Furidashi Game Design Academy

Feb 27 2025 142 ep. 30 mins 23
Furidashi Game Design Academy Podcast artwork

Lauryn and Nicholas discuss gaming, ”gamers,” and game design from practical and academic perspectives.

  Leisure  Education
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127. Look Back (2024) | S5E5

Feb 27 2025 56 mins  
In this month's free episode, we take a look at the visual and narrative aesthetics of 2024's Look Back, based on the manga of the same name by Fujimoto Tatsuki. We consider how mirroring, doubling, and reflection work not only as visual metaphors but as way of thinking about the overall narrative structure in this gut-wrenching coming-of-age story. Substack: https://gamedesigndisc

126. Narrative Violence in Slay the Princess | S5E4

Jan 23 2025 53 mins  
This month we tackle the topic everyone loves to hate: violence in video games. But with a twist. We discuss how Slay the Princess uses a form of narrative violence, breaking the conventions of how story gets mapped onto gameplay, to show how love, hurt, loss, and existential dread can all be thought of as facets of a greater whole in the human experience. Substack: https://gamedes

125. Tokyo Godfathers | S5E3

Dec 19 2024 53 mins  
In this episode we make a deep dive into Kon Satoshi's 2003 Christmas romp (?), Tokyo Godfathers. We focus especially on the dramatic tension between what characters imagine themselves to be and the reality of who they are--and how, sometimes, reality has a weird habit of slipping into fantasy. Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.substack.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fur

124. Dragon Age: The Veilguard | S5E2

Nov 21 2024 49 mins  
In this episode, Lauryn and Nicholas go all in on Bioware's Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We talk about core combat not from the perspective of mechanics but in both thematic and narrative terms. Mostly, though, we discuss the companion system, and why many of the frustrations with DA:TV stem from how the game isn't really about you as the super special hero but rather how you fit int

123. Delicious in Dungeon Crawl | S5E1

Oct 22 2024 52 mins  
Welcome to Season 5, where we'll be focusing on game and media aesthetics! We wanted to started things off with a game/anime crossover in the form of Delicious in Dungeon. In this episode, we discuss how media narratives can reflect game narratives and aesthetics, as well as how to envision a narrative structure that enhances characterization. Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.

Where We're Headed in Season 5

Sep 26 2024 5 mins  
Just a brief check-in during our hiatus month to give you a taste of what we'll be talking about in the coming year.

122. Novelty and Innovation | S4E11

Aug 14 2024 50 mins  
In this episode, we consider how to make your game stand out from the others, the importance of a clear hook or appeal to the player, as well as how to translate the sense of innovation you might find more easily in solo projects back into larger, collaborative efforts. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://furidashipod.itch.io/sympathetic-mem

121. Playtesting | S4E10

Jul 17 2024 50 mins  
In this episode we delve into the subject of playtesting: how to choose the right playtesters for your game as well as learning how to go after the criticism you need, not necessarily what you want to hear. We talk about the qualitative differences between testing for smaller indie and mass market games, as well as how you develop a community of people around your design who, hopef

120. Friction in Video Games | S4E9

Jun 19 2024 57 mins  
This month we tackle the concept of friction in game design, how it's not necessarily the same thing as challenge or difficulty, and why it's important for making even the tiny little things you do in a game an engaging experience. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://furidashipod.itch.io/sympathetic-memories Substack: https://gamedesigndisco

119. The Human Toll of Gamedev | S4E8

May 14 2024 50 mins  
This month we stop talking around the fact that the games industry is imploding and tackle it head on. We address the collective psychic damage we all seem to be suffering as a result, as well as how not to despair in dark times. In the end, we need to protect the creative parts of ourselves from those who only want to profit from our talents at any cost. Download the Sympathetic M