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PODCAST

Design Doc

Hannah Shaffer and Evan Rowland

Come along with Hannah and Evan in a living documentation of the game design process, from the first spark of an idea, to every disastrous surprise. It’s not an instruction manual, but a travel guide, with lots of unexpected stops along the way.

arts design

All Episodes

54:44

Trapped in the Liminal Zone

Design Doc ·

2026/03/18

A discussion about how to design a liminal zone in a TTRPG leaves us trapped in an in-between place.Episode mentions: r/backrooms House of Leaves (2000 - Horror novel by Mark Z. Danielewski) The Last Unicorn (1982 - Animated movie based on 1968 book by Peter S. Beagle) Ultimate Haunted House (1994 - Point-and-click video game with art by Gahan Wilson) Play it on archive.org here. Links: Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2 Our Patreon:

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48:18

Fatigue

Design Doc ·

2026/03/04

In this episode, we talk fatigue. Is fatigue something to conquer, or is it a warning sign on the way to a physical and emotional crash? Evan is tired, but we’ve got strategies! After years of learning what the burnout cycle looks like while working on a game, we’re eager to intervene before exhaustion gets the best of us.Episode mentions: Ever so briefly, The Witness (2016 video game, Jonathan Blow) Snowpiercer (2013 movie, Bong Joon Ho) Links: Join us on Discord! ⁠

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55:39

The Path to a Question

Design Doc ·

2026/02/18

Game design questions can be longer and more complex than their answers. In this episode, we initially set out to do a live-design session tackling an issue from our latest playtest, but discovered that describing the question required revisiting nearly every other part of the game. Join us for a chat about Twilight rules, open-eyed investigations, and escaping a cursed amusement park.Links: We have a Discord! Come talk about Design Doc and Star

en

56:04

Who Designs the Game?

Design Doc ·

2026/02/04

Who designs the game? Is it the players, who make decisions in real time at the table? The GM, who’s at the ready to suggest ideas or dole out consequences? Or the designers, who… well… make the game? In this episode, we talk about when and how to distribute control of the experience between the players, the GM, ourselves as designers, and random rolls of the dice.Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ApNfNvUk Support our work on Patreon:

en

48:15

A Year of Movies

Design Doc ·

2026/01/21

Hannah watched 51 movies in 2025. Not all of them were helpful for game design, but there was inspiration to be found everywhere—in the form of left-behind robots, edgy existential planets, sci-fi noir, and Mother. Mother? Mother!Follow along and find every movie mentioned in the episode here: https://letterboxd.com/hanbandit/diary/films/for/2025/by/added-earliest/ Watch movies through your library on Kanopy: https://www.kanopy.com/ More Links: Turtlebun Discord:

en

50:01

Epiphanies

Design Doc ·

2026/01/07

Sometimes a design problem can't be solved in any straightforward way. You need an epiphany! That can't be forced, but it can be encouraged. Hannah and Evan talk about the epiphanies that shaped their previous games and how to attract those mysterious flashes of insight.Links: We have a Discord! Come talk about Design Doc and Star Trek. https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Turtlebun on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: Design Doc

en

53:20

Resolutions New and Old

Design Doc ·

2025/12/24

As the year draws to a close we talk about New Year's resolutions. Hannah makes them every year, Evan does not. Hannah shares her elaborate system for setting goals of masteries, experiences, and skills. And together, we consider Turtlebun's upcoming year.Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost:

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44:53

Convention Dids and Didn’ts

Design Doc ·

2025/12/10

Conventions are an opportunity for us to get our games in front of a bigger audience, and PAX Unplugged is our biggest show. The stakes feel high, and we have to balance our ambitious goals with practical preparations. In this episode, we talk about what we were proud of, what we wish we’d done differently, and how every year we get a little better.Episode mentions: Thoughtcrime Games - https://thoughtcrimegames.itch.io/ Elliot Davis - https://www.moreblueberries.com/ World Champ Game Co. -

en

2:06

Short Break Announcement

Design Doc ·

2025/11/26

Just a quick announcement that we'll be skipping a release cycle for the Thanksgiving holiday. See you back in two weeks with a new episode!In the meantime you might consider: Joining the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Supporting Design Doc on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Picking up one of our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Design Doc Credits: Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode edited by Rob Abrazado:

en

55:23

Making Game Hacks That Stay Small

Design Doc ·

2025/11/13

It's hard for us to make a hack that doesn't grow into a game of its own. In this episode, we talk about two playtests—one for a game variant, another for a new hack—and say what went well, what needs work, and how to keep small things small.Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support Design Doc Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost:

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50:02

You Can’t End the Game Until You Know What It Means

Design Doc ·

2025/10/29

Endings are hard. The ending of a roleplaying game isn’t just the culmination of the story; it’s also when the themes and purpose of the game become clear. In this episode we talk about designing a conclusion that comes at the right time, conveys the right message, and still leaves room for all the improvisation of roleplaying.Episode mentions: Ready Player One—but just a brief mention this time, promise! Mother! (2017 film written & directed by Darren Aronofsky) Other Design Doc episodes

en

43:14

Design Doc 101

Design Doc ·

2025/10/15

Is Design Doc a game design podcast? A saga about the challenges of making art for a living? A never-ending field trip? In episode 101 we talk about how Design Doc began, what it became, and what we hope it could become. Plus, dinosaurs!Episode mentions: Internet Shaquille video about short-form content - “I Posted a Short EVERY Day and THIS Happened!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvu3SDigoMA Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon:

en

70:45

Bonus: Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 2—the Movie!)

Design Doc ·

2025/10/01

We conclude our discussion of Ready Player One with an updated review of the movie. In pondering this mid movie, we leave no stone unturned... and no critically-acclaimed director forgiven. Come for the movie critique, stay for the poetry!Find part 1 of the discussion, Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 1), here. Find our original review of the movie on Patreon here. Episode Mentions: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013 directed by Tommy Wirkola) Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord:

en

91:59

Bonus: Ernest Cline's Stinker (Part 1)

Design Doc ·

2025/09/17

We’re pulling an unaired episode from the archives this week! We talk about Ready Player One, the dystopian virtual-world novel that took the world by storm over a decade ago. We each completed the book independently, then came together in this conversation to share our thoughts with each other (and the world). In part 1 we discuss the novel, in part 2 we watch the movie and read an illuminating poem.Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on

en

117:59

The Realest Place on Earth

Design Doc ·

2025/09/03

Happy Design Doc episode 100! In this special episode, we take a field trip with our game Escape from Wonderland. Trapped in an amusement park with a half-finished game, we explore liminal spaces, shuttered VIP lounges, and mind-bendingly long queues. To escape Six Flags New England, we must first fix our broken larp.Creepy circus music is ⁠Creepy Circus Music from Derek Fiechter & Brandon Fiechter on Soundcloud⁠ Roller coaster screams captured by Carrie, who can be found ⁠here⁠ Find Jill

en

58:46

Game Design Grab Bag

Design Doc ·

2025/07/30

In an impromptu recording, we decided to take turns setting a 6-minute timer and sharing whatever topics came to mind. The result was a series of compressed design conversations and a snapshot of our current ambitions and troubles.1 - Sandbox exploration (chicken) 2 - Questlandia audio drama (cow) 3 - Traits & Conditions accounting (duck) 4 - Making the bed (whale) 5 - Null result (seagull) 6 - Mud gallery (horse) Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support

en

54:17

Roleplaying in the Park

Design Doc ·

2025/07/16

We're going back to the park and taking Wonderland with us! To get the game off the table and into the real world, there are a number of changes we'll have to make. We talk fanny packs, waterproof paper, coordinated outfits, and ditching friends.You can listen to our previous episode about Six Flags here. Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy our games:

en

40:28

Creative Disagreements

Design Doc ·

2025/07/02

Even after years of working together, there are times where we just can’t agree. The work grinds to a halt, and we end up frustrated and confused. When there’s a breakdown in collaboration, how do you diagnose what went wrong, repair the rift, and move forward together?Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: Design Doc intro/outro theme by

en

44:26

The Game Takes Shape

Design Doc ·

2025/06/18

In the early stages of a game's design, it's hard to even know what questions to answer. We've hit a turning point with Escape from Wonderland where we can see the shape of the game taking form. Big, abstract questions are getting small and specific. Now that the game has real structure, what comes next?Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord:⁠⁠⁠ https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠ Buy our games:⁠⁠⁠

en

40:31

The Rules Tell a Story

Design Doc ·

2025/06/04

After you’ve made the rules, you need to decide how you’re going to tell them. The right rule in the wrong order can make all the difference! In this unscripted episode, we share our initial thoughts about how we want our next rulebook to start, how to include immersive writing without sacrificing clarity, and (for some reason) reminisce about spooky VHS covers we encountered as children. Links: Join the Turtlebun Discord:⁠⁠ https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠ Support our work on Patreon:⁠⁠

en

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