Building Better Games

Benjamin Carcich
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Video Games
  • Every two weeks

Leadership in game dev is hard. I can't make it easy, but I can make it a heck of a lot better. My name is Benjamin Carcich, and this podcast helps leaders in game dev who feel stuck, ignored, and out of options find their path to success. I've spent the last several decades studying and leading in environments ranging from the U.S. Army through to game development. I want to share what I've learned. Better leadership is a huge opportunity in the games industry. Let's make it better together. Better leaders build better games.

  1. 1 day ago

    E145: Why Nobody At Your Game Studio Will Make A Decision

    Access the trust audit here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/trust-audit Are you accidentally building a studio culture where no one makes a move without your permission? In game development, leaders often demand high agency and creative ownership, yet unknowingly build low-trust systems designed entirely around control. Over time, adding process after process to prevent mistakes doesn't just eliminate bad outcomes; it kills your team's best ideas. In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down the spectrum between high-trust and low-trust studio systems, why alignment decays over time, and how to spot which direction your studio is drifting before your best talent walks out the door. What You'll Learn: What high-trust vs. low-trust systems actually look like in game development Why tightening control to prevent rare mistakes unknowingly chops off the top end of your studio's creative potential How to realign misaligned team members through targeted questions instead of default administrative control Two simple sentences you can listen for today to instantly diagnose your studio's true trust level If you're a leader in game dev who wants a self-driven team that takes ownership, but you keep finding yourself stuck in endless decision bottlenecks, this episode is for you. Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/  🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg  🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want help leading teams and studios to better games players love, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDevelopment #GameDevLeadership #StudioCulture #CreativeDirection

    E145: Why Nobody At Your Game Studio Will Make A Decision

  2. 25 Aug

    E144: Why Every Game Has Narrative, Even the Ones With No Story

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Why is game narrative so frequently dismissed, despite its responsibility for player connection? In this episode, we sit down with industry veteran Richard Dansky to break down why story isn't just dialogue - it's a core framework that helps gameplay make sense. Richard's the former central Clancy writer for Ubisoft with 27 years in game narrative and he joins the show to dismantle common myths about game writing. They dive deep into the essential separation between writers and narrative designers, why late-stage story changes cost studios massive amounts of time and money, and how proper leadership can empower narrative teams to drive long-term player investment. What You'll Learn In This Episode: What game narrative really is How everything from environmental storytelling to enemy barks helps shape the player's experience Why treating narrative as a late-stage "flavor pass" often leads to budget overruns, production headaches, and disconnected experiences How narrative can strengthen design, art, and gameplay when it's integrated from the start How successful studios structure their narrative teams How game leaders can embed narrative early in development If you're a leader in game dev who wants to build games players care about, but struggles to integrate narrative into your core production pipeline, this episode is for you. Learn more about our guest: 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-dansky-9b899a/ 🔗Website: http://richarddansky.com/ 🔗Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JRRLDC 🔗Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/RichardDansky 🔗IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3835598/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want help leading teams and studios to better games players love, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDesign #NarrativeDesign #GameDevelopment #GamingIndustry

    E144: Why Every Game Has Narrative, Even the Ones With No Story

  3. 18 Aug

    E143: The Framework We Used At Riot To Build Champions

    Access the Cohesion Quadrant here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/cohesion-quadrant Why do games crafted by world-class designers, artists, and writers still fail to connect with players? When design, story, and art don't agree, players feel the friction immediately, even if they can't put it into words. In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down the DNA Framework (Design, Narrative, Art) developed on the League of Legends champion team. Discover why polishing individual assets won't fix a disjointed game, how to establish a clear priority stack for your project, and how leaders can maintain true vision cohesion from ideation to launch. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What the DNA Framework really is and how Design, Narrative, and Art work together to create cohesive player experiences Why great work can still fail when teams work in silos How to spot misalignment early before it turns into bigger problems for the project How to get your entire team moving in the same direction and turn great individual work into one unified game If you're a leader in game dev who is tired of watching high-quality assets fail to come together into a cohesive whole, this episode is for you. Learn how to diagnose hidden friction between design, art, and story before it impacts your players. Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want help leading teams and studios to better games players love, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDesign #GameDevelopment #GamingIndustry #Leadership

    E143: The Framework We Used At Riot To Build Champions

  4. 12 Aug

    E142: What Roblox Devs Know About Attention That AAA Doesn't

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Have you ever wondered if the secret to game marketing isn't a massive budget, but rather mastering the content flywheel and understanding how algorithms actually work? In this episode of Building Better Games, Ben sits down with Zach Letter (Wonder Works Studio) for a deep dive into organic user acquisition, content creation, and the evolution of modern game marketing. Zach breaks down the distinct strategies behind three of his studio's major hits—Overlook Bay, SpongeBob Tower Defense, and Duck Duck—explaining how to co-develop with your audience, leverage YouTube and TikTok creators without paying for sponsored posts, and manufacture viral moments that scale. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What algorithm-driven distribution really requires, and why treating platforms as partners can be the key to scaling your game Why one-off influencer sponsorships often fail How to build a content flywheel that keeps creators talking about your game organically How to manage player expectations without overpromising or setting yourself up for post-launch burnout How real-time player feedback can shape your live-ops roadmap Why "under-promise and over-deliver" matters when building long-term trust with your players If you're a leader in game dev who wants to stop burning budget on traditional ads and master organic, creator-led growth strategies, this episode is for you. Learn more about our guest: 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-letter-0769b893/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aviatorgaming/?hl=en 🔗YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AviatorGaming 🔗Wikitubia: https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/AviatorGaming More about Duck Duck: 🔗 Games Beat Article: https://gamesbeat.com/team-behind-robloxs-top-earning-licensed-game-launchesd-duck-duck/ 🔗 Roblox: https://www.roblox.com/games/135486323963203/Duck-Duck Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want help leading teams and studios to better games players love, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameMarketing #RobloxDev #IndieGameDev #GameDesign

    E142: What Roblox Devs Know About Attention That AAA Doesn't

  5. 5 Aug

    E141: Why Talented Game Teams Still Ship Boring Games

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Every great game you have ever played relies on a hidden shape underneath its experience, and most game dev leaders can't name it. When you can't name a design pattern, you can't use it on purpose. That's how talented teams spend years pouring sweat into content, only to release a game that just doesn't engage its players. In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down "interest curves," a game design lens from Jesse Schell that dictates how player engagement actually works. Drawing from juggling acts, Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings score, and nested loops in League of Legends, Ben demonstrates why player interest has very little to do with mechanical difficulty or content cost—and how you can map engagement to keep players coming back. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What an interest curve is—and why it determines whether players stay engaged or lose interest The four stages of every great interest curve: the hook, rising peaks, strategic valleys, and the climax Why developers often mistake development effort for player value, leading to weak pacing and player drop-off How to design moments that maximize player engagement instead of just increasing production cost A practical way to map your game's interest curve with your team and align everyone around the player experience How playtests can reveal the exact moments where players become bored, confused, or disengaged Why the same principles behind great games also apply to movies, presentations, and even business meetings If you're a leader in game dev who wants your team aligned on what actually keeps players engaged—rather than just making games harder or more expensive to build—this episode is for you. Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDesign #GameDevelopment #BuildingBetterGames #ProductionLeadership

    E141: Why Talented Game Teams Still Ship Boring Games

  6. 29 Jul

    E140: Why Bad Ideas Beat Good Ones in Game Dev

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Have you ever walked through a building and assumed you knew enough to be a civil engineer? When game dev leaders look at design, narrative, or engineering problems and think, "I could do a better job than that," they often mistake surface-level observation for actual craft expertise. In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down why smart leaders fall into the trap of second-guessing specialized disciplines—from game design to AI-assisted engineering—and how "swooping in" with uninformed solutions damages your game and your team's trust. What You'll Learn in This Episode What "armchair quarterbacking" actually costs your studio and why leaders easily fall into the trap of oversimplifying complex disciplines. Why every game development decision is a series of trade-offs (pros vs. cons), and why untested ideas always look pristine in your head. How to apply Chesterton's Fence to understand why a system exists before trying to tear it down. How to give feedback as a leader by focusing on root problems and asking curious questions rather than mandating solutions. If you're a leader in game dev who wants to stop accidentally undermining your experts and start giving feedback that actually elevates your team, this episode is for you. Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GameDesign #GameDevelopment #Leadership #StudioManagement

    E140: Why Bad Ideas Beat Good Ones in Game Dev

  7. 21 Jul

    E139: Why an Ad-Tech Insider Says Ads Will Help Game Devs

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is the video game industry being kept afloat by tech giants willingly lighting billions of dollars on fire—and what happens to your studio when the subsidy stops? In this episode, Ben sits down with Colan Neese, SVP of Gaming at Screen Engine/ASI and author of the Patch Notes newsletter, to deconstruct the shifting macroeconomic tectonic plates of gaming. They dive into the reality of platform economics, why Microsoft is losing an estimated 64 cents on every dollar invested in gaming, the likely rise of ad-supported models in the PC/console ecosystem, and the terrifying market realities of the Grand Theft Auto VI release timeline. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What the true data reveals about the current collapse of platform economics, Microsoft's aggressive studio layoffs, and why the "rounding error" era of gaming budgets is officially over Why the industry's current reliance on wishlist momentum and renting creator attention is fundamentally broken, and why ad-tech algorithms might be a viable solution to solve game discovery How GTA 6 is creating an unprecedented industry black hole that is actively deflating competitor mindshare, shrinking long-tail revenues, and forcing studios to aggressively alter their release calendars If you're a leader in game dev who is trying to forecast your studio's launch window, build a sustainable monetization strategy, and survive the impending GTA 6 market consolidation, this episode is for you. Learn more about Colan Neese: Connect with Colan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/ and subscribe to his newsletters: Mind Game Patch Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/mindgame-patch-notes-7336099537939255300/ LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7336099537939255300/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GamingIndustry #PlatformEconomics #Xbox #GTA6

    E139: Why an Ad-Tech Insider Says Ads Will Help Game Devs

  8. 14 Jul

    E138: He Gambled His Last $500K on a Roblox Game!

    Level up your leadership: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Does hyper-scaling your game studio actually destroy the soul of your product? When outside capital flooded into WonderWorks Studio following Roblox's IPO, founder Zach Letter did what every investor screamed for: he scaled his three-person team to nearly 100 employees, built a massive physical studio, and hired a traditional AAA C-suite. The result was a toxic corporate culture, a mountain of high-maintenance work-for-hire contracts, and the near-death of their original IP. In this episode, Ben sits down with Zach Letter to deconstruct the grueling reality behind those decisions. Zach shares the timeline of cutting his studio back down to a core group of 12 people, bootstrapping a high-stakes licensing deal with Paramount on raw grit, and shipping a chart-topping SpongeBob Tower Defense game on their final weeks of runway. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What structural traps await small, agile teams when transitioning to high-overhead venture capital models. Why relying on traditional AAA corporate leadership frameworks can severely decouple your studio from fast-moving UGC algorithms and audiences. How to leverage hyper-focused community feedback and competitive gap analysis to disrupt saturated game genres. How to design high-stimulus, free-to-play reward loops that prioritize long-term player commitment over short-term FOMO mechanics. If you're a leader in game dev who is struggling to balance studio growth with creative control, or considering a high-risk pivot into licensed IP and UGC platforms, this episode is for you. Learn more about our guest: 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-letter-0769b893/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aviatorgaming/?hl=en 🔗YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AviatorGaming 🔗Wikitubia: https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/AviatorGaming 🔗 Wonder Works Studio: https://wonderworks.gg/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #RobloxStudio #StudioScaling #LiveOps #IndieGameDev

    E138: He Gambled His Last $500K on a Roblox Game!
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About

Leadership in game dev is hard. I can't make it easy, but I can make it a heck of a lot better. My name is Benjamin Carcich, and this podcast helps leaders in game dev who feel stuck, ignored, and out of options find their path to success. I've spent the last several decades studying and leading in environments ranging from the U.S. Army through to game development. I want to share what I've learned. Better leadership is a huge opportunity in the games industry. Let's make it better together. Better leaders build better games.

Information

  • Creator
    Benjamin Carcich
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    165
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Building Better Games ©2024
  • Show Website
    Building Better Games

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