games
Hosted by USC Game Innovation Lab · games · EN-US
Playthink is a USC-based salon about games, play, art and interactivity. These discussion are recorded live at the USC Game Innovation Lab, which is part of the USC Games Program at the University of Southern California. For more information follow us on Instagram @uscgameinnovationlab or visit our website at www.gameinnovationlab.com/playthink.
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
25%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchPlaythink is a USC-based salon about games, play, art and interactivity. These discussion are recorded live at the USC Game Innovation Lab, which is part of the USC Games Program at the University of Southern California.
Playthink is hosted by USC Game Innovation Lab. The show has published 31 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Cheryl Platz at Playthink: 3/4/26" (4 March 2026, 53 minutes), "Richard Lemarchand at Playthink: 11/17/25" (18 November 2025, 68 minutes), and "Celia Pearce at Playthink: 11/3/25" (4 November 2025, 69 minutes).
Playthink publishes roughly every few months, with episodes averaging 63 minutes across 31 episodes.
Booking probability for Playthink is 25%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Playthink requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Playthink's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Playthink are IT Services & Software Development and Artists, Writers & Performers. Playthink has a games audience.
USC Game Innovation Lab hosts Playthink, a games podcast with 31 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #16
Game developer, designer, and author Cheryl Platz joins us for this episode of Playthink, to discuss about her book The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive. Interviewed by MFA...
Episode #15
USC Games Professor Richard Lemarchand joins us for this episode of Playthink, to talk about his book A Playful Production Process - For Game Designers (And Everyone). Interviewed by Game Innovation Lab Director Tracy...
Episode #14
This episode of Playthink welcomes game designer, scholar, and professor Celia Pearce as we discuss the rich areas of play theory explored in her new book, Playframes: How do we know we are playing? Interviewed by MS...
Episode #13
On this episode of Playthink, we welcome game designer and author Chris Totten as we explore his book, An Architectural Approach to Level Design. Interviewed by level designer and MFA candidate Zhutian Zhang, Totten...
Episode #12
On this episode of Playthink, we welcome game designer and scholar Tracy Fullerton as we explore her book, The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully — co-authored with Dr. Matthew Farber. Game designer and USC Games...
Episode #11
On this episode of Playthink, Professor TreaAndrea Russorm, Director of the Radical Play Game Design Lab, and Post Doctoral Scholar M. Coopilton discuss how games shape civic engagement, power structures, and democracy...
Episode #10
On this episode of Playthink, Game Designer Sam Roberts and Eric Park discuss Robert's essay on class systems in Final Fantasy Tactics and other RPG's. The conversation ranges far and wide from the narrative potentials...
On this episode of Playthink, Narrative Designer Christal Rose Hazelton and Bryan Sng Yong about Hazelton's work on Apex Legends, crafting authentic characters from diverse backgrounds, and using feedback to refine...
Episode #8
On this episode of Playthink, Eric Zimmerman and Tracy Fullerton discuss the recently released “The Infinite Playground,” the final book by visionary game designer Bernie De Koven, written with Holly Gramazio and edited...
Episode #7
Bonnie Ruberg's work explores gender and sexuality in digital media and digital cultures with a focus on queerness and video games. On this episode of Playthink, Ruberg discusses their book "Video Games Have Always Been...
Episode #6
Liz Ryerson is a composer, critic and occasional game designer and podcaster. On this episode of Playthink, Liz and USC Games professor Jane Pinckard discuss her work across games, journalism and the future of game...
Episode #5
Paul Slocum is an artist, software developer, curator, and musician based in Pasadena, California. He is director of a new media art gallery called And/Or Gallery that exhibits digital art and develops software for...
Videaux-Martinez's work lives at the intersection of experience design, immersive storytelling and experiential learning. Here, she discusses her newest project the Imagination Lab, a learning and play-space at Hawkins...
Episode #3
Capital W is an immersive theater group run by Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas and well known for its award-winning project Hamlet-Mobile, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet staged in a cargo van. Capital W joined...
Episode #2
Brian Upton is an internationally-known game designer and game theorist with over 20 years of professional experience in the game industry. For 14 years he worked as a senior game designer at Sony’s Santa Monica Studio...
Episode #1
Adam Badawy is a computational social scientist and a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department and Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at the University of Southern California (USC). Working at the Machine...
Join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, February 6th, in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Play for Justice.” We’ll be...
Playthink
Please join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, November 7th in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Childhood.” Featured...
Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, April 25th in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Bringing Games to Life.”...
Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, March 7th in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Dress Rehearsal.” Featured...
Recent guests on Playthink. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Professor of Fun, University of Southern California
actuary, pension expert, and Bitcoin thinker, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence
New Head of Research for Homelessness and Law Enforcement Outcomes in WA State, Washington Policy Center
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