Game Design Process Lessons from a Master, with Dave Rohrl

Playmakers - The Game Industry Podcast

In this episode:

Jordan interviews Dave Rohrl, a veteran game designer with 30 years of experience designing and producing online games. Dave has held senior positions at leading companies like Pogo, PopCap (he’s actually Crazy Dave in Plants vs. Zombies), Zynga, and Playdom, overseeing the design of more than 50 games and consulting on countless others. In 2014, Dave founded Mobile Game Doctor, a global network of dozens of experts that helps game developers worldwide improve their free-to-play games and game businesses. Dave shares his insights into the game design process, emphasizing how to achieve 'fun' early in development, the importance of rapid prototyping, and why using rough code and art early on helps reduce design risks.

Topics covered:

• Dave’s journey from non-profits to leading game development at top companies
• How to find fun early in the development process
• The importance of fun and player engagement in game design
• Why using rough code and art early on helps reduce design risk
• How to balance creativity, technical implementation, and budget constraints
• Dave's approach to evaluating game prototypes and reducing project risks early
• Aligning game mechanics with user behavior
• Best practices for mobile game development and free-to-play business models

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Timestamps:

[03:02] Dave’s background: From non-profits to game design

[07:00] Early career at The Learning Company and Pogo

[10:25] Lessons from PopCap and Zynga: The rise of free-to-play gaming

[12:12] Rapid prototyping and the "fail fast" approach

[16:50] Balancing creativity with risk management in game design

[21:20] Working with small, focused teams during pre-production

[22:55] The five fun factors: Building engaging game mechanics

[29:43] Balancing creativity and budget in mobile game development

[34:12] Dave’s advice for designers: Focus on gameplay, not flashy assets

[37:00] Prototype-driven development: Managing design risks and early testing

[41:00] The challenges of "polishing the turd" and when to abandon a game project

[47:40] The role of external feedback: Being the "emperor’s new clothes" guy

[51:50] Working with teams to improve games during different development phases

[54:30] Dave’s thoughts on the evolution of mobile and casual gaming

Resources & media mentioned in this episode:

Learn more and Connect with Dave Rohrl:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Games & companies mentioned:

• Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Peggle (PopCap)
• The Learning Company
• Pogo (Electronic Arts)
• Zynga (FarmVille)
• Playdom (Disney Interactive)
• Sid Meier’s Pirates (MicroProse)
• SimCity (Maxis)
• Star Wars: Commander (Disney Interactive)
• Reader Rabbit (The Learning Company)
• ClueFinders (The Learning Company)
• BoardGameGeek (Online platform)