Episoder
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This week, we talk about the unpredictable mechanical swings that can happen between different versions of a game. Small tweaks to mechanics can trigger a cascade of unintended effects, causing the game design pendulum to swing from too many choices to too few and back again. We talk through examples of how we've managed these swings in Escape from Wonderland, and discuss our ongoing efforts to find the right balance.
Links:
Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode 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 -
We’re introducing a new dynamic to our latest roleplaying game! You all came to this amusement park as friends, but one of you started serving the park’s demonic forces. And things are about to get mean.
How can characters become enemies while players remain friends? When the rules ask you to clash with you peers, care and consideration needs to be given to keeping the antagonism fun.
Links:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Support Design Doc monthly on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Where to buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode 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 -
Manglende episoder?
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Hannah had to get a full time office job. Since then, finding the time and energy for creative work has been an uphill battle. In this episode, Hannah sits down with close friend and fellow game designer Joshua A.C. Newman to talk about life, art, and staying true to your values in trying times.
Support Joshua’s work!
https://www.patreon.com/joshua
https://www.patreon.com/PunkPedagogy
Links:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode 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 -
Hannah and Evan discuss Wonderland's first four-player playtest. When a playtest goes wrong, it can be tricky to diagnose the cause. How much is due to the rules, and what's connected to the more subtle influence of mood and flow?
Links:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode 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 -
Slow and steady wins the race... but does it work in a one-session RPG? From what we've seen in Escape from Wonderland, not quite. In this episode, we discuss pacing in roleplaying games: from the moment players arrive at the table to leaving everyone feeling satisfied with the story's twists and turns. We dig into the challenge of building uncanny horror—where a slow burn creates the best dread—and whether it's possible to communicate that in a single sitting.
Mentioned in this episode:
Visioneers (2008 film)
Links/Credits:
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com -
Sometimes a secret is worth more than gold. But how do you make concrete rules for something intangible? Hannah and Evan talk about the secrets of Wonderland and what to do when the rules are out of step with the story.
Links/Credits:
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
We're now on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com -
Even when things are going wrong for your characters, you as a player might feel rewarded by narrative twists and turns. In this episode, Hannah and Evan discuss the ways that games can reward both players and characters, and do some live game design about claw machine prizes...
Links/Credits:
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
When people decide what art is worth looking at, they look for the very best. In a world that demands creative endeavors be perfect, how do we find the confidence to make and share our own art?
Episode mentions:
Olga Smirnova / Dutch National Ballet:
https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dancers/olga-smirnova
Toki Pona:
https://tokipona.org/
A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart (essay):
https://worrydream.com/refs/Lockhart_2002_-_A_Mathematician's_Lament.pdf
The Jewish Wedding by Jovan Obican (lithograph):
https://rogallery.com/artists/jovan-obican/jewish-wedding-2/
Links/Credits:
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
Is playtesting more of a science, or more art? How prepared should you be for a playtest if you're testing rules that might change on the fly, never to be seen again? In this episode we talk about playtesting our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, and how that went!
Links/Credits:
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
Our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, began as a hack of Questlandia. But what happens when the mechanics of an old game don't work with the story you want to tell? In this episode we talk about hacking games to do what we want them to do.
Links:
Support Design Doc on Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Find our games at: turtlebun.com
Credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc -
We often ask ourselves, "Do we need a mechanic for that?" In our newest game, Escape from Wonderland, we want to encourage players to travel across a haunted amusement park. How can the rules create meaningful choices about the places they should and shouldn't go? And when is it better to lose that choice, and end up somewhere randomized or predetermined? Join us as we navigate these questions and arrive in unexpected places!
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
We're taking a week off to recharge! We'll see you back in two weeks with a new episode of Design Doc. Rest easy.
Sincerely,
Hannah and Evan
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
We recently realized that we’ve drifted apart not just from our games community, but from our community at large. Now, in a world where the future feels uncertain and dire, we're asking ourselves: how do we reconnect?
Escape from Wonderland has just one week left on Kickstarter. You can read more and back the project here.
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc on Patreon: Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
The Kickstarter for Escape from Wonderland is LIVE! Support the game here!
How do you know when a game is ready for Kickstarter? How far along should it be before bringing it to the world? In this episode, we talk about the delicate balance of presentation—slick, but not *too* slick; done, but not *too* done. We explored how crowdfunding has changed for small creators now that big, well-resourced companies are bringing their games to Kickstarter too. When faced with a rising standard of "doneness," should we try to match them, or pave our own scrappy way?
Mentioned in this episode:
Yes, L'Oreal did do a Kickstarter (we're not linking to it).
Double Fine's adventure game Kickstarter (for the game that would eventually be called Broken Age).
Czech Dream documentary.
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc on Patreon: Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
The first conversation we've had about cover design in games! We discuss how book covers are often the first thing people see of our games, how a well-designed cover can stick in someone's memory, and how a great cover isn't just about first impressions—it can make you want to pick up a book again and again.
And a special thanks to our editor, Rob, for letting us know that yes, Scholastic Book Fairs do still exist. Link here: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com
Covers mentioned:
The Martian Chronicles (Link to cover, art by Michael Whelan)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Link)
The Golden Compass (Link to cover, art by Eric Rohmann)
Our covers mentioned, all by Evan Rowland:
Questlandia original edition
Questlandia second edition
Noirlandia
Mud: A Golem Memoir
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
One of the hardest lessons in game design is coming to terms with the fact that many of our favorite ideas will remain unrealized. In this episode, we explore the games we may never complete, our lingering dream of bringing them to life, and how accepting their incompleteness might help us face the reality of death.
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
Evan and Hannah try playing their new game with a very rough draft of the rules, in a cross between a playtest and design session. New ideas and new questions abound as they explore uncharted territory.
To follow along with the design, Questlandia character sheets and reference rules can be downloaded for free here:
https://turtlebun.com/pages/downloads
Questlandia can be purchased here:
https://turtlebun.itch.io/questlandia-second-edition
https://turtlebun.com/products/questlandia
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
We're joined by public historian and musical improviser Alanna Shaffer to discuss real-world amusement park horror and Dippin' Dots scams at Dorney Park.
Alanna shares thoughts about story vs plot, new character drives, and everyone's personal breaking point after a day with no water. To see Alanna and Thank You, Places in person, check out their monthly improvised musical every last Thursday of the month at Tavern on Camac!
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a one-time tip: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord (we chat about Design Doc here!): https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
We continue our design of a creepy amusement park game, starting with the question, "What does bad behavior look like in an amusement park?" In this episode, we begin with a lot of questions, and end with a roadmap to a first playtest that includes character weaknesses, theme park-related goals, and an unreliable park map filled with skulls and crossbones.
To follow along with the design, Questlandia character sheets and reference rules can be downloaded for free here:
https://turtlebun.com/pages/downloads
Questlandia can be purchased here:
https://turtlebun.itch.io/questlandia-second-edition
https://turtlebun.com/products/questlandia
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Support Design Doc with a one-time tip: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun -
How can you use simple rules to create a complex setting? In the second part of this live design series, Hannah and Evan take a swing at world and character mechanics. To create a spooky, surreal environment, they’re forced to come up with new ways to approach worldbuilding and character design.
Links/Credits:
Website: turtlebun.com
Patreon: patreon.com/turtlebun
Support Design Doc with a one-time tip: https://ko-fi.com/designdoc
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz
instagram.com/turtleandbun - Vis mere
