In Episode 86 of the Toronto Under Construction podcast, host Ben Myers welcomes three of Toronto’s most respected architects—Clifford Korman of Kirkor Architects, Richard Witt of Quadrangle Architects, and Gabriel Fain of Gabriel Fain Architects—for an in-depth conversation about how we shape the city we live in. From policy hurdles to design phil…

Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron look back on TGRT’s most recent topics, along with taking time to dive into many of the conversations brought up by Ellie Dix in BtC. Sharing thoughts about co-design and comparing the communities in tabletop and digital design, which Ellie has brought up with past guests. The two also look back on some of the bigger i…

Today, Ellie Dix and Isaac Vega take a deep dive into what it means to self publish, both the struggles and the benefits. Touching on collaborating with others on projects, along with devoting your time and energy into being a publisher.

An in depth dive into the makings of Burden of Command, along with the strategies and tools used to create the realistic nature of the game. Conversations about using the right assets and tailoring your game in a way that it resembles the time period that it’s trying to convey. Luke Hughes, along with Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron, dissect the thin…

Ellie Dix is joined by Richard Heayes, former design director for Hasbro and current co-founder of 7pips. They discuss the ins and outs of trademarking, idea infringement, and the benefits of freely sharing your ideas. Topics include trademark law, game submission portals, when and how to share your designs, and why it’s important the game design c…

In Episode 85 of the Toronto Under Construction podcast, host Ben Myers is joined by three leading voices in real estate journalism: Danny Roth of Storeys, Ed Skira of Urban Toronto, and Garry Marr of CoStar. This episode takes a fascinating turn into the media world—tracking how real estate reporting has evolved over the last two decades, and how …

Dirk and David are joined by Ben Robbins, designer of Microscope and many other narrative games. They discuss the play culture of Microscope, the differences between it and trad TTRPGs, and the ways games of Microscope can flourish or break down. Topics include expected participation, growing pains in trying new TTRPGs, and what even is an RPG?…

Ellie Dix is joined by Mandela Grandon, designer of Glasgow, Overstocked, and The Shakespeare Game. They talk about the benefits and process of co-design, the difficulties in working with another person, and how to even get a co-designer. They also discuss the finer points, like how to address experience gaps, outline goals and partnership structur…

The season of RPGs starts off with flare! Dirk and David are joined once more by Andrew Fischer, here to discuss his experience designing the Cosmere RPG. They discuss the difficulties in adapting the expansive work of Brandon Sanderson, the unique mechanics developed for the system, and the difficulty in bridging the gap between readers new to RPG…

“Nobody is immune to this type of predatory behavior.” -Jennifer Lawrence DSW, LICSW Out Think Influencers is the second podcast series from Out Think Media, where I team up with experts to give you the historical, cultural and emotional context needed to understand kids' media today. Today’s episode continues discussing Influencers, and specifical…

In Episode 84 of the Toronto Under Construction podcast, host Ben Myers invites guests Adam Sheffer, Originate Developments, Ty Diamond of Diamond Kilmer, and Pouyan Safapour of Devron Developments, to navigate a series of real-world development hypotheticals. Through tough calls, creative thinking, and brutal honesty, the episode offers an inside …

In this episode, Ellie chats with Rikki, creator of Coup, The Chameleon, and Melee, about his inspiring journey in design. He highlights the importance of process and how a supportive community has influenced his path. They discuss what makes the design community unique and the benefits of connecting with fellow creatives.…

“Your child needs to know that it’s okay to make mistakes, that your family and your forgiveness is always an open door.” -Cindy Marie Jenkins “We don't want to take kids' feelings away from them.” -Lauren Mazzarese Out Think Influencers is the second podcast series from Out Think Media, where I team up with experts to give you the historical, cult…

TDGRT kicks off its first season on RPGs with a discussion on Dirk and David’s experiences, and where they want to take the season from here. They talk about the pros and cons of modern Dungeons and Dragons, and alternative styles of game design that better suit different genres of play.

In Episode 83 of the Toronto Under Construction podcast, host Ben Myers is joined by Realtors Roy Bhandari and Brian Persaud for a deep dive into the evolution of the pre-construction investor market in the GTA. From the early days of platinum access to the shifting profiles of today’s condo buyers, this episode tackles misconceptions, market dynam…

Ellie Dix is joined by Adam Porter, designer of Kompromat, Pikoko, and Doodle Rush. Together, they discuss the playtesting process, why it’s so important, and the biggest mistakes people make while playtesting. Topics include tracking confusion during sessions, structuring how and what feedback is given, and being a good playtester.…

Dirk and David continue their discussion in part 2 of TGDRT’s Civilization Series Finale! They dive into many of the systems that didn’t work for them, and what they wish had been done instead. Topics include religion and trade, the problems with Civ VII’s map generation, and the costs associated with stripping away flavor in favor of starker mecha…

Ellie Dix is joined by Scott Rogers, designer Alien: Fate of Nostrodomo, Pantone the Game, and Marvel Villainous and writer of many books on game design. Together, they discuss how to build the prototype for a game, how to decide whether to continue with a design, and what makes a prototype attractive for publishers among other topics.…

In Episode 82 of the Toronto Under Construction podcast, host Ben Myers is joined by Igor Dragovic from Concert Properties and Blair Scorgie of Scorgie Planning. This episode dives into the complexities of urban planning, public engagement, housing research, and the latest policy shifts shaping the future of development in Toronto and beyond. *Spon…

The time has finally come; Civilization VII is out! After many hours with the game, Dirk and David come together to share their thoughts on the game. Did it live up to the hype? How does Civ VII stack up to previous games? Will David ever play another Civ game again? All these questions and more on part 1 of 2 for TGDRT’s Civ Series Finale. Topics …

Ellie is joined by Peter Hayward, designer of games such as Robotopia, Fiction, and That Time You Killed Me. Ellie and Peter discuss not only the process for naming a game, but also how names affect pitching and publishing, naming your prototypes, and how the process works for indie and mass market titles.…

Civilization 7 approaches! As we prepare to share our thoughts on Civ 7, we answer another round of listener questions. Topics include Dirk and David’s ideal Civ game, how to approach kingmaking in multiplayer games, and why diplomacy in Civilization is often so underwhelming.By TGDRT