Design Doc

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: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Check out our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design 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) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

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: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Our games: https://turtlebun.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

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 intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

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: https://www.ipaghost.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get in touch:

Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠

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. - https://www.worldchamp.io/

Links:

Public Guest 5: https://turtlebun.com/products/public-guest-5-notebook

Worldbuilding Art Print: https://turtlebun.com/products/worldbuilding-art-print

Join the Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/XD4WVDjvbz⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support Design Doc on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Credits:

Design 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) com

Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/turtleandbun⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/turtlebun.com⁠