Come along with Hannah and Evan in a living documentation of the game design process, from the first spark of an idea, to every disastrous surprise. It’s not an instruction manual, but a travel guide, with lots of unexpected stops along the way.
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It would seem like creative inspiration should come from favorite films, classic works of art, and the world’s best novels. But sometimes, it can be hard to draw inspiration from perfect, untouchable things. In this episode, we take on the imperfect—bad movies from favorite directors, books that over-indulged in nostalgia, and video games with terrible final acts. Maybe the best inspiration comes from the things you most want to fix.
This episode is a re-air of a fan favorite: Imperfect Inspiration, first aired in July 2022.
Episode mentions:
Hannibal (2013 TV show)
The Princess Bride (1987 film)
His Dark Materials (Book Trilogy by Philip Pullman)
Ready Player One (Novel by Ernest Cline)
First Kill (2022 TV show) (Also Euphoria, also Twilight)
Neil Breen (Filmmaker)
NuTrek (Star Trek: Discovery, Strange New Worlds)
Flight (2012 film)
Indigo Prophecy (2005 video game)
The Prisoner (1967 TV show)
Dead Petz (2015 album, Miley Cyrus in collaboration with The Flaming Lips)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006 film)
Crimes of the Future (2022 film)
Honorable mention: Morbius
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
The Tyranny of Dice
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 56:12
What do the sequences (3-4-5-6), (5-2-5-2), and (1-1-1-1) have in common? They’re all random dice rolls! Sometimes randomness seems random, but more often than you’d expect, it looks like an obvious pattern. When relying on dice or cards as randomizers, how do you account for the edge cases and anomalies that can lead to repetition, unfair player imbalances, or long waits to get the results you need?
Episode Mentions:
It Follows (2014 film by David Robert Mitchell)
Design Doc ep. 112: Queuing for Canoeing
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Hannah and Evan tackle the question of reprinting versus redesigning an older game, Noirlandia. It’s a game that still sells well after all these years, but there are many tempting improvements to make. Where’s the line between editing a word here and there and getting drawn in by the siren song of a new edition?
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
How to Beat a Beta
Episode 118
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 • Duration 41:11
Hannah and Evan talk about the next steps involved in releasing a new draft of the Escape from Wonderland beta. The sprint to publish a public version of the rules involved a ton of time and effort, but the work isn’t done yet! The newest release includes incorporating changes based on playtester feedback, fancying up flavor text, and releasing online play tools for the first time.
Good news—that version is out now! Find Escape from Wonderland 0.6 here.
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Announcement: Escape from Wonderland Public Beta
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 04:02
A quick announcement episode to let everyone know that the Escape from Wonderland beta rules are live. This is a draft of the game rules, publicly available for anyone to read and play. To share your thoughts, join us on Discord. Links below:
Turtlebun discord: https://discord.gg/h6JsahwgH
Link to the beta rules doc here: https://turtlebun.com/products/escape-from-wonderland
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Planning a Public Playtest (with Josh Yearsley)
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 01:15:46
Hannah sits down with rules editor and game designer Josh Yearsley (Root, Arcs) for a conversation about public playtesting. After more than a decade of editing rulebooks, Josh has developed a keen eye and intuition for playtest feedback. Josh talks about playtesting as a fluid conversation, incorporating feedback on a community scale, and staying true to your own voice when it starts to get lost in the shuffle.
Links to episode mentions:
Buried Giant Studios
Double Fine PsychOdyssey
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Turtlebun links:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/h6JsahwgH (this link expires after 30 days—if you click and it's expired, email us!)
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Short Break Announcement
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • Duration 08:12
We're taking a short break to focus on finishing a game. See you back soon!
Links
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Dying on the First Turn
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Duration 51:00
Evan and Hannah talk about two separate playtests—Evan’s playtest of the near-complete Escape from Wonderland, and Hannah’s playtest of the just-begun Seekers of the Thrice-Lost Crown. Both games went well, but surprises lurk around every corner, and sometimes someone has to die on the first turn.
Episode mentions
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2018)
Links
Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
Rapid Design: Snowhere Special
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 31:14
Hannah and Evan sit down for a rapid design session for Escape from Wonderland. In 30 minutes, they design an entirely new snow-themed park zone, complete with a gun-wielding Santa.
Turtlebun Links
Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
No Wrong Way to Eat a Pear
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • Duration 27:40
While Evan's away, Hannah reflects on the announcement that Hampshire College, an unconventional school founded in the 1970s, is closing its doors. It was flawed, idealistic, and not always what was promised. But it was a special place that encouraged weirdos to be weird, and paved our own winding path to game design.
Hampshire College Workers' Emergency Relief Fund
Help Hampshire workers faced with sudden job loss:
https://www.helphampshireworkers.com/
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/hampshire-college-workers-emergency-relief-fund
Turtlebun Links
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Turtlebun on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Turtlebun webstore: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com
