Who, What, Why? S32.E01 :: How to Design Your First Game with Joe Slack

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

#Games and Gambling #Design #Board #Hobbies #Dice #Meeple #Videogame #Game Development #Tech #Video Games #Lifestyle #Mike Bonet #Boardgames #Games #RPG

22:49

Jonathan Jones is an NFL cornerback for the Washington Commanders who rose from the undrafted ranks to become two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, a businessman, philanthropist, and licensed pilot. In 2019, Jonathan founded the Jonathan Jones Next Step Foundation in 2019, a platform dedicated to empowering youth through education, professional development, and mentorship. The foundation works to alleviate food insecurity, promote women in stem and sports, and to promote professional development in the communities where he lives. Jay and Jonathan talk about investing in the communities they live in, acknowledging the people who helped you become the person you are, and paying that same investment forward to the next generation. Episode Chapters 0:00 intro 1:24 Building local connections 4:25 Jonathan’s mentors and mentees 10:54 Jonathan’s pride in his mentees’ successes 13:04 how Jonathan chooses his causes 14:08 Jonathan’s support for girls and young women 17:19: Jonathan’s passion for flying 19:40 The Next Step Foundation 20:29 Goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight , in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com .…

for 3 år siden 34:06

MP3•Episode hjem

Fetch error

Hmmm there seems to be a problem fetching this series right now. Last successful fetch was on March 29, 2025 09:42 (25d ago)

What now? This series will be checked again in the next day. If you believe it should be working, please verify the publisher's feed link below is valid and includes actual episode links. You can contact support to request the feed be immediately fetched.

Joe Slack, a 2-time guest, has returned for a short series of episodes exploring some broad ideas for game designers. This first episode with Joe in the series explores advice for first time designers and how to get people over that hump to design their first game.

375 episoder

Who, What, Why? S32.E01 :: How to Design Your First Game with Joe Slack

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

75 subscribers

published for 3 år siden

Del

MP3•Episode hjem

Fetch error

Hmmm there seems to be a problem fetching this series right now. Last successful fetch was on March 29, 2025 09:42 (25d ago)

375 episoder

#Games and Gambling #Design #Board #Hobbies #Dice #Meeple #Videogame #Game Development #Tech #Video Games #Lifestyle #Mike Bonet #Boardgames #Games #RPG

Alle episoder

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S36.E01 :: Unique Mechanics with Jonny and Jeff 44:39

for 49 weeks siden44:39

44:39

Jonny and Jeff joined me on the show to discuss less popular mechanics, at least, according to us. We went through three mechanics: area enclosure like in games Through the Desert, simultaneous action selection like in games Wallenstein, and threat tracks like in games the Battle at Kemble's Cascade. It was a fun discussion to explore mechanics we thought were less popular than the rest of the hobby thinks.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E10 :: Dead Poets Rise with Anna and David 1:04:05

for 1 year siden1:04:05

1:04:05

I received a very unique text one day from my father-in-law. One of his patients had designed a game, and he shared with her that his son-in-law (yours truly) was a game podcaster. So, we connected, and I invited her and her co-designer onto the show. Here is that show. Anna Purves and David Schwittek joined me to discuss Dead Poets Rise, a unique game about writing poetry. I had the pleasure of watching some games take place at a library near me. Funny enough, David lives close to where I live, and Anna lives close to where I work. The game brings players into a world where they are trying to resurrect a dead poet from obscurity. The game uses a Chinese checkers style board with marbles and two decks--The creation and chaos decks-- to bring the players into a world of poetry writing. The conversation was a really interesting one, especially talking with two designers who exist outside of the normal circles of designers who I tend to engage with. If you are interested in learning more about the game, please visit Dead Poets Rise. Warning: I had a cough during the recording that I couldn't escape. It turned out I had strep throat, which took me out of commission later that week. I did my best to edit the coughing fits out.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E09 :: Kelp with Carl Robinson 45:15

for 1 year siden45:15

45:15

Kelp me! Kelp me! All joking aside... this is a serious podcast... Carl Robinson, the designer of the 2-player game Kelp, joined me to talk more about his games and expand upon frustrating games in general. We discussed his game in detail, but we also branched off into games that use frustration in good and bad ways. Check out Kelp, live on Kickstarter right now if this sounds like something you are interested in.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E08 :: A General Chat about Generative AI with Joe Slack 38:13

for 1 year siden38:13

38:13

Joe Slack, a frequent guest of the show, joined me once again to help me dip our toes into the conversation about AI art in board games. We did our best to explain AI art from our knowledge base and to explore some of the uses of it so far and even what future uses should look like. I have an ongoing cough, so I did my best to remove those loud coughs. I asked ChatGPT to write me a script for a podcast about AI art. I will release that as an episode in December. Also, I asked ChatGPT to create an Arkham Horror trick-taking game. The game is enclosed in quotation marks. "Absolutely! Let's call it "Eldritch Echoes: Arkham Trickery." Here's a basic idea for how the game might work: Number of Players: 3-5 Objective: Players aim to gather Eldritch Echoes, fragments of cosmic knowledge, by winning tricks through strategic card play. Setup: Deck: A custom deck with suits representing different aspects of the Arkham Horror universe (e.g., Mysteries, Artifacts, Creatures, Spells). Eldritch Echoes Cards: Special cards with varying point values representing the cosmic knowledge players seek. Gameplay: Dealing: Deal a set number of cards to each player, creating their starting hand. Trick-Taking: Players take turns playing cards to form a trick, following suit if possible. The highest-value card of the leading suit or the highest trump card wins the trick. Eldritch Echoes: Certain cards hold Eldritch Echoes values; winning a trick earns those points for the player who won it. Special Cards: Include special cards that can alter gameplay (e.g., Ancient Tome that acts as a wild card, Shub-Niggurath as a powerful trump card). Strategic Elements: Introduce elements like sanity cards or mythos cards that add unpredictability or risk, affecting the outcome of tricks or forcing players to discard. Winning: The game can be played over several rounds or until a set score is reached. The player with the highest accumulated Eldritch Echoes at the end wins. Strategy: Players need to gauge when to play their powerful cards strategically to win high-value tricks. Balancing the use of trump cards or Eldritch Echoes cards with keeping useful cards for later rounds becomes crucial. Thematically: Incorporate elements of Arkham Horror lore, where players are investigators seeking cosmic knowledge, encountering mystical artifacts, eldritch creatures, and otherworldly spells. Remember, the fun in trick-taking games often lies in their simplicity and the layers of strategy that develop as players become more familiar with the deck and its nuances. Adjustments and balancing may be needed through playtesting, but this framework could provide a solid foundation for an Arkham Horror trick-taking game!"…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E07 :: Expanding RPGs with Jason Peercy 40:13

for 2 years siden40:13

40:13

Jason Peercy, co-designer of The Real Thing RPG, joined me to talk about the expansions he is crowdfunding titled Angel Dust and King For a Day. You might remember The Real Thing RPG as the Faith No More inspired RPG. Jason and his co-designer Jason took the themes and stories they heard in Faith No More's The Real Thing album and created an RPG system out of it. Well, they are back at it again expanding the world they created through 2 new books. We discussed the reaction to the game, working with a band as an IP holder, and more. If you are interested in the game, please check it out on BackerKit .…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why? S35.E06 :: Lost Adventures with Jeff, Jonny, and Ben 38:49

for 2 years siden38:49

38:49

I planned to have on Jeff Warrender to talk about his game Lost Adventures, out on Kickstarter now, but Jonny Pac and the always fun Ben Maddox happened to join the podcast. We had a blast on this one. We mostly stayed on topic focusing on some of the interesting design decisions in Lost Adventures. If you have any interest in this game, check it out on Kickstarter now.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why? S35.E05 :: Wreck This Deck with Becky Annison 54:13

for 2 years siden54:13

54:13

Becky Annison, designer of Wreck This Deck and co-owner of Black Armada Games, joined me to talk about her latest design up on BackerKit right now. Wreck This Deck is a solo-journaling RPG where you trap demons in playing cards and wreck those cards in all sorts of artistic ways, whatever you fancy. You can burn cards, fold them, paint them, cut them, etc. Becky encourages players to go ham on that deck. She sees the game as an opportunity for players to let their creativity fly. We discussed the genesis of the game and how it developed and is still developing. We also talked briefly about Legacy games and how those influenced her design. Check out Wreck This Deck if you have an itch to get destructive to a deck of playing cards.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E04 :: Forges of Ravenshire with Sam and Ed... or is it Ed and Sam? 1:28:40

for 2 years siden1:28:40

1:28:40

Sam and Ed Stockton... or Ed and Sam Stockton... joined me to talk about their newest game live on Kickstarter right now. Forges of Ravenshire is a unique dice worker placement game where you are crafting items and using dice, but the hitch is that the dice aren't owned by one particular player. We talked about a lot of topics here from the allure of dice to the intricacies of worker placement, a genre rife with games. Check out the Kickstarter if you are interested.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E03 :: The Return of the Super Show with Steve Resk 1:31:21

for 2 years siden1:31:21

1:31:21

Wrestling fans and gaming fans! I have a guest to unite you both. Steve Resk, designer of The Super Show, joined me to talk about how to keep LCG/CCGs alive and well. We explored how the Super Show grew from just a couple of decks with a small fanbase to a community with its own regional federations and belts. We also talked about some of our favorite wrestling storylines from the past. Check out the Super Show here . And they have a convention coming up this weekend (March 17) in Cleveland .…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E02 :: That Competitive Spirit with Jonny and Jeff 1:26:05

for 2 years siden1:26:05

1:26:05

Jonny Pac and Jeff Warrender return for another episode about a topic in game design. In this episode we discuss competitiveness in games. We focus on games with a lot of direct interaction compared with games with indirect interactions (like Multiplayer Solitaire games). No, we do not come down on "which is better," but we muse on what makes each of these styles interesting. Remember: today is the last day to submit your game to the Cardboard Edison Award . Go do it!…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S35.E01 :: The Boys with Nick Accardi 1:03:21

for 2 years siden1:03:21

1:03:21

Nick Accardi, co-designer and artistic director for The Boys: This Is Going to Hurt, joined me to talk about this game from Dynamite Entertainment. We discussed the intricacies of adapting a licensed property into a board game. Nick talked about how the game doesn't follow the comics exactly, but instead crafts its own plausible story, so players can get immersed in something new. We also discuss set building and prop work because Nick is interested in some of that, and set building was my previous profession. This game follows the comic and not the Amazon TV show. If you are interested in getting your unpublished game judged, check out Cardboard Edison . I am a judge and have been for a few years. I enjoy the process of judging through Cardboard Edison. They're a great pair of people. This is not a paid ad or anything, but they did ask me to mention the award and since I value them as designer friends, I emphatically said yes.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S34.E10 :: Nawalli with Gonzalo and Will 53:26

for 2 years siden53:26

53:26

Gonzalo and Will joined me to talk about their game called Nawalli. It's a head-to-head card battling game with some incredible artwork inspired by the Aztecs. It's an easy game to learn and play because of its relative language independence (once you know it all). I was drawn to this game because of its artwork and knew I had to find out more. What better way than have the designers on the show. Also, the Cardboard Edison Award is here again. All submissions must be in by Jan. 31. Check out www.cardboardedison.com/award for more information. They did not pay me to say this, but they should since I'm a prestigious podcaster (kidding).…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S34.E09 :: PaxU Recap with Mike 1:02:42

for 2 years siden1:02:42

1:02:42

So, I recently went to PaxU (again) with my wife and baby daughter. I decided to try something new for when I go to cons. I put all of my thoughts together in this episode about the con and what I love about it.

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S34.E08 :: Thrown Under the Bus with James S Cole 1:07:41

for 2 years siden1:07:41

1:07:41

James Cole, designer of the upcoming game Thrown Under the Bus, joined me to talk about his game about corporate intrigue and power positioning. The game is a lighthearted look at the kind of stuff that may happen in a corporate office between people who want to be in the best position they can be. We talked about a lot of different things about the game's design and even got into some stories from James' past working in a corporation. The game will be releasing on Kickstarter sometime in January. Check it out if you are interested.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S34.E07 :: Unconscious Mind with Jonny Pac 1:19:58

for 2 years siden1:19:58

1:19:58

Jonny Pac, co-designer of Unconscious Mind, joined me to talk about the design of this big game. We focused on the way this game keeps players involved thematically and helps keep these various mechanisms flowing intuitively between one another. If you are interested in this game, check it out on Kickstarter .…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E02 :: A Case Study in Agricola 1:19:42

for 3 years siden1:19:42

1:19:42

Re-Released! I've re-released this episode with a file that takes up less of my monthly allotment. Enjoy (again). Welcome to another case study episode. This time me, Jonny, and Jeff tackle the game often called misery farm... Agricola. We discuss a where the game hits and misses for us. I find myself at odds with my guests since I like Agricola. To each their own. If you'd like to suggest a game for a cast study episode, feel free to drop me a line at whowhatwhycast(at)gmail.com Jonny can be found @jpaccantin and Jeff at @belltowergames…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E01 :: Representing History in Games with Dan Thurot 1:01:48

for 3 years siden1:01:48

1:01:48

Dan Thurot, game critic extraordinaire, joined me to delve into a difficult topic: representing history through games. We focused on ways that history is represented poorly and ways that it is represented successfully and thoughtfully in games. This is a big topic, and one I will likely explore in future episodes. For now, enjoy my time with Dan Thurot. He's very thoughtful, too.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E10 :: A Case Study in Dominion featuring Jonny and Jeff 1:16:00

for 3 years siden1:16:00

1:16:00

I am starting a new series of episodes called "A Case Study in..." Each episode will feature me and some designers discussing a particular game that none of us designed. The games we will focus on will have made an impact on the hobby. My first episode of this series is on Dominion featuring Jeff and Jonny. We discussed the impact Dominion made on the hobby and how it spawned a brand new genre of games. We ultimately concluded with a design lesson that each of us will take away from Dominion.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Why Ska?! Ep. 04 :: My Favorite Venue 16:43

for 3 years siden16:43

16:43

Listening to music on your discman or Zune might seem like the pinacle experience, but nothing beats being at a live show. In this episode, I talk about some of my favorite venues that I've been to over the years. What are some of your favorite venues to see your favorite bands? Tweet at me to share. @whowhatwhycast…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E09 :: Massive Black with CEO Melissa Lee 35:48

for 3 years siden35:48

35:48

The CEO of Massive Black, Melissa Lee, joined me to talk about both her life in the games industry and what she has been trying to accomplish with Massive Black. The company focuses on creating art for all sorts of games and tech projects, notably Elder Scrolls and Betrayal at the House on the Hill 3rd Edition. To learn more about Massive Black, visit their website at Massive Black.com .…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What Why S32.E08 :: Cut.games with David Malki 47:22

for 3 years siden47:22

47:22

David Malki, director of product development at Cut.com and Cut Games, joined me to talk about developing games that connect with the kind of content Cut.com creates. Cut is a media company that puts people in situations to connect with others and maybe even learn something about themselves in the process. We discussed how the game wing aimed to recreate the feelings in their videos while adapting to a different medium. Check out Cut.games for more.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E07 :: Crowdfunding Mistakes with Joe Slack 49:02

for 3 years siden49:02

49:02

The third episode in my short series with Joe Slack is here! We discuss the do's and don'ts of crowdfunding campaigns based on Joe Slack's experience as a successful crowdfunder and my experience as a successful crowdfundee. I think we came up with some excellent tips and tricks. Check out Joe's work at: The Board Game Design Course…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E06 :: Brutal Orchestra with Maceo Mair 1:14:26

for 3 years siden1:14:26

1:14:26

Maceo Mair, designer of the game Brutal Orchestra, joined me to talk about 2 important topics with this game: the first one being Heironymous Bosch, a Dutch painter from the 1400s and the ways this game tries to stand out in such a crowded field of rogue-lites and RPGs. Check out Brutal Orchestra on Steam if you are so interested. Also, check out Bosch, the painter , if you'd like. His work is like a fucked up Highlights for Kids magazine.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E05 :: Splinters of Faith and Organized Play with Douglas Zeilsdorf 45:58

for 3 years siden45:58

45:58

Douglas Zeilsdorf, the organized play administrator for Frog God Games, joined me to talk about what is organized play and what administrating it entails doing. We also discussed the Splinters of Faith Kickstarter ( live now ) and what this world is bringing to the RPG world of Frog God Games.

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S32.E04 :: Bezzy Bargain Bags with Bez 1:02:18

for 3 years siden1:02:18

1:02:18

Bez stopped by the show to talk about her Bezzy Bargain Bags. There is currently a Kickstarter campaign running for A Game About Quickly Grabbing Creatures That Are Totally Different and Counting Your Beetroots. Say that 5 times fast! We discuss Bez's bargain bag model for producing games and how she can use that to create interesting games and use this system to gauge interest without having to take as big of a risk, which as a small, independent publisher is a good way to stay afloat. Check out the Kickstarter if you wish!…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why? S32.E02 :: The Real Thing with Accidental Cyclops 57:38

for 3 years siden57:38

57:38

Jason Piercy, James Mosingo, and Jason Ward, creators of The Real Thing RPG, joined me to talk about their role-playing game set in the world of Faith No More's album The Real Thing. I thought this was a unique opportunity to talk to creators who did something I hadn't considered before: created a game out of a band's album. We discussed how this project came together and how they mined the album to create the world of the game. The game hits Kickstarter on March 15th, so check it out if you are interested.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

for 3 years siden1:31:28

1:31:28

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E07 :: The Game Builders with Ode 1:19:28

for 3 years siden1:19:28

1:19:28

A recurring guest comes back to the show to talk about his new game studio and publisher, The Game Builders. Ode (@AndreasOdendahl) joins me to talk about making the leap into publishing and how his deep connection to famed designer Uwe Rosenberg will help jumpstart this company. We also discuss emo music, punk music and how Ode's DIY roots helped him tackle this new phase in his life. If you can't tell, I really like having Ode on the show.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E06 :: Rebels of the Outlaw Waste with Michael Addison 1:13:24

for 3 years siden1:13:24

1:13:24

Michael Addison, designer of Rebels of the Outlaw Waste, joined the show to talk about his role-playing game due out later in the Fall. We covered a lot of topics ranging from the inspirations that Michael drew upon for this game to the way this game brings new life to a genre that might feel a bit tired at this time.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E05 :: Life as a Game Designer with Matthew Dunstan 1:22:16

for 3 years siden1:22:16

1:22:16

Matthew Dunstan (@wisegoldfish), full-time designer of many games such as the Kosmos Adventure game series and the Ravensburger Echoes series, joined me to talk about some of the nitty gritty of what it was like to be a game designer. We discussed contracts, payments, and more. Anyone who likes what they hear from Matthew can support him by going to Postmark Games to check out his and Rory Muldoon's print at home games.…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What Why S33.E04 :: Stonewall Uprising with Taylor Shuss 1:08:56

for 3 years siden1:08:56

1:08:56

This episode is 2 weeks late because my side of the audio needed to be rebuilt, but it is finally here! Taylor Shuss, designer of Stonewall Uprising, joined me to talk about this game. It was an interesting discussion exploring the ways in which the game's theme really shines through some incredibly smart design decisions by Taylor. The game is currently on Kickstarter .…

The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

1
Who, What, Why S33.E03 :: Being an RPG Writer with Crystal Mazur 1:22:00

for 3 years siden1:22:00