In Think Like a Game Designer, award-winning designer and Stone Blade Entertainment CEO Justin Gary speaks with world-class game designers and creative experts from various industries. Each episode deconstructs the creative process, offering insights into the art of game design and the broader cultural, technological, and business influences shaping a myriad of creative mediums. Join us for actionable advice and unique perspectives that will enrich your understanding of what it means to be creative in and out of the gaming world. justingarydesign.substack.com
50 Episodes of Game Design Wisdom
👤 Episode 1
Eric Lang — Designing for Payoff, Ritual Play, and Returning to Your Roots (#100)
👤 Episode 2
Theresa Duringer — UI as Game Design, Onboarding Without Friction, and the Ethics of AI (#99)
👤 Episode 3
Jaimie Wolanski — Tough Truths, Retail Realities, and How Games Create Connection (#98)
👤 Episode 4
Vlaada Chvátil — Designing for Joy, Building Great Games, and Letting Quality Do the Marketing (#97)
👤 Episode 5
Carly McGinnis — Startup Scrappiness, Trusting Your Team, and the Rhythm of Leadership (#96)
👤 Episode 6
Kyle Thiermann — Deadlines, Mentors, Curiosity, and the Craft of Connection (#95)
👤 Episode 7
Touko Tahkokallio — Curiosity, Physics, and the Power of Mental Playtesting (#94)
👤 Episode 8
Jordan Weisman — From Battletech to Shadowrun: The Power of Curiosity and Collaboration (#93)
👤 Episode 9
Jonathan Grant — Critics, Experiments, Secrets, and the Business of Play (#92)
👤 Episode 10
Elan Lee — Building Exploding Kittens, Marketing as Design, Retail Pitches, and Playing to Sell (#91)
👤 Episode 11
Justin Gary — 5 Lessons From 15 Years (#90)
👤 Episode 12
Tim Ferriss — Designing Coyote, Playing to Learn, Publishing Truths, and Saying "No" (#89)
👤 Episode 13
Cole Wehrle — Cute Creatures, Brutal Games, Asymmetric Design, and Subverting Expectations (#88)
👤 Episode 14
Amy Lowe — Finding Your X Factor, Marketing with Heart, and Serving the Right Players (#87)
👤 Episode 15
Derek Sivers — Embracing Simplicity, Owning Your Weirdness, and Designing a Life with Intent (#86)
👤 Episode 16
Dominic Crapuchettes — Designing for Constraints, Rebuilding After Failure, and Finding the Magic in Games (#85)
👤 Episode 17
SolForge Fusion Shadows Over Solis
👤 Episode 18
Kohji Nagata — Building Parallel, Designing with Obsession, and Falling in Love with Your Creations (#84)
👤 Episode 19
Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)
👤 Episode 20
Justin Ziran — Digital Magic: Fear and Success, Leading with Bold Decisions, and Redefining Innovation (#82)
👤 Episode 21
James Introcaso — Game Masters, the Rise of Indie RPGs and Showing Up for Luck (#81)
👤 Episode 22
Jesse Alexander — Mastering the Creative Hustle, Fighting for Bold Ideas, and Thriving in a Changing Industry (#80)
👤 Episode 23
Ryan Soave — Embracing Discomfort, Overcoming Mental Blocks, and Unlocking Creative Growth (#79)
👤 Episode 24
Matt Forbeck — From Warhammer to Marvel: Bold Risks, Creative Freedom, and Collaboration (#78)
👤 Episode 25
Alliestrasza — From Hearthstone Streaming to Web3 Gaming: Building Communities and Crafting New Worlds (#77)
👤 Episode 26
Eric Dieulangard — Altered: Marketing the most successful TCG Kickstarter of all time (#75)
👤 Episode 27
Travis George — From League of Legends to Vela Games: Prioritization, Leadership, and the Power of Constraints (#75)
👤 Episode 28
Alexander Seropian — From Halo to Fortnite: Mastering Team Dynamics, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and User Generated Content (#74)
👤 Episode 29
Richard Bartle & Nigel Roberts — The Power of ‘What If,’ Building Communities, and Navigating Decentralization in Game Design (#73)
👤 Episode 30
Alex Yeager — Mastering Game Pitches, Reviving Evergreen Titles, and Creating Social Experiences in Game Design (#72)
👤 Episode 31
Scott Morris — Building a Brand, Navigating Contracts, and the Power of Relationships in Game Design (#71)
👤 Episode 32
LIVE at Gen Con 2024 (Special Episode)
👤 Episode 33
Ethan Mollick — Navigating AI in Game Design, Ethical Integration, and Supporting Artists (#70)
👤 Episode 34
Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes (Special)
👤 Episode 35
Jonathan Tweet — Pioneering RPG Design, Innovating Dungeons & Dragons, and Crafting Educational Stories (#69)
👤 Episode 36
Geoff Engelstein — Game Design Wisdom, Educational Insights, and Industry Advocacy (#68)
👤 Episode 37
Stephan Brissaud — Industry Leadership, Game Development, and Retail Strategies (#67)
👤 Episode 38
Eric Price — Uniting VTubers and Players, Designing Oshi Push and the Importance of GAMA (#66)
👤 Episode 39
Neeraj Kashyap — Web3 Game Design, Navigating Scams, Success Stories, and Pioneering the Path for Gaming in Emerging Tech (#65)
👤 Episode 40
Ben Robbins — World Building in Microscope, Gaming with Strangers and Writing Effective Rules (#64)
👤 Episode 41
Jason Morningstar — Designing Fiasco, Emotional Risks of Creative Projects, and a Culture of Learning and Play (#63)
👤 Episode 42
Jane Chung Hoffacker — From League of Legends to animating Arcane, Rhythms of Guitar Hero, and Mastering IP Creation (#62)
👤 Episode 43
C. Thi Nguyen — Game Design as Art, Fish Taco Adventures, and Exploring Game Design Principles in Daily Life (#61)
👤 Episode 44
Maxine "MJ" Newman — Leading Arkham Horror into New Realms, Unveiling Cooperative Game Magic, and Navigating Career Crossroads (#60)
👤 Episode 45
Anthony Giovannetti — Crafting Slay the Spire, Nurturing Team Dynamics, Balancing Life and Launches, and Embracing the Magic of Mods (#59)
👤 Episode 46
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)
👤 Episode 47
Steven Pressfield — Conquering Creative Resistance, The Craft of Historical Fiction, and the Interplay of Games and the Muse (#57)
👤 Episode 48
Tim Hutchings — Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Blending Fine Arts with Game Design, Crafting Emotional RPG Experiences, and Teaching Design Through Philosophy (#56)
👤 Episode 49