RPG Design Panelcast
381 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★ - 22 ratingsThe best panels and seminars about analog game design & publishing.
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Episodes
Episode 372: Powered by the Apocalypse
June 01, 2024 00:43 - 57 minutes - 41.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Meguey Baker, Vincent Baker An introduction to PbtA from a designer's point of view. How and why Apocalypse World works the way it does, what your game can take from it, and how and why your own game should work differently. Highlighting PbtA's conversation model, with an emphasis on consent and communication, and PbtA's model of fiction, with an emphasis on adapting it to your own game's needs.
Episode 371: Adapting Someone Else's Sandbox
April 19, 2024 00:58 - 51 minutes - 36 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Cam Banks and Amanda Valentine Licensed RPGs are a minefield of conflicting interests, stakeholders, and opinions. With the assumption that you've done the hardest part of securing a license, actually designing, developing, and producing the game is often much harder than expected. We'll talk about the process of faithfully adapting someone else's work to a new game project.
Episode 370: Ten Things Wrong With Your Game
April 06, 2024 17:10 - 55 minutes - 40.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Sydney Engelstein and Geoffrey Engelstein Sydney has taken close to a thousand pitches for Indie Game Studios. Geoff has taught game design and helped designers improve their prototypes for over a decade. Between them they see the same issues with designs over and over again, particularly with newer designers. In this seminar, they will share with you the top things that are wrong with your game, based on this hard won experience. They guess there's...
Episode 369: Indie Publishing for the Long Haul
March 11, 2024 02:58 - 54 minutes - 36.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker We've been creating and publishing our own games for almost 25 years. How, why, and what does it take? Why self-publish instead of shopping your work around? How do you plot your own course, build your own audience, and measure your own success? This is about being you, the designer, making your games, owning the fruits of your labor, and keeping both your drive and your passion while holding down your day job and main...
Episode 368: Printing Your RPG
February 26, 2024 01:18 - 49 minutes - 32.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Jason Pitre Producing books is a challenge at the best of times, and the printing landscape has changed radically since the pandemic. The panel speakers will explain the process for finding companies to work with you, choosing your print specifications, and other secrets of the trade.
Episode 367: Staying In
February 12, 2024 03:53 - 49 minutes - 33.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Cam Banks and Amanda Valentine You've had a successful Kickstarter, you've been hired by a game publisher, you've released your work on Itch or DriveThru. You've done it! But now what? We're here to discuss the aftermath, the fallout, and how to survive that and stay doing what you love to do.
Episode 366: Teaching How to GM
February 05, 2024 02:22 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Bill White and Avery Rosen This panel discusses the theoretical, pedagogical, and practical implications of trying to teach people to run tabletop RPGs as GMs. We're interested in understanding the best practices, the pitfalls, and the contexts in which "teaching people to GM" in any kind of formal way is even possible. We survey the role-playing landscape in order to understand how the technological and cultural shifts of recent years have affected...
Episode 365: Narrative Voice in RPGs
January 27, 2024 20:05 - 52 minutes - 39.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Jay Dragon and Amanda Valentine Every game has a voice, from the biggest trad book to an indie zine, and this narrative voice helps a game teach itself and stand on its own. In this round table held by award-winning game designer Jay Dragon we'll talk through a number of examples of games that utilize narrative voice to articulate their game-worlds, and rewrite our own mechanics in ways that emphasize how different perspectives can change the nature ...
Episode 364: Why you Should Join the IGDN
January 20, 2024 19:44 - 53 minutes - 36.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Tristan Zimmerman, Meghan Jaffe, Sean Jaffe The Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) is an all-volunteer trade association for tabletop publishers, designers, and freelancers. We offer booth space at conventions, share knowledge, and work to improve the industry. Come ask questions and learn whether the IGDN might be right for you!
Episode 363: Budgeting for Art
January 14, 2024 19:12 - 54 minutes - 36.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Jack Parra, Lissane Lake, Nicole Amato Getting high-quality art is key to making a product look professional. Our panel makes with the tips and tricks to controlling costs and Funding the Project.
Episode 362: How to Work with Artists
January 06, 2024 22:46 - 56 minutes - 37.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Jack Parra and Lissane Lake The panelists will touch on the process of how to find and approach artists, negotiate the contract, and then successfully work together. It's important that publishers get an artist's-eye-view of things so they can better understand what we do, the process, and the time involved and plan projects accordingly.
Episode 361: Crowdfunding in 2023
December 30, 2023 13:00 - 51 minutes - 34.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Nicole Amato Join Kickstarter's Games Outreach Lead, Nicole Amato, as they discuss best practices for running a crowdfunding campaign. There will also be plenty of time for a Q&A for any questions you might have.
Episode 360: How to Run a Great Playtest
December 23, 2023 13:00 - 55 minutes - 36.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Melissa Lewis-Gentry and Curt Covert. Receiving feedback is hard. Running a successful playtest is even more complicated. Our experts will share their tools for getting the most out of a playtesting table.
Episode 359: How to be a Great Playtester
December 16, 2023 21:19 - 41 minutes - 27 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Kat Millar and Curt Covert Giving good feedback is a skill. Come learn more about how to provide feedback to game designers in useful, productive ways.
Episode 358: Ethical AI Usage?
November 20, 2023 01:43 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBPresented by Jason Pitre, Ash Kreider, Vivian Young, Eric Whalen, Tristan Zimmerman AI is a hot topic. Authors are suing over their content being used to "train" AI without their consent. Platforms and publishers are taking hard anti-AI positions. Or coming out publicly to declare that they are using AI and nobody can stop them. People who want to use AI for idea generation or to simplify and automate boring tasks are at odds with peers who maintain that there is no ethical way to use AI. ...
Episode 357: Spinning Relationship Webs
November 11, 2023 13:00 - 52 minutes - 38.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2023 Presented by Jason Pitre, Jenn Adcock, Brennan Taylor, Olivia Montoya Larpwrights and tabletop game designers have long relied on the power of complex relationship webs to drive dramatic play. Crafting effective characters and their interconnections allows for a living, breathing, and often conflicted world. The panel speakers will share best practices and techniques for designing these webs.
Episode 356: Challenges and Triumphs of Community-Based Game Publishing
November 09, 2023 03:21 - 1 hour - 39.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jon Cole, Oscar Biffi, Katherine Shane, Misha B, Olivia Montoya, Chiara Locatelli. Some small game projects are created by an auteur, who controls every aspect of production. These panelists rejected that approach to create projects working with a team on behalf of their community. How did they balance the community's needs with their ambition? Is it possible to represent a community via anthology at all? Panelists will discuss the nitty gritt...
Episode 355: Math Essentials for Designers
September 09, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jason Pitre, BJ Recio, Mags Maenad. Math is often a barrier for analog game designers of all disciplines. This panel is meant to help lower that barrier by teaching you some basic, versatile tools you can use to solve most problems. How do you figure out probabilities of success when rolling dice or drawing cards? What is a bell curve, a mean and a median? How do you figure out combinations and permutation? We are here to give you the tools to...
Episode 354: Spirituality Check: Spiritual Growth, Exploration and Healing Through RPGs
August 27, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Menachem Cohen, Ryan Cagle. Because of the fictional distance between player and character, TTRPGs, even D&D, can be designed and used to facilitate spiritual growth, exploration, and healing. Mechanics, role play, and setting/story also factor into this and GMed, GMful/less, and solo games work in this context. Panelists will discuss how they have designed and used games for spiritual discovery and address theoretical underpinnings of why it ...
Episode 353: Bad Design Habits We Love
August 12, 2023 12:00 - 56 minutes - 36.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jason Morningstar, Tim Hutchings, Jeeyon Shim. Join us for a rollicking discussion of our worst habits and how being lazy, careless and hard-headed is often the best possible approach to game design. Do you design in layout? Is your playtest process a little shambolic? Do you cut corners and assume the math will all work out? If not, come and be outraged as we take a somewhat jaded approach to conventional wisdom you've heard a thousand times...
Episode 352: Problematic and Taboo Topics
July 29, 2023 12:00 - 56 minutes - 33 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Anne Ratchat, Jason Morningstar, and regrets from James Mendez Hodes. When writing games, a lot of topics are taboo simply because as a community, we are worried how people might take the intentionality of the design to the worst possible places. The issue created by not writing these games, we erase the experience of so many creatives and players who also deserve to have their voices heard. We will be discussing the thought process of how to...
Episode 351: Secrets and Powers Larps
July 15, 2023 12:00 - 57 minutes - 35.2 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Olivia Montoya, Acata Felton. In some circles, Secrets and Powers LARPs are dismissed as outdated or "too obscure." Our panelists flatly reject this mindset, and invite you to join them for a discussion about what Secrets and Powers games have to offer. Come learn more about this specific type of LARP, which has a focus on pre-written characters, hidden information and roles, and ability mechanics. Learn about why secrets and powers games are ...
Episode 350: Shipping is on FIRE
July 01, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 31.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Mel D'Amato Anyone who makes or sells consumer goods has been watching the news about shipping and logistics in horror. The cost of freight is up. There are no shipping containers to put goods into. Products are sitting on docks in Asia. Full ships can't get to port to unload on this side of the ocean. Our expert, Mel D'Amato from ShipBob, talks to us about what's going on, why everything is terrible, and what we can expect over the next sever...
Episode 349: The Many Meanings of Diceless
June 17, 2023 21:59 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jon Lemich, Chance Feldstein, Alex White. There are many diceless RPGs, but their mechanics and design objectives vary more than most designers realize. What do you need to consider when designing a diceless RPG? Do you simply want to replace dice with cards or hidden information wagers, or do you want it to be randomizerless, gameless, or pure collaborative authorship?
Episode 348: Pass-Fail vs Open-Ended Play
April 30, 2023 22:35 - 57 minutes - 35.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Joan Moriarity, Darren Watts, Beth Rimmels. Which is better, a game that concludes when somebody wins, or a game that concludes when the story is deemed to be complete? It's a trick question, obviously; both styles have their benefits and drawbacks, but what are those exactly? Why do certain kinds of players tend to gravitate toward one or the other? What can devotees of one type gain from playing the other, and how can we make it more enjoyab...
Episode 347: Reading Contract Boilerplate
April 15, 2023 12:00 - 59 minutes - 36.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2021 Presented by Eric Whalen. Lawyers secretly know that you do not read the big chunks of standardized text in your contract that have nothing to do with your obligations and how much you are getting paid / paying (called "boilerplate" text). Worse - many lawyers forget to read the boilerplate in their own contracts! Whether you love or hate these reader-unfriendly text walls, join the panelist as he reminds us to intellectually grapple with the important provision...
Episode 346: RPGs Without Obvious Combat Mechanics
April 01, 2023 20:06 - 59 minutes - 29.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Moe Poplar, Michael Low, J Gurantz. Now kids, stop fighting! RPGs are intensely emotionally engaging, deeply moving experiences - and they're fun! Much attention has been paid, recently, to their application in therapy, helping people navigate complex emotional change. This creates a question - how does the violence often built into the system - and setting - of an RPG affect players, and how can we create games where tension, drama, and strug...
Episode 345: Making Trash Games for Love
March 04, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by presented by Jack Rosetree, Olivia Montoya, Taylor LaBresh. Perfection is a toxic concept. The pressure to make our games elegant, innovative, replayable, marketable, pitchable, attractive, and trendy can be exhausting. Don't be afraid to make ugly, unmarketable, uncomfortable, or downright bad games. Making trash is liberating, exhilarating, and cathartic. Full Slide Deck at https://tinyurl.com/htnw669s
Episode 344: International Co-Publishing Agreements
February 18, 2023 13:00 - 58 minutes - 42 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2021 Presented by Jason Pitre, Rae Nedjadi and Sean Nittner with regrets from Jay Dragon. Countless brilliant analog game designers are creating innovative games around the world. Unfortunately, creatives from many countries face harsh barriers in terms of crowdfunding access, banking regulations, shipping challenges, or other factors. That is why international co-publishing agreements have come on the scene. In this panel, Filipino Designer/Publisher Jamila Nedjad...
Episode 343: Printing and Shipping Where You Are
February 05, 2023 21:53 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jonathan Lavallee, Alastor Guzman, Moe Poplar. Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Printing and Publishing Where You Are. In this panel we'll be looking at the current state of printing and publishing RPGs from Canada, the US, Europe, and Mexico. Where are there new opportunities for small publishers to produce physical books without breaking the bank?
Episode 342: Details for the Devil
January 18, 2023 02:18 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Richard Ruane, Pam Punzalan, Brian Yaksha, Zedeck Siew. In METATOPIA 2020's "Devil in the Details" panel, we explored microsettings; settings that focus closely on a specific area, region, or location. This year, we'll discuss how microsettings challenge traditional assumptions about game mechanics, focusing on character creation, magic, technology, and GM procedures. How can the concrete specificity of microsettings open up other design op...
Episode 341: Questions as Mechanics
December 04, 2022 03:38 - 1 hour - 43.7 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Thomas Manuel, Logan Timmins, Rae Nedjadi, Aaron Lim, momatoes. Asking and answering questions seems really simple but at the same time, it's a powerful tool in the game design process. Watch a group of storygame designers talk about the role of questions in their games and how they can help you get the best out of play at the table.
Episode 340: The Data is in, now what?
November 18, 2022 18:04 - 1 hour - 36.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Tanya Pobuda, Sarah Stang, Erika Chung, Eric Lang. We know where we stand - gaming, specifically analog gaming in this case, has a sexism and racism problem. We've proven that through our research. Now that we have the data to back up our lived experiences, what can we do to fix the problems?
Episode 339: Designing Rewarding Game Experiences
October 22, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Beth Rimmels, Sen-Foong Lim, Gwendolyn Marshall. As a GM or game designer, you can produce a rewarding or disappointing experience for players. Regardless of genre, game or goals, what your design focuses on and how it conveys that determines how it will be received. We'll discuss how to create satisfying experiences whether you're trying to scare players, create thought-provoking frustration, or make players feel like heroes
Episode 338: Keepsake Games
October 10, 2022 20:43 - 1 hour - 41 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jason Cox, Shing Yin Khor, Jeeyon Shim. Keepsake Games, Art, Education and Equity. Keepsake games, which generate material objects as a result of play, are a fascinating tool for classroom use. What if the experience of educational games was visually shaped by the students? How would this affect their engagement and retention of content? How can a game like this thrive in the quantitative systems that dominate education?
Episode 337: The Aether and Beyond
September 24, 2022 21:43 - 1 hour - 37.3 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Richard Ruane, Diogo Nogueira, Sarah Blunt, Daniel Wilson and Noora Rose. Cold, scary, empty, and filled with radiation, we all know the real void of outer space isn't a friendly place. But what opportunities do we get when we create settings in a different outer space, one we see in pulp novels, weird fiction, planetary romances, cosmic horror, and early tabletop games and supplements such as Spelljammer or Space 1999? What makes creating ...
Episode 336: Selling Globally in an Evechanging World
September 12, 2022 03:19 - 46 minutes - 32.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jordan Russell. What is DDP? What is VAT? How can I expand my business Globally? If these are questions you have asked yourself then this session is for you. Come grab some knowledge with Jordan Russell (from ShipBob) on how to expand your business into different markets around the world. Becoming a global business isn't as scary as it seems.
Episode 335: Distribution in 2021
August 27, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 44.4 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Scott Morris and Michael Parker. Are you a designer and want to know how your game gets distributed? Are you self publishing and want to know more about Distribution? Are you crazy enough to actually ask a Distributor anything? Join us as Scott Morris from GTS and Michael Parker from ACD discuss the U.S.'s 3-Tier system and answer questions.
Episode 334: Gaming as Experiential Learning
August 13, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 41.5 MBRecorded at Metatopia 2021 Presented by Gabby Swab, John Harris, Ian Mercer. Role Playing as Experiential Learning: How Dungeons & Dragons Assists in Teaching Management Concepts" In Fall 2020, students across three universities participated in building a character based on their Ideal Entrepreneur, Human Resources Manager, or Leader. Using the format from the popular Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game, the students' chosen character used their characteristics, skills, and knowledge ...
Episode 333: Creatively Limited
August 06, 2022 22:08 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Sen-Foong Lim, Paul Stefko, Moe Poplar and Quinn Murphy. Jonathan Lavallee was unable to attend for medical reasons. Analysis paralysis exists in creativity! When we put up limits and restrictions, we find new ways to solve problems and be creative. This panel will talk about what works for them when putting up walls around their creative process.
Episode 332: Language Matters: Clear vs. Flavourful Terminology
June 25, 2022 12:00 - 59 minutes - 38.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jonathan Lavallee, Sen-Foong Lim, Misha B. It's always great and interesting to have cool terms for features in your game, but there are moments when that can get in the way of what you're trying to say. We'll be talking about the importance of, and balance between, clarity and flavor in your text.
Episode 331: Designing and Publishing with ADHD
June 12, 2022 00:55 - 58 minutes - 34.6 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Jay Dragon, Robert Donoghue, Rabbit Stoddard, Darla Burrow. Game design and publishing are complex tasks at the best of times, and particularly so for those dealing with ADHD. Many creatives struggle with maintaining their attention and concentration on their design and publishing work. How do you track your accomplishments and keep track of what you need to do next? How do you manage multiple deadlines and juggling priorities? How can ADHD be...
Episode 330: Design and Composition 101
May 21, 2022 12:00 - 58 minutes - 37.9 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Jack Parra, Melissa Gay. This panel for art beginners discusses technique, both in a general sense and specifically for the kinds of products you're likely to encounter in the game biz.
Episode 329: Writing One-Page Games
May 14, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 46.6 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Grant Howitt, Matt Jones, Alexi Sargeant, Jeeyon Shim, Jason Tocci. Writing long games is hard, but so is writing short games. What advantages do one-page games afford us? What can't they do? What can they do better than longer games? We're going to find out.
Episode 328: Basic Copyright for Writers and Designers
May 07, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 36.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Eric Whalen. This panel is a brief discussion of the basics of copyright law (and some other aspects of intellectual property law) as they pertain to writers and game designers. Members of the panel include game designers, publishers, writers, and former attorneys who have dealt with these issues themselves
Episode 327: Grow your RPG Brand
April 30, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Cat Tobin, Will Sobel, JR Blackwell, Christopher McGlothlin, Maz Hamilton. You're an RPG designer now! That's great, but now how do you get your awesome game in front of players who will appreciate it? How do you position yourself for future projects? Basically, how do you get your name on a game to mean something? Our panelists grapple with this sticky problem!
Episode 326: How to Pitch Yourself Confidently
April 23, 2022 23:45 - 56 minutes - 37.6 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Emily Escovar, Anne Ratchat. You've got a great game and you're looking to sell it, or maybe you're looking to get a position working for somebody else making games. How do you present yourself and your game in their best lights? Pitching's a necessary skill regardless of your role in the industry. Learn how to do it here!
Episode 325: Let Kids Break Your Game
April 04, 2022 01:23 - 58 minutes - 37.8 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Kathleen Mercury and Julie Ahern. Any adult who's worked closely with kids as a teacher, caretaker, or mentor has a cache of stories about times they learned true humility at the hands of a child. This late night panel presents the argument that the youngest generation is our greatest asset. Join panelists as they break down (through real life, hilariously humiliating examples) how every aspect of games, from design to execution, is bettered f...
Epsiode 324: Building Better Character Connections
March 26, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 43.7 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Cat Tobin, Becky Annison, Sharang Biswas. How to Design !More! !Drama! into your RPG! Some of the most satisfying role playing experiences come from the dramatic outcomes of emotional connections between player characters. We look at ways for tabletop and LARP writers to design for deeper character relationships and dynamics, to provide a structure for GMs to bring more of the good kind of drama to their RPGs
Episode 323: A New Designer’s Toolkit
March 20, 2022 23:35 - 1 hour - 41.1 MBRecorded at Metatopia Online 2020 Presented by Kyle Ott & Riley Parks. This panel will focus on tips targeted to those who are beginning their design careers. The presentation will include advice on how to approach a publisher and conduct publisher research. Our panelists will give new designers advice on how to get unstuck and resources to help them with their first designs.