Game Design Deep Dive
- Épisodes
- 42
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- mensuelle
- Dernier épisode
- 26 Oct 2026
À propos du podcast
Dan Bullock interviews game designers with a focus on the challenges of historical board game design.
Participants
- Dan BullockAnimation
Épisodes 42
Interview with Kevin Bertram
Our guest today is Kevin Bertram, game designer, publisher, and raconteur. We discuss his designs Shores of Tripoli and Halls of Montezuma as well as what distinguishes the games being released at Fort Circle …
Notes de l’épisode
Our guest today is Kevin Bertram, game designer, publisher, and raconteur. We discuss his designs Shores of Tripoli and Halls of Montezuma as well as what distinguishes the games being released at Fort Circle.
Fort Circle Games – Creating fun, easy to learn, historical board games.
Outro music: "Gazebo Tree" Kristin Hersh
Painkillers with Brooks Barber
For this episode, we chat with Brooks Barber, designer of Sykes-Picot (Hollandspiele) and his upcoming game Painkillers, which is being published by his new company Hawk & Dove. We discuss his Brooks&apos …
Notes de l’épisode
For this episode, we chat with Brooks Barber, designer of Sykes-Picot (Hollandspiele) and his upcoming game Painkillers, which is being published by his new company Hawk & Dove.
We discuss his Brooks' appetite for challenging historical topics and how it informs both his designs and what Hawk & Dove intends to publish.
Hawk and Dove Games https://www.hawkanddovegames.com/
Outro music: "Money Folder (Four Tet Remix)" - Madvillain
Chalice of Poison with Akar Bharadvaj
Akar Bharadvaj is designer of the upcoming game Chalice of Poison about the Iran-Iraq War from GMT and the Zenobia Award-Winning Tyranny of Blood. We chat about both designs, the future of the Zenobia awards …
Notes de l’épisode
Akar Bharadvaj is designer of the upcoming game Chalice of Poison about the Iran-Iraq War from GMT and the Zenobia Award-Winning Tyranny of Blood. We chat about both designs, the future of the Zenobia awards, and much more. Hellcouch designed by Carol Mertz and Francesca Caletto-Leon also came up in conversation, and we are all about giving credit where due.
Outro music: Lifeguard "It Will Get Worse"
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Love This Giant with Cole Wehrle
We welcome back Cole Wehrle (who hopefully needs no introduction) for a wide ranging discussion about expansions, Buried Giant- his new publishing home, and much much more. Outro music: "King's Army" The …
Notes de l’épisode
We welcome back Cole Wehrle (who hopefully needs no introduction) for a wide ranging discussion about expansions, Buried Giant- his new publishing home, and much much more.
Outro music: "King's Army" The Scarring Party
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Interview with Liz Davidson
Liz Davidson has co-designed Queen of Spies and the forthcoming Night Witches with David Thompson. She is also the Creative Director at Leder Games, but you may know her best for her work on her Bobby …
Notes de l’épisode
Liz Davidson has co-designed Queen of Spies and the forthcoming Night Witches with David Thompson. She is also the Creative Director at Leder Games, but you may know her best for her work on her Bobby Nunez-award winning Beyond Solitaire podcast. We chat about her work at Leder, her historical design work, and the transition from game critic to game designer. Note: This episode is tagged explicit solely for cussing.
Outro Music: Jonny Fritz "Debbie Downers"
Come Out Fighting with John Carnahan
Our guest is designer John Carnahan. His latest, Come Out Fighting will be on Kickstarter on November 30th. I am not sure how many listeners have dipped their toe in miniature games, but I had to invite John to …
Notes de l’épisode
Our guest is designer John Carnahan. His latest, Come Out Fighting will be on Kickstarter on November 30th. I am not sure how many listeners have dipped their toe in miniature games, but I had to invite John to discuss his latest design, because it incorporates something extraordinary and radical in that space.
Come Out Fighting on Kickstarter
Outro Music: Gene Autry "Don't Fence Me In"
Live from SD HistCon: Narrative in Solitaire Games
Recorded live at SD HistCon, our esteemed panel was comprised of designers John Butterfield (RAF, Enemy Action Series, D-Day Omaha, Ambush), David Thompson (Valiant Defense Series, War Story, Undaunted), and …
Notes de l’épisode
Recorded live at SD HistCon, our esteemed panel was comprised of designers John Butterfield (RAF, Enemy Action Series, D-Day Omaha, Ambush), David Thompson (Valiant Defense Series, War Story, Undaunted), and Jeremy White (Skies Above Series, Enemy Coast Ahead Series, Atlantic Chase). We discuss embedded vs emergent narrative in historical games and how one leverage mechanisms to achieve the desired play experience in solitaire design.
Outro music: Might Hannibal "All Nite Long"
Radical Rulebooks with Greg Loring-Albright, PhD
Greg Loring-Albright is the designer of Ahoy, Keep the Faith, and co-designed Bloc by Bloc: Uprising with T.L. Simmons. Moreover, he teaches Game Studies and Game Design at Harrisburg University. We discuss his …
Notes de l’épisode
Greg Loring-Albright is the designer of Ahoy, Keep the Faith, and co-designed Bloc by Bloc: Uprising with T.L. Simmons. Moreover, he teaches Game Studies and Game Design at Harrisburg University. We discuss his recent zine RULEBOOKS FOR RADICALS on the importance of designing games in dire times.
Outro music: Radioactivity "Time Won't Bring Me Down"
Trench Raid with Lisa Smedman
Lisa Smedman is a best-selling author, journalist, and designer of many RPG games and modules. We discuss Trench Raid, her first solitaire tabletop wargame for Compass, the tactical approach to the topic of …
Notes de l’épisode
Lisa Smedman is a best-selling author, journalist, and designer of many RPG games and modules. We discuss Trench Raid, her first solitaire tabletop wargame for Compass, the tactical approach to the topic of WW1, and the relationship between serious games and design intent.
Trench Raid from Compass Games
Outro music: "Kingdom Come" by Cindy Lee
Cindy Lee is marvelous! Go check out Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee here: https://cindylee.bandcamp.com/album/diamond-jubilee
Interview with Fred Serval
In this episode, a proper interview with Fred Serval, designer of A Gest of Robin Hood, Red Flag Over Paris, and A Very Civil Whist. Fred is also the host of an excellent channel dedicated to historical …
Notes de l’épisode
In this episode, a proper interview with Fred Serval, designer of A Gest of Robin Hood, Red Flag Over Paris, and A Very Civil Whist. Fred is also the host of an excellent channel dedicated to historical tabletop gaming, Homo Ludens. We discuss his design approach and how it informs critique of other games.
Outro music: "All Good Things Will Come to Pass" - Lael Neale
Playing Oppression with Mary Flanagan
Mary Flanagan, is a game designer, professor, and an author. She joins us to discuss her book, co-authored with Mikael Jakobson, PLAYING OPPRESSION: THE LEGACY OF CONQUEST AND EMPIRE IN COLONIALIST BOARD GAMES …
Notes de l’épisode
Mary Flanagan, is a game designer, professor, and an author. She joins us to discuss her book, co-authored with Mikael Jakobson, PLAYING OPPRESSION: THE LEGACY OF CONQUEST AND EMPIRE IN COLONIALIST BOARD GAMES. We discuss representation of non-western cultures, colonialist mechanisms, and whether or not decades of conquest and exploitation based games have calcified to form the bedrock of competitive play.
Outro Music: "Funeral for Justice" - Mdou Moctar
Public Nominations for the Summit Award are open. Complete the survey here: https://sdhist.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=985b96c86d7bad0572684acc4&id=677c3ab117&e=3333a4975d
Interview with Brian Asklev
Brian Asklev designed my favorite wargame of last year, 1812: Napoleon's Fateful March. We discuss what went into his phenomenal design, his upcoming game Baltic Empires, event design, and the challenges …
Notes de l’épisode
Brian Asklev designed my favorite wargame of last year, 1812: Napoleon's Fateful March. We discuss what went into his phenomenal design, his upcoming game Baltic Empires, event design, and the challenges of playtesting multiplayer games.
Outro music: Sons of Kemet "The Hour of Judgement"
Interview with Pako Gradaille
Pako Gradaille has flexed an impressive range of historical topics and systems with his designs Plantagenet, Cuius Regio, Habemus Papam, and Onoda. We discuss how solitaire games can present challenging …
Notes de l’épisode
Pako Gradaille has flexed an impressive range of historical topics and systems with his designs Plantagenet, Cuius Regio, Habemus Papam, and Onoda. We discuss how solitaire games can present challenging narratives, considerations when designing negotiation-based systems, and much more.
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/habemus-papam
Interview with Joe Schmidt
SEASON FINALE: We welcome designer and developer Joe Schmidt to discuss In the Shadows: Resistance in France 1943-1944 (a game we designed together), his Levy & Campaign game Henry, solitaire design for Gunnar …
Notes de l’épisode
SEASON FINALE: We welcome designer and developer Joe Schmidt to discuss In the Shadows: Resistance in France 1943-1944 (a game we designed together), his Levy & Campaign game Henry, solitaire design for Gunnar Holmback's Weimar Republic (GMT), and his development work on the forthcoming game Hellraisers from Wehrlegig.
Outro music: "Help Save the Youth of America" - Billy BraggInterview with Talia Rosen
Today, I chat with Talia Rosen, designer of First Monday in October which is a game about the history of the US Supreme Court coming soon to Kickstarter from Fort Circle Games. We discuss what inspired …
Notes de l’épisode
Today, I chat with Talia Rosen, designer of First Monday in October which is a game about the history of the US Supreme Court coming soon to Kickstarter from Fort Circle Games. We discuss what inspired Talia's first design and the challenges of modeling the supreme court.
Outro music: "The Devil's Great Grandson" - Sons of the PioneersInterview with John Butterfield
As a designer, John Butterfield is a bit of a troublemaker. He likes to insert friction in his designs where wargamers aren’t used to finding it. His games don’t just tell stories, they host a space for players …
Notes de l’épisode
As a designer, John Butterfield is a bit of a troublemaker. He likes to insert friction in his designs where wargamers aren’t used to finding it. His games don’t just tell stories, they host a space for players to make their OWN stories. His titles include Ambush, RAF, Enemy Action: Ardennes & Karkov, the D-Day Series, Hell’s Highway and so many more. We discuss solitaire design, the evolution of his work, and his collaboration with Kai Jensen on Downfall.
Outro music: Jessica Ackerley All Of the Colours Are Singing | Jessica Ackerley (bandcamp.com)Chicago '68 with Yoni Goldstein
For this episode, we chat with filmmaker and game designer Yoni Goldstein about his upcoming game Chicago '68 from The Dietz Foundation about the 1968 DNC protests and his journey in game design. Chicago …
Notes de l’épisode
For this episode, we chat with filmmaker and game designer Yoni Goldstein about his upcoming game Chicago '68 from The Dietz Foundation about the 1968 DNC protests and his journey in game design.
Chicago '68 on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dietzfoundation/chicago-68
Jean Genet in Chicago:
https://vimeo.com/78486625
Outro Music: "Popular Myth and the Destruction of Sodom" by Peter Thomas Sound OrchesterChapitres
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Narrative in Boardgames with Dan Thurot
We decided to break from our usual format. Dan Thurot of Space Biff joins us for a discussion about narrative and storytelling in board games, particularly how it relates to historical boardgames. SPACE-BIFF! | …
Notes de l’épisode
We decided to break from our usual format. Dan Thurot of Space Biff joins us for a discussion about narrative and storytelling in board games, particularly how it relates to historical boardgames.
SPACE-BIFF! | Fiercely Independent. Independant? Crap. (spacebiff.com)
Outro Music: Sun Ra Arkestra - Between Two WorldsChapitres
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Interview with Maurice Suckling
Maurice Suckling is a screenwriter, author, teacher of design as well as vast experience in various roles of video game production. We discuss his recent design Crisis 1914 from Worthington, the upcoming Peace …
Notes de l’épisode
Maurice Suckling is a screenwriter, author, teacher of design as well as vast experience in various roles of video game production. We discuss his recent design Crisis 1914 from Worthington, the upcoming Peace 1905 from Fort Circle, and Operation Barclay (currently on Gamefound).
Interview with Sebastian Bae
Sebastian Bae is a research scientist and senior game designer for the Center of Naval Analyses' Gaming and Integration Program as well as a faculty advisor for the Georgetown University Wargaming Society …
Notes de l’épisode
Sebastian Bae is a research scientist and senior game designer for the Center of Naval Analyses' Gaming and Integration Program as well as a faculty advisor for the Georgetown University Wargaming Society. He has two commercial designs, Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific with Dietz Foundation and a multi-pack Crisis In Korea being released through Catastrophe Games.
We discuss the challenges of designing on the topic of North Korea, the value of modeling hypothetical war, and the frontier of designing for modern conflicts.Interview with Carlos Marquez Linares
Carlos Marquez Linares is the designer of TWO upcoming games, The Other Side of the Hill from NAC Wargames and Imperial Fever from GMT (currently on the P500). We discuss his controversial topics and his design …
Notes de l’épisode
Carlos Marquez Linares is the designer of TWO upcoming games, The Other Side of the Hill from NAC Wargames and Imperial Fever from GMT (currently on the P500). We discuss his controversial topics and his design approach in each of the aforementioned games.
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Interview with Natalia Wojtowicz
Natalia Wotjowicz has written an excellent book called Wargaming Experiences about approaches to professional wargame design informed by her experience with the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Center of …
Notes de l’épisode
Natalia Wotjowicz has written an excellent book called Wargaming Experiences about approaches to professional wargame design informed by her experience with the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Center of Excellence. Her book offers a lot of guidance relevant to both historical games and wargames, so I invited her to discuss it along with differences between professional and commercial design.
Books by Natalia Wojtowicz:
Wargaming Experiences (2 book series) Paperback Edition (amazon.com)
Outro music: Marnie Stern "Plain Speak"
The Comeback Kid | Marnie Stern (bandcamp.com)Chapitres
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Interview with Gina Willis
Gina Willis has designed A Glorious Chance, an excellent solitaire game about naval operations during the War of 1812 and collaborated with Jeremy White on the design of Skies Above Britain. We discuss both of …
Notes de l’épisode
Gina Willis has designed A Glorious Chance, an excellent solitaire game about naval operations during the War of 1812 and collaborated with Jeremy White on the design of Skies Above Britain. We discuss both of these games, the emphasis on narrative in solitaire design, age of sail, and much more.
A Glorious Chance (mybigcommerce.com)Interview with Jo Kelly
On this episode, I chat with Jo Kelly to discuss their upcoming game Molly House which is being published by Wehrlegig (maybe you heard of it) and is coming to Backerkit on October 17th. Jo Kelly is also a …
Notes de l’épisode
On this episode, I chat with Jo Kelly to discuss their upcoming game Molly House which is being published by Wehrlegig (maybe you heard of it) and is coming to Backerkit on October 17th. Jo Kelly is also a Zenobia finalist. We talk about the making of Molly House, Zenobia, and much much more.
Molly House - A game of queer joy and betrayal in 18th century London. (backerkit.com)Chapitres
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Interview with Domhnall Hegarty
Domhnall Hegarty and his Citog Creative have provided graphic design for a number of high profile and award-winning releases, such as Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna, People Power, Red Flag Over Paris, The Vote …
Notes de l’épisode
Domhnall Hegarty and his Citog Creative have provided graphic design for a number of high profile and award-winning releases, such as Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna, People Power, Red Flag Over Paris, The Vote, and more. We chat about the considerations that go into his work and the discussion surrounding the use of AI-generated images in games.
Interview with Brian Train
Brian Train has been at the forefront of designing games about insurgency and urban warfare. He is probably best known for his COIN volumes: A Distant Plain & Colonial Twilight, his District Commander Series …
Notes de l’épisode
Brian Train has been at the forefront of designing games about insurgency and urban warfare. He is probably best known for his COIN volumes: A Distant Plain & Colonial Twilight, his District Commander Series, Nights of Ire, Brief Border Wars and much more. We discussed designing for insurgency, irregular warfare, and the tension between unpleasant topics and fun gameplay.
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Interview with Mark Herman
Mark Herman's work is vast and influential in the world of wargaming. We narrowed our chat in May to discussing his co-design with D.B. Dokter covering the first three months of the Russia-Ukraine War, the …
Notes de l’épisode
Mark Herman's work is vast and influential in the world of wargaming. We narrowed our chat in May to discussing his co-design with D.B. Dokter covering the first three months of the Russia-Ukraine War, the challenges of designing the first draft of history, and how he views the moral quandary of designing for an ongoing conflict.
Interview with Harold Buchanan
Harold Buchanan’s contributions to historical games go above and beyond his celebrated designs: Flashpoint South China Sea, Liberty or Death and Campaigns of 1777. Harold has been very active launching the San …
Notes de l’épisode
Harold Buchanan’s contributions to historical games go above and beyond his celebrated designs: Flashpoint South China Sea, Liberty or Death and Campaigns of 1777. Harold has been very active launching the San Diego HistCon, the Summit Award and the webzine Conflicts of Interest. We discuss depicting the South China Sea conflict and the challenges of designing the "small" game.
Interview with Alex Knight
Alex Knight is the designer of an outstanding new game Land and Freedom, published by Blue Panther. We discuss his unique take on the Spanish Civil War, Land of Freedom and his design journey. More info on Land …
Notes de l’épisode
Alex Knight is the designer of an outstanding new game Land and Freedom, published by Blue Panther. We discuss his unique take on the Spanish Civil War, Land of Freedom and his design journey.
More info on Land of Freedom here: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/land-and-freedomInterview with Cole Wehrle
Cole Wehrle has designed Pax Pamir, John Company and Infamous Traffic as well as fan favorites Root, Oath and (most recently) Arcs. We chat primarily about his historical designs, discussing Kevin Zucker's …
Notes de l’épisode
Cole Wehrle has designed Pax Pamir, John Company and Infamous Traffic as well as fan favorites Root, Oath and (most recently) Arcs. We chat primarily about his historical designs, discussing Kevin Zucker's Napoleon's Last Battles, second editions, model-driven history versus polemics, and much more.
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