All Episodes
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1226 in total
#1226: Replies with Rachel and Sarah
Many years ago, I would drive my eldest daughter to school, and occasionally, we did a segment called "Replies with Rachel" where the two of us would answer questions....
#1225: Interrupts in Limited Edition (Alpha)
Magic's very first set had a card type that no longer exists called interrupts. In this episode, I walk through all the cards of this card type in Limited Edition (Alp...
#1224: Why We Do Themes
In this episode, I explain the value of themes by going through the various teams that work on a Magic set.
#1223: Design Feedback
In this episode, I explain the numerous ways designers give feedback to each other by going through the entire exploratory design and vision design process.
#1222: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 3
This is part three of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.
#1221: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 2
This is part two of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.
#1220: Top 20 Most Influential Designs, Part 1
This is part one of a three-part series going over a talk I gave at MagicCon: Chicago 2025.
#1219: MagicCon: Chicago 2025
In this episode, I talk about my recent trip to MagicCon: Chicago.
#1218: Weatherlight
This episode looks back at the design of Weatherlight, the third set in the Mirage block.
#1217: Visions
This episode looks back at the design of Visions, the second set in the Mirage block.
#1216: How to Make Losing Fun
One of the truisms of game design: make sure your players enjoy losing your game. How do we do that? This podcast walks listeners through six key lessons.
#1215: BroadwayCon 2025
Every year, my eldest daughter, Rachel, and I go to a convention dedicated to Broadway called BroadwayCon. It's interesting going to a convention from the perspective ...
#1214: Why Is Magic So Good?
I do a lot of interviews. A question I often get is, "Why is Magic so good?" I have a lot of answers to that question, enough for a 30-minute podcast.
#1213: Aetherdrift Set Design with Yoni Skolnik
In this podcast, I sit down with Yoni Skolnik, the lead set designer for Aetherdrift, to talk about the design after it was handed off for set design.
#1212: Drawbacks
I talk about the history of drawback mechanics, what they are, how we design them, and how they've changed over the years.
#1211: Fresh Out of Design – Aetherdrift
I recorded this podcast two years ago when I handed off the Aetherdrift vision design to the Set Design team. Hear my thoughts on Magic's latest set as it came fresh o...
#1210: Rarity Changes
In this podcast, I walk through the various reasons why we reprint cards at a different rarity.
#1209: Protection
In this podcast, I talk about the history of the protection mechanic, starting from Limited Edition (Alpha) to present day.
#1208: History of Creature Types
In this podcast, I walk through Magic's history to talk about how the use of creature types has changed over time.
#1207: Lessons Learned – The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
This is another in my "Lessons Learned" podcasts where I talk about sets I led or co-led the design for. I walk through the various lessons I learned in leading the de...
#1206: Draft Archetypes
Almost every randomized booster product is designed to be drafted. To do that we have to build around what we call draft archetypes. In this podcast, I talk all about ...
#1205: Innistrad Remastered with JC Tao
In this podcast, I sit down with JC Tao, the lead designer of Innistrad Remastered, to talk about the making of the set.
#1204: Apocalypse
In this podcast, I talk all about the design of Apocalypse, another set from the Invasion block.
#1203: Planeshift
In this podcast, I talk all about the design of Planeshift, a set from the Invasion block.
#1202: Psychology
I gained a love of games from my father and a love of psychology from my mother. This podcast talks about how my interest in psychology has impacted me as a Magic desi...
#1201: Card Preview Articles
Part of writing a weekly Magic column involves writing card preview articles for new sets. In this podcast, I talk all about what goes into writing them.
#1200: Two-in-Ones, Part 2
This is part two of my two-part series where I talk about the history of two-in-one cards.
#1199: Two-in-Ones, Part 1
This last fall, I wrote a two-part article about what I call "two-in-one cards," or "two-in-ones" for short. These are designs where more than one spell is represented...
#1198: Variance
Variance is an important aspect of Magic design (and game design in general). In this podcast, I explain what it is and how we use it.
#1197: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Design Evolution
There are two ways to begin a design: from the top down, where you start with flavor, and from the bottom up, where you start with mechanics. In this podcast, I talk a...