The Game Design Round Table

David and Dirk go over David’s newest project, Willow Bank. Revolving around DnD, (for all of you DnD enthusiasts), they have a captivating conversation on the flaws of DnD and create a vein of discussion for these topics.

Today, Dirk and David come together to answer some listener questions from the Discord. Most of these questions surround RPG’s, although the discussions branch out into deeper waters, as the two of them dissect some of the themes brought up by various listeners.

In this special edition of Behind the Cardboard, host Ellie Dix sits down with legendary game designer and publisher Dominic Crapuchettes, the creative mind behind Say Anything, Wits and Wagers, and Evolution. They explore how Dominic captures a game’s intended experience, the role of playtesting when publishing, and the creative tension between designing for fun vs. marketability. Plus, hear the surprising story behind organizing the first US game convention. Packed with insight, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes stories, this is a must-listen for game design enthusiasts.

Host Kathryn Hymes (@katehymes, thornygames.com) is joined by renowned designers Jason Morningstar (bullypulpitgames.com) and Randy Lubin (@randylubin, randylubin.com) to explore the world of "serious games"—games designed for education, training, and social impact. They share unique game experiences, discuss the challenges of designing beyond entertainment, and debate the usefulness of the “serious games” label.

Host Kathryn Hymes (@katehymes, thornygames.com) is joined by renowned designers Jason Morningstar (bullypulpitgames.com) and Randy Lubin (@randylubin, randylubin.com) to explore the world of "serious games"—games designed for education, training, and social impact. They share unique game experiences, discuss the challenges of designing beyond entertainment, and debate the usefulness of the “serious games” label.

Ellie Dix sits down with Sydney Engelstein to unpack what makes a game pitch succeed — and fail. Sydney shares some of the worst pitches she’s witnessed, what separates a great pitch from a weak one (regardless of the game itself), and how designers can present themselves with confidence. They also explore whether physical prototypes are always necessary, how passion plays into the pitch, and Sydney’s own experiences as a game designer.

Host Ellie Dix sits down with Danielle Reynolds to dive deep into the art of pitching tabletop games. Danielle shares what draws her to the process, the essential skills designers need, and how to approach pitch decks (and their alternatives). They also discuss common prep mistakes and get to know Danielle beyond the pitch. Whether you’re new to pitching or looking to level up, this episode is packed with insight and practical advice.

In this episode, we are joined by Randy Lubin, a well known game designer who has had experience in RPGs, Tabletop gaming, and Mega games. We will dive into the complexities of Mega games as well as what it means to develop games with big world thinking, such as political themes - bringing real world problems to the world of gaming.

Today, Ellie Dix and Dave Neale dive into the complexity of forming publisher relationships, as well as choosing the correct publisher. Taking a perspective from both experienced designers and beginner designers, creating a roadmap for finding and establishing these relationships based on many of the past experiences they both have encountered.

Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron look back on TGRT’s most recent topics, along with taking time to dive into many of the conversations brought up by Ellie Dix in BtC. Sharing thoughts about co-design and comparing the communities in tabletop and digital design, which Ellie has brought up with past guests. The two also look back on some of the bigger ideas brought up by conversations in their RPG season.

Today, Ellie Dix and Isaac Vega take a deep dive into what it means to self publish, both the struggles and the benefits. Touching on collaborating with others on projects, along with devoting your time and energy into being a publisher.

An in depth dive into the makings of Burden of Command, along with the strategies and tools used to create the realistic nature of the game. Conversations about using the right assets and tailoring your game in a way that it resembles the time period that it’s trying to convey. Luke Hughes, along with Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron, dissect the things that make Burden of Command so unique.

Ellie Dix is joined by Richard Heayes, former design director for Hasbro and current co-founder of 7pips. They discuss the ins and outs of trademarking, idea infringement, and the benefits of freely sharing your ideas. Topics include trademark law, game submission portals, when and how to share your designs, and why it’s important the game design community remains free.

Dirk and David are joined by Ben Robbins, designer of Microscope and many other narrative games. They discuss the play culture of Microscope, the differences between it and trad TTRPGs, and the ways games of Microscope can flourish or break down. Topics include expected participation, growing pains in trying new TTRPGs, and what even is an RPG?

Ellie Dix is joined by Mandela Grandon, designer of Glasgow, Overstocked, and The Shakespeare Game. They talk about the benefits and process of co-design, the difficulties in working with another person, and how to even get a co-designer. They also discuss the finer points, like how to address experience gaps, outline goals and partnership structure, and when it doesn’t work out.

The season of RPGs starts off with flare! Dirk and David are joined once more by Andrew Fischer, here to discuss his experience designing the Cosmere RPG. They discuss the difficulties in adapting the expansive work of Brandon Sanderson, the unique mechanics developed for the system, and the difficulty in bridging the gap between readers new to RPGs, and experienced gamers with no knowledge of The Stormlight Archive. They also discuss introducing narrative mechanics to a crunchier system, what Andrew has learned from this project, and what’s next for him.

In this episode, Ellie chats with Rikki, creator of Coup, The Chameleon, and Melee, about his inspiring journey in design. He highlights the importance of process and how a supportive community has influenced his path. They discuss what makes the design community unique and the benefits of connecting with fellow creatives.

TDGRT kicks off its first season on RPGs with a discussion on Dirk and David’s experiences, and where they want to take the season from here. They talk about the pros and cons of modern Dungeons and Dragons, and alternative styles of game design that better suit different genres of play.

Ellie Dix is joined by Adam Porter, designer of Kompromat, Pikoko, and Doodle Rush. Together, they discuss the playtesting process, why it’s so important, and the biggest mistakes people make while playtesting. Topics include tracking confusion during sessions, structuring how and what feedback is given, and being a good playtester.

Dirk and David continue their discussion in part 2 of TGDRT’s Civilization Series Finale! They dive into many of the systems that didn’t work for them, and what they wish had been done instead. Topics include religion and trade, the problems with Civ VII’s map generation, and the costs associated with stripping away flavor in favor of starker mechanics. They also talk about what’s next for TGDRT, and wrap up the Civilization series. Most importantly, is David actually done with Civilization games?