Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication

In episode 142 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with freelance game designer Rosco Schock about his first published game, Diplomacy: The Golden Blade, released by Renegade Game Studios. The conversation focuses on the challenge of translating the "feel" of a classic, beloved strategy game into a streamlined and more approachable card game experience.

We also discuss the path from prototype to publication, finding the right publisher and timing for a licensed project, and balancing respect for a 60-year-old franchise while creating something new. Rosco explains how Diplomacy: The Golden Blade now serves as an on-ramp to the larger Diplomacy experience, why understanding a game's unique selling points matters, and how patience and persistence pay off in game design. Plus, we learn what a game triathlon is.

Featuring: 

Rosco Schock - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 141 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with librarian and game designer, Lewis Graye, whose game design journey began after relocating to Syracuse, becoming part of the local tabletop scene, and participating in a game design contest at a wedding.

 

They share the story of Lewis’ first published design, Inkwell, and its unexpected path to publication, which began as a playtest mechanic that DVC Games expanded into a full game whose theme was inspired by the animated movie, The Secret of Kells. 

The discussion continues into the use of historical, open source inscriptions for content, the importance of balancing gameplay so it stays fun without becoming overly cutthroat, adapting designs to publisher constraints like box size and component changes, how player experience can shift depending on the group, designing escape rooms, the importance of getting a playable prototype to the table early, and how the salt in the Syracuse water yields some pretty great game designers.

 

Featuring: 

Lewis Graye - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 140 of Game Design Unboxed, we talk with Andrew Stiles, game designer and co-host of the podcast Tabletop Submarine, about how discovering GDU early in his design journey helped him better understand the tabletop space, and how a life reset during COVID (and a challenge to get a game signed in 6-months by his wife) sparked a career pivot into game design.

We talk about his first game, Wine Cellar, and how the inspiration came from his previous background as a sommelier, prompting him to lean into the “design what you know” mentality. Andrew talks us through key development decisions, such as scaling player counts, reworking card math, and how table space and visibility shape the player experience.

The episode also covers other topics, including the realities of breaking into the industry, the value of the UNPUB mentorship program, researching and targeting the right publishers, why smaller conventions are a great place to network for new designers, Board Game Arena (BGA) implementations, designing for non-gamers, and bad fonts that keep you up at night.

Featuring: 
Andrew Stiles - Guest
Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 139 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with Jade Shames and Ben Bronstein, co-founders of Pillbox Games and co-designers of this episode’s spotlight game, Side Effects.

They talk about how a mental illness–inspired card game idea (later titled Side Effects) sparked their collaboration and company, the power of bold visuals, why skeletons make perfect models, the balance between realism and accessibility, adjusting setup rules for varying player counts, and being innovative when it comes to product design for your games.

They also discuss homebrew variants, the all-too-familiar and disturbing medical side-effect warnings in commercials, and the hope that, if a misprint or typo occurs in print, it might become a collectible one day!

Featuring:

Jade Shames and Ben Bronstein - Guests
Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 138 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with Edwin D. Benton II, Founder and CEO of Doin’ the Most Games, about how his journey into game design stemmed from an addiction to app games like Words With Friends and a frustration with their limitations. This inspired him to build his own inclusive, slang-driven app where players could contribute words from around the world, a mindset that evolved into the world of tabletop card games, which were gaining popularity at the time.
 
We talk about the spontaneous vacation sing-along moment that sparked Song Survivor, his playtesting process (from parties with friends to blind tests), his passion for designing for players with disabilities and specific cultural groups, hiring experts, packaging for mass market (why box size matters), and leveraging celebrity endorsements (and how to get them).

Featuring:

Edwin D. Benton II - Guest
Danielle Reynolds - Host