- 56 minutes 12 secondsThe Tyranny of Dice
What do the sequences (3-4-5-6), (5-2-5-2), and (1-1-1-1) have in common? They’re all random dice rolls! Sometimes randomness seems random, but more often than you’d expect, it looks like an obvious pattern. When relying on dice or cards as randomizers, how do you account for the edge cases and anomalies that can lead to repetition, unfair player imbalances, or long waits to get the results you need?
Episode Mentions:
It Follows (2014 film by David Robert Mitchell)
Design Doc ep. 112: Queuing for Canoeing
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
9 September 2026, 9:00 am - 48 minutes 2 secondsHow to Not Make a Sequel
Hannah and Evan tackle the question of reprinting versus redesigning an older game, Noirlandia. It’s a game that still sells well after all these years, but there are many tempting improvements to make. Where’s the line between editing a word here and there and getting drawn in by the siren song of a new edition?
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
26 August 2026, 9:00 am - 41 minutes 11 secondsHow to Beat a Beta
Hannah and Evan talk about the next steps involved in releasing a new draft of the Escape from Wonderland beta. The sprint to publish a public version of the rules involved a ton of time and effort, but the work isn’t done yet! The newest release includes incorporating changes based on playtester feedback, fancying up flavor text, and releasing online play tools for the first time.
Good news—that version is out now! Find Escape from Wonderland 0.6 here.
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Design Doc is hosted by the One Shot Podcast Network. Find and support other network shows here: https://oneshotpodcast.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
12 August 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 2 secondsAnnouncement: Escape from Wonderland Public Beta
A quick announcement episode to let everyone know that the Escape from Wonderland beta rules are live. This is a draft of the game rules, publicly available for anyone to read and play. To share your thoughts, join us on Discord. Links below:
Turtlebun discord: https://discord.gg/h6JsahwgH
Link to the beta rules doc here: https://turtlebun.com/products/escape-from-wonderland
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Turtlebun links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
29 July 2026, 12:22 pm - 1 hour 15 minutesPlanning a Public Playtest (with Josh Yearsley)
Hannah sits down with rules editor and game designer Josh Yearsley (Root, Arcs) for a conversation about public playtesting. After more than a decade of editing rulebooks, Josh has developed a keen eye and intuition for playtest feedback. Josh talks about playtesting as a fluid conversation, incorporating feedback on a community scale, and staying true to your own voice when it starts to get lost in the shuffle.
Links to episode mentions:
Episode credits:
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Turtlebun links:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/h6JsahwgH (this link expires after 30 days—if you click and it's expired, email us!)
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
15 July 2026, 9:00 am - 8 minutes 12 secondsShort Break Announcement
We're taking a short break to focus on finishing a game. See you back soon!
Links
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
17 June 2026, 9:00 am - 51 minutesDying on the First Turn
Evan and Hannah talk about two separate playtests—Evan’s playtest of the near-complete Escape from Wonderland, and Hannah’s playtest of the just-begun Seekers of the Thrice-Lost Crown. Both games went well, but surprises lurk around every corner, and sometimes someone has to die on the first turn.
Episode mentions
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2018)
Links
Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
3 June 2026, 9:00 am - 31 minutes 14 secondsRapid Design: Snowhere Special
Hannah and Evan sit down for a rapid design session for Escape from Wonderland. In 30 minutes, they design an entirely new snow-themed park zone, complete with a gun-wielding Santa.
Turtlebun Links
Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Website: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
20 May 2026, 9:00 am - 27 minutes 40 secondsNo Wrong Way to Eat a Pear
While Evan's away, Hannah reflects on the announcement that Hampshire College, an unconventional school founded in the 1970s, is closing its doors. It was flawed, idealistic, and not always what was promised. But it was a special place that encouraged weirdos to be weird, and paved our own winding path to game design.
Hampshire College Workers' Emergency Relief Fund
Help Hampshire workers faced with sudden job loss:
https://www.helphampshireworkers.com/
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/hampshire-college-workers-emergency-relief-fund
Turtlebun Links
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Turtlebun on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Turtlebun webstore: https://turtlebun.com/
Credits
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
6 May 2026, 9:00 am - 47 minutes 23 secondsHow to Do Two Things at Once
We've always struggled to juggle multiple projects at a time. Right now, finishing the design on Escape from Wonderland is the top priority. But we don't want to set aside every other game and dream. What would it take to do two things at once?
Links & Credits:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Turtlebun on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Our website, for games/art/zines: https://turtlebun.com/
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
23 April 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 4 minutesQueuing for Canoeing
How many generations does it take to get into a canoe-making class? In this episode we go on a quest to redesign a queue system for a local craft school and quickly find that you cannot make a perfect queue without systemic social change.
Episode Mentions:
Hill Institute (With their mission right there on the front page)
What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel, 2013 (This link takes you to bookshop.org supporting one of our local bookstores—you can set your own!)
Happy Rex Manning Day!
We are having a game sale! Visit turtlebun.com for 20% off TTRPGs and turtlebun.itch.io for 35% off PDFs.
Links & Credits:
Turtlebun Discord: https://discord.gg/ajP36nzPb2
Turtlebun on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/turtlebun
Where to buy our games: https://turtlebun.com/
Design Doc intro/outro theme by ipaghost: https://www.ipaghost.com/
Episodes edited by Rob Abrazado: https://robabrazado.com/
Get in touch:
Designdocpod (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: instagram.com/turtleandbun
8 April 2026, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App