Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 147 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with the designer of Lava Run, Louie Loops, whom listeners may also recognize as the professional crocheter and content creator behind the YouTube channel “Louie’s Loops” and Club Crochet.

 

Louie shares how childhood game-making and a creative challenge called “New Game” sparked his interest in design, and how he eventually merged his love of crochet with game design to create “craftable games.”

 

We discuss turning frustration into creative inspiration, balancing strategy and randomness, comeback mechanics, expansions, and what happens after a game is published. Louie also shares what it’s like to launch a game with an existing audience, market to non-gamers, and enter a new industry as a beginner after being an expert in his craft.

 

Featuring: 

Louie Loops - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 146 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Ionah Nguyen, a Seattle-based board game designer and founder of the board game studio Brainy Hearty.

 

Ionah is also the co-founder and CEO of Everjoy Global, a company dedicated to bringing Vietnamese tabletop games to international publishers and distributors by creating opportunities for Vietnamese designers to gain visibility and connections in the industry.

 

In this episode, we discuss how games can be used to preserve tradition and bridge cultures through play, accessibility feedback from playtesters, colorblind adjustments, the unique production challenges of manufacturing handcrafted game components, and some of the barriers to entry encountered by international designers.

 

Featuring: 

Ionah Nguyen - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 145 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with game designer and owner of Ludoliminal, Sabrina Culyba, about the story behind her completely accurate, family-friendly dinosaur game Uh Oh, Dino!

Sabrina shares how after spending 13 years in the video game industry, she found her way into tabletop game design through a game design contest that challenged participants to create a game from a random bag of components. We talk about how playing games with her young daughter inspired her passion for designing family games, and why cooperative games have become such a meaningful way to bring players of different ages together.

The episode also covers the impact of tactile components when designing and games for children, balancing cooperative games, self-publishing, how everyone has a "dino era," and the differences between playtesting with children and adults.
 

Featuring: 

Sabrina Culyba - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 144 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with freelance game designer and co-founder of Postmark Games, Matthew Dunstan.

Matthew shares how his curiosity for understanding what happens behind the scenes led him from being a sports referee and umpire in Australia to moving to the UK, where a growing design community, weekly meetups, and a game design contest helped launch his full-time design career.

Together, we discuss how digital playtesting has transformed the industry, designer compensation and contracts, collaborative design, how to create successful print-and-play games, and why building a stronger, more sustainable tabletop industry starts with supporting the people who create it.

 

Featuring: 

Matthew Dunstan - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 143 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with board game designer and founder of Pink Hawk Games, Emily Vincent.

After a career in software and UX design, Emily caught the game design bug when she realized the games she wanted to play simply weren't on the table. She shares how her love of afternoon tea inspired Pirates of the High Teas, leading to a great discussion on thematic integration, player motivation, and making mechanics feel believable.

The episode also covers how Emily's UX background informs playtesting and player feedback, managing player expectations, game naming and SEO, overlooked maintenance mechanics, the realities of crowdfunding, the rise of delightfully unique themes in tabletop, and how embracing authenticity and challenging traditional ideas of professionalism can lead to greater success both in design and in life.
 

Featuring: 

Emily Vincent - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host