“We don’t just make entertaining games. We make the people you’re playing with more entertaining.” 

“Do you want to play again?” This is the only question Elan Lee asks when playtesting his games. Millions of people have answered yes, which explains why the Exploding Kittens games have dominated the best seller lists for almost a decade. Elan has now set his sights on conquering the world of entertainment beyond board games, starting with a namesake animated Netflix show. 

Elan Lee was the very first guest on REPOD, way back on Season 1, Episode 1. Then, he shared his philosophy on game design and all the cool projects he’s worked on. In this follow up episode, we dig a little deeper into his design process.  I especially enjoyed hearing about how he playtests games, as well as his philosophy when it comes to writing game instructions. He also talks about creating a new line of games for younger children with his daughter, and this segment is really delightful, with insight into how to design for little ones.

Elan creates party games that make the players entertaining. Escape rooms essentially do the same thing by casting their players into the hero role. Elan was really generous in sharing all the elements of his design process with us. Give this episode a listen if you’re interested in applying the Exploding Kittens game philosophy to your experience design of any kind.  

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 00:22 Thank you to the RECON Championship Ticket Holders
• 01:06  Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 03:59 Exploding Kittens Netflix Show

• 11:01 How to Get the High Score in a Travel Game
• 13:42 What Did You Learn From Process Of Making Animated Series?
• 17:52 Design Mantra: Make the Player Entertaining
• 19:39 Sponsor Break: Morty App, Discover and Track Escape Rooms
• 21:25 Mass Producing High Quality Game Components
• 24:39 The Exploding Kittens Approach To Play Testing
• 30:39 Designing for Less Experienced Players and Crafting the Perfect Game Instructions
• 35:32 Sponsor Break: COGS by Clockwork Dog, Interactive Show Controls
• 38:31 Designing Games for Younger Kids with His Daughter

• 41:36 What Makes a Game Fun for Young Children?
• 43:14 Exploding Kittens Knock-Off Effect
• 45:07 How Should Escape Room Designers Build For New Players?
• 51:33 How Has Your Job Changed?
• 01:00:05 Peabody Legacy Award for The Beast
• 01:01:15 Walkabout Mini Golf
• 01:04:34 Let’s Hit Each Other With Fake Swords and Other New Games

• 01:09:03 Follow Elan’s Work
• 01:14:35 Bonus Story: “Did I ever tell you about the time I almost got in a fist fight with an escape room designer?”

Leave us a voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Exploding Kittens Company Website
• Kitten Games Website
• Exploding Kittens TV Show IMDB
• Strut Travel game app
• Peabody Award for The Beast

Purchase Elan’s Games

• Exploding Kittens
• Hurry Up Chicken Butt
• Let’s Hit Each Other with Fake Swords

About Elan Lee

Instagram: @gameofkittens

Elan Lee is the Co-Creator and Chief Executive Officer of Exploding Kittens, the leading gaming and entertainment company. The company boasts a portfolio of over 40 games with over 35 million games sold globally, a hit Netflix show, and several digital adaptations, including mobile games and a VR game for Meta Quest.

Previously, Lee was the Chief Design Officer at Xbox Entertainment Studios where he led the Interactive Entertainment Portfolio. Lee has won a Primetime Emmy for the series Dirty Work, Game Innovator of the Year award for Exploding Kittens, a Peabody Award for the world’s first Alternate Reality Game, “The Beast,” and an IndieCade Trailblazer Award for a distinguished career in interactive entertainment, amongst others.

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