Recent Episodes
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Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)
May 1, 2025 – 01:09:23 -
Justin Ziran — Digital Magic: Fear and Success, Leading with Bold Decisions, and Redefining Innovation (#82)
Apr 8, 2025 – 01:23:44 -
James Introcaso — Game Masters, the Rise of Indie RPGs and Showing Up for Luck (#81)
Mar 27, 2025 – 58:54 -
Jesse Alexander — Mastering the Creative Hustle, Fighting for Bold Ideas, and Thriving in a Changing Industry (#80)
Feb 27, 2025 – 01:10:42 -
Ryan Soave — Embracing Discomfort, Overcoming Mental Blocks, and Unlocking Creative Growth (#79)
Feb 11, 2025 – 01:00:55 -
Matt Forbeck — From Warhammer to Marvel: Bold Risks, Creative Freedom, and Collaboration (#78)
Jan 16, 2025 – 01:04:04 -
Alliestrasza — From Hearthstone Streaming to Web3 Gaming: Building Communities and Crafting New Worlds (#77)
Jan 2, 2025 – 01:06:59 -
Eric Dieulangard — Altered: Marketing the most successful TCG Kickstarter of all time (#75)
Dec 12, 2024 – 01:21:57 -
Travis George — From League of Legends to Vela Games: Prioritization, Leadership, and the Power of Constraints (#75)
Nov 21, 2024 – 01:30:06 -
Alexander Seropian — From Halo to Fortnite: Mastering Team Dynamics, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and User Generated Content (#74)
Nov 7, 2024 – 01:10:49 -
Richard Bartle & Nigel Roberts — The Power of ‘What If,’ Building Communities, and Navigating Decentralization in Game Design (#73)
Oct 24, 2024 – 01:22:37 -
Alex Yeager — Mastering Game Pitches, Reviving Evergreen Titles, and Creating Social Experiences in Game Design (#72)
Oct 8, 2024 – 01:10:18 -
Scott Morris — Building a Brand, Navigating Contracts, and the Power of Relationships in Game Design (#71)
Sep 19, 2024 – 01:06:50 -
LIVE at Gen Con 2024 (Special Episode)
Aug 23, 2024 – 33:20 -
Ethan Mollick — Navigating AI in Game Design, Ethical Integration, and Supporting Artists (#70)
Aug 8, 2024 – 01:00:14 -
Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes (Special)
Jul 16, 2024 – 31:26 -
Jonathan Tweet — Pioneering RPG Design, Innovating Dungeons & Dragons, and Crafting Educational Stories (#69)
Jul 9, 2024 – 01:20:02 -
Geoff Engelstein — Game Design Wisdom, Educational Insights, and Industry Advocacy (#68)
Jun 20, 2024 – 01:03:31 -
Stephan Brissaud — Industry Leadership, Game Development, and Retail Strategies (#67)
May 29, 2024 – 01:17:05 -
Eric Price — Uniting VTubers and Players, Designing Oshi Push and the Importance of GAMA (#66)
May 15, 2024 – 53:27 -
Neeraj Kashyap — Web3 Game Design, Navigating Scams, Success Stories, and Pioneering the Path for Gaming in Emerging Tech (#65)
Apr 24, 2024 – 01:15:48 -
Ben Robbins — World Building in Microscope, Gaming with Strangers and Writing Effective Rules (#64)
Apr 9, 2024 – 01:06:33 -
Jason Morningstar — Designing Fiasco, Emotional Risks of Creative Projects, and a Culture of Learning and Play (#63)
Mar 26, 2024 – 01:13:29 -
Jane Chung Hoffacker — From League of Legends to animating Arcane, Rhythms of Guitar Hero, and Mastering IP Creation (#62)
Mar 12, 2024 – 01:25:00 -
C. Thi Nguyen — Game Design as Art, Fish Taco Adventures, and Exploring Game Design Principles in Daily Life (#61)
Feb 27, 2024 – 01:34:14 -
Maxine "MJ" Newman — Leading Arkham Horror into New Realms, Unveiling Cooperative Game Magic, and Navigating Career Crossroads (#60)
Feb 13, 2024 – 01:05:31 -
Anthony Giovannetti — Crafting Slay the Spire, Nurturing Team Dynamics, Balancing Life and Launches, and Embracing the Magic of Mods (#59)
Jan 30, 2024 – 01:19:52 -
Casey Yano — Designing with Detail in Slay the Spire, Mastering the Gaming Grind, Marketing dos and donts, and Building a High Trust Company Culture (#58)
Jan 16, 2024 – 01:34:47 -
Steven Pressfield — Conquering Creative Resistance, The Craft of Historical Fiction, and the Interplay of Games and the Muse (#57)
Jan 2, 2024 – 01:22:20 -
Tim Hutchings — Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Blending Fine Arts with Game Design, Crafting Emotional RPG Experiences, and Teaching Design Through Philosophy (#56)
Dec 19, 2023 – 01:12:04 -
Michael Borys — The Art of Immersive Gaming Experiences, Blending Storytelling with Interactive Design, and Crafting Alternate Realities (#55)
Dec 5, 2023 – 01:10:01 -
Morgan Page — Finding the Shared Rhythms of Music and Game Design, Maximizing Creative Collaborations, and the Importance of the Fundamentals (#54)
Nov 13, 2023 – 01:28:05 -
Mark Otero — The Artistry of Game Development, Navigating the Crossroads of Engagement and Economics, Reimagining In-Game Asset Strategies, and Cultivating Community Through Gaming (#53)
Oct 24, 2023 – 01:32:46 -
Reiner Knizia — Systems for Publishing 700+ Games, Crafting Profound Gameplay from Simple Rules, Innovations in Scoring and Auction Systems, and The Joy of Tabletop Gaming (#52)
Sep 26, 2023 – 57:06 -
Stefan Engblom — Designing games for millions of people and billions of dollars, Secrets of building game communities, The 2AM Party Principle, Reacting to player feedback (#51)
Sep 4, 2023 – 01:50:21 -
Soren Johnson (Part II) — Innovating 4X Strategy Games, Insights from Civilization IV, and Designing the Future of Gaming. (#50)
Jul 24, 2023 – 01:42:17 -
Think Like a Game Designer: Shards of Infinity Kickstarter Special
Jul 11, 2023 – 10:06 -
Soren Johnson (Part I) — Building Civilization Through 4X Design, Bridging Digital and Physical Gaming, Navigating the Evolving TCG Landscape, and Crafting Games for Varied Playtimes (#49)
Jun 12, 2023 – 01:36:59 -
Jon Barry — Mastering Game Accessories with Forged Gaming: From Community Insights to Crowdfunding Masterpieces, and the Role of AI in Future Gaming (#48)
May 24, 2023 – 01:01:06 -
Gary Arant — Ascending the Ranks at Stone Blade: From Intern to COO, Designing Iconic Card Games, and Challenging Assumptions in Game Development (#47)
May 8, 2023 – 01:10:35 -
Jamey Stegmaier — Kickstarter Beginnings, Revolutionizing Rulebooks, Mastering Solo Gameplay, and Balancing Game Design with Time Management (#46)
Mar 28, 2023 – 01:26:23 -
Matt Fantastic — The Indy Game Ethos, Punk Rock Designs, Navigating Success Beyond Sales, Collaborative Dynamics, and the Power of Empathy in Game Design (#45)
Mar 1, 2023 – 01:38:50 -
Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Inferno Special
Feb 15, 2023 – 17:25 -
Isaac Vega — From Humble Prototypes to Bioshock Tables, Navigating Unexpected Successes, and the Freedom of Forging One’s Path in Game Design (#44)
Jan 30, 2023 – 01:16:07 -
Sean K. Reynolds — Crafting Legendary RPGs, Building Worlds & Teams, Valuing Writer Voices, and the Anatomy of Game Design (#43)
Jan 9, 2023 – 01:25:01 -
Ben Brode — From Pizza Delivery to Hearthstone's Helm: Crafting Digital Card Games, the Essence of Decision-Making, Building Trust in the Gaming Industry, Innovating with Marvel Snap (#42)
Dec 6, 2022 – 01:29:20 -
Alex Watkins — From Evolutions in Mechanics to Shaping the Future of Organized Play, The Journey of Crafting a New Gaming Experience in Soulforge Fusion (#41)
Oct 31, 2022 – 01:05:06 -
John D. Clair — Crafting Award-Winning Games, Navigating Legal Pitfalls, Lessons from Downfall, and Innovating with Kinetic Design (#40)
Sep 26, 2022 – 01:14:30 -
Luke Peterschmidt — From Dungeons & Dragons to Bakugan: Leveraging Game Design in Marketing, Teaching, and Global Phenomenons (#39)
Jul 26, 2022 – 01:30:18 -
Phil Walker-Harding — Crafting Accessible Games, The Journey from Self-Publishing to Global Success with Sushi Go!, and Mastering the Art of Core Game Mechanics. (#31)
Jun 30, 2022 – 01:14:06
Recent Reviews
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East Atlanta Game LabInspiring!!Thank You, Justin Gary, for making this available to the public! This information is so valuable and important to any level of game designer, whether first year or fifteenth. I cannot recommend it enough!
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BeardedTRexFantasticThis is just what I was looking for! Great insights! I just listened to the latest episode with Brotherwise Games, I picked up a lot of info! Now to go back and listen to the other episodes! Maybe I’ll be on your podcast one day 🤣 Great job, now I’m looking into the Master Class on your website now!
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JuxtapostionGreatest game design podcast ever!Three things set Justin Gary apart as a teacher of design. First, the professionalism and tact with which he hosts the podcast and shares his own insight. Second, the cast of world renowned designers that Justin knows personally and invites on the podcast. Third, the conviction to break down these wealths of knowledge into universal principles. I have learned more about design here on this podcast than anywhere else! Thank you Justin!
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FlayraFantasticAs a working game designer (Subnautica, Vampire the Masquerade:Vendetta), I find very few truly helpful resources out there. The incredible line up of experts here is stunning. There’s so much wisdom here, I find myself so inspired I’m jotting down new game ideas, tools and insights non-stop. A little dangerous when I’m biking but my neurons are on fire! Thanks for all the great work you do, Justin! It’s really appreciated. It’s time to get to work on some new projects!
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LowenhighTop quality board game designSuper professional and very insightful board and card game design discussion! Justin Gary is an expert in the area and very well spoken.
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ZwhalesExcellentJustin Gary is genuine, passionate, and a wonderful conversationalist. He draws out the best in every guest he has on. I am inspired in a new way every time I listen. Keep up the good work!
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Sylvia BHUniversal Game Design Principles for LeadershipI'm a leadership trainer, executive coach and empowerment mentor and use gamification in my online and in-person workshops and events. I'm happy to have found first Justin Gary's book "Think like a Game Designer" and now his podcast because I find a lot of golden nuggest I can translate into my work with my clients. Loving to play board-games with my family and friends as a past time and connection builder I also love to use universal game design principles for helping people grow their leadership capabilities and make changes they struggle with more easy. Gamification brings playfulness. Playfulness empowers learning. Thank you Justin for your inspiration!
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socalmechanicInspiringI’m not even a game guy, but I figured I would check this podcast out. As a visionary and implementer in my own company, many points resonate here, even if it regarding a different industry. Looking forward to the next one. Nice work Mr Gary
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g-marchiano815Awesome!This is a fabulous podcast that gives insight on game design, but it’s also helpful for anyone just to get creative ideas going. I don’t work in game design, but I work in a corporate office that encourages creative ideas and I think this podcast will be a great tool. Wonderful job!!!!’
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thesatishkAmazing contentJustin Gary is a thought leader in the gaming world. Looking forward to some amazing conversations.
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Turtler7The things we need to hearWe need to be told that our first games are (in the broad sense) going to stink a bit. But that experience is valuable and you need many iterations and attempts before it all falls together into a great thing worth sharing. Features from the failures will show up later in other game designs when they can be utilized in a way that is more fun than that first thing that was cool but without any draw or staying power. We need to know critical feedback is a good thing. And we need to know that top designers throw out their plans all the time and redo them or move onto the next project even when they were sure it was going to work as is. 100 different playtest groups all independently telling you it isn’t there for them as is has to be a shocking disappointment but is what an aspiring designer needs to be ready for. I look forward to the debates and challenges it takes to get my first game published and with a better end result than I started with for sure.
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Cheerful ConsortGreat podcast!So cool listening to the top game designers in the industry telling stories about how the games I love are made! Really inspired me to try making my own game (or maybe just create better house rules so I win more often) ;) Thanks Justin Gary can’t wait to for more episodes!
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DecimusFullonaAwesome Podcast - Great Lessons, Fantastic StoriesJustin Gary is an amazing game desginer and an incredible teacher when it comes to game design. In this podcast, he interviews his friends -other awsome game designers- about making games. You get to hear fantastic stories and learn helpful lessons. If you're an avid game player or a future game designer - this is for you. Great work - Can't wait to hear more.
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