Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 153 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Brent Beck, better known as Grandpa Beck, the co-founder and face of the publisher Grandpa Beck’s Games and the game designer of 3-2-1 Countdown.   Together we talk about what inspired Brent to start an independent game publishing company, the story behind the Grandpa Beck character, and how 3-2-1 Countdown evolved from an existing game concept into something fresh, accessible, and well-rounded. We also discuss his journey from airline pilot to game publisher, why it matters to design for your primary audience, and why keeping a game simple is sometimes the best design choice.   Brent shares insights into the publishing side of game design, from choosing player counts and finding the right creative collaborators to investing in conventions and building a recognizable brand through distinctive artwork and social media. We also get into the realities of entrepreneurship, the trials and tribulations of trademarks, evolving games after publication, and why running a business is a whole different “game” than working for someone else. We also chat a bit about Talk Like a Pirate Day and finding fun ways and interesting holidays to celebrate your games year-round!   Featuring: Brent “Grandpa” Beck - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 152 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with game designer and inventor of Dodecadonuts, Andrew Davis, about his self-published title, Fantasy Food Fight.   We talk about the origin story of Dodecadonuts, Andrew’s handmade, wooden donut-shaped dice holders inspired by his longtime woodworking experience, and how this episode's featured game began as a family project with his kids that evolved from characters to theme to mechanics. We discuss how his background in accessories, creative direction, and marketing gave him an industry foothold and shaped his approach to game design and self-publishing.   We tackle current industry trends, including what games people are choosing to buy and the move towards smaller boxes and lighter games; why game cost needs to match the experience; the value of honest feedback from fellow designers and strangers; and how learning time, playtime, and shifting player habits influence game design. Andrew also shares his insights into the convention vendor experience and what it means to show up as both a publisher and a peer.     Featuring:   Andrew Davis - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 151 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with game design duo Doug Hettrick and Carl Van Ostrand.   We talk about creating a cozy card game and how My Book Nook was inspired by wanting to make something they and their families could all enjoy together. Doug and Carl talk about their co-designing process and how they discovered they made a balanced team, bringing different ideas and skill sets to the table while having a lot of fun along the way.   They share what co-designing looks like in practice, from coworking and digital prototyping to finding a design partner who complements your strengths. We also dig into the lessons they learned from self-publishing, building a game into a product, finding the right publisher fit, and what innovation really means in tabletop games.   Plus, we get into the art of simplicity, designing for different audiences, challenging yourself with unfamiliar mechanics, sneaking personal Easter eggs into games, and the surprisingly tricky question every designer has to answer: how do you end the game?   Featuring:  Doug Hettrick and Carl Van Ostrand - Guests Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 150 of Game Design Unboxed, we celebrate 150 episodes of GDU with Ben Rosset, freelance game designer and founder of Bamboo Design Studio, by focusing on his game about manufacturing board games - The Game Makers - a love letter to the hobby and the people who make it!   Ben shares how the idea for a game about making games grew from his 10 years of experience in game manufacturing at Panda, and how working as a freelance designer differs from working through his design studio. We talk a lot about the game's development process, from matching themes and mechanics to the extensive back-and-forth of playtesting and iteration, and how simultaneous play helped reduce downtime and support a larger player count.   We explore the challenges of featuring real-life games, including the long process of securing image rights from other publishers and the fun reactions players have when deciding whether they react to the games represented. Ben also discusses the journey of turning The Game Makers published by Bezier Games into a super-premium experience, the possibility of a retail version, and the uncertainty of getting a game's rights back after signing with a publisher.   Featuring:  Ben Rosset - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 149 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Zac Loveless, game designer and owner of Lovemore Games, about how anything can provide inspiration; for instance, a random Instagram post about beetles that was the catalyst for our featured game, Jewel Box.   Major topics include the differences between educational games vs. games you can learn from, the knowledge you gain from creating a themed game, how to decipher and apply playtest feedback, incorporating classic mechanics into something new, and “theme” collectors.   We also dig into how to come up with a name for your game, the origin behind Lovemore Games (as opposed to Loveless Games), symbiotic publisher/designer relationships, designing around a theme or mechanic before gameplay, and why butterflies are, in theory, the most well-liked insect.   Featuring:  Zac Loveless - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 148 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Jason Wong, the designer of PocketParks, a set-collecting card game featuring all 63 US National Parks, with gameplay inspired by Chinese Mahjong. Jason has visited all 63 US National Parks (he has a water bottle full of stickers to prove it), and featured his own photography from those trips in the game. We talk about how noticing the similarities and differences in the parks inspired the game, drawing on Mahjong and classic games for mechanics, choosing what information to include on cards, and why he chose a tin for the packaging. We also discuss using crowdfunding as a tool to understand your audience, the importance of getting outside for your mental health (did you stand up from your desk today?), why it is important to play published games, and how a game can inspire people to explore the real world! Featuring:  Jason Wong - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 147 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with the designer of Lava Run, Louie Loops, whom listeners may also recognize as the professional crocheter and content creator behind the YouTube channel “Louie’s Loops” and Club Crochet.   Louie shares how childhood game-making and a creative challenge called “New Game” sparked his interest in design, and how he eventually merged his love of crochet with game design to create “craftable games.”   We discuss turning frustration into creative inspiration, balancing strategy and randomness, comeback mechanics, expansions, and what happens after a game is published. Louie also shares what it’s like to launch a game with an existing audience, market to non-gamers, and enter a new industry as a beginner after being an expert in his craft.   Featuring:  Louie Loops - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 146 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Ionah Nguyen, a Seattle-based board game designer and founder of the board game studio Brainy Hearty.   Ionah is also the co-founder and CEO of Everjoy Global, a company dedicated to bringing Vietnamese tabletop games to international publishers and distributors by creating opportunities for Vietnamese designers to gain visibility and connections in the industry.   In this episode, we discuss how games can be used to preserve tradition and bridge cultures through play, accessibility feedback from playtesters, colorblind adjustments, the unique production challenges of manufacturing handcrafted game components, and some of the barriers to entry encountered by international designers.   Featuring:  Ionah Nguyen - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 145 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with game designer and owner of Ludoliminal, Sabrina Culyba, about the story behind her completely accurate, family-friendly dinosaur game Uh Oh, Dino! Sabrina shares how after spending 13 years in the video game industry, she found her way into tabletop game design through a game design contest that challenged participants to create a game from a random bag of components. We talk about how playing games with her young daughter inspired her passion for designing family games, and why cooperative games have become such a meaningful way to bring players of different ages together. The episode also covers the impact of tactile components when designing and games for children, balancing cooperative games, self-publishing, how everyone has a "dino era," and the differences between playtesting with children and adults.   Featuring:  Sabrina Culyba - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 144 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with freelance game designer and co-founder of Postmark Games, Matthew Dunstan. Matthew shares how his curiosity for understanding what happens behind the scenes led him from being a sports referee and umpire in Australia to moving to the UK, where a growing design community, weekly meetups, and a game design contest helped launch his full-time design career. Together, we discuss how digital playtesting has transformed the industry, designer compensation and contracts, collaborative design, how to create successful print-and-play games, and why building a stronger, more sustainable tabletop industry starts with supporting the people who create it.   Featuring:  Matthew Dunstan - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host