The Game Design Round Table – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Game Design Round Table

Dirk Knemeyer & David V. Heron

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/13d. Total Eps: 395

Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.

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https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/856d2baa-cefb-4ae3-a7af-09966bf90339/landing
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http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/150/thomas-lehmann--------------------------Episode
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https://www.idlethumbs.net/terminal7
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-dark-room/id736683061?mt=8
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/device-6/id680366065?mt=8
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Score global : 32%

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BtC- Chris Backe on Digital Tools

Season 1 · Episode 374

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 53:13

In this episode of Behind the Cardboard, host Ellie Dix sits down with Chris Backe , a designer and digital playtesting expert, to explore the world of digital tools for game designers. Chris shares his go-to programs for virtual playtesting, insights into mastering platforms like Tabletop Simulator, and the pros and cons of testing games online versus in person. They also discuss how to create authentic player experiences in digital environments and why Chris chooses to keep his sell sheets public. A must-listen for designers looking to sharpen their digital toolkit.

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Season: RPG - Interlude: The Third Round Table

Season 1 · Episode 373

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 • Duration 52:21

Today, Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron sit down to discuss many of the previous episodes from the last two months, diving deeper into conceptual ideas about RPG design, as well as the powerful connection and community that TribeNet has created for Dirk.

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Season: RPG - Interlude: The Second Round Table

Season 1 · Episode 365

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 • Duration 44:24

In this RPG interlude, hosts Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron return to the table to revisit some of the big conversations from recent episodes. From the debate over whether RPGs are best enjoyed for combat or storytelling, to how "serious games" balance education and fun, they unpack listener feedback and expand on earlier ideas. The discussion also touches on the evolving structure of RPG categories and the dynamic relationship between designers and GMs. A reflective, thought-provoking round table that keeps the conversation going.

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#275 Diving Into Card-focused Adaptations and Expansions

Season 1 · Episode 275

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • Duration 57:00

Sydney Engelstein joins Dirk and David to talk about her history in game design and her work on multiple card-centric games. After discussing some of her earlier games such as the Space Cadet games, Sydney talks at length about her experience working on some of the popular game series in the Stronghold Games lineup: Aeon's End and Terraforming Mars. The discussion covers what it's like making expansions for the deckbuilder Aeon's End, how the design for Ares Expedition streamlined aspects of Terraforming Mars by focusing in on the card play, and some advice on the more business–oriented side of game acquisitions.

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#274 Damon Stone Talks Liberation Haiti

Season 1 · Episode 274

Friday, March 25, 2022 • Duration 01:02:01

Damon Stone joins Dirk and David to discuss his game Liberation Haiti, a historical-themed deckbuilder and a Zenobia Award finalist. First, Damon talks about his experience in game design and development, including how he got started working with Fantasy Flight. Next, Damon talks at length about the historical setting for Liberation Haiti and explains how he mapped different mechanics to that theme. Other topics include how undefined time to prepare for a final confrontation can sometimes sink a game and how Damon chose to handle the random elements of a game that uses both cards and dice.

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#273 Dave Scott Talks Everyday Heroes

Season 1 · Episode 273

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 • Duration 53:35

Dave Scott joins Dirk and David to discuss the upcoming tabletop roleplaying system Everyday Heroes, a revived and updated version of the old D20 Modern system. Dave discusses how he worked with a team of game designers to create rulesets for a system and roleplaying space that has fascinated Dave for years. One topic is a deep dive into the problems with chase mechanics in RPGs and how those mechanics are handled in Everyday Heroes. Another big discussion point is how Dave and the team decided to give the game a more cinematic feel and capture the action hero stereotypes without straying into superhero status. Finally, Dave talks about what the design process for his team looks like right now and how they utilize a group of hundreds of playtesters effectively.

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#272 Charlie Cleveland Talks Subnautica

Season 1 · Episode 272

Tuesday, February 22, 2022 • Duration 53:43

Charlie Cleveland joins Dirk and David to discuss his work on the underwater survival game Subnautica–an indie hit and a standout in the genre. The trio talk about the game's somewhat unusual theme and the difficulties of making a game set underwater. They also talk about how that theme helped influence the game's mechanics and continually reinforced the core design pillar for the game: thrill of the unknown. Finally, Charlie takes some time to talk about the early access process, aspects of the game that got cut, and a little discussion on the game's frosty followup title, Subnautica: Below Zero.

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#271 Lauren Ino Talks The Season

Season 1 · Episode 271

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 • Duration 53:51

Lauren talks to Dirk about her Regency era game, The Season. She gives a lot of background on the Regency romance setting and the Georgian Era in general. She explains how elements of her game reflect its historical setting. Lauren also talks about her experience with the Zenobia Awards competition and how it helped inspire her to finally follow through on a design she'd been thinking about for a long time.

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#270 Listener Questions January 2022

Season 1 · Episode 270

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 • Duration 01:01:50

Once again, Kathryn Hymes joins Dirk and David for another round of listener questions. The discussion starts with a thorough examination of how to best grow an audience for a game when starting at zero. Other conversations cover the new hot genres in games, consent and session zero conversations for board games, and what the cohosts look for with their personal gaming choices. Finally, the talk wraps up with a discussion on purposefully or accidentally toxic players in all gaming mediums and different solutions for those issues.

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#269 Joseph Kelly Talks Molly House

Season 1 · Episode 269

Tuesday, January 4, 2022 • Duration 47:36

Joseph joins Dirk and David to talk about their game Molly House, which was a Zenobia Award finalist. They discuss the historical theme behind the game, which was the Molly Houses where 18th century queer communities would gather. A major topic is how the game keeps players involved and engaged while including historical setbacks that the queer community faced. Other topics include the hardest aspects to include in the game, which mechanics worked most successfully, and what types of games Joseph might try to tackle in the future.

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The Game Design Round Table – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The Game Design Round Table – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other12

Apple Podcast2

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other12

Apple Podcast2