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.
[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
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