Activating Trap Cards, Raiding Robots, and Cardboard Comebacks with Matthew Bell

This month on Game Academy, we’re cracking open a booster pack of nostalgia, tabletop secrets, and indie dev wisdom with the one and only Matthew Bell!

Matt’s had the kind of career that makes you go, “Wait, you did what?” He started out wrangling tournaments and managing organised play for Yu-Gi-Oh! across Europe (yes, the one with Blue-Eyes White Dragon), before jumping into video game production at Sumo Digital, and now going full indie with his new card-based tabletop strategy game, Robot Raiders.

We get into the wild world of organised play (turns out, it’s more spreadsheets and fewer holographic dragons than you might expect), how Matt transitioned from TCGs to AAA production, and what it’s really like launching your own tabletop game in 2025. Spoiler: it’s hard, it’s exciting, and yes, there’s a Kickstarter!

We also chat about the craft of designing games for the people who play them, what makes a great gameplay loop in card games, and how Matt approaches “getting people to play the game” - the hardest design challenge of all.

Whether you're a lifelong duelist, a budding designer, or just someone believes in the heart of the cards, this one's got something for you. Your move!

Links & Shoutouts:

🎲 Back Robot Raiders on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattorigusstudios/robot-raiders-a-1-4-player-epic-card-game-battle-experience

📢 Keep up with Mattorigus Studios on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattorigusStudios

📧 Got a question or guest suggestion? Email us at [email protected]

🐶 Follow Adam’s extremely nerdy ramblings at https://bsky.app/profile/twoleft.bsky.social

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