Welcome back to the Civilization Series. In the third installment, David and Dirk break down their experiences with Millennia, the latest 4X offering from C Prompt Games and Paradox Interactive. They discuss what aspects of the game worked for

#314 Designing to Ship with Xalavier Nelson Jr

15 days ago 56m 46s

Dirk and David interview prolific designer and leader Xalavier Nelson Jr. They discuss Xalavier’s illustrious and busy career, focusing on his philosophy of how to ship a game as well as knowing your own capabilities. Topics include his work an

#313 Civilization Series 2

30 days ago 57m 15s

Welcome to the second episode of the series on the “Civilization” games, as well as other 4X titles. Continuing from episode one, the pair talk about the phenomenon of “One More Turn”, using overlapping progression paths, and quality life impro

#312 Civilization Series 1

Mar 12th, 2024 55m 31s

This episode marks the beginning of a new series focused on the Civilization series of games. Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson to discuss their background with the Civilization games, and how they got introduced to the series. They di

#311 Innovating Themes with Anna Anthropy

Feb 27th, 2024 52m 45s

Dirk and Kathryn Hymes meet this episode to talk with Anna Anthropy, digital and tabletop designer known for her prolific work with non-traditional themes. They discuss Anna’s career in game design, and her path into becoming an educator. Topic

#310 Listener Questions

Feb 14th, 2024 46m 35s

Dirk and David answer another round of listener questions! They discuss how mobile and desktop games differ, what makes a game “broken”, and tips to follow when designing around a licensed property. They also delve into design stagnation and fo

#309 Industry and Loose Leaf with Tanya X. Short

Jan 30th, 2024 55m 2s

Dirk and David are joined by Tanya X. Short, Captain of Kitfox Games. They discuss the balance between appealing to market sensibilities and following one’s own interests, and how to make them work together. They also discuss the difficulty in

#308 Narrative AI with Emily Short

Jan 16th, 2024 51m 12s

Dirk and David are joined by legendary interactive fiction writer and creative director of Failbetter Games Emily Short. The trio discuss Emily’s career, her contributions to interactive fiction, and some of her thoughts on both traditional gam

#307 Roundtable with Soren Johnson

Jan 2nd, 2024 52m 11s

Dirk and David are joined by Soren Johnson, friend of the show and founder of Mohawk Games. The trio answers questions and design problems from the community, and follow up on recent episodes. Topics include achievements and collectables, the i

#306 A Highland Song with Jon Ingold

Dec 19th, 2023 57m 30s

Dirk and David are joined by Jon Ingold, narrative designer and co-founder of Inkle Studios. They discuss Inkle’s newly released video game A Highland Song, centered around exploration, discovery, and engaging the human form within nature. They

#305 Thirsty Suitors with Chandana Ekanayake

Dec 5th, 2023 53m 34s

Dirk and David are joined by Chandana Ekanayake, Game Director of Outerloop Games and long-time designer. They discuss Eka’s newly released Thirsty Suitors, a turn-based adventure game centering around culture, relationships, family, and self-e

#304 Listener Questions November 2023

Nov 21st, 2023 58m 34s

It’s time for another round of listener questions! In this episode, Dirk and David field questions from the community, discussing a variety of subjects. Topics include the validity and usefulness of player taxonomies, the pros and cons of game

#303 Darkest Dungeon 2 with Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman

Nov 7th, 2023 1h 7m

This week, David is joined by Chris Bourassa, creative director and cofounder of Red Hook Studios, as well as Tyler Sigman, designer and fellow co-founder. Together, they discuss Red Hook’s latest venture, Darkest Dungeon 2, the road trip seque

#302 Wildermyth with Nate Austin

Oct 24th, 2023 51m 43s

Dirk and David are joined by Nate Austin, co-creator of myth-making tactical RPG Wildermyth. In this entry in the series on worldbuilding, Nate describes the origins of Wildermyth, and how he and his partners grew the game into a true success.

#301 Design and Controls with Richard Lemarchand

Oct 10th, 2023 1h 1m

Dirk is joined by returning guest host Soren Johnson in today's episode in the Design Talk series. Dirk and Soren speak with Richard Lemarchand, distinguished game designer and now-professor most well-known for his work on the Uncharted series.

#300 Tricentennial Celebration

Sep 26th, 2023 59m 41s

Welcome to episode 300 of The Game Design Round Table! Dirk and David take the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone. They reflect on the role the show has played in their lives, their own journeys as designers, and hear from friend

#299 Worldbuilding with Ryan Laukat

Sep 12th, 2023 45m 55s

Dirk is joined by Ryan Laukat, designer, illustrator, and co-founder of Red Raven Games, for the second installation in this series on worldbuilding. Ryan discusses his introduction and path into game design, the creation of Red Raven Games, an

#298 Tchia with Phil Crifo

Aug 29th, 2023 51m 37s

Today on the show, Dirk and David are joined by Phil Crifo, game director at Awaceb, most prominently known for his work on Fossil Echo and Tchia. He discusses growing up in New Caledonia, and how it serves as an influence on the creation of Tc

#297 Gerson Da Silva Talks Kingdom Rush

Aug 15th, 2023 44m 53s

Dirk and David are joined by Gerson Da Silva, Director at Ironhide Game Studio and co-founder of Totem Games. Gerson is best known for his work on the Kingdom Rush series, as well as Water 2050. This episode delves into alternative paths into g

#296 Listener Questions

Aug 1st, 2023 53m 40s

Dirk and David gather for another round of listener questions! They answer how to balance mechanical options and variety in a game, trends in how genres are under- or over-utilized, and the impact of live streaming on designing and marketing a

#295 Kingdoms and Castles with Lion Shield Studios

Jul 18th, 2023 51m 4s

Dirk is joined by Pete Angstadt and Michael Peddicard, co-founders of Lion Shield Studios, to talk about the design and success of Kingdoms and Castles. They discuss designing in the city builder genre, as well as how they structure their studi

#294 Worldbuilding with Kaitlin Tremblay

Jul 4th, 2023 41m 53s

Dirk and David join Kaitlin Tremblay, fiction and collaborative game design author and co-founder of Soft Rains Games. In this inaugural episode in the new series of Worldbuilding, the table discusses what role worldbuilding plays in creating a

#293 Interview with Mark Rosewater

Jun 22nd, 2023 54m 35s

Dirk and David interview Mark Rosewater, the long-time lead designer of the legendary card game Magic: the Gathering. Mark shares his wisdom on how to make a game that can continue to be designed over time, as well as how games can excite diffe

#292 TGDRT Roundtable With Dirk and David

Jun 6th, 2023 1h

Dirk and David take a stroll down memory lane and discuss their personal journeys, as well as the evolution the show has taken. They discuss the process of taking on a leadership role, the influence of the market on the enjoyment of game design

#291 Tana Tanoi Talks Mini Motorways

May 23rd, 2023 54m 41s

Tana Tanoi, technical designer at Dinosaur Polo Club, joins Dirk to discuss designing Mini Motorways and Mini Metro, as well as what goes into designing games that simulate the real world. Topics include the power of simulation, the difficultie