This show is an honest and ongoing examination of the creative process. It’s not about a game, it’s about 2 artists figuring out what’s important to them and what they need to do and be to progress toward that goal. It is an embodiment of “the journey, not the destination”. It is alternately comforting and inspiring as I go through my own creative struggles.

This show is more than just a game design show. Over the years it has been a show about the struggles of crowdfunding, burn out and personal relationships. I love how honest it can be at times.

For me, that this podcast is about designing games is besides the point. The topic is interesting to me, but the biggest draw is that each show quickly enters the space where two friends are talking very honestly with each other about a shared project and it feels like they’ve forgotten about the microphones entirely. They have a care and respect for each other that lets them express ideas and show vulnerability without fear of that vulnerability being abused. Listening to this podcast is the audio equivalent of taking a hike with a good friend.

Hannah and Evan make being game designers sound fun and pleasant. It’s a little like if Rat and Mole from The Wind in the Willows were setting about to make a game instead of have a picnic on a riverbank. Or if Rat and Mole were joined by a nice turtle and a little rabbit, who had brought some cheese sandwiches and seltzer, and then they all designed a game that really made you think, and feel thoughtful yet relaxed.

Love listening to these two creative, sensitive geniuses talk through their lives, their process and how it so often relates to our society. I’m actually a video game developer and came across this thinking it would also be about the digital realm of games. I don’t even particularly love board/tabletop games. But I’m hooked :)

This podcast sells itself as documenting the design of a tabletop roleplaying game, and it does do that. But what it also does is document being a game designer. Sometimes you get stuck, sometimes you latch onto an aesthetic word and come up with what it means later, sometimes you start a new project before finishing the old one, sometimes your relationship with your co-designer changes, sometimes a well intentioned Kickstarter bonus becomes a nightmare, sometimes a global pandemic makes you reassess life. And THAT is this podcast's real value. Most people only consume games as a finished product. They don't see the process, or the creator's struggles to get to that finished point. It's people being honest about themselves and their work. Also, Evan & Hannah's voices are super relaxing.

I am a Larp organizer in Kyoto and have been running one-shots for my local community. In a dense city, having to balance two languages (for locals and ex-pats), it can be quite difficult to design games. The way the two hosts bounce ideas off of one another and allow the arc of their creation to ebb and flow naturally bespeaks to their craft. They know how to make a good game; for more, the way the hosts show the process in granular focus is heartening. The podcast is like a pat on the back every few weeks, saying "It's okay. This will take time, but it will be all better for it". Thank you so much for what you are doing guys! Wonderful show.

A deep dive into the process of rewriting a new edition of a game in its entirety, Design Doc goes above and beyond in its consideration of what's working and what might need to be retooled to better fit the stories the game wants to tell. This is no crunchy refining of numbers, but lots of involved consideration of emotions, justice, kindness, care, etc. While the specific conversations are about the hosts' in-progress game, the ideas they bring to the table are definitely of universal interest. You'll definitely want to listen if you're thinking about writing a game, or just like hearing thoughts about game-writing!

I just started this podcast and I’m totally hooked. I find the process of game design fascinating, so I’d listen even if the pod were boring, but it’s not! Hannah and Evan are charming and refreshingly transparent as they share their creative process and ongoing questions, and I leave each episode with my mind buzzing (in a good way!).

Design Doc is one of my go-to podcasts when a new episode comes out. I listen to it for insights on the creative journey as I work on my own designs and to see how others approach things. Hannah and Evan are both clearly talented people with generous hearts and I’ve learned a great deal from the show. Give it a listen, you won’t be sorry!

I really enjoy the NPR feel of this podcast. It feels like we're sitting down for a nice cup of tea in a relaxing lounge with some good friends, just relaxing and hearing these two amazing people discuss, in depth, their design process for Questlandia's second edition. Before this podcast was released, Questlandia was something I don't think I had ever heard of, but listening to the redesign process has me realizing that I missed out on something pretty special! Questlandia 2 is shaping up to be something really awesome, too. I love hearing the design process in near real time, where the input from us listeners is actually assisting with how the game is being shaped! So, really, it'd be best to hop on this train early so you can interact with these developers and give thoughts and opinions on what they're currently mulling over after the latest episodes! All in all, Hannah and Evan bring a joy of game design to each episode which makes this one an absolute joy to listen to. As a fledgling designer myself, I am learning so much about the process from this podcast, and I am entirely grateful to have gotten in on the ground floor!

This is such a great podcast detailing the process of creating Questlandia the Sequel from concept to completion. I look forward to each release!

Each episode of Design Doc is both a guide through one creative team's game design process and a pleasant conversation of worldbuilding and fantasy. The game they are making is shaping up to be something interesting and wonderful, and the structure they're following for the design is a solid base to start figuring out what works best for your own projects.

One of the pieces of game design that can be tough is not having the opportunity to see the process from start to finish. This show highlights that process as we follow along with the development of a new game. Each episode brings a new topic or concern to the table that just might be the thing you're struggling with on your own game, or something very like it.

Just heard about this from Hannah at a panel at PAX Unplugged (which was the best panel I've attended so far) and tore through it. Definitely looking forward to the continuing peek into the design process, and the eventual result!

Thank you so much for taking us inside your process. I love your games and appreciate this as a player, game master, storyteller and wanna-be game designer. Your insights and honesty made for a great presentation and I look forward to following your journey towards Questlandia 2, "the War and Peace of RPGs..." YAY FOR DICE!!!