Furidashi Game Design Academy

15. Persona 5 Animus

Lauryn and Nicholas take a deep dive into Persona 5 Strikers and discuss what happens as games branch out from their original designs and the problems that crop up once they cross platforms. Also starring: egg tarts and hapless level designer gets a promotion!

Follow us on Twitter:

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

14. Franchise Philosophy

Lauryn and Nicholas follow-up on Assassin's Creed and talk about why the Mario franchise succeeds in making wildly different kinds of games fall under one umbrella where other game franchises do not. Also starring: Sam & Max and the Nintendo Seal of Approval!

Follow us on Twitter:

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

13. Rewarding Game Design

Lauryn and Nicholas follow up their gamification episode with a deep dive into how games evolved into doing loot grinds and the games that give some hope that we're moving away from that. Also starring: Halloween in Animal Crossing and why Nicholas wants to conquer the world.

Follow us on Twitter!

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

12. Gamification Doesn't Work

Lauryn and Nicholas discuss gamification, why people think it works but in the long run ends up either being dissatisfying or luring players into tedious grinds. Also starring: Habitica and teaching a ten-year-old to multiply fractions.

Follow us on Twitter!

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

11. Controls, Controls! You Must Learn Controls!

Lauryn and Nicholas talk about the question of accessibility in games and how our physical nature (and the variance therein) contributes to our preconceptions about what game controls should or should not be. Also starring: Joust and epigenetics!

Follow us on Twitter!

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

10. Free to Role Play

Lauryn and Nicholas talk about how life maps onto role playing games and how, perversely, role playing games map onto life. Also starring: Japanese web dramas and Fortnite?

Follow us on Twitter!

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

Chillrant 6 - No More Assassin's Creed

Lauryn questions whether a series can maintain its identity if, over time, the games themselves change so much. Even if it's a great game, why keep calling it Assassin's Creed?

Follow us on Twitter!

The Pod: http://www.twitter.com/furidashipod

Lauryn: http://www.twitter.com/thelaurynash

Nicholas: http://www.twitter.com/uahsenaa

9. You're Not a Paper Doll

Lauryn and Nicholas continue their conversation about character choice in RPGs and why total freedom of character choice can often feel unsatisfying.

8. There's No Such Thing as a JRPG

Lauryn and Nicholas look at the early history of RPGs and role-playing game design to talk about why the distinction between "Western" and "Japanese" RPGs is more fluid than you may think. Also starring: the "golden age" of 80s PC RPG and adventure games.

7. YulePunk 2077

In this special Christmas episode, Lauryn and Nicholas talk Cyberpunk 2077 and the importance or oddness of the holiday season when it comes to video game releases. Also on the docket: Christmas in Japan and why it may or may not be better than Christmas everywhere else.