Think Like A Game Designer

Theresa Duringer is the owner and CEO of Temple Gates Games, a San Francisco–based digital board game studio known for best-in-class adaptations of modern tabletop games. Her team has brought Ascension to VR and developed acclaimed digital versions of Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Shards of Infinity, and more, with a relentless focus on speed, clarity, and intuitive UI. Theresa works closely with designers and publishers to translate complex tabletop systems into digital experiences that feel natural, responsive, and faithful to the original games, helping players around the world connect and play together online. In this episode, she sh...

About JaimieJaimie Wolanski has over 20 years of experience in the games industry, with a career spanning major brands and mass-market hits. She’s worked as a sales rep bringing games into stores like Target and Barnes & Noble, and has helped launch titles like Shopkins, Catan, Ticket to Ride, Bananagrams, and Exploding Kittens. She even worked with Justin to bring You Gotta Be Kitten Me to market. In this episode, Jaimie shares what it takes to succeed in a crowded space, how to build teams you can trust, and why knowing when to let go of a pr...

About VlaadaVlaada Chvátil is one of the most influential game designers of the modern era. As the creative force behind classics like Through the Ages, Codenames, and Galaxy Trucker, and a co-founder of Czech Games Edition (CGE), he’s built a career defined by curiosity, craft, and an uncompromising commitment to making games he actually wants to play. Vlaada’s path—from programming and digital game development to shaping some of the most enduring tabletop designs of the last 20 years—has given him a rare perspective on iteration, collaboration, and long-term creative sustainability. In this episode...

About CarlyCarly McGinnis is the driving force behind one of the fastest-growing tabletop companies in history. As CEO of Exploding Kittens, she’s helped lead the company to over 25 million games sold and dozens of successful launches, all while keeping the promises of the most-backed crowdfund ever. Carly’s path—from surviving the Hollywood talent-agency grind to building a global game business—has given her a rare blend of resilience, humor, and no-nonsense leadership. In this episode, we discuss how she scales teams, navigates creative chaos, and builds a culture that can actually deliver on big ideas.<...

About KyleKyle Thiermann is a professional big-wave surfer, journalist, and creative director whose career bridges storytelling, advertising, and adventure. He’s written for Men’s Health, Surfer, and Outside Magazine, and helped shape campaigns for brands like Patagonia, Yeti, and Mudwater, with his ads and viral spots reaching over 100 million people. Kyle is also the author of One Last Question Before You Go: Why You Should Interview Your Parents Now, a deeply personal exploration of family, curiosity, and conversation. In this episode, Justin and Kyle dive into the fear that drives creativity, the lessons of surfing six...

Touko Tahkokallio is one of the rare designers who has mastered both tabletop and digital worlds. Starting out as a theoretical physicist, Touko shifted careers to follow his passion for play. First by designing acclaimed board games like Eclipse, then shaping some of the biggest mobile hits of all time at Supercell, including Hay Day, Boom Beach, and Brawl Stars. In 2022, he co-founded a mobile game studio Stellar Core which he is the chief creative officer.In this episode, we explore the hidden value of juggling multiple projects, how to prototype without rules or components, and why...

About this EpisodeThis episode is a little different from the usual Think Like a Game Designer conversation. Instead of a freeform discussion, I came prepared with a curated list of questions to guide the conversation, giving us a structured look into Jordan’s creative process, his philosophies on innovation, and the lessons he’s learned over decades of building worlds. The result is a fast-paced, insight-packed episode that feels like sitting in on a masterclass in game design.About Jordan WeismanJordan Weisman is a legendary figure in interactive entertainment, whos...

About JonathanJonathan Grant is a creative director at Zynga, founder of Orbital Games, and co-host of We Thought It Would Be Easy with Jordan Weisman. His career spans startups, acquisitions, and AAA environments, where he’s pitched ideas in Zynga boardrooms, built risky new projects, and collaborated with legends of the industry. Jonathan’s work is defined by his willingness to experiment, his honesty about failure, and his belief that great games hide secrets waiting to be discovered. In this episode, we dive into what it means to make the right bets, how to use criticism to g...

About ElanElan Lee (@elanlee) is the co-creator and chief executive officer of Exploding Kittens, a leading gaming and entertainment company. Under his leadership, Exploding Kittens has expanded its portfolio to nearly 30 different games with more than 60 million games sold in more than 50 countries since its founding in 2015.Before founding Exploding Kittens, Lee was the chief design officer at Xbox Entertainment Studios, where he led the Interactive Entertainment Portfolio. Prior to that, he was the founder and chief creative officer of Fourth Wall Studios and co-founder of 42 Entertainment. He began his career at Microsoft Games Studios as...

At Gen Con this year, we kicked off Ascension’s 15-year anniversary celebration. I had the chance to meet so many fans who have been part of this community for over a decade; the experience was both humbling and rewarding.We just launched the Gamefound Campaign for the Ascension 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition and I’ve been reflecting on the incredible journey that brought us here. What began as a casual prototype I created to play with friends between rounds of Magic tournaments has grown into a game that connects millions of players around the wo...

About Tim FerrissTim Ferriss is a category of one. His innovative approach to life and business has helped him to launch 5 New York Times Bestellers, build one of the most influential podcasts in the world with over one billion downloads, become an early stage investor in companies like Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo and more. His #1 New York Times Bestselling Book, The 4-Hour Work Week, was part of the inspiration for me to quit my job and start my own company (you can here more of that story in my appearance on Tim’s podcast here). And no...

About ColeCole Wehrle is one of the most innovative minds in board game design today. Cole is a partner at Leder Games, but best-known as the creator of Root, the woodland war game that redefined asymmetric play. Cole’s work reaches far beyond cute meeples and clever mechanics, with a background in history and a career in academia, Cole approaches game design as a way to explore systems of power, narrative ambiguity, and the complexity of human behavior. In this episode, Cole and I dive deep into the tension between control and chaos, discussing how historical re...

About AmyAmy Lowe is a marketer, strategist, and lifelong nerd whose career spans over two decades helping brands connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Though she’s worked across industries, Amy found her passion in the tabletop gaming space as the marketing and communications manager for the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Now she’s bringing hard-won insights about brand strategy, customer research, and authentic positioning to help game publishers and designers not just sell more games—but build sustainable, trusted brands. In this episode, we explore why marketing isn’t just promotion but the vital bridge between...

About Derek SiversDerek Sivers has worn many hats, musician, entrepreneur, author, and philosopher, but his work maintains a single throughline: a relentless pursuit of living deliberately. He first found success by founding CD Baby, an indie music platform that revolutionized digital distribution before he sold it for over $20 million and donated most of the proceeds. Since then, he’s become a bestselling author of books like Anything You Want, Hell Yeah or No, and Useful Not True, each filled with punchy, poetic wisdom earned from experience. In this episode, we explore how to treat your life li...

Dominic Crapuchettes is the founder of North Star Games and the designer of massive hits like Wits & Wagers, Say Anything, and the Evolution series—games that have sold over 4.5 million copies. In this episode, Dominic opens up about the rise and fall of North Star, from building a 30-person team and landing six SKUs at Target, to watching the company go bankrupt and eventually buying it back. He shares what he’s learned from those hard-won lessons, including how to build frothing fan communities, how to design with audience constraints in mind, and why brand and hook matter as much...

CHECK OUT SHADOWS OVER SOLIS TODAY ON GAMEFOUND5 Quick Lessons About Crowdfinding* Crowdfunding has changed: You need to bring your own audience and community. Success now requires months of preparation, including playtesting, reviews, and pre-launch marketing.* De-risk your campaign: Validate your product ahead of time (e.g., with digital play), use scalable local manufacturing, and print to order to reduce financial risk.* Offer meaningful, manageable exclusives: Make backers feel special with unique experiences or digital rewards that don’t overcomplicate fulfillment or inflate costs.* Lead with gratitude and humility: Cr...

Kohji Nagata has worn many hats—software developer, musician, podcast creator—but today he’s best known as Head of Design and co-founder of Parallel Studios, where he helped launch the massively successful Web3 trading card game Parallel. What started as a passion project has become a genre-defining phenomenon, valued at one point at half a billion dollars. Kohji approaches design from a deep philosophical place, wrestling with fear of failure, perfectionism, and the drive to always improve. In this episode, he and Justin explore the creative tension between success and self-doubt, dissect the mechanics of resource systems in TCGs...

About Dafna PlebanDafna Pleban is a veteran comic book editor and narrative developer whose career spans over 15 years across original and licensed publishing. Best known for her work at BOOM! Studios, Dafna has overseen hundreds of issues, helping launch award-winning titles like Lumberjanes, Fence, Seven Secrets, and Goldie Vance. She’s worked with major creators including Tom Taylor, Mark Waid, and Kieron Gillen, and has shepherded beloved franchises such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dune, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, and Power Rangers.Dafna’s creative journey began at UCLA, where she majored in E...

About Justin ZiranJustin Ziran is a veteran of the collectible and strategy games industry. He has decades of experience shaping some of the most successful brands in tabletop gaming. He began his career at Wizards of the Coast, where he played key roles in product teams for Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In 2012, Justin became the President of WizKids, where he spearheaded the expansion of the company's product lines and reach. Under his leadership, HeroClix became a best-selling collectible miniatures game featuring Marvel, DC, and other licensed properties. He h...

James Introcaso is an award-winning tabletop game designer and storyteller whose work has helped shape the modern landscape of roleplaying games. As the lead game designer at MCDM Productions, James was integral to developing roleplaying systems that captivate players worldwide. His design credits include co-creating Burn Bright, Roll20’s first original RPG, co-authoring seven official Dungeons & Dragons books, and leading design on Draw Steel, an upcoming RPG that raised over $4.6 million on Backerkit.James’s journey into games began with a childhood love of D&D, a theater background, and a stint writing and producing for television, incl...