The podcast

New episodes every other Tuesday

  1. I’m Still Not a Game Designer

    We dive into Nightmare Smashers, a game where bluffing is the key to victory. Jason, who still hesitates to call himself a game designer, walks us through the game he helped create, along with contributions from the Misplay team. We’re also testing...

  2. The Notes

    “The Notes” because it’s a more concise alternative to “Mark Katz’s Easy-to-Remember Seven-Step Design Protocol”. We talk about and apply the easy to remember steps to Jason’s version of Nightmare Smashers.

  3. Back to Business

    We revisit The Misplay as The Misplay Inc., a company. Our focus is on defining our mission statement and goals, and on creating the systems within the company to achieve them. And, of course, we’re throwing out more buzzwords!

  4. Nightmare Smashers

    Peter, Mark, and Jason each pitch their unique spin on Nightmare Smasher, a game concept that could be a dark atmosphere horror game or wacky family-friendly card game. Tune in to see if one of the pitches resonates with you.

  5. The Experience of Awe

    In this live episode, we broadcast from the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2024. We share our awe at the massive crowds and the incredible selection of games. This experience makes us question our readiness to create our own game.

  6. We Goin’ Gen Con

    We talk about our plans for attending Gen Con next week. You know, Gen Con, the General Managers convention. We share our goals, our schedule, and what we’re hoping to take away from “the best four days in gaming.”

  7. Arcana Rising Deconstructed

    We dive into the world of Arcana Rising by Grey Fox Games, exploring its mechanics and physical design. We’ve said it many times, “To make games, you have to play games”. We take lessons learned from Arcana Rising and apply it to our own process.

  8. It Isn’t Very Interesting

    We playtest Star Crossed Realms with a paper prototype for the first time. Despite finding the game isn’t that interesting yet, we uncover valuable insights about the game mechanics and the importance of iterative design.

  9. Building Connection

    Swipe right on us as we return to playtesting the early concept for the dating game, a.k.a. Star Crossed Realms. We highlight three areas we want to focus on: the chain, adding cards to your deck, and winning.

  10. Meet Lead Game Designer Peter

    We welcome Peter, our new lead game designer, to The Misplay team! Peter shares his gaming history and all the progress being made on Star Crossed Realms. We try to paint a visual of what the game currently looks like.