E141: Why Talented Game Teams Still Ship Boring Games
Show notes
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Every great game you have ever played relies on a hidden shape underneath its experience, and most game dev leaders can't name it.
When you can't name a design pattern, you can't use it on purpose. That's how talented teams spend years pouring sweat into content, only to release a game that just doesn't engage its players.
In this episode, Benjamin Carcich breaks down "interest curves," a game design lens from Jesse Schell that dictates how player engagement actually works. Drawing from juggling acts, Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings score, and nested loops in League of Legends, Ben demonstrates why player interest has very little to do with mechanical difficulty or content cost—and how you can map engagement to keep players coming back.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- What an interest curve is—and why it determines whether players stay engaged or lose interest
- The four stages of every great interest curve: the hook, rising peaks, strategic valleys, and the climax
- Why developers often mistake development effort for player value, leading to weak pacing and player drop-off
- How to design moments that maximize player engagement instead of just increasing production cost
- A practical way to map your game's interest curve with your team and align everyone around the player experience
- How playtests can reveal the exact moments where players become bored, confused, or disengaged
- Why the same principles behind great games also apply to movies, presentations, and even business meetings
If you're a leader in game dev who wants your team aligned on what actually keeps players engaged—rather than just making games harder or more expensive to build—this episode is for you.
Connect with us:
🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/
🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/
🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/#
🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames
If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: [email protected]
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