Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

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

GDU 042 - Aeon’s End Legacy of Gravehold

In episode 42 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Sydney Engelstein, one of the designers to take on the challenge of continuing on the Aeon’s End game line! Listen to Sydney discuss the original game, her involvement with the past and current expansions as well as her favorite one she’s worked on, Legacy of Gravehold! We talk about dreams inspiring pieces of the games as well as what made the Aeon’s End games stand out as a deck builder against its competition. Learn how to take over a game line from the original designer and make compatible expansions to a cooperative deck building game!

 

Featuring: 

Sydney Engelstein - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 041 - Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall

In episode 41 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Banana Chan a designer on the culturally inspired game Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall. Listen to learn more about how a culture can inspire different design choices from how dice work in the system to adding spirit paper as a component. This game aimed to capture the immigrant experience of the time with a horror twist. Listen to how Banana works to balance out her character's motivations and dreams for the game. As you play, these dreams become covered up as players transition from a family to Jiangshi (hopping vampires). This episode is packed full of storytelling/RPG advice as well as what it means to design a game with representation in mind. 

 

Featuring: 

Banana Chan - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 040 - Canvas

In episode 40 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jeff Chin and Andrew Nerger about their game Canvas which was a component first design. Inspired by translucent cards Jeff and Andrew worked to get creative prototyping this beautiful entry-level game that is now being distributed globally. Even the game box being designed to look like a hanging painting was considered when manufacturing this game. Learn tips on prototyping unique components, finding artists on Reddit and resources on how to run a Kickstarter from the co-founders of Road to Infamy Games.

 

Check out their current Kickstarter for Globetrotting at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roadtoinfamy/globetrotting?ref=profile_saved_projects_live

 

Featuring: 

Jeff Chin - Guest

Andrew Nerger - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host

GDU 039 - Cheer Up!

In episode 39 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chris Rio the designer of Cheer Up! published by Cheer Up Games. He talks about designing a creative way to make a word game that removes the flaws of the games he saw already on the shelf. Also, how he’s made his branding pop out compared to its competitors. He touches on culling the words on the cards as times change as well as avoiding pop culture references to avoid aging the game.  

 

Featuring: 

Chris Rio - Guest 

Danielle Reynolds - Host