Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 128 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer (publisher, art director, illustrator, and more!) Ammon Anderson about Twinkle, Twinkle, a game born from his lifelong fascination with space.

We discuss the origin of the game’s gorgeous translucent acrylic tiles, its “out of this world” space themes and expansions, and the new scoring app Allplay is developing. Ammon shares how Twinkle, Twinkle being featured at ...

In episode 127 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we chat with game designer, publisher, and trauma psychotherapist Galen McCown about how getting involved with the Syracuse game design community helped him grow as both a creator and collaborator.

We also discuss his love for solo and two-player games, his fascination with post-apocalyptic themes, and how compact “mint tin” games make great travel companions. Gal...

In episode 126 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with John D. Clair about his journey from gamifying mazes to becoming a full-time tabletop designer. He shares how setting clear goals, focusing only on games he is excited about, and reworking mechanics from games that inspire him shaped his design approach.

John shares how he reimagines mechanics from games he loves, making luck-based designs more dynamic by eliminating “nothing” t...

In episode 125 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with Roberto Panetta, designer of Gems of Iridescia and founder of Rock, Stone & Dice Games.

Roberto shares how his background in toy and game retail gave him the marketing and sales experience to start his own publishing company. He opens up about reigniting his creativity after feeling uninspired, collaborating with family to build the story and theme behind his first game, and...

In episode 124 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Serena Fadlun about creating games that increase human happiness and how she literally dreamed her career into existence when a vision of her future son inspired her to start designing.

Serena shares how she blended her work experience (from translating top-secret movie scripts to a career in psychology and mental health) into her game theme and mechanics, continuin...

In episode 123 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Mitch Wallace about how a wide range of hobbies and a YouTube rabbit hole led him into game design. He shares how his curiosity sparked idea after idea, and how the original concept for Art Society evolved through rounds of feedback to find a balance that’s not too much or too little, but justtttt right. We explore the power of the two-sentence “elevator” pitch when...

In episode 122 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we talk with owner of MaKa Games and designer of License to Krill, Matthew Kambic, about how a pun inspired his debut game — and how he brought it to life with a custom plushie component. Matthew shares how his engineering background, early love of games, and deep dive into research (contrary to popular belief, he’s not a marine biologist!) helped shape the project...

In episode 121 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, J. Evan Raitt shares how an infamously frustrating game first sparked his interest in design, which eventually led to a make-your-own-game elective in college and most recently to the creation of Shifting Stones. We talk about the theme being inspired by his fascination with traditional Mayan glyphs, how other types of designers or artists can fill creative gaps, t...

In episode 120 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pete Petrusha of Imagining Games about adapting the Eisner award-winning Image comic series, CHEW, into a Forged in the Dark foodie crime drama TTRPG!

They discuss several delicious topics including the concept of meeting needs and answering questions with your game designs (what’s something I can play in the hallway with my friends at PAX right now?),...

In episode 119 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ann Journey about what inspired her to create a game about going back in time to see the dinosaurs, rather than bringing them here to the modern day and age. (Because that never goes well!)

They talk about revisiting and combining concepts and mechanics from previous game designs to make something new, the value of friendly local game stores and in-pe...

In episode 118 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pat Marino, game developer and Director of Hobby Games for The Op about capturing the excitement of the Cuphead video game in a unique tabletop experience that resonated with existing fans and the board game community. They explore what it takes to work with licensed IPs including navigating the approval process, scouting at licensing expos, and creatin...

In episode 117 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with game designer Simon Weinberg about his journey from reviewing terrible games to realizing just how tough it is to make good ones. He shares lessons from navigating the publishing world like understanding a company's catalog before pitching, being patient during the long evaluation process, and the importance of building friendly, professional relationshi...

In episode 115 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with game designer and co-founder of Lost Boy Entertainment, Cameron Ring, covering everything from the value of short form video and social media marketing in the tabletop industry, to the importance of making games you find fun.

Danielle and Cameron talk about Lost Boy Entertainment's roots as a family business, leaning into the ...

In episode 114 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ace Ellett, half of Bluefish Games - the company he and his wife Anna founded as a result of their love for escape rooms and puzzles.

Danielle and Ace talk about what went into the fictional world of Hincksville and the character Bluefish created as a mechanism to drive their puzzle/mystery series. They discuss ho...

In episode 113 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Nicole Amato about transitioning into tabletop design after starting out as a video game journalist, small local game jams leading to big opportunities and how people choosing to use your innovative game mechanic in their prototype is flattering!

They also chat about the "politics" of popular (and extinct) video game conventions and the industry cros...

In episode 112 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Bug Boll about their first published solo design in the RPG space, Sentai & Sensibility!  A new, niche-themed adventure from 9th Level Games where the unique - but surprisingly similar - worlds of Super Sentai and Jane Austen collide! They talk about the process of writing an RPG, adapting an existing rule system for a new theme, the imp...

In episode 111 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with TAM about his game, Floristry, which is the first release by UP Games - a new publishing company in the tabletop space that he is a co-founder of!

Danielle and TAM talk about how game design has always been a passion (growing up without easy access to games led to inventing games to share with family and friends), the rise of 2-player date/cafe games, ...

In episode 110 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, your friendly neighborhood editor, Amanda Rivera, takes over as host once again as we recap the fifth season and catch up with Danielle! They talk about this season’s guests, their games, and reflect on some of the amazing advice they shared for new and aspiring game designers.

Danielle talks about her upcoming games, the many prototypes she is working on, several...