IPMM 101: Game Design and Playtesting

“Sometimes you have to drown the baby.”

In this episode we talk about game design and playtesting.

A number of us are currently working on games, either for wide release or for campaigns that are going to run at the FLGS.

We talk about what we’ve learned and what strategies we use.  We also talk about the best way to take criticism (it’s not always easy) and how to make your criticism helpful and constructive.

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5 Comments

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5 Responses to IPMM 101: Game Design and Playtesting

  1. David Jay

    Great episode! Here’s my two cents:
    A technique I learned during my radical activist and/or writing workshop days was the “shit sandwich.” You hide your criticism between two delicious slices of complement.
    Ex. I had a lot of fun during that game. I will say that the talking dolphins didn’t work so well in the noir detective setting. Although, Susan Rubberflanks still might be my favorite fem fatale.
    It works surprisingly well.
    There’s also the interpersonal diplomacy 101 requirement that you always focus a problem on yourself instead of others (or other’s work in this case).
    “I have a problem accepting that dolphins could survive so long on land, even when wearing a tight sea water dress at all times.”
    vs.
    “Dolphins are stupid. They have no place in this game world. You’re playing it wrong.”

  2. Avi

    I agree that, at least for me, ‘headcase’ seems the wrong name. I interpret headcase as ‘the crazy one’. I think you are going for ‘the one that doesn’t fit in’. If that is correct then it seems to me that you want the playbook to be called the ‘oddball’ or ‘misfit’ or something similar.

    Regarding game design, the best list of questions a designer needs to consider that I have seen is this: http://stockade.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/the-3-questions-1/

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