Come along with Hannah and Evan in a living documentation of the game design process, from the first spark of an idea,... more
Even when things are going wrong for your characters, you as a player might feel rewarded by narrative twists and... more
When people decide what art is worth looking at, they look for the very best. In a world that demands... more
Is playtesting more of a science, or more art? How prepared should you be for a playtest if you're testing... more
Our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, began as a hack of Questlandia. But what happens when the mechanics of an... more
We often ask ourselves, "Do we need a mechanic for that?" In our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, we want... more
We're taking a week off to recharge! We'll see you back in two weeks with a new episode of Design... more
We recently realized that we’ve drifted apart not just from our games community, but from our community at large. Now,... more
The Kickstarter for Escape from Wonderland is LIVE! Support the game here! How do you know when a game is ready... more
The first conversation we've had about cover design in games! We discuss how book covers are often the first thing... more
One of the hardest lessons in game design is coming to terms with the fact that many of our favorite... more
Evan and Hannah try playing their new game with a very rough draft of the rules, in a cross between... more
We're joined by public historian and musical improviser Alanna Shaffer to discuss real-world amusement park horror and Dippin' Dots scams... more
We continue our design of a creepy amusement park game, starting with the question, "What does bad behavior look like... more
How can you use simple rules to create a complex setting? In the second part of this live design series,... more
What makes a game hack manageable in scope and size? Hannah and Evan delve back into game design to create... more
Hannah and Evan face off in a battle of inspiration and ego to outdo each other's most founder ideas. Then,... more
From Mood, Moments, Mechanics, Materials (MMMM) to "Be aware, be charming," our Design Doc conversations over the years have inspired... more
Public radio icon Ira Glass has a famous quote describing the gap between taste and talent in trying to hone... more
Hannah and Evan talk about how to transform a beloved movie, book, or show into a game, using their latest... more
In a perfect world, we'd make a living just making roleplaying games. But sometimes, duty calls, and you've got to... more
What’s the difference between a “theme” and an “obsession?” Inspired by a classic writing book from the ‘80s, we share... more
Kickstarter stretch goals are notorious for getting project creators into trouble. Sometimes, they over promise content. Other times, they create... more
In this episode, Hannah talks about the art of doing creative work alone. As part of a game design duo... more
We love making solo RPGs, but we don't always love playing them. In this episode we brainstorm ideas for a... more
This month marks the sixth anniversary of Design Doc, a podcast that started as a "year-long" project documenting our progress... more
Hannah and Evan talk about the strange designs and abandoned places of Six Flags New England, the latest of a... more
Former historical interpreter Enzo joins us to talk about interpreting history! A few months ago we visited Old Sturbridge Village,... more
In this episode Hannah and Evan describe their recent trip to Sturbridge Village, an 1800s recreation historical town. They talk... more
We talk about bringing confidence to our own work, including our recent scent-inspired game ideas. We're working on bringing that... more
In a much-requested episode topic, Hannah and Evan talk about WORLDBUILDING. We narrow in on three worldbuilding faux pas we're... more
Hannah and Evan discuss their personal experiences and struggles with focus. A new kind of work requires long stretches of... more
Hannah and Evan talk about what it's like to tackle a very different type of creative work—writing a novel! We... more
Hannah and Evan discuss the trials and tribulations of packing a "deluxe" edition of Questlandia and the ridiculous mishaps that... more
Hannah and Evan talk about the increasingly complicated logistics of packing and shipping games as small creators. In this episode, we... more
We made the games, now we have to sell them. Hannah and Evan talk about something they're good at: making... more
Hannah and Evan discuss how to repair their relationship with a game they've spent a year struggling to complete. Design Doc... more
Hannah and Evan talk about the fiddly little end things that make a project go on, and on, and on... more
Hannah and Evan salvage an episode about being on time with an upcoming game, and publish it in a world... more
Perfect media is untouchable. Hannah and Evan talk about looking to flawed, goofy, broken movies and books for creative inspiration,... more
Hannah reads you a game ideas to-do list for 30 minutes.
What's the right tone for the rules of a roleplaying game? Evan and Hannah talk about casual versus formal writing,... more
In this episode, Hannah and Evan talk about the self-consciousness that comes when you grow up and are told you... more
How do you reignite the passion for an old project? Hannah and Evan talk about returning to Starship UltraLux and... more
It's easy to overlook the little things that are going well when there's no big exciting game or runaway success... more
In this episode Hannah and Evan chat about their honest expectations and secret hopes for the latest Kickstarter campaign. What... more
We've had seven years to think of a good pitch for our game. Now, we're Kickstarting Questlandia again, and we're... more
We haven't had a deadlined project in a minute. But now it's time for a deadlined project again... How do... more
We just finished a year-long project, and have a little time to plan our next steps! The work of what... more
Hannah and Evan shoot the shoot about games, being in the weird middle space of a project almost being done,... more
Hannah and Evan talk about the quest to thrive in the shadows of the world's most popular RPGs. An episode... more
We just finished a year-long project, and have a little time to plan our next steps! The work of what happens in-between... more