Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

GDU 028 - CULTivate

In episode 28 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Austin Foss (Pops) and Jenna Radtke (Bejou) otherwise known as part of the Pops & Bejou team and the designers of CULTivate. Pops & Bejou started as a friendship formed in college that turned into a publisher at the beginning of COVID-19. CULTivate was the first of the games this company is looking to put out as a gateway game with great art and an interesting theme. Learn about their marketing plan of contacting smaller instagram accounts, sending playtest kits over the pandemic and how waiting made their Kickstarter better. Plus, enjoy the puns and humor hidden in this puzzle, pattern-building, take-that game!

 

Featuring: 

Austin Foss (Pops)  - Guest 

Jenna Radtke (Bejou) - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 027 - Fire Tower

In episode 27 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Gwen Ruelle, one of the designers of Fire Tower and co-owner of Runaway Parade Games. Gwen talks about taking her love of cooperative game elements and using it to make a fire tower burning game of winds changing and friends working to outlast each other. She speaks about the inspirations for various expansions including fire hawks that use burning branches to scare their prey into traps. From making the decision to self-publish, to signing their first external designer’s game hear about the journey of Runaway Parade Games and their original hit Fire Tower!

 

Featuring: 

Gwen Ruelle - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 026 - Raccoon Tycoon

In episode 26 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Glenn Drover, owner of Forbidden Games and designer of Raccoon Tycoon. A game that has players buying and selling goods from a marketplace, doing quick actions, and set collecting adorable animals and their railroads. Glenn was inspired by Catan and Monopoly wanting to create a gateway game that could eventually make its way from Kickstarter to Target shelves and he did! Listen to Glen’s years of industry experience in both tabletop games and videogames in this episode!

 

Featuring: 

Glenn Drover - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 025 - Medium

In episode 25 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Danielle Deley and Nathan Thornton about their game Medium, an improv-inspired party game that helps players sync minds and search for words that link together to score points. It’s a game that’s as fun to lose as it is to win. Listen to Danielle and Nathan’s interesting marketing idea and how playing games at work turned these two into game designers.

 

Featuring: 

Danielle Deley - Guest 

Nathan Thornton - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 024 - Sleeping Gods

Episode 24: Sleeping Gods

 

In episode 24 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ryan Laukat, the designer and illustrator of Sleeping Gods, Above and Below, Near and Far, and more. Ryan is the co-owner of Red Raven Games as well as a triple threat of game designer, artist, and storyteller. In this episode, he discusses how art and media play a huge role in his game design. From inspiring him to giving him a visual road map of where an open-world game like Sleeping Gods might lie. Learn more about how to build a narrative-driven game from Ryan!

 

Featuring: 

Ryan Laukat - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 023-Greece Lightning

In episode 23 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we kick off season 2 talking with Kathleen Mercury, an educator, and board game designer. Her first published design Greece Lightning started with her decision to co-design with Mark Sellmeyer on his space-themed game about black holes. This game developed into a push-your-luck, roll-and-move race in an Ancient Greek regatta. She references the importance of playtesting and how one of her students helped solve a flaw in her design. Plus, her sister's assistance in adding the right amount of mythology to the game. This episode is filled with humor and insight so check it out!

 

Featuring: 

Kathleen Mercury - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 022-Season 1 Finale

In episode 22 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication Danielle and Denice talk about some favorite moments and lessons learned thanks to season 1’s guest designers. As well as where they are in their current game design journeys. We say farewell to Denice from the show and about the show coming back in late Fall with a refresh for season 2! 

 

Featuring: 

 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Denice - Host

GDU 021-Abomination Vaults

In episode 21 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we speak with Vanessa Hoskins, our first RPG designer. The Know Direction Network’s own Vanessa talks about RPGs, Pathfinder, and writing part 2 of the Abomination Vaults. Her extensive credits and knowledge on RPGs will help listeners dip their toes into RPG design and gameplay! As well as learn how to get into the business. 

 

Featuring: 

Vanessa Hoskins - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Denice - Host

GDU 020-Dinosaur Island

Episode 20: Dinosaur Island

 

In episode 20 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jonathan Gilmour, the designer behind Dead of Winter, Mental Blocks, Wasteland Express Delivery Service, Kids on Bikes, Dinosaur Island and so many other games and expansions! Jonathan is known for his ability to predict what themes or mechanics are going to be popular and become evergreens. Listen to him talk all things dinos and more!

 

Featuring: 

 

Jonathan Gilmour - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Ben Moy - Host

GDU 019-Kittycataclysm

In episode 19 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk about Bez Shahriari’s game Kittycataclysm. From trimming down the design to make a quicker playing game to interweaving cat puns into a mechanically solid design. We learn about deciding to balance versus leaning into the power of a card. As well as learning empathy for designers/publishers especially in relation to Kickstarter.  

 

Featuring: 

 

Bez Shahriari - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

Denice - Host