Monopoly Go’s economy design makes social casino accessible. The roll-move-resolve loop is more approachable on a board than on a slots reel, so the game can create a real sense of tension (the board piece will sometimes enter bullet time before landing on a tile). Another achievement is the game’s events, which cut to the core of the design.

Recurring events are a key source of how the game creates “runs” by stringing together level climbing in different, interconnected progression centres. While Monopoly Go certainly wasn’t the first to invent “move around board, trigger events”, it’s undoubtedly popularized it. It’s starting to appear as its own genre, and even morphing into Archero 2 mini-games.

While game director and sim genre maniac Director Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim seems to have delivered on the game at this stage in development, Krafton needs to step up to deliver on the title’s business promise. Krafton needs to flex its newly formed publishing arm quickly, or a franchise could slip away.

Phillip & Eric navigate the strangely subdued landscape of GDC 2025, pondering if there really is such a thing as a free lunch. Christopher Kaczmarczyk-Smith dials in, wondering if his absence is secretly the key to Eric’s roundtable success.

They dissect the talks, the conference economics, the rise of mobile’s respectability, and a guest in economy designer, Charlie Hsu.

In this episode:

– Is the game industry actually shrinking, or just taking a nap? And if Web3 isn’t the savior, what’s left besides… sweeps?
– Is GDC just a cleverly disguised wealth transfer from sponsors to developers?
– What’s the latest “reasonable” pitch for Web3 in games?
– What’s the economic model behind those San Francisco walk-up shops overflowing with candy bars right next to the register? High margins? A tourist trap? Something… else

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Listen: https://lnkd.in/ekQUjrKX