We're back, and we're trying something a little different this time! It turns out that some design topics don't necessarily justify a full hour-plus episode all on their own, but are still worth talking about! To that end, we're introducing PGI Quickplays -- shorter, more frequent episode that deliver bite-sized chunks of game design bullshit to you on the weeks where we don't have a full-sized episode for you. In our inaugural Quickplay, we dig into Valeria: Card Kingdoms, a dice-rolling and ta...
Feb 04, 2019•17 min
How do you turn an idea into a game, and how do you make sure that game maintains the spirit of that idea as you develop it? We're joined by Meat Boy level design maven , TowerFall world champion , and all-round charmer Kyle Pulver to solve these problems once and for all! Along the way, we discuss the value of applying constraints to your design, how to define your game by 'pivoting' through your design space, and how making a game is kind of like navigating a canoe. Or blowing up a flour mill....
Dec 30, 2018•1 hr 20 min
It's been a little while since we got everyone together in front of the mic, so we're taking it easy this episode to catch up and talk about some games we've been playing! Rob's been exploring Fantasy Flight's line of Arkham Horror tabletop games, Jon's got lost in Hollow Knight, and Ryan took a relaxing vacation in Super Mario Odyssey. Join us as we talk through what we like and dislike about each of these games... except Super Mario Odyssey. There's basically nothing bad we can say about that ...
Nov 22, 2018•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 30
The classic trio is back on the mics, and we're celebrating by diving into that most classic of game mechanics — grinding! Join us as we debate grinding's definition, discuss why it has such a bad reputation, and explain how it can help players get more from your game and make your life as a game designer easier, then marvel as we do all of this without any relevant credentials or experience to back up our convictions. With no guest to guide us, we're loud, we're sassy, and we're just as pretent...
Sep 03, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 29
How do you make games that feel competitive for players of all skill levels, while still feeling fair to the players with the most experience? Catch-up mechanics! Joseph Chen joins us to chat through different kinds of catch-up mechanics, how overpowered catch-up mechanics can take over your game, and that dark cousin of the catch-up mechanic: the runaway leader.
May 22, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 27
How do you open your game with a bang, hold the player's attention through hours of gameplay, and wrap things up in a way that feels satisfying and complete? We sure the heck don't know, but special guest Nina Freeman (Cibele, Tacoma, how do you Do it?) does! In this episode, we discuss game introductions, how difficulty progression and story can both drive player engagement, the value of vignette-style storytelling, the way that sports tell stories, and whether games even need endings, plus lot...
Mar 30, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 26
More is always better, right? Wrong! We're joined by games critic and all-around smart egg John Brindle to discuss his Waypoint article analyzing Frank Lantz's brilliant clicker game Universal Paperclips. Along the way, we cover why simple games are often the most impactful, how to make sure your game says what you want it to say, and the dangers of including mechanics without considering all of their implications. We also talk about paperclips. Lots and lots of paperclips.
Mar 05, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Everyone plays games, but games aren't always designed with everyone in mind. In this episode, we're joined by [Dee Del Rosario](https://twitter.com/scumbling) as we discuss how to build games that include and appeal to as many people as possible. We cover why representational inclusivity is so important, tools for making your games more accessible, how to support marginalized creators, and the importance of putting in the effort to do your research and remaining critical of your own work. Plus,...
Jan 28, 2018•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 24
We talk a lot about how to make your games better, but how do you make yourself better? Emma Larkins joins us to discuss honing your analytical skills, the importance of daily practice, valuable game design resources, and how to not take feedback personally. Join in the fun by posting your own design practice to #gamedesigndaily on Twitter, Instragram, or your hashtaggable social media service of choice!
Nov 23, 2017•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 23
We're back with the next episode of our increasingly numerically fraught Reading List subseries! This time Ryan, Rob, and Jon are joined by special guest Vivian Wong to discuss some of our favorite 'unpolished gems' -- games that might not be remembered as best in class (or remembered at all), but that still have great ideas that are worth taking a second look at. Games covered this time include Candy Box, Dream Quest, High School Dreams: Best Friends Forever, and Chulip. Apologies for the incon...
Oct 20, 2017•56 min•Ep. 22
We embark on an epic quest as Riot Games' own Brian 'FeralPony' Feeney joins us to share the secrets of designing characters for hero-based games. Do you like MOBAs? Hero shooters? Class-based RPGs? Rad games in general? Then you should listen to this episode! With Brian's help, we dig into concepting and playtesting new characters, making sure each one stands out in your roster, how to set yourself to effectively balance them after they launch, and much, much more. Grab your magic sword, pull u...
Aug 30, 2017•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 21
Let's get this party started! We're joined by friend of the show Matthew Moore (Do Better Games) to discuss what goes into making a great party game — and what the heck a party game even is, anyway. Topics include the importance of quickly teachable gameplay, simultaneous play, and support for large groups of players, along with the variance kinds of creative expression possible in party games.
Jul 21, 2017•1 hr 19 min
This month we're joined by the brilliant Lucas J.W. Johnson as he gives us a crash course in narrative design! Join us as we learn about the importance of having a consistent theme, how to craft gameplay that makes sense within your story, and the different writing tools available to make sure that every kind of player is able to appreciate your game's narrative.
Jun 27, 2017•1 hr 4 min
This month we cover one of the most important skills for a game designer: how to prototype and iterate on your game ideas! We discuss tips for getting something playable at fast as possible, how to run effective playtests, and why killing your darlings doesn't have to be painful, before capping things off by sharing some of the best tools for tracking your game's development.
May 28, 2017•1 hr 5 min
We're doing something a little different this month! Instead of tackling a topic ourselves, we've invited ten of our favorite designers onto the podcast to share their personal game design processes and philosophies. Whether you're interested in mobile games, VR, tabletop games, narrative design, escape rooms, or just listening to talented people share their secrets, you're not going to want to miss this one! Special thanks to Alexei Othenin-Girard, Jacob Burgess, Jonathan Ying, Kyle Pulver, Lau...
Apr 24, 2017•1 hr 11 min
We go back to the reading list as we analyze 3 recent releases that have managed to breathe new life into their long-running franchises. Did 2016's Doom revitalize the stale first-person shooter genre? How does Resident Evil 7's first-person perspective reflect the series' pre-rendered roots? Is Breath of the Wild the best Zelda game since the original? Will we actually answer these questions, or will we just rant about how much we love these games for an hour? You'll have to listen to find out!...
Mar 20, 2017•1 hr 13 min
Different players want different things from their games. How do you make sure that your game caters to as many of them as possible, without losing sight of what makes your game unique? And how is this complicated when designing for a pre-determined set of players, such as at a live gaming event? We're joined by Lily Dodge, former moderator of Goucher College's epic weeklong Humans vs Zombies games, to discuss these questions and more!
Feb 20, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Multiplayer games have the rare opportunity to feature multiple modes, distinct ways to play that can provide wildly different experiences. But how do you design the modes that will work best for your game, how does your roster of modes change how players engage with your game, and when is an idea for a new mode just too "out there"? Special guest Max Grossman of First Strike Games joins us to discuss these questions and more.
Jan 17, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Everyone knows that feeling — you die in a game, you respawn, you try again, you die again. You attempting the same section, stuck in a loop of repetition and mounting frustration until you shut the game off in disgust. Are there better ways to handle failure in games? (Yes.) Can improving your fail states make players engage more with your game? (Absolutely.) Will we manage to explain how in an hour-long podcast? (Doubtful.) Correction: The Just Cause series is developed by Avalanche Studios, n...
Dec 17, 2016•49 min
It's well known that co-op makes just about every game more fun. But how do you design a game that takes good advantage of its co-op, and how do you avoid some of its common pitfalls?
Nov 11, 2016•1 hr 8 min
We're joined by designer extraordinaire Matthew Moore as we discuss the delights and dilemmas of designing a game for an existing book, movie, comic, or other piece of intellectual property. Plus, we try our hands at some creating some bad adaptations of our own!
Oct 10, 2016•1 hr 1 min
We're trying something different this month, as we each share one game that we think is valuable for every designer to play and learn from. Call it a reading list. Except you play things instead of reading them. Playing list sounds real weird, though.
Sep 20, 2016•51 min
What is Donkey Space, how can designing with it in mind help you create richer competitive games, and will we work out how to coherently explain it before the end of the episode? You'll have to listen to find out!
Aug 15, 2016•51 min
We delve into the ways that social dynamics can help or hinder your game and how you can use your mechanics to enable and incentivize good social experiences.
Jul 15, 2016•58 min
We're joined by Magic's own Gavin Verhey as we discuss analyzing your game's mechanics and building content to make the best use of your entire design space.
Jun 14, 2016•1 hr 19 min
The gang discusses randomization in games, what makes it compelling, and how you can utilize it in ways that don't feel arbitrary to your players.
May 08, 2016•1 hr 2 min
The gang is joined by special guest Katie Chironis to discuss player-driven narrative in games. Branching, opt-in, emergent, procedural... we've got 'em all! Plus, is the entire canon of video game narratives inherently misguided?
Apr 20, 2016•1 hr 6 min
The gang digs into how to make a good tutorial, the problem with rulebooks, and how learning can be the most fun part of your game.
Mar 04, 2016•58 min
The gang discusses the ways in which designers can enable players to grow their abilities over the course of a game. Also, Ryan proposes a universe in which Wildstar dethrones World of Warcraft, and we all love Downwell.
Feb 10, 2016•54 min
This month the gang discusses drawback mechanics, where an otherwise large bonus is offset by a complementary negative effect. Also, it's eight years later, and we still haven't forgiven Smash Bros Brawl.
Jan 09, 2016•49 min
