Rephonic
Artwork for Building Better Games

Building Better Games

Benjamin Carcich
Game Development
Leadership
Game Design
Live Service Games
Player Engagement
Project Management
Team Dynamics
Layoffs
Product Management
Video Games
Product Thinking
Work Culture
League Of Legends
Influence
Player Experience
Riot Games
User Acquisition
Baldur's Gate 3
Narrative Design
Mobile Games

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 learn... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes169Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Video GamesBusinessCareersLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Building Better Games

Latest Episodes

Level up your leadership: forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

Are you optimizing four out of five teams on your project, only to find your final ship date hasn't moved a single day?

In game development, when multiple teams or disciplines are work... more

YouTube

Level up your leadership: forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

North American AAA isn't just struggling in a downturn. It is actively choosing to die.

With record budgets and elite talent, senior leaders continue to reach for quick fixes like AI, ... more

YouTube

Level up your leadership: forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

Are you frequently seeking more visibility from your dev teams because there is a ton you don't know?

As game dev studios scale, senior leaders often fall into the trap of confusing vi... more

YouTube

Level up your leadership: forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6

Have you ever found yourself re-checking a team member's work, taking over their tasks to avoid an awkward conversation, or secretly worrying they're going to derail your project?

In g... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Richard Dansky
Veteran game writer and narrative designer
Ubisoft (former central Clancy writer); worked on Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, Might and Magic, etc.
Episode: E144: Why Every Game Has Narrative, Even the Ones With No Story
Zach Letter
YouTube influencer turned game developer, previously involved with Wonder Works Studios and the Honey the Unicorn VTuber project
Wonder Works Studios / Honey the Unicorn / Roblox projects
Episode: E142: What Roblox Devs Know About Attention That AAA Doesn't
Nick Herman
Co-founder and COO of Adhoc Studio
Adhoc Studio
Episode: E133: Everyone Said Dispatch Would Fail. 4 Million Players Disagree.
Natalie Herman
Head of Production at Adhoc Studio
Adhoc Studio
Episode: E133: Everyone Said Dispatch Would Fail. 4 Million Players Disagree.
Shahar Sorek
Leader at Overwolf specializing in creator ecosystems and platforms for community-driven games
Overwolf
Episode: E128: Why Some Games Never Die
Ryan Scott
Co-presenter on a GDC talk referenced in the episode
(not specified)
Episode: E127: Game Dev's Leadership Problem: Too Many Managers
Jeff Kaplan
Senior game designer/leader associated with Blizzard Entertainment, discussed as the interview subject in clips about Project Titan
Blizzard Entertainment
Episode: E122: Why Blizzard Killed Project Titan
Andrew Brownell
Game Director at Netflix Games, former Riot Games and Blizzard/Warcraft veteran
Netflix Games
Episode: E121: The $200M Gamble That Killed AAA Development
Glenn Paul Gray
A leader in game development with experience in R&D and product innovation
Episode: E113: Why More Meetings Won't Fix Your Game Team

Host

Benjamin Carcich
Host of Building Better Games

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 70 ratings
  • Great for game producers

    I’m a producer in games who has some experience gaps and this show is incredibly helpful. Aaron and Ben draw from solid experience and also bring along great guests to speak on their areas of expertise. Highly recommend for anyone in games; required material for any leadership in games.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bc likes you!
    United States3 years ago
  • Great podcast for game devs

    If you work in the games industry, or just have an interest in how games are made, this is a podcast for you. The hosts are experienced and knowledgeable and discuss a wide range of interesting topics. Episodes are the perfect length without filler. Good guests, too. Highly recommended, especially if you work in production or similar leadership role.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    beebooba
    United States3 years ago
  • The Pod That Fills An Appalling Gap In The Game Infustry

    There are so few mentors in this industry and so few organizations that place a premium on leadership & mgmt training and coaching and mentorship. Fast food joints have better mgmt training than game dev.

    Every leader or budding leader in game dev should put this pod at the top of their follow list. Ben & Aaron are a gift and can help parse the murky & nuanced gray areas in an industry where there is no standardized or homogenous way of making game products. Devs are generally forced to make t... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CowboyJayBop
    United States3 years ago
  • Great show. Good Insights.

    Podcast Addict
    4 years ago
  • Great show. Good Insights.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Olivier
    4 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Deep dives into leadership and management issues in game dev.
Provides practical leadership guidance for game producers.
Strong emphasis on leadership development as a path to shipping better games.
Guests bring real-world experiences that translate to better team outcomes.
High value for leaders seeking actionable frameworks and mentorship.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#186
Italy/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#116
India/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#118
Denmark/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#136
Philippines/Leisure/Video Games
Apple Podcasts
#249
Brazil/Leisure/Video Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

E144: Why Every Game Has Narrative, Even the Ones With No Story
Q: What is the difference between a narrative designer and a writer?
Narrative designers craft the systems and mechanisms that deliver narrative to the player, while writers create the content that feeds those systems; both are essential and must work in tandem with engineering, art, and design.
E128: Why Some Games Never Die
Q: How did we get to this moment where creators are the atomic unit of game success?
The guest explains that modding and creator ecosystems evolved with platform standardization, better tooling, and a shift in how audiences engage with games. As demand, tooling, and distribution co-evolved, creators became central to growth, retention, and monetization strategies.
E107: Stop Hiring "Testers." Start Doing QA.
Q: What would you want people, leaders and producers out there in game development, to know about QA that perhaps they don't today?
Producers and leaders should understand that your quality function exists regardless of how you choose to staff it. Having skilled QA professionals is crucial to achieving quality goals.
E103: Leadership Under Fire: Surviving a $100M Game Studio Crisis
Q: What advice would you give to someone who feels like they're caught between the system that will reject them versus the game that's failing?
Anyone facing such a dilemma should come to their superiors with a solution rather than just presenting problems, helping to build trust.
E96: Setting Goals: It's Not Just About Shipping A Game, with Melissa Phillips
Q: Why did you become interested in goal setting?
My passion is around leadership, and goal setting is an offshoot of that.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Building Better Games

What is Building Better Games about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show targets leaders and rising leaders in game development, focusing on leadership, production, and product strategy with a strong emphasis on organizational culture, team dynamics, and long-term game quality. Episodes frequently explore how to align teams around a shared vision, improve decision-making, and implement practical processes—often featuring guests from top studios or influential developer groups who share hard-won lessons about shipping great games. A notable throughline is turning leadership into a measurable driver of outcomes, whether through better planning, rapid iteration, or creator- and community-focused approaches. A leadership accelerator mentioned across episodes signals a practical path for listeners to level ... more

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How many listeners does Building Better Games get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Building Better Games?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Building Better Games:

1. Plain English with Derek Thompson
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. The Town with Matthew Belloni
4. Deconstructor of Fun
5. The a16z Show

How many episodes of Building Better Games are there?

Building Better Games launched 6 years ago and published 169 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 Building Better Games?

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What guests have appeared on Building Better Games?

Recent guests on Building Better Games include:

1. Richard Dansky
2. Zach Letter
3. Nick Herman
4. Natalie Herman
5. Shahar Sorek
6. Ryan Scott
7. Jeff Kaplan
8. Andrew Brownell

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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