Start / Think Like A Game Designer / Isaac vega from humble prototypes to bioshock tables navigating unexpected successes and the freedom of forging ones path in game design 44

Isaac Vega — From Humble Prototypes to Bioshock Tables, Navigating Unexpected Successes, and the Freedom of Forging One’s Path in Game Design (#44)

76 min • 30 januari 2023

Isaac Vega has been designing board games for over a decade. Isaac has sold over 500,000 copies of his games worldwide and is an award-winning designer. He co-founded Rose Gauntlet Entertainment and is the designer of the hit game Dead of Winter. There are so many awesome lessons in this episode. Let’s get started!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe

Senaste avsnitt

Tim Ferriss — Designing Coyote, Playing to Learn, Publishing Truths, and Saying "No" (#89)

7 augusti | 151 min

Cole Wehrle — Cute Creatures, Brutal Games, Asymmetric Design, and Subverting Expectations (#88)

24 juli | 76 min

Amy Lowe — Finding Your X Factor, Marketing with Heart, and Serving the Right Players (#87)

10 juli | 68 min

Derek Sivers — Embracing Simplicity, Owning Your Weirdness, and Designing a Life with Intent (#86)

24 juni | 91 min

Dominic Crapuchettes — Designing for Constraints, Rebuilding After Failure, and Finding the Magic in Games (#85)

12 juni | 69 min

SolForge Fusion Shadows Over Solis

27 maj | 9 min

Kohji Nagata — Building Parallel, Designing with Obsession, and Falling in Love with Your Creations (#84)

15 maj | 90 min

Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)

1 maj | 69 min

Justin Ziran — Digital Magic: Fear and Success, Leading with Bold Decisions, and Redefining Innovation (#82)

8 april | 84 min

James Introcaso — Game Masters, the Rise of Indie RPGs and Showing Up for Luck (#81)

27 mars | 59 min

Jesse Alexander — Mastering the Creative Hustle, Fighting for Bold Ideas, and Thriving in a Changing Industry (#80)

27 februari | 71 min

Ryan Soave — Embracing Discomfort, Overcoming Mental Blocks, and Unlocking Creative Growth (#79)

11 februari | 61 min

Matt Forbeck — From Warhammer to Marvel: Bold Risks, Creative Freedom, and Collaboration (#78)

16 januari | 64 min

Alliestrasza — From Hearthstone Streaming to Web3 Gaming: Building Communities and Crafting New Worlds (#77)

2 januari | 67 min

Eric Dieulangard — Altered: Marketing the most successful TCG Kickstarter of all time (#75)

12 december 2024 | 82 min

Travis George — From League of Legends to Vela Games: Prioritization, Leadership, and the Power of Constraints (#75)

21 november 2024 | 90 min

Alexander Seropian — From Halo to Fortnite: Mastering Team Dynamics, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and User Generated Content (#74)

7 november 2024 | 71 min

Richard Bartle & Nigel Roberts — The Power of ‘What If,’ Building Communities, and Navigating Decentralization in Game Design (#73)

24 oktober 2024 | 83 min

Alex Yeager — Mastering Game Pitches, Reviving Evergreen Titles, and Creating Social Experiences in Game Design (#72)

8 oktober 2024 | 70 min

Scott Morris — Building a Brand, Navigating Contracts, and the Power of Relationships in Game Design (#71)

19 september 2024 | 67 min

LIVE at Gen Con 2024 (Special Episode)

23 augusti 2024 | 33 min

Ethan Mollick — Navigating AI in Game Design, Ethical Integration, and Supporting Artists (#70)

8 augusti 2024 | 60 min

Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes (Special)

16 juli 2024 | 31 min

Jonathan Tweet — Pioneering RPG Design, Innovating Dungeons & Dragons, and Crafting Educational Stories (#69)

9 juli 2024 | 80 min

Geoff Engelstein — Game Design Wisdom, Educational Insights, and Industry Advocacy (#68)

20 juni 2024 | 64 min

Stephan Brissaud — Industry Leadership, Game Development, and Retail Strategies (#67)

29 maj 2024 | 77 min

Eric Price — Uniting VTubers and Players, Designing Oshi Push and the Importance of GAMA (#66)

15 maj 2024 | 53 min

Neeraj Kashyap — Web3 Game Design, Navigating Scams, Success Stories, and Pioneering the Path for Gaming in Emerging Tech (#65)

24 april 2024 | 76 min

Ben Robbins — World Building in Microscope, Gaming with Strangers and Writing Effective Rules (#64)

9 april 2024 | 67 min

Jason Morningstar — Designing Fiasco, Emotional Risks of Creative Projects, and a Culture of Learning and Play (#63)

26 mars 2024 | 73 min

Jane Chung Hoffacker — From League of Legends to animating Arcane, Rhythms of Guitar Hero, and Mastering IP Creation (#62)

12 mars 2024 | 85 min

C. Thi Nguyen — Game Design as Art, Fish Taco Adventures, and Exploring Game Design Principles in Daily Life (#61)

27 februari 2024 | 94 min

Maxine "MJ" Newman — Leading Arkham Horror into New Realms, Unveiling Cooperative Game Magic, and Navigating Career Crossroads (#60)

13 februari 2024 | 66 min

Anthony Giovannetti — Crafting Slay the Spire, Nurturing Team Dynamics, Balancing Life and Launches, and Embracing the Magic of Mods (#59)

30 januari 2024 | 80 min

Casey Yano — Designing with Detail in Slay the Spire, Mastering the Gaming Grind, Marketing dos and donts, and Building a High Trust Company Culture (#58)

16 januari 2024 | 95 min

Steven Pressfield — Conquering Creative Resistance, The Craft of Historical Fiction, and the Interplay of Games and the Muse (#57)

2 januari 2024 | 82 min

Tim Hutchings — Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Blending Fine Arts with Game Design, Crafting Emotional RPG Experiences, and Teaching Design Through Philosophy (#56)

19 december 2023 | 72 min

Michael Borys — The Art of Immersive Gaming Experiences, Blending Storytelling with Interactive Design, and Crafting Alternate Realities (#55)

5 december 2023 | 70 min

Morgan Page — Finding the Shared Rhythms of Music and Game Design, Maximizing Creative Collaborations, and the Importance of the Fundamentals (#54)

13 november 2023 | 88 min

Mark Otero — The Artistry of Game Development, Navigating the Crossroads of Engagement and Economics, Reimagining In-Game Asset Strategies, and Cultivating Community Through Gaming (#53)

24 oktober 2023 | 93 min

Reiner Knizia — Systems for Publishing 700+ Games, Crafting Profound Gameplay from Simple Rules, Innovations in Scoring and Auction Systems, and The Joy of Tabletop Gaming (#52)

26 september 2023 | 57 min

Stefan Engblom — Designing games for millions of people and billions of dollars, Secrets of building game communities, The 2AM Party Principle, Reacting to player feedback (#51)

4 september 2023 | 110 min

Soren Johnson (Part II) — Innovating 4X Strategy Games, Insights from Civilization IV, and Designing the Future of Gaming. (#50)

24 juli 2023 | 102 min

Think Like a Game Designer: Shards of Infinity Kickstarter Special

11 juli 2023 | 10 min

Soren Johnson (Part I) — Building Civilization Through 4X Design, Bridging Digital and Physical Gaming, Navigating the Evolving TCG Landscape, and Crafting Games for Varied Playtimes (#49)

12 juni 2023 | 97 min

Jon Barry — Mastering Game Accessories with Forged Gaming: From Community Insights to Crowdfunding Masterpieces, and the Role of AI in Future Gaming (#48)

24 maj 2023 | 61 min

Gary Arant — Ascending the Ranks at Stone Blade: From Intern to COO, Designing Iconic Card Games, and Challenging Assumptions in Game Development (#47)

8 maj 2023 | 71 min

Jamey Stegmaier — Kickstarter Beginnings, Revolutionizing Rulebooks, Mastering Solo Gameplay, and Balancing Game Design with Time Management (#46)

28 mars 2023 | 86 min

Matt Fantastic — The Indy Game Ethos, Punk Rock Designs, Navigating Success Beyond Sales, Collaborative Dynamics, and the Power of Empathy in Game Design (#45)

1 mars 2023 | 99 min

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Inferno Special

15 februari 2023 | 17 min

Isaac Vega — From Humble Prototypes to Bioshock Tables, Navigating Unexpected Successes, and the Freedom of Forging One’s Path in Game Design (#44)

30 januari 2023 | 76 min

Sean K. Reynolds — Crafting Legendary RPGs, Building Worlds & Teams, Valuing Writer Voices, and the Anatomy of Game Design (#43)

9 januari 2023 | 85 min

Ben Brode — From Pizza Delivery to Hearthstone's Helm: Crafting Digital Card Games, the Essence of Decision-Making, Building Trust in the Gaming Industry, Innovating with Marvel Snap (#42)

6 december 2022 | 89 min

Alex Watkins — From Evolutions in Mechanics to Shaping the Future of Organized Play, The Journey of Crafting a New Gaming Experience in Soulforge Fusion (#41)

31 oktober 2022 | 65 min

John D. Clair — Crafting Award-Winning Games, Navigating Legal Pitfalls, Lessons from Downfall, and Innovating with Kinetic Design (#40)

26 september 2022 | 75 min

Luke Peterschmidt — From Dungeons & Dragons to Bakugan: Leveraging Game Design in Marketing, Teaching, and Global Phenomenons (#39)

26 juli 2022 | 90 min

Phil Walker-Harding — Crafting Accessible Games, The Journey from Self-Publishing to Global Success with Sushi Go!, and Mastering the Art of Core Game Mechanics. (#31)

30 juni 2022 | 74 min

Think Like a Game Designer: Level Up!

9 maj 2022 | 12 min

Alan Phan — Charting New Territory: From First-time Game Ideas to Million-Dollar Kickstarters and The Power of Nostalgia in The Grand Archive (#37)

28 mars 2022 | 59 min

Richard Bartle — Pioneering Virtual Worlds: From M.U.D. to MMOs, Understanding Player Motivations, and Navigating the Ethical Maze of Online Interactions (#36)

28 februari 2022 | 89 min

Alan Gerding — From Core Principles to Kickstarter Success: The Psychology and Strategy Behind Crafting Mothership: Sci-Fi Horror RPG (#35)

21 januari 2022 | 101 min

Think Like a Game Designer #34: Mike Turian

27 december 2021 | 85 min

Brotherwise Games — From Sibling Bets to Publishing Success: Navigating Collaboration, Fostering Relationships with Influencers, and Championing Local Game Stores (#33)

19 november 2021 | 85 min

JT Smith — Crafting the Game Design Journey: From Prototyping with Game Crafter to Navigating Digital Playtesting and Harnessing the Power of Audacity (#32)

30 oktober 2021 | 69 min

Richard Garfield — Crafting Game Legacies: The Evolution of Unique Deck Games, Innovating SolForge Fusion, and Deep Dives into Procedural Generation (#31)

7 september 2021 | 69 min

Peter Adkison — Building Gen Con, Empowering Game Designers, and the Thrill of Gathering the Gaming Tribe (#30)

6 september 2021 | 78 min

Elizabeth Hargrave — Breaking the Mold with Wingspan, Lessons In Successful Game Pitches, Embracing Unique Genres, and Championing Inclusivity in Game Design (#29)

27 juli 2021 | 65 min

Jason Charles Miller — From Rockstar Stages to Voiceover Booths, Navigating the Entertainment Labyrinth, Time with Ozzy, Breathing Life into Characters, and The Magic of Live Streaming RPGs (#28)

14 juni 2021 | 64 min

Bruno Faidutti — Merging Game Mechanics, Simplifying Design, The Art of Drafting, and Unraveling the Myth of Unicorns (#27)

10 maj 2021 | 72 min

Rodney Thompson — Designing Across Platforms, Crafting Worker Placement Games, Delving into RPGs, and Transitioning from Tabletop to Destiny (#26)

19 mars 2021 | 105 min

John Zinser — From Pizzas to Publishing, Pioneering CCGs, Community Management, and Trusting the Strength of a Team (#25)

15 februari 2021 | 93 min

Think Like a Game Designer Mastery Course

13 februari 2021 | 10 min

Monte Cook — Crafting Immersive RPGs, Mastering Game Narratives, Refining Dungeons & Dragons, and the Nuances of Effective Playtesting (#24)

28 januari 2021 | 79 min

Rob Daviau — Innovating Legacy Gameplay, Revitalizing Classics, Unpacking the 'Elevator Pitch', and Balancing Game Aesthetics with Mechanics (#23)

18 december 2020 | 73 min

Matt Place — From Pro Magic Player to Digital TCG Innovator, Embracing Randomness, Teaching the Fun, and Mastering the Autobattler Genre (#22)

30 november 2020 | 94 min

Michael Gnade — From Indie Game Journalism to Board Game Creation, Embracing Feedback, Navigating Kickstarter, and The Cost of Game Marketing (#21)

21 oktober 2020 | 76 min

Elan Lee — From Star Wars Intern to Kickstarter Triumph, Embracing Risk in Game Design, The Power of Storytelling, and Crafting Games that Build Communities. (#20)

10 september 2020 | 89 min

Scott Gaeta — From Comics to Card Games, The Art of Forecasting, Driving Growth Through Organized Play, and Lessons from Decades in Game Industry (#19)

4 augusti 2020 | 80 min

Isaac Childres — Crafting the Gloomhaven Legacy, The Power of Audience, Daring Game Design Choices, and Ascending to BoardGameGeek’s #1 Spot (#18)

21 juli 2020 | 79 min

Think Like a Game Designer: Ascension Tactics Special

7 juli 2020 | 16 min

Eric Lang — Crafting Immersive Game Experiences, From Sugar Packet Prototypes to Epic Viking Sagas, Navigating Kickstarter Successes, and Fostering Empathetic Design Teams (#17)

9 juni 2020 | 120 min

Tom Lehmann — From Economics to Game Mechanics, Crafting Strategic Choices, and The Nuances of Cooperative Play (#16)

27 maj 2020 | 89 min

Keith Baker — Crafting Worlds and Weaving Tales: From Ebberon's Origins to Phoenix Dawn Command's Innovations (#15)

30 april 2020 | 83 min

Satine Phoenix — Mastering the Art of Storytelling, Building Gaming Communities, The Power of Streaming in Game Design, and The Journey from Passion to Profession in the World of Role-Playing (#14)

26 mars 2020 | 70 min

Devin Low — From Magic to Marvel: Game Narratives, Corporate Design Insights, and the Power of Effective Communication (#13)

18 februari 2020 | 106 min

Wright Bagwell — From Quake Mods to Game Streaming: Bridging Neuroscience and Game Design, Entrepreneurial Journeys, and Crafting Player-Centric Experiences (#12)

20 januari 2020 | 86 min

Richard Garfield — Delving into Game Narratives, The Essence of Memorable Gameplay, and Building Bridges with Fellow Designers (#11)

30 december 2019 | 88 min

Ryan Sutherland — From Instinct to Innovation: Balancing Mechanics and Theme in Game Design at Stone Blade (#10)

12 december 2019 | 65 min

Jordan Weisman — Crafting Iconic Worlds, The Interplay of Story and Mechanics, Lessons from Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Virtual Reality (#9)

15 november 2019 | 90 min

Liz Spain — From Fashion to Fantasy: Crafting Emotive Gameplay, the Psychology Behind Game Mechanics, and Embracing Adaptability in Game Design (#8)

8 oktober 2019 | 56 min

Tim Fowers — Navigating the World of Indie Board Game Design, Direct Sales Success, and the Craft of Game Development (#7)

2 juli 2019 | 67 min

Paul Peterson — Unveiling Smash Up's Ingenious Mechanics, Game Design Evolution, and the Creative Challenges of Shuffle Building (#6)

21 maj 2019 | 76 min

Raph Koster — Game Design Insights: Iteration, Constraints, and Real-World Inspiration (#5)

23 april 2019 | 86 min

James Ernest — Mastering Game Design, Navigating Bias Randomness, and Unconventional Pathways in the World of Gaming (#4)

19 mars 2019 | 88 min

Jesse Schell — Mastering Game Design, Unveiling the Secrets of Fun, and Exploring the Gamification of Life (#3)

19 februari 2019 | 89 min

Mark Rosewater — Decoding Game Design Principles, The Essence of Interaction, Minecraft's Dual Identity, and Pioneering Magic: The Gathering (#2)

23 januari 2019 | 87 min

Mike Selinker — Pioneering Puzzle Design, Crafting Immersive Game Narratives, Collaborating with Titans, and The Philosophy Behind Game Tension (#1)

22 januari 2019 | 75 min