#231 Tim Fowers Talks Burgle Bros 2

Tim Fowers, a guest on the show in 2016, returns to talk with Dirk and David about designing heist games. He discusses the thematic and mechanical design decisions made in both the original game as well as his upcoming sequel. Other topics include hybrid games, sequels versus expansions or new editions, and the burgeoning Tabletop Network Conference.

Episode Outline

01:02 What has Tim been up to since he was last on the show?

03:58 The origin of Burgle Bros and its heist theme

09:56 Knowing when something from a theme doesn’t need to be in the game’s systems

11:52 Burgle Bros 2, its new casino setting, and some of the design mishaps along the way

15:32 How did the game’s existence as a sequel affect the design from day one?

19:47 Tim’s processes for making hard design decisions for game mechanic health or production reasons

28:23 Tim’s choice to releasing a couple standalone sequels instead of new editions or expansions

33:29 The “Burgle Universe” and how and why Tim’s characters and narratives cross over

35:35 Discussing hybrid games and why they might not have caught on as much as some people expected

45:55 Some of the themes that mesh well with hybrid games

48:06 Talking about the Tabletop Network Conference

In this Episode

Tim Fowers - @tfowers, fowers.games
David V. Heron - @davidvheron
Dirk Knemeyer - @DKnemeyer