Games Every Designer Should Play

About Games Every Designer Should Play

This is ’Games Every Designer Should Play,’ the podcast that explores the world of game design by analysing some of the greatest games of all time. Join your lecturers in game design: Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills, and David Grant, as they explore the essential games that have left a lasting impression on the industry and on us. In each episode, we dissect and analyse a game that shaped the landscape of game design. From classic titles to contemporary masterpieces, we unravel the intricate layers of gameplay, narrative, and art direction, offering valuable insights for both aspiring and seasoned game designers. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, seeking to understand the principles of great game design, or simply love exploring the artistry behind your favorite games, this podcast is your go-to source. Subscribe now for a front-row seat to the fascinating world of game design, and discover the games that every designer should play. At the end of the episode one of us will reveal to the others the game for the next episode. Will it be beloved by all or could it be controversial? You’ll have to listen to the end to find out!

Publisher

Stuart Lilford

Category

arts · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Mar 2024

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   EP19: Disco Elysium - Games Every Designer Should Play

   Welcome to Episode 19 of Games Every Designer Should Play, the podcast that explores the world of game design by analysing some of the greatest games of all time. Join experienced Game Design lecturers Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills, and David Grant as they discuss Disco Elysium and what this critically acclaimed RPG can teach aspiring designers. 🚨 Major spoiler alert for the game! We discuss the story, characters, key choices, and ending in detail, so we strongly recommend playing Disco Elysium before listening. In this episode, we explore how Disco Elysium reinvents the RPG by removing traditional combat and making dialogue, personality, thought, and internal conflict central to the gameplay. We discuss how taking something away from an established genre can lead to innovation, and how the game's unusual skill system allows different character builds to fundamentally change how players perceive and interact with its world. We also examine player choice and alternative solutions, why failure can create some of the game's most memorable moments, and how its distinctive writing, humour, art direction, and worldbuilding contribute to the experience. Along the way, we discuss some of the game's more divisive design decisions, including pacing, traversal, skill checks, autosaving, and whether its commitment to lengthy dialogue makes Disco Elysium a game that simply isn't going to be for everyone. Featuring community feedback and the verdict: Is Disco Elysium a game every designer should play? 📧 Email us your comments or questions about the game we'll be discussing next at shouldplaypodcast@gmail.com It's Adrian's turn to choose the game for the next episode — and he's selected something very different from Disco Elysium. A game that tells its story with very little dialogue and asks you to take down some truly enormous opponents... 👀 Listen to the end to find out what's next! #DiscoElysium #GameDesign #GamesEveryDesignerShouldPlay #RPG #NarrativeDesign #GameDevelopment #IndieGames #Storytelling #GameDesignPodcast Thank you for tuning in! 🎧✨ We are @ShouldPlayPod on Instagram, X, Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube. === CREDITS === Music by Vasil Trofimov from Pixabay. Sound Effects by floraphonic from Pixabay. Thanks to Gary Mitchell for Technical Support.

2. 

   25 Jul 2026

   Soccer Physics - (Small) Games Every Designer Should Play [BONUS EPISODE]

   Welcome to this bonus episode of Games Every Designer Should Play, the podcast that explores the world of game design by analysing some of the greatest games of all time. Join experienced Game Design lecturers Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills, and David Grant as they dive into the wonderfully chaotic, physics-driven world of Soccer Physics. 🚨 Spoiler alert for the game! We STRONGLY advise you to play before listening. In this episode, we explore what Soccer Physics teaches us about game design—and why a game with just one button can be one of the funniest and most memorable multiplayer experiences ever created. With a single input, unpredictable physics, and a handful of random modifiers, Soccer Physics proves, once again, that great games don't need complex mechanics to generate endless entertainment. We discuss how the game embraces simplicity without sacrificing depth, why constraints often lead to more creative design, and how emergent gameplay creates moments no designer could ever script. Along the way, we examine the power of physics-based comedy, the role of randomness in replayability, the importance of fast feedback loops, why games can be just as enjoyable to watch as they are to play, and what aspiring game designers can learn from rapid prototyping and experimenting with simple systems. Featuring the verdict: Is Soccer Physics a must-play for every designer? 📧 Email us your comments or questions on the game discussed in the next episode (Disco Elysium) at shouldplaypodcast@gmail.com Keep an eye out for more bonus episodes, alongside our full-length discussions of the games every designer should play! Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share! We are @ShouldPlayPod on Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, Threads, and YouTube. #SoccerPhysics #GameDesign #GamesEveryDesignerShouldPlay #IndieGames #PhysicsGames #GameDevelopment #MultiplayerGames #EmergentGameplay #GameDesignPodcast #IndieDev Thank you for tuning in! 🎧✨ === CREDITS === Music by Vasil Trofimov from Pixabay. Sound Effects by floraphonic from Pixabay. Thanks to Gary Mitchell for Technical Support.

3. 

   4 Jul 2026

   EP18: Dorfromantik - Games Every Designer Should Play

   Welcome to Episode 18 of Games Every Designer Should Play, the podcast that explores the world of game design by analysing some of the greatest games of all time. Join experienced Game Design lecturers Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills, and David Grant as they discuss Dorfromantik and what this award-winning cozy game can teach aspiring designers. 🚨 Spoiler alert for the game! We recommend playing Dorfromantik before listening, although the experience isn't heavily story-driven. In this episode, we explore why cozy games have become one of the fastest-growing genres in modern gaming, and how Dorfromantik creates surprising depth from an incredibly simple core mechanic. We discuss the KISS principle, the value of design constraints, and why elegant mechanics often outperform feature-heavy game design. We also examine the importance of game feel, visual polish, and player feedback, debate whether adding more mechanics would actually improve the experience, and discuss why aspiring game developers should focus on building small, polished games rather than overly ambitious projects. Featuring community feedback and the verdict: Is Dorfromantik a game every designer should play? 📧 Email us your comments or questions about the game we'll be discussing next at shouldplaypodcast@gmail.com It's Stuart's turn to choose the game for the next episode. His clues suggest an RPG unlike anything we've covered before... but will Adrian and David approve of the choice? You'll have to listen to the end to find out! 👀 #Dorfromantik #GameDesign #GamesEveryDesignerShouldPlay #CozyGames #IndieGames #PuzzleGames #StrategyGames #GameDevelopment #GameDesignPodcast Thank you for tuning in! 🎧✨ We are @ShouldPlayPod on Instagram, X, Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube. === CREDITS === Music by Vasil Trofimov from Pixabay. Sound Effects by floraphonic from Pixabay. Thanks to Gary Mitchell for Technical Support.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

19,455

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

16

Social presence

0

YouTube

85

Engagement

27

Contact Games Every Designer Should Play

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.