ 7 First Look
The Game Design Round Table
Civilization 7 has just been revealed! Dirk and David discuss their first impressions from the reveal stream, from the exciting new mechanics to what should have been left behind. They also talk about what they would like the Civilization Series to eventually be. Topics include the potential inclusion of RPG mechanics, focus on population centers, and technology and civilization advancement.
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#323 Tunic with Andrew Shouldice
The Game Design Round Table
Dirk is joined this week by Andrew Shouldice, creator of isometric action-exploration game Tunic. They discuss the journey of developing Tunic, and the lessons learned from a lengthy production. Topics include Andrew’s attitude toward storytelling, how to manage a project long-term, how to focus on what’s important, and knowing when you need help.
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#322 Future of Legacy Games with Rob Daviau
The Game Design Round Table
In this episode, Dirk and David welcome Rob Daviau, known for creating legacy board games. They discuss what Rob has been working on, the process of designing legacy games, staying true to the original, and the future of the company's vision.
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#321 Civilization Series 5 with Will Thompson
The Game Design Round Table
Welcome back to the Civilization Series! In this episode, Dirk welcomes Will Thompson, the creator of the upcoming game Winter Rabbit. Here, they discuss Will's vision for Civilization and the integration of Indigenous technologies into the game. They also talk about the differences between warfare and how the 4cs fit into history.
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#320 Civilization Series 4
The Game Design Round Table
Dirk and David come together once more to discuss the civilization series! This week, topics include David’s thoughts on Civilization 6, the value in how the world map is created, what the games choose to simulate, and what can be improved in the technology and religion systems.
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#319 Listener Questions June 2024
The Game Design Round Table
Join us for another round of listener questions! David and Dirk discuss topics such as whether and how to avoid game-breaking synergies, what impact finances has on the love of design, and balancing strategy and role play mechanics.
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#318 Modules and RPGSEA with Pam Punzalan
The Game Design Round Table
Dirk and David are joined by Pam Punzalan, known for her work on personal projects such as Navthem’s End and A Rising Tide, as well as commissioned pieces for Dungeons and Dragons, Blades in the Dark, and Starfinder. Together, the trio discusses the differences between producing hired work and indie projects, as well as the importance of RPGSEA. Topics include how her cultural background affects her work, queerness and race as themes, the processes surrounding commissioned games and working with an editor, tactics games, and being a working TTRPG designer.
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#317 Earthborne Rangers with Andrew Navaro
The Game Design Round Table
Dirk and David are joined by Andrew Navaro, creator of open-world board game Earthborne Rangers. They discuss how Earthborne Rangers was developed, and the lessons learned from the project. Topics include the making of an open-world board game, diverging story paths, expansions, and when to stop supporting an ongoing game.
info_outlineDirk and David are joined by legendary interactive fiction writer and creative director of Failbetter Games Emily Short. The trio discuss Emily’s career, her contributions to interactive fiction, and some of her thoughts on both traditional game AI and modern generative AI. Topics include modeling relationships in games, player psychology and how much information to give, and how game AI can be used in non-combat oriented experiences.