The Misplay

Feedback Recaps

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:35:22 GMT

We just turned the page on two milestone opportunities in the development of Under One Sky. We found out if we made the cut or not for the Cardboard Edison finals and Jason ran a set of blind playtests. We took turns running each other through the feedback we received from each event and debriefed in real time about what the feedback means for our game going forward.

Hands On

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:13:21 GMT

We took a field trip to local game café The Game Parlour to look at, handle, and study the components of a variety of games. We broke down boards, tiles, counters, and unique pieces in search of the materials and aesthetics that best serve Under One Sky. The Game Parlour was incredibly generous in giving us the time and space to work and record in one of their highly sought-after gaming rooms, and we’re deeply grateful for their hospitality.

Entering Cardboard Edison

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

We recount the steps we took to prepare our submission for the prestigious board game design competition Cardboard Edison. We dig into how we crafted the game’s written description, planned and filmed our introduction video, and refined the rulebook to present the strongest version possible. At the end of the episode, we reveal the official title of The Misplay’s debut board game.

Graphic Design with Drew Corkill

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

We interview graphic designer Drew Corkill, whose passion and talent for designing board games shapes his thoughtful approach to the craft. He shares insight from his experience working at the intersection of board game production and graphic design, unpacking the practical and creative decisions that bring a game to life.

Road to Crowdfunding

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Season 3 of The Misplay starts now! Same game. More mistakes. For new listeners, we recap the first two seasons to get you caught up. Join us on the path to crowdfunding!

Listen Until the End

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

This is it—the end of Season 2. We look back on how we got here and share highlights from the year, including our recent two-player meetup. Are we ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign for our abstract game? Will there be a Season 3?

Where Are We?

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:25:06 GMT

We ask ourselves every episode, “Where are we?”—and today we really mean it. We take stock of our abstract tile-placement game and ask the big question: Are we ready to move into Season 3 or head toward crowdfunding?

Would You Play It Again?

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:10:06 GMT

At Kublacon, we asked the ultimate question: Would you play the game again? Hear what playtesters told us, our responses to their feedback, and how their honest insights may shape the next version of the game.

Roadmap to Season 3

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:00:43 GMT

We’re hitting the road—the road to Season 3! But before we get there, we’ve got some serious playtesting ahead to make sure the game is both fun and replayable. Next stops: Kublacon, Golden Gate Gamemaker events, and a Misplay board game community night.

Live Playthrough

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:15:09 GMT

We play a live match of Starfold that you can watch along with in real time. Follow the action to see who wins—and get a better feel for how the game works.

https://tinyurl.com/mujmabd9

Ways to Incorporate Theme

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:00:16 GMT

We’re getting close to locking in a theme, so this week we explore where and how it can weave into the game. Mark takes “The Night Sky” and runs with it—imagining two friends lying on the ground, gazing up at the stars.

Starfold

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:00:36 GMT

We present to you "Starfold"—our abstract game with a theme! We talk about entering the BoardGameGeek Two-Player Design Contest and how playtester advice pushed us to build a proper Print-and-Play to meet the requirements.

Theme It or Leave It

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:00:32 GMT

We kick things off with a funny misplay in Harmonies and share news about our new sponsor, Spielmas. Then it’s time for a round of “Jason Can’t Possibly Disagree,” where we debate whether our abstract game Currents should have a theme—or stay theme-free.

Four Nights of Online Playtesting

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:00:23 GMT

We spent four consecutive nights playtesting online with Protospiel Online and Golden Gate Gamemakers (GGG). We gathered a ton of notes and are busy folding them into the next build of the game.

The Real Gen Con Debrief

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:00:16 GMT

We're back in studio and give a more complete Gen Con debrief and share highlights from playtesting in the First Exposure Playtest Hall. We cover a BoardGameGeek contest we entered and our recent Unpub mentorship program. Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming Protospiel Online and a Golden Gate Gamemakers online meetup.

https://playingcards.io/tvsqr6

Back at Lucas Oil Stadium

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Mark is joined by Mike C. of Brickly Games, live from Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2025. With Jason out this episode, the two dive into their Gen Con highlights and share insights from testing in the First Exposure Playtest Hall.

Getting Ready for Gen Con

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:00:19 GMT

As we prep for the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con, we get real advice from designers at the East Bay Board Game Con. We sharpen our elevator pitches and learn what makes a great demo.

The Game of Followers

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:00:31 GMT

We pause our abstract board game design to play the real game: chasing likes, shares, and followers. We’re pulling back the curtain on our marketing—sharing stats, analytics, and what’s working (or not) as we try to build an audience before finishing the game.

Playtesting in the Wild

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 09:00:50 GMT

We took our abstract game into the wild—to Golden Gate Gamemakers, to friends, to family—and came back with real feedback and big takeaways. Plus, we debut a new segment on the show called Not A Game.

No Theme? No Problem

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 09:00:29 GMT

We dig into the mechanics of our abstract strategy game—how tiles interact, the patterns they create, early balance issues, and the ongoing challenge of designing a system for drawing new tiles.

Dark Forest

Tue, 27 May 2025 09:00:23 GMT

A dark forest would be a great setting for Animal Kingdom. However, it has become the basis for a pivot. Listen in to hear about the new direction we are heading as Gen Con and Indianapolis loom over us.

Unstucking

Tue, 13 May 2025 09:30:22 GMT

If we can invent the word unstucking, we'd better figure out how to do it. We talk through the sticky stuff and create a plan to continue moving forward. Plus, we lighten things up with a game where we try to guess board game titles.

Design Block

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:01:14 GMT

We know creative blocks come with the creative process—and we’re squarely in one. Do we change direction? Scrap everything? Simplify? Or maybe just admit our game will never be as good as Monopoly and move on?

The Way We Designed It

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:00:50 GMT

We laugh at a ridiculous misplay we made in our own game. A broken strategy in Animal Kingdom forces us back to the redesign table. Along the way, we dive into gamer identities and how they shape both playstyles and game design.

Breakout Rooms

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:01:19 GMT

We attend our first Golden Gate Gamemakers event at Guildhouse in San Jose, where we meet Board Game Casual. We also share highlights from recent meetings, including one with breakout rooms to spark new ideas and get things done.

Playtesting with Randy O'Connor

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 09:00:27 GMT

We chat with game designer Randy O'Connor from Randy O Games, creator of Roll in One and Gun It. We explore the art of playtesting—especially defining "the turn", the moment when you’ve gone from idea to game.

Parallel Kingdoms

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 10:10:06 GMT

We discuss our latest playtest of Animal Kingdom, inspired by a fresh take on the game. Plus, we attempt a round of board game trivia—but it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Community with City Square Studios

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:00:46 GMT

We sit down with the talented and creative minds behind City Square Studios, a game design team from New Zealand. They share their story, their ethos about sustainability in games, and give us a glimpse into their brand, including 52 Pickup and the world of TTRPG zines. Plus, we discuss fostering community engagement and strategies for growth.

https://www.patreon.com/CitySquareStudios

Protocol in Action

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 10:01:06 GMT

Our playtest protocol has been put into action for the first time with Animal Kingdom this season. Tuckman would be proud! Plus, we share a quote from our notes—what were we thinking?

Shaping Game Feel

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:00:31 GMT

We begin defining how we want our game to feel. From physical engagement to the atmosphere we create, and the emotions we want players to experience, we explore the three levels of feelings in game design.

It’s Time to Build

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:21 GMT

In this season opener, we reveal the board game we've chosen to build. We hone our design skills in a quickfire challenge inspired by the word “tender” and share our roadmap for the year ahead. We’re officially ready to bring our board game to life!

A Misplay Carol

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:01:16 GMT

We’re visited by three ghosts and take a spirited journey through our podcast past, present, and future. We reflect on what we’d do differently if we could start from scratch, celebrate what’s going well, and share lessons learned as we look ahead to season two!

Two Roads

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:01:07 GMT

The team is zeroing in on a game direction! We dive into each game, Depths and Animal Kingdom, and share key takeaways from their playtests. Next time, we’ll face the challenge of making the final decision.

Panic Mode

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:01:28 GMT

Try not to let the clickbait title fool you—we’re definitely not in panic mode. Nope. Not even close. Couldn’t be further from panicking. Not us. Never ever. Instead, we’re diving into Tuckman’s Group Theory and breaking down how our team is formin’, stormin’, normin’, and performin’. See? Totally chill. No panic here.

Theme Does Matter

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:01:04 GMT

We pitch fresh themes for "Succession", reimagining the game’s world and setting to create new dynamics and depth. From the political landscapes to gang wars to dating games, we're on a mission to find a theme to build mechanics that match.

Pitch Perfect

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:00:30 GMT

We recap each board game pitch from our team and put them to the test in a round of 'Hit or Miss.' Join us to find out which ideas scored big and which ones are still in the prototype phase.

See What Sticks

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 09:00:36 GMT

We realized we need way more game ideas, so we hit the reset button! The team is hard at work crafting pitches that we’ll dive into on the next show. Mark walks us through a pitch example for "Climb On", a climbing game where players race to the top.

I’m Still Not a Game Designer

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 09:01:05 GMT

We dive into Nightmare Smashers, a game where bluffing is the key to victory. Jason, who still hesitates to call himself a game designer, walks us through the game he helped create, along with contributions from the Misplay team. We're also testing out Mark Katz's 7 Step Playtest Protocol to see how it holds up in action.

The Notes

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 09:00:38 GMT

'The Notes' because it's a more concise alternative to Mark Katz's Easy-to-Remember Seven-Step Design Protocol. We talk about and apply the easy to remember steps to Jason's version of Nightmare Smashers.

Back to Business

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:01:34 GMT

We revisit The Misplay as The Misplay Inc., a company. Our focus is on defining our mission statement and goals, and on creating the systems within the company to achieve them. And, of course, we’re throwing out more buzzwords!

Nightmare Smashers

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:00:59 GMT

Peter, Mark, and Jason each pitch their unique spin on "Nightmare Smasher," a game concept that could be a dark atmosphere horror game or wacky family-friendly card game. Tune in to see if one of the pitches resonates with you.

The Experience of Awe

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:00:34 GMT

In this live episode, we broadcast from the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2024. We share our awe at the massive crowds and the incredible selection of games. This experience makes us question our readiness to create our own game.

We Goin’ Gen Con

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:00:49 GMT

We talk about our plans for attending Gen Con next week. You know, Gen Con, the General Managers convention. We share our goals, our schedule, and what we're hoping to take away from "the best four days in gaming."

Arcana Rising Deconstructed

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 17:11:41 GMT

We dive into the world of Arcana Rising by Grey Fox Games, exploring its mechanics and physical design. We've said it many times, "To make games, you have to play games". We take lessons learned from Arcana Rising and apply it to our own process.

It Isn’t Very Interesting

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:20:20 GMT

We playtest Star Crossed Realms with a paper prototype for the first time. Despite finding the game isn't that interesting yet, we uncover valuable insights about the game mechanics and the importance of iterative design.

Building Connection

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:00:45 GMT

Swipe right on us as we return to playtesting the early concept for the dating game, a.k.a. 'Star Crossed Realms'. We highlight three areas we want to focus on: the chain, adding cards to your deck, and winning.

Meet Lead Game Designer Peter

Tue, 28 May 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We welcome Peter, our new lead game designer, to The Misplay team! Peter shares his gaming history and all the progress being made on Star Crossed Realms. We try to paint a visual of what the game currently looks like.

MMA Gauntlet Playtest

Tue, 14 May 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We step into the cage to throw down and playtest two new versions of MMA Gauntlet. Of course, the real fight this week was still with Tabletop Simulator as we try and refine our playtesting process. The Misplay 0 TTS 2.

Tabletop Simulator

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Join us as we dive into Tabletop Simulator for the first time! Despite being behind schedule, we're on a mission to learn the UI, import cards, and maybe flip the table in frustration. If we're doing nothing else right on this journey, it's honest storytelling.

So You Think We Can Draw

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We take a hilarious stroll down the art walk of shame, complete with laughably bad drawings shared on Instagram. We chat about our hope for finding an artist and why we are steering clear of AI art.

Star Crossed Realms

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We're shaking things up with a unique game concept that's been brewing in the back of our minds as we've developed our previous ideas. Imagine a game that captures the essence of a first date, but with an unexpected twist involving... back-flips?

The Supermarket Game

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We welcome Ryan as a special guest commentator for our first run through of our supermarket board game! We navigate the bustling aisles, search for store managers, and resist the temptation to pick up last minute lib balm and sweets. Also, Ryan is funny.

MMA Gauntlet: The Auto Battler

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Are you ready to rumble? We run the first play test for our MMA auto battler board game concept. It is a simple prototype that packs a punch! We talk about its strengths, share our reactions, and consider what the next version might look like.

Biome with Leonie Grundler

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We're thrilled to have game designer Leonie Grundler from Lioness Games join us. With her game Biome currently live on Kickstarter, Leonie shares the fascinating story behind its creation, her inspiration, and offers insights and advice to kickstart our own board game journey.

Pitching Ideas

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

What kind of game are we making? The golf game? A trick taking game for tricksters? Maybe a board game to chase away the nightmares. We don't know yet, but listen in on our discussion as we talk about our early concepts and weigh theme vs. mechanics as a starting point.

Getting Down to Business

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Go behind the scenes to see what goes into creating a podcast and a board game company. You know, the business stuff. We talk about our partnership agreement and share our roadmap to become board game designers.

Making a Board Game

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 09:00:00 GMT

The Misplay is breaking into board game design. What's the best way? Make a game, of course. We created and play tested two PnP games that you can download and play. Join our journey as we take a game from nothing to crowdfunding.