Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

GDU 052 - The Wolves

In episode 52 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ashwin Kamath and Clarence Simpson about their game The Wolves, published by Pandasuarous Games. These designers met through the Tabletop Mentorship Program and created this game design in a matter of months during the worst of the pandemic. Utilizing online playtests they were able to iterate quickly even while living in different parts of the United States. Thanks to their unique action selection mechanic of double-sided tiles this game allows players to control and grow packs of wolves! Flip to certain terrains to move, populate and howl with your pack! Check out this unique area control game.

 

Featuring: 

Ashwin Kamath & Clarence Simpson - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 051 - Pirate Party: Women of the High Seas

In episode 51 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Marge Rosen about her card game Pirate Party: Women of the High Seas. A card game loosely based on the mechanics of Rummy that took on it’s own character by theming it after historical women pirates! The game offers different gameplays, historical facts in the rulebook and diverse artwork. Plus, if you collect all three mermaids you can sing your siren song into victory!

 

Featuring: 

Marge Rosen - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 050 - London Necropolis Railway

In episode 50 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Daniel Newman about his co-published game London Necropolis Railway. He talks about how a Wikipedia link on a historic event in London inspired this morbidly themed game. Also, how he and his company New Mill Industries work to take interestingly themed games that might have a hard time finding a home and turning them into a reality. Even if it’s an in-house operation with less then a thousand copies of the game. Check out his unique perspectives as a designer and publisher working with other designers in my 50th episode of Game Design Unboxed! 

Featuring: 

Daniel Newman - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 049 - Creature Comforts

In episode 49 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Roberta Taylor about her game Creature Comforts published by KTGB. This game was initially inspired by the changing of the seasons in Canada. The worker placement with the interesting dice mechanics came shortly after. Roberta talks about her design process, having Helaina Cappel look at her design then sign it after the Gathering of Friends. From the cute woodland creatures to the concept of cozy game design described in video games she was playing, Roberta designed a game that sold out immediately after it was delivered to backers. Both a good and bad problem to have! 

 

Featuring: 

Roberta Taylor - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU E048 - Million Dollar Doodle

In episode 48 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Molly Zeff a co-owner of Flying Leap Games and co-designer of Million Dollar Doodle, a semi-collaborative entrepreneurship-themed drawing party game. She took an idea her friends thought up at a restaurant and enhanced the idea by adding additional elements and playtesting. Listen to what she learned about marketing her games and designing party games on this episode.

 

Featuring: 

Molly Zeff - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 047 - On the Rocks

In episode 47 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Michael Pittre on his co-design game “On the Rocks”. He talks about starting a company around this initial design. How he sourced such premium components and worked through the initial Kickstarter Campaign not going their way. Plus, them deciding to create custom cards for their second campaign! 

 

Featuring: 

Michael Pittre - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 046 - Supershow

In episode 46 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Steve Resk about his game Supershow. A design that started out as a fix to the TOPs trading card game, it was later turned into a pro-wrestling game. He started by making the first printing out of a local non-game manufacturing company and placing it inside of Chinese food containers to sell at a convention. Now he has a company with multiple employees and a line of different pro-wresting decks. Steve talks about innovating in his own way and finding alternate forms of earning money like creating custom cards for fans. Check out this unique path into game designing a sports themed game!

 

Featuring: 

Steve Resk - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 045 - Hellboy: The Board Game

In episode 45 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with James Hewitt & Sophie Williams about their co-design Hellboy: The Board Game published by Manic Games. This co-op Dark Horse comic book inspired game is filled with minis used to explore ever evolving case based maps. Players are investigating cases while fighting their famous foes playing as BPRD members, such as Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Roger the Homunculus. In this episode the designers discuss how they really captured the feeling of Mike Mignola's world famous comic series. Also, how building in “hooks and levers” into the base game made future expansions possible as well as adding a ton of replayability. They even discuss the “tea-party problem'' where they realized the game shouldn’t be more than a 4-player experience because the co-op nature would suffer. This is a great first episode to kick off the third season of Game Design Unboxed!

 

Featuring: 

James Hewitt & Sophie Williams - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 044 - Season 2 Finale

In episode 44 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we recap the second season with guest host and game enthusiast Natasha “Nat” Iris. Nat interviews Danielle to get her thoughts on the season’s highlights and lessons learned. From designing games based on components to feeling to culture we learned there are many ways to design a game. Plus, take a look at what Danielle has been doing in the industry from job transitions to volunteering for non-profits she cares about. Also, get a sneak peek of season 3! 

 

Featuring: 

Danielle Reynolds - Guest 

Natasha “Nat” Iris - Host

GDU 043 - FRIEND or FAUX

In episode 43 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chrissy Fagerholt, one of the designers of FRIEND or FAUX and founder of EAP Toy & Games. Chrissy and her friends took the experience and fun of a girl’s night and created a questions game. They designed levels of questions from tame to spicy in order to help players learn about each other as they grow more comfortable playing the game. The game was funded on Kickstarter then was picked up by Goliath thanks to a Speed Pitching Event at People of Play (POP) formerly Chicago Toy & Games Fair. Learn how Chrissy learned on the go to become an inventor on the Mass Market side of the industry.  

 

Featuring: 

Chrissy Fagerholt - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host