Design Doc

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/downloadsQuestlandia can be purchased here:https://turtlebun.itch.io/questlandia-second-editionhttps://turtlebun.com/products/questlandiaLinks/Credits:Website: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunDesign 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/designdocGet in touch:Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comTurtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzinstagram.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.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunSupport Design Doc with a one-time tip: https://ko-fi.com/designdocDesign 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) comTurtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzinstagram.com/turtleandbun

What makes a game hack manageable in scope and size? Hannah and Evan delve back into game design to create a creepy amusement park Questlandia hack on the fly. They begin by brainstorming moods, moments, mechanics, and materials for a spoooooky game. From doppelgangers to malevolent crowds to corn dogs, they end with a wealth of ideas for the next design session.Links/Credits:Website: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunDesign 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) comTurtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzinstagram.com/turtleandbun

Hannah and Evan face off in a battle of inspiration and ego to outdo each other's most founder ideas. Then, they set impostor syndrome aside and dilute those ideas down to something they'd both be willing to try.Links/Credits:Website: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunDesign Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingJingle news by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/460424/ -- License: Attribution 4.0Get in touch:Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comTurtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzinstagram.com/turtleandbuntwitter.com/turtleandbuntwitter.com/designdocpod

From Mood, Moments, Mechanics, Materials (MMMM) to "Be aware, be charming," our Design Doc conversations over the years have inspired some of our favorite game design ideas. We talk about the ideas that have had a lasting impact on our game design, and how we're incorporating each one into our most recent project.Show notes:Okay, Let's Redesign Noirlandia, for Mood, Moments, Mechanics, MaterialsScopeful Optimism, for discussion of scopeFLETs, for fiddly little end thingsImperfect InspirationKudos ConundrumNumbers Hide EverythingFounder EnergyFish People, for "Be aware, be charming"High Life (2018 film)Lincoln in the Bardo (2017 George Saunders novel)Links/Credits:Website: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunDesign Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingGet in touch:Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comTurtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzinstagram.com/turtleandbuntwitter.com/turtleandbuntwitter.com/designdocpod

Explore the intriguing gap between taste and talent in creative pursuits. Discover how personal energy, mood, and even money affect artistic growth. Hear about the challenges of writing longform fiction and the importance of building writing endurance. Delve into how tastes evolve while skills develop, and learn strategies like playful projects and deadlines to foster creativity. Plus, get tips on adjusting expectations and embracing low-stakes exercises to grow as an artist without the pressure.

Hannah and Evan talk about how to transform a beloved movie, book, or show into a game, using their latest project as an example: An adaptation of a 1779 book of cosmetic chemistry, The Toilet of Flora.EPISODE LINKS/CREDITS:Design Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingProject Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/Toilet of Flora: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44276OUR GAMES:Website: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunGET IN TOUCH:Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comJoin the Turtlebun Discord! https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzInstagram: instagram.com/turtleandbunTurtlebun Twitter: twitter.com/turtleandbunDesign Doc on Twitter: twitter.com/designdocpod

In a perfect world, we'd make a living just making roleplaying games. But sometimes, duty calls, and you've got to work around another job. In this episode, we talk about rolling with the punches in a moment when the creative work is competing with a new and time-consuming reality—that of a day job.FOLLOW/CREDITS:Our games: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunJoin the Turtlebun Discord! https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzGet in touch! Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comDesign Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingInstagram: instagram.com/turtleandbunTurtlebun Twitter: twitter.com/turtleandbunDesign Doc on Twitter: twitter.com/designdocpod

What’s the difference between a “theme” and an “obsession?” Inspired by a classic writing book from the ‘80s, we share our respective obsessions and talk about how they show up in our work, intentionally or otherwise.EPISODE MENTIONS:Learn how to play Go: https://online-go.com/learn-to-play-go Learn how to smell things (Introduction to Perfumery Kit or Perfumery Notes Kit from Perfumer’s Apprentice): https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/c-58-educational-kits.aspxWriting Down the Bones (book by Natalie Goldberg)Synecdoche, New York (film)The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity (book by Graeber and Wengrow)A Pattern Language (architecture and urban design book by Alexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein)Eating Raoul (film)The Clock Crew (Newgrounds wiki link)FOLLOW/CREDITS:Our games: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunJoin the Turtlebun Discord! https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzGet in touch! Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comDesign Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingInstagram: instagram.com/turtleandbunTurtlebun Twitter: twitter.com/turtleandbunDesign Doc on Twitter: twitter.com/designdocpod

Kickstarter stretch goals are notorious for getting project creators into trouble. Sometimes, they over promise content. Other times, they create financial strain. Often, it's all of the above. In this episode, we talk about Top Tracks, a stretch goal project we just completed that's so overdue... nobody even remembered it.CW: This episode contains a discussion of sexual harassment.EPISODE LINKS/CREDITS:Top Tracks! https://turtlebun.itch.io/damntheman (under Download Demo)Our games: turtlebun.comPatreon: patreon.com/turtlebunJoin the Turtlebun Discord! https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbzGet in touch! Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) comDesign Doc intro/outro theme by Pat KingInstagram: instagram.com/turtleandbunTurtlebun Twitter: twitter.com/turtleandbunDesign Doc on Twitter: twitter.com/designdocpod