41 Best Game Design Podcasts

1. Ludology

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Welcome to Ludology, an analytical discussion of the how's and why's of the world of board games. Rather than news and reviews, Ludology explores a variety of topics about games from a wider lens, and discusses game history, game design and game players.Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.MORE Hosts Erica Hayes-bouyouris, Sen-foong Lim
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 10k-50k
Recent Guests Daniel Kwan, David Gordon +4 more
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 498 Avg Length 55 min Format Long form Since Feb 2011 Get Email Contact Get access to full database of 2.7M podcastsCreate podcast lists, export in spreadsheet or CSV file with email contacts and start your podcast outreach in minutes.Sign Up for Free with Email Continue with Google

2. The Board Game Design Lab

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The Board Game Design Lab was created for one purpose: to help you design great games people love. To accomplish that goal, this podcast interviews designers, publishers, and board game insiders on specific topics related to game design. I don't waste time talking about recently played games or pop culture. Instead, the show does a deep dive into subjects that I hope you'll find extremely valuable as you progress through your game design journey.MORE Host Gabe Barrett
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 4.7/5Apple Reviews 326Twitter 2.9K Avg Length 68 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

3. Designer Notes

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Why do we make games? Every designer has a different and very personal answer to that question. Soren Johnson, founder of Mohawk Games, sits down with noted designers to find out by examining their careers as a whole.MORE Hosts Soren Johnson, Adam Saltsman
Producer/Network Idle Thumbs
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Recent Guests Cole Wehrle, Zach Barth +4 more
Apple Rating 4.9/5Apple Reviews 267Facebook 2.1KTwitter 40K Avg Length 149 min Format Extended Since Oct 2014 Get Email Contact

4. The Game Design Round Table

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Covering the full breadth of digital, tabletop, and role playing games, The Game Design Round Table inspires and educates aspiring and experienced game designers.
Hosts Dirk Knemeyer, David V. Heron
Producer/Network Dirk Knemeyer & David V. Heron
Email ****@knemeyer.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 4.8/5Apple Reviews 249Twitter 1.8K Avg Length 59 min Format Long form Since Nov 2012 Get Email Contact

5. Building the Game

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Join Jason Slingerland and his fellow game design friends as they discuss the ins and outs, and ups and downs of being tabletop game designers in a documentary style. The Building the Game Podcast is published every week.MORE Host Jason Slingerland
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 4.9/5Apple Reviews 60Facebook 248 Avg Length 64 min Format Long form Since Jun 2012 Get Email Contact

6. Yes Indie'd Pod

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Do I like game design? Yes, indie'd! A podcast of bitesize interviews with indie tabletop roleplaying game creators about their work and game design theory & practice. Releases every two weeks.MORE Host Thomas M
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 40Twitter 645 Avg Length 60 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

7. Nerdlab Podcast

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If you want to design your own games, this podcast is for you. We will dive deep into topics like development tools, game mechanics, card design, marketing and discuss everything you need to know to start your first Kickstarter campaign. To analyse these topics, we will be looking at existing card games and board games and take a deeper look at their core mechanics in order to use them as inspiration for our own games. Everything we discuss will be applied to a fantasy adventure card game we develop in parallel to the podcast...MORE Host Marvin Hegen
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 40Facebook 104Twitter 92Instagram 3K Avg Length 47 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

8. Design Doc

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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.MORE Hosts Hannah Shaffer, Evan Rowland
Producer/Network Hannah Shaffer and Evan Rowland
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 33Twitter 304 Avg Length 44 min Format Long form Since Oct 2017 Get Email Contact

9. RPG Design Panelcast

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The best recorded panels and seminars about analog game design and publishing
Host Jason Pitre
Email ****@genesisoflegend.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 4.3/5Apple Reviews 31Facebook 91Twitter 2.5KInstagram 380 Avg Length 56 min Format Long form Since Nov 2012 Get Email Contact

10. Fun Problems

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Board game design is a deep and often challenging pursuit. We explore all aspects of game design and the fun problems (and solutions) that come with it.
Hosts A.J. Brandon, Peter C Hayward
Producer/Network AJ Brandon and Peter C. Hayward
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 28Facebook 2Twitter 1.5KInstagram 11 Avg Length 82 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

11. Rule of Carnage - Designing Better Miniatures Games

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Game designers Mike Hutchinson and Glenn Ford talk about how, why and if they design tabletop miniatures games. With discussions, tips, reviews and interviews.
Producer/Network Glenn Ford
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 18Facebook 416Instagram 910 Avg Length 39 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

12. Bit Storm

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A comedy game design podcast by two guys who know nothing about comedy nor game design.Join Trevor Scott and Ben Slinger as they take prompts from random word generators, movies, game titles and more and turn them into occasionally hilarious but always interesting game designs.MORE Producer/Network Ben Slinger and Trevor Scott
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Apple Rating 4.2/5Apple Reviews 14Facebook 91Twitter 163Instagram 45 Avg Length 35 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

13. The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast

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Join game designers Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, and Trevor Muller-Hegel as they analyze published games from a game developer's perspective. Each month, they pick a new game mechanic and three games to play in that genre. Each episode is 20 minutes of pure game design nerdiness!MORE Producer/Network Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, Trevor Muller-Hegel
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 12 Avg Length 27 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

14. Why We Roll

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Why We Roll is a streaming show and podcast about designing tabletop roleplaying games, hosted by Chris Pickett (Danse Macabre) and Wythe Marschall (Stillfleet).Chris and Wythe host in-depth conversations with professional game designers with a focus on contemporary indie TTRPGs. They also occasionally run actual-play sessions and offer behind-the-scenes looks at the games they're developing.Topics covered to date include game-design inspirations and best practices, the politics of games, illustrating game concepts, cards as mechanics, character backstories, party formation, eco-catastrophes..MORE Producer/Network The Stillfleet Studio
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Recent Guests Spencer Campbell, John Boyle +3 more
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 11 Avg Length 68 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

15. Game Design Deep Dive

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Dan Bullock interviews game designers with a focus on the challenges of historical board game design. 
Producer/Network Dan Bullock
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Recent Guests Joe Schmidt, Greg Loring-Albright
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 10 Avg Length 62 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

16. Knox Game Design

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Knox Game Design is a monthly discussion by game creators in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. We share our ideas, show off projects, and discuss current topics related to video game development. Our group explores the many facets of the game design process, such as coding, graphics, modeling, animation, story, and promotion. You can find out more information on the group including future meeting dates at knoxgamedesign.orgMORE Hosts Dylan Wolf, Levi D. Smith
Producer/Network Knox Game Design
Email ****@dylanwolf.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 4/5Apple Reviews 8Twitter 67 Avg Length 32 min Format Medium form Since Jan 2016 Video Podcast YouTube
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17. Think Like A Game Designer

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In Think Like a Game Designer, award-winning designer and Stone Blade Entertainment CEO Justin Gary speaks with world-class game designers and creative experts from various industries. Each episode deconstructs the creative process, offering insights into the art of game design and the broader cultural, technological, and business influences shaping a myriad of creative mediums. Join us for actionable advice and unique perspectives that will enrich your understanding of what it means to be creative in and out of the gaming world. justingarydesign.substack.comMORE Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Recent Guests Cole Wehrle, Amy Lowe +3 more
Apple Reviews 133Facebook 56 Avg Length 76 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

18. Furidashi Game Design Academy

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A podcast on gaming and video game design from both practical and academic perspectives.
Hosts Nicholas Theisen, Lauryn Ash
Producer/Network Nicholas Theisen
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 5 Avg Length 54 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

19. Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

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Game Design Unboxed features interviews with tabletop game designers on specific games or series of games they have created. Listeners will learn where the initial idea for the game came from, how the game developed over time and where the game is now after being published.MORE Host Danielle Reynolds
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Recent Guests Mitch Wallace, John D. Clair +1 more
Apple Rating 4.2/5Apple Reviews 7Instagram 858 Avg Length 171 min Format Extended Get Email Contact

20. Make That Game! A Game Design Podcast

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Come hear pitches for the latest, greatest new video games, that will never be made! Listen as Isaac and Claire share their own vide game ideas (that of course, they will never make), discuss games that they love (and maybe don't), and rapid-fire come up with ideas live on tape! Start anywhere (we recommend after episode 60 or so for the best listening experience). Not only do we design games but we also break down popular games and the designs behind them. Sometimes we ask the big game design questions, like tackling replay-ability, difficulty and other things!MORE Producer/Network Claire and Isaac
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 1 Avg Length 48 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

21. A Bit of Board Games: A Board Game Design Journey

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*Podcast is on a hiatus*A casual podcast by Bit Waffle Games documenting our journey in designing and publishing board games. We talk about a bit of our lives, a bit of our design process, and a bit of board games. Bit Waffle Games is an independent board game studio made up of two friends, Ralph and Stephen. We've been playing video games and board games for years, and wanted to tell our own stories through games...MORE Producer/Network Bit Waffle Games
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 4/5Apple Reviews 6 Avg Length 44 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

22. Serious Game Design Podcast

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Harness The Power Of Play. This podcast is a supplement to the New Media and Serious Game Design courses from The Game Beyond. Weekly reviews and Q&A are recorded for this podcast. Join one of our courses to get the most out of the podcast.MORE Producer/Network The Game Beyond
Email ****@thegamebeyond.com
Apple Rating 5/5 Avg Length 27 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

23. Wait, Roll That Again!

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This is Wait, Roll That Again! A Tabletop RPG Design Podcast hosted by Alex, from Aotearoa New Zealand! Alex designed his first game, and chronicled that story in the show's first two seasons. Now, every episode covers the behind-the-scenes story of a different tabletop RPG. https://waitrollthatagain.carrd.co/MORE Producer/Network Wait, Roll That Again!
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 2 Avg Length 30 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

24. Lens and Veil Podcast

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?️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.-⭐About the Cast-Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games.-Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom.-Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam.MORE Hosts Shem Phillips, Sam Macdonald, Zachary Smith
Producer/Network Garphill Games
Email ****@garphill.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Recent Guest Zach Smith
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 2 Avg Length 67 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

25. System Shop

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Welcome to System Shop, the podcast where we deep dive into RPG design, one subsystem at a time.Join us as we explore the origins, empirical trends, and future design space of all aspects of tabletop game design. What's the point of mechanising carrying capacity or NPC attitudes? Why distinguish between armour and evasion, or attributes and skills? Many stories may begin with 'because D&D did it', but that's far from the end…We dig deeper by asking: how do differences in design decisions make players act and feel, and is this wholly intended? What is gained or lost by being able to sum up ..MORE Producer/Network Violet & Freya
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Recent Guest Roz Leahy
Apple Reviews 1 Avg Length 87 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

26. Games Every Designer Should Play

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This is 'Games Every Designer Should Play,' the podcast that explores the world of game design by analysing some of the greatest games of all time. Join your lecturers in game design: Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills, and David Grant, as they explore the essential games that have left a lasting impression on the industry and on us.In each episode, we dissect and analyse a game that shaped the landscape of game design...MORE Producer/Network Stuart Lilford
Recent Guest David Grant
Apple Reviews 1 Avg Length 72 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

27. Designing Problems

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Hosts Kristian Serrano and Tracy Sizemore explore the ins and outs of RPG design, production and publishing. We cover the entire process from the creative woes of working on your own game or setting, to your decision to share it with the world, to the details of layout, working with artists and running a crowdfunding campaign.MORE Producer/Network Tracy Sizemore & Kristian Serrano
Email ****@gmail.com
Recent Guest Chris Valentine
Apple Rating 5/5 Avg Length 55 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

28. Notes on Play

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A game development log where I share the hardest game design problems, and share thoughts on the games I'm playing. My name is John Rudolph Drexler and you can find my games at catacombian.comMORE Avg Length 12 min Format Short form Get Email Contact

29. Paper Labyrinths

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Paper Labyrinths is a podcast about overlapping disciplines of game design. Join Nic Tringali and Brendan McLeod as they have conversations with designers, artists, critics, and others whose work exists at the intersections of video games, analog games, and other forms of media.MORE Producer/Network Nic Tringali, Brendan McLeod
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 7 Avg Length 64 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

30. Gamestorm

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Gamestorm is a podcast all about tabletop game design! Join us for our first season as we bring on guests from here in the Chicago area, spin a random prompt and design a game based off of it over the course of an episode!Logo by CapacityForWonder and music by Reece E Ryan. MORE Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 3 Avg Length 81 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

31. Scratching an Itch

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The psychology of game design, one itch.io game at a time. I play indie games I actually like and explain why they're fun. I'm a psychologist and a game designer, so I also point out what you can use in your own games. Episodes are about 10 minutes. zivanovic.substack.comMORE Email ****@substack.com
Avg Length 10 min Format Bite size Get Email Contact

32. Level Design Lobby

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The Level Design Lobby, breaks down game and level design techniques, showing how they are used within games, as well as how we can improve upon them. It also shares reading material to its audience, while providing interviews with industry professionals. Please Subscribe----Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaxpearsWebsite: http://www.maxpears.com/MORE Host Max Pears
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 1k-10k
Recent Guests Al Yang, Stuart Maine +1 more
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 66Twitter 10.5K Avg Length 33 min Format Medium form Since Sep 2017 Get Email Contact

33. Pretentious Game Ideas

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The monthly game design podcast that you haven't been waiting for! Join us as we discuss, explore, and get out of our depths in a new game design topic every episode.
Producer/Network Ruddy Games
Email ****@ruddygam.es
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 16Twitter 108 Avg Length 48 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

34. Brain Arcade

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Unlock the secrets of game design with Brain Arcade! Join Creative Director Chris Cross, a 30+ year industry veteran, as he dives into his insights on building engaging games and mastering the art of communicating with your audience. Looking for deeper knowledge that you can actually apply? Chris and his diverse guests from various professions examine theories and uncover fresh perspectives to validate or debunk Chris' experiential knowledge. Get ready to learn, challenge ideas, and elevate your brain.MORE Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 13 Avg Length 40 min Format Long form Get Email Contact

35. Game Designers of North Carolina Podcast

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The Game Designers of North Carolina is a guild of tabletop game designers who, shockingly, reside in North Carolina. We've been meeting regularly since April 2013 and when we started most of us did not have a lot of exposure or experience in tabletop game design. We've learned a lot as a group since we started and this podcast is a way to share some of that knowledge. Our goal for the podcast is to present a lot of information pertinent for new designers but hopefully also offer content that any designer can find useful...MORE Hosts Matt Wolfe, Mark McGee
Producer/Network GDofNC
Email ****@gdofnc.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 4.6/5Apple Reviews 10Facebook 402Twitter 967 Avg Length 58 min Format Long form Since Sep 2015 Get Email Contact

36. The Who, What, Why? Game Design Podcast

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On Who, What, Why? I discuss game design with those who make games and try to learn more about the game design process. Each episode I interview a designer, publisher, developer, artist, etc. of tabletop games such as card, board, or role playing. Some episodes discuss big ideas in design rather than individual games. I have both mainstream and independent developers as guests.MORE Host Michael Bonet
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Reviews 10Facebook 180Twitter 1.4K Avg Length 58 min Format Long form Since Apr 2020 Get Email Contact

37. Game Design w/ Richard Pullman

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I'm Richard Pullman, and I want to talk to you about your game. Whether you're a total amateur hobbyist who's never released a product or a professional making the big bucks I want know what game design means to you. Nothing is more interesting to me.One of the best things about the podcast? I've been helping designers break through challenges in live time while discussing! It keeps happening! Helping creators is my joy.MORE Producer/Network Richard Pullman
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 1 Avg Length 128 min Format Extended Get Email Contact

38. Game Design Journal

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The Game Design Journal podcast talks about the art of game design from the eyes of both a gamer and a designer.Experience your favourite games through the eyes of the host, Lefkos Savvides as he opens up his mind and talks about features, mechanics, user experience and overall game design of games that captured his heart.MORE Producer/Network Lefkos Savvides
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Reviews 4 Avg Length 22 min Format Medium form Get Email Contact

39. Level Design Podcast

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The Level Design podcast is your view into the world of game development through the lens of Level Design!Every two weeks we come at you with a great interview or discussion about games, the process of making games or game development adjacent topics.MORE Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 5/5Apple Reviews 4Facebook 19Twitter 3.4KInstagram 65 Avg Length 65 min Format Long form Since Apr 2019 Video Podcast YouTube
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40. Game Design Critics

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We take deep looks into the design of games.Our goal is to find a mobile game and play it for about a week more or less, and then discuss the design of the game. We talk about what we liked, what stood out to us, what we didn't like, and how we think we could make it better. Here's our website for our podcast!https://thecrancher.wixsite.com/gamedesigncritics/podcastThank you so much for listening!MORE Hosts TheCrancher, Kritz, James
Email ****@gmail.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Rating 3/5Apple Reviews 1 Avg Length 66 min Format Long form Since Dec 2019 Get Email Contact

41. The Game Design Hacks

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Two developers discuss, diagnose and design video and table-top games.Tune in as Dale and Tom breakdown design decisions on all kinds of games, prototype designs live, and discuss game development.MORE Producer/Network The Game Design Hacks
Email ****@dalejwilliams.com
Estimated Monthly Listeners 100-1k
Apple Reviews 1Facebook 32 Avg Length 70 min Format Long form Since Jan 2021 Get Email Contact