The Ludogogy Podcast

Joe Slack is known for games like "Relics of Rajavihara" and its expansion "Montalo's Revenge," "Mayan Curse," "King of Indecision," and "Zoo Year’s Eve." He's authored several game design books and created a popular online course, for game designers at all career stages. Joe is well-known for his expertise in crowdfunding and game testing, and his generosity with time and knowledge, for instance,...

We can’t believe it’s been all that time since the Ludogogy podcast first saw the light of day. And yet here we are, 17 episodes in, so Antonis and Sarah thought it was time for a review. We’ve had some amazing guests over the last year and a bit, and here’s your opportunity to catch up on any episodes you might have missed. You wouldn’t want to pass up the chance to learn from the creators of suc...

Jenna Moran is an RPG designer and novelist renowned for her innovative contributions to games and writing. Her work has ranged from authoring sourcebooks for existing games to creating whole new game universes. Jenna’s games include "Chuubo's Marvellous Wish-granting Machine”, “Ex Machina”, and “Nobilis”, a diceless game that earned her the Diana Jones Award in 2003. Beyond games, she wrote the&n...

If you’ve ever played a MMORPG, then much of what you experienced has its roots in the work of Richard Bartle. The co-creator of MUD - Multi-User Dungeon - in the late 1970s, Bartle has influenced designers of virtual worlds since then and is the go-to resource for academic insight in that field. Many have found Dr Bartle through his ideas on Player Types, which show us not only that there are man...

Welcome to December's episode, where we're thrilled to host Jason Morningstar, a luminary in the world of tabletop RPGs. Best known for the groundbreaking 'Fiasco,' Jason is a master of crafting narratives as compelling as they are unpredictable. His work, often blending dark humour with deep emotional resonance, has redefined storytelling in gaming. An advocate for accessible game design, Jason i...

In this month’s episode of the Ludogogy podcast, we’re talking to the guest most requested by our previous guests, who should know a thing or two about great game design! Helping us to explore the theme of ‘Identity’ is Rae Nedjadi, renowned TTRPG designer and creator of such games as BALIKBAYAN, Apocalypse Keys and Our Haunt, but whose back catalogue also includes dozens of other innovative play...

Listen in as we talk to a games designer from 10 years in the future! LudoVic is a cutting-edge game design AI trained by the finest experts and equipped with unmatched analytical prowess. The intelligence behind countless memorable gaming experiences, LudoVic pushes the boundaries of what's possible in play and learning. Revel in tales of groundbreaking mechanics, unexpected design solutions, and...

Cards have traditionally been used to look into the future, and Cartomancy - using decks like the tarot or Lenormand - or even playing cards was incredibly popular in the 19th century. For a more modern take on this, without the supernatural connotations, we can look to games like Peek - created by our guest, Evan Raskob. The future does not yet exist, so the stories we tell ourselves about it are...

Dive into LARPing on this month’s podcast! Experience the thrill of Live Action Role Play with the unparalleled insight of Marcin "Słowik" Słowikowski - renowned LARP designer, TEDx speaker, and expert in culture and communication. The genius behind LubLarp, LarpVenture, and the Kola conference, Słowik created the acclaimed LARPs System and Nightclub. Relish character-driven narratives, emotion-fu...

Join us as we delve into politics in games with Ata Sergey Nowak. His passion for gaming, history, space exploration, and intercultural communication drove his contributions to influential titles like Hearts of Iron 3: Their Finest Hour, East vs West, Squad, and Terminal Conflict. As a creator of the award-winning Suzerain, Ata invites us to immerse ourselves in a seamless geopolitical experience,...

Logan Timmin’s most celebrated game, also called Logan, was hailed on its release as the ‘next step’ for lyric games; a genre which itself, is somewhat mould-breaking. These are games which can be played, in a traditional sense, but can also be experienced simply by reading. Focusing on storytelling, and themes of reflection and self-discovery, Logan’s games invite intimacy and connection, with on...

For the last few years, Thorny Games has masterfully crafted tabletop RPGs and LARPs that explore the power and playfulness of language. But their creations go beyond mere gameplay; they are a testament to the boundless potential that lies within language itself. With each game, Thorny Games offers us a remarkable opportunity to perceive the world anew through the mesmerizing lens of communication...

Our fifth Ludogogy podcast guest is Stefan Köhler! Stefan likes to work at the intersections of different fields, combining experiences in modding and writing (about) games with an interest in various topics, such as aesthetical education, augmented/virtual reality and artificial intelligence. His main quest, more than just as a teacher and lecturer, is to understand and envision how humans are ab...

Our fourth Ludogogy podcast guest is Mohsin Memon! Mohsin is passionate about creating games that help people learn and change through immersive experiences. He is also a good friend of your hosts, who are both trained facilitators of his flagship game Evivve - which leads teams through the process of saving, or not saving the human race, and unlocks all sorts of insights about the way they are wo...

Our third Ludogogy podcast guest is Elizabeth Hargrave! A love of nature often inspires Elizabeth’s games, and she is perhaps best known for her first published game, Wingspan, which won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres. This game is notable not just for its birding theme, but its innovative central mechanic, Engine Building, making a very appropriate tie-in with Ludogogy’s current theme - ‘Engines...

Our second Ludogogy podcast guest is Jay Dragon! Jay’s first published game was Sleepaway in 2019, which was about a group of queer camp counselors keeping kids safe in an uncertain world. In the few short years since then, Jay has been creating and publishing innovative games and building Possum Creek Games into a force to be reckoned with in the tabletop games world. Possum Creek’s games focus o...

Our first Ludogogy podcast guest is Ken Eklund! Ken is a designer of serious games tackling issues such as climate change, community resilience and water quality. These are most often in the Alternate Reality genre and inspire players to make shared stories which represent ‘emergent collective wisdom’. If that whets your appetite, then you may be disappointed that another characteristic of a Ken E...

On the very first episode of the Ludogogy podcast we hear from… ourselves! Sarah Le-Fevre and Antonios Triantafyllakis are the hosts and producers of the Ludogogy podcast. We are both passionate about using games in learning and playing them for fun too. Find out about some of the games we’ve created and used in the past, what we are doing at the moment, and what we are currently enjoying playing....

Ludogogy exists to raise the profile of Games-based Learning and to provide information and resources that will be useful and inspiring to GBL and Gamification practitioners. Every month, Sarah Le-Fevre & Antonios Triantafyllakis interview a different game designer, learn from their experience and inspire the audience to apply the learning points from their game design story to your practice,...