Richard Durham on Learning through Engaging Gameplay

Richard Durham on Learning through Engaging Gameplay

In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng speaks with Richard Durham, a prolific game designer, creative director, and educator at Wondertree Studios. Richard shares insights from designing over 30 games across mediums—from street festivals and museum activations to tabletop and secret events—driven by curiosity and a focus on player experience. He explains his “quick, dirty, backwards” design approach, using laddering questions to uncover core values and align game goals with meaningful outcomes. They explore intentional incoherence, balancing fidelity and abstraction, and how purposeful design choices spark discussion and deeper engagement. Richard emphasizes debriefing as essential for transforming gameplay into lasting learning.

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Get the full transcript and references for this episode here: https://www.universityxp.com/podcast/152