Podcast #45: Streamable games, big-name licenses, Clubhouse Games (guest: The Op's Pat Marino)

We have sooo many questions for Pat Marino, game design manager for The Op (formerly USAopoly). His company puts out hardcore games (Court of the Dead: Mourner's Call). It puts out casual games (Telestrations). It even puts out -- and yes, we talk about this on the show -- jigsaw puzzles based on licenses like The Golden Girls (seriously -- our host Christina bought this...AND this).

What's it like working on such a wide range of gaming experiences? And is it a huge headache (and maybe even a little spoiler-y) when a big license is involved? (Think: Disney, Marvel, The Simpsons, Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, Rick and Morty...The Op has made games for them all.) Pat shares his experiences with us and doesn't hold back.

We also bring up more games that we like streaming to our friends during this sheltering-in-place period; that X (or "it") factor that makes us want to play a game over and over; and the good and bad in Clubhouse Games for the Nintendo Switch.

This week's topics:

  1. Christina (host): What are some great games to stream online (that aren't roll-and-writes)? (2:45)
  2. Shoe (producer): What does the game design process look like when working with big licenses? (19:14)
  3. Pat Marino (guest): What contributes to the intangible X-factor that makes a game fun and enjoyable? (36:58)
  4. Mike Zipkin (editor): Discussing the new Clubhouse Games pack for Nintendo Switch (54:57)

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Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Christina's topic: Streamable non-roll-and-write games

Shoe's topic: Game design when working with different licenses

Pat's topic: That X-factor in gaming

Mike's topic: Nintendo's Clubhouse Games

Final thoughts