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Artwork for Game Design Deep Dive

Game Design Deep Dive

Dan Bullock
Game Design
Historical Board Games
War Of 1812
Wargame Design
Chicago 68
Board Game Design
A Glorious Chance
Historical Gaming
Social Movements
Skies Above Britain
Educational Games
Stalin's Death
NATO
Land and Freedom
World War II
Colonialism
1968 Democratic National Convention
Naval Operations
Solitaire Games
Civilian Experience In Wargames

Dan Bullock interviews game designers with a focus on the challenges of historical board game design.

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes38Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureGames

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Artwork for Game Design Deep Dive

Latest Episodes

Liz Davidson has co-designed Queen of Spies and the forthcoming Night Witches with David Thompson. She is also the Creative Director at Leder Games, but you may know her best for her work on her Bobby Nunez-award winning Beyond Solitaire podcast. We ... more

Our guest is designer John Carnahan. His latest, Come Out Fighting will be on Kickstarter on November 30th. I am not sure how many listeners have dipped their toe in miniature games, but I had to invite John to discuss his latest design, because it i... more

Recorded live at SD HistCon, our esteemed panel was comprised of designers John Butterfield (RAF, Enemy Action Series, D-Day Omaha, Ambush), David Thompson (Valiant Defense Series, War Story, Undaunted), and Jeremy White (Skies Above Series, Enemy Co... more

Greg Loring-Albright is the designer of Ahoy, Keep the Faith, and co-designed Bloc by Bloc: Uprising with T.L. Simmons. Moreover, he teaches Game Studies and Game Design at Harrisburg University. We discuss his recent zine RULEBOOKS FOR RADICALS on t... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

John Carnahan
Designer of the miniatures game Come Out Fighting
Cursed Captain
Episode: Come Out Fighting with John Carnahan
Fred Serval
Designer of several historical games including A Gest of Robin Hood
Homo Ludens
Episode: Interview with Fred Serval
Mary Flanagan
Game designer, professor, and author of Playing Oppression
Episode: Playing Oppression with Mary Flanagan
Pako Gradaille
Experienced game designer known for historical board games.
Episode: Interview with Pako Gradaille
Talia Rosen
Game designer and creator of First Monday in October
Fort Circle Games
Episode: Interview with Talia Rosen
John Butterfield
Legendary game designer known for titles like Ambush and RAF
Episode: Interview with John Butterfield
Yoni Goldstein
Filmmaker and game designer
The Dietz Foundation
Episode: Chicago '68 with Yoni Goldstein
Maurice Suckling
Game Designer known for innovative historical board games.
Worthington Games, Fort Circle
Episode: Interview with Maurice Suckling
Sebastian Bae
Research scientist and senior game designer at CNA
CNA
Episode: Interview with Sebastian Bae

Host

Dan Bullock
Host and moderator focused on historical board game design and the design process.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 18 ratings
  • Great interviews!

    This podcast does what it says on the tin! In-depth interviews with interesting designers, from the perspective of a fellow designer. Great balance between purely mechanical concerns and a more ethical, thematic discussion on the issues raised by wargames.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AlexFontaineRousseau
    Canada3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show's focus on historical accuracy paired with engaging design discussions resonates with serious hobbyists and professionals.
Guests are consistently praised for practical insights into playtesting and player experience.
Listeners praise the depth of designer interviews and the balance between mechanical and thematic discussion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#98
Spain/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#114
South Korea/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#128
Mexico/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#146
India/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#237
Finland/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#245
Brazil/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Interview with Liz Davidson
Q: Do you feel like there's any concern about how much bandwidth one would have for design outside of doing the adult work of interviewing candidates, project updates, progress huddles and things like that?
I'm not that worried about it. Basically, what I'm going to be cutting for the most part is freelance.
Interview with Brian Asklev
Q: Have you had an experience where you played something that influenced your designs to avoid specific elements?
Yes, Asklev dislikes when players can hold cards like weather influences to thwart attacks, as it diminishes immersion in the game, preferring mechanics that align with the players' historical roles.
Interview with Brian Asklev
Q: How do you cobble together in educating yourself on mechanisms and systems for your games?
Asklev stated he often starts with a game he admires and a topic he is passionate about, merging them in the design process, which can evolve into a unique creation.
Interview with Brian Asklev
Q: Where did your interest in designing games begin?
Brian Asklev shared that as a kid, he started creating variants for Risk, which sparked his interest in game design. Later, inspiration struck while playing Musket and Pike from GMT Games, leading him to pursue his own game designs.
Interview with Pako Gradaille
Q: Is it challenging to design games that would incorporate a fair amount of negotiation?
Pako acknowledges that while negotiation can deepen gameplay, he made sure that players could also approach 'Habemus Papam' as a Euro game if they chose to.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Game Design Deep Dive

What is Game Design Deep Dive about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on designers of historical board games, featuring in-depth conversations about the creative process, collaboration, playtesting, and shaping player experience. Episodes frequently explore balancing historical fidelity with engaging mechanics, crafting emergent narratives, and the designer's obligations to players and history. A notable throughline is how personal experience and research influence design choices, with guests ranging from critics-turned-designers to veterans of miniature and solitaire wargaming. The format tends to favor thoughtful, practitioner-focused discussions that help listeners understand both the craft and the industry side of historical game design.

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Which podcasts are similar to Game Design Deep Dive?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Game Design Deep Dive:

1. Pushing Cardboard
2. Beyond Solitaire
3. Cardboard Campaigns
4. "Mentioned In Dispatches" with the Armchair Dragoons
5. So Very Wrong About Games

How many episodes of Game Design Deep Dive are there?

Game Design Deep Dive launched 4 years ago and published 38 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Game Design Deep Dive?

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What guests have appeared on Game Design Deep Dive?

Recent guests on Game Design Deep Dive include:

1. John Carnahan
2. Fred Serval
3. Mary Flanagan
4. Pako Gradaille
5. Talia Rosen
6. John Butterfield
7. Yoni Goldstein
8. Maurice Suckling

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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