Why do we make games? Every designer has a different and very personal answer to that question. Soren Johnson, founder of Mohawk Games, sits down with noted designers to find out by examining their careers as a whole.

Designer Notes
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Why do we make games? Every designer has a different and very personal answer to that question. Soren Johnson, founder of Mohawk Games, sits down with noted designers to find out by examining their careers as a whole.
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Publishing Since
10/30/2014
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Recent Episodes

July 6, 2026
Designer Notes 96: Owen Mahoney
Soren interviews former Nexon CFO and CEO Owen Mahoney about the shift to free-to-play, shareholder strategy, and near acquisitions.

June 6, 2026
Designer Notes 95: Seth Sivak
Soren interviews Proletariat CEO Seth Sivak about the company's near-failures, the viability of free-to-play games, and innovative game design.

May 4, 2026
Designer Notes 94: Charles Cecil - Part 2
In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Charles Cecil, co-founder of Revolution Software and best known for his work on Beneath a Steel Sky and the Broken Sword series. They discuss why he made a game about the Knights Templar, how digital distribution changed the publisher-developer relationship forever, and what made the goat puzzle unfair. This interview was started on April 14, 2025.
96 total episodes available with 9 transcripts
Recent guests on Designer Notes
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Owen Mahoney
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Seth Sivak
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Patrice Desilets
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Caroline Marchal
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