The Game Design Round Table

Dirk Knemeyer & David V. Heron
  • 4.8 (145)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
The Game Design Round Table

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.

  1. NOV 19

    #330 Xenolanguage with Kathryn Hymes

    This week, Dirk and David are joined by Kathryn Hymes, co-owner of Thorny Games and former co-host of the show. Together, they discuss Kathryn’s new game Xenolanguage, a roleplaying game where players take the role of humans tasked with deciphering an alien language. They give their thoughts on designing GMless games, especially focusing on how to facilitate interesting experiences within the rules. Topics include an in-depth look at Xenolanguage’s design, the breadth in experience of GMless games, approaching the business side of GMless games, and what future games may look like in the field of language.

    53 min

  2. NOV 5

    #329 Small Games with Ellie Dix

    This episode, Dirk and David are joined by Ellie Dix, owner of The Dark Imp and author of The Board Game Family. They discuss Ellie’s career and path into game design, as well as the intricacies of how she manages to design so many games. Topics include managing small projects, how to choose which designs to focus on, the importance of managing a playtest group, and the worth of games as educational tools.

    53 min

  3. OCT 22

    #328 Civilization Series 8 - Ara

    Dirk and David convene once more to discuss the release of Ara: History Untold by Oxide Games. They analyze the game’s strengths and weaknesses, how it feels to play, and how it compares to the actual Civilization series of games. Topics include managing expectations, the clunkiness of the crafting and relationship systems, performance and technical issues, what it does right, and who Ara is even for.

    56 min

  4. OCT 8

    #327 Undergrove with Elizabeth Hargrave and Mark Wootton

    David is at the helm this week, joined by Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan, Mariposas) and Mark Wooton (Legend of the Five Rings, Mariposas). The trio discuss Elizabeth and Mark’s new game Undergrove, a resource management and tile placement game about building a mycelial and arboreal network. Topics include how Undergrove was developed, designing for the mushroom theme, Mark and Elizabeth’s relationship with nature, and how a competitive game can be developed without encouraging antagonistic relationships between players.

    1h 6m

  5. SEP 24

    #326 Therapeutic TTRPGs with Daniel Hand

    Dirk is joined by Daniel Hand, therapeutic counselor and author of “Role-playing Games in Psychotherapy: A Practitioners Guide”. Together, the pair discusses Daniel’s journey into TTRPGs and his process of introducing them into his practice, and eventually designing his own game for therapeutic purposes. Topics include adjusting crunch, the benefits and difficulties of using games in therapy, what kinds of issues they can help with, and what the future of this treatment modality might look like.

    54 min

  6. SEP 10

    #325 Civilization Series 7 with Jon Shafer

    Enjoy episode #325 of The Game Design Round Table. In this episode, we discuss the new Civ 7 game with Jon Shafer, the co-founder of the show and a digital games designer. This will be our seventh episode in the Civ games series.

    57 min

  7. AUG 27

    #324 Civilization Series 6: Civ 7 First Look

    Civilization 7 has just been revealed! Dirk and David discuss their first impressions from the reveal stream, from the exciting new mechanics to what should have been left behind. They also talk about what they would like the Civilization Series to eventually be. Topics include the potential inclusion of RPG mechanics, focus on population centers, and technology and civilization advancement.

    57 min

  8. AUG 13

    #323 Tunic with Andrew Shouldice

    Dirk is joined this week by Andrew Shouldice, creator of isometric action-exploration game Tunic. They discuss the journey of developing Tunic, and the lessons learned from a lengthy production. Topics include Andrew’s attitude toward storytelling, how to manage a project long-term, how to focus on what’s important, and knowing when you need help.

    51 min
See All (329)

4.8
out of 5
145 Ratings

About

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.

Information

  • Creator
    Dirk Knemeyer & David V. Heron
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2024
  • Episodes
    329
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2019 The Game Design Round Table
  • Show Website
    The Game Design Round Table

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