In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Charlie Czerkawski, veteran game designer behind Shadowgun Legends and Payday 3, and now part of Sharkmob’s design leadership team on Exoborn. Charlie is also the author of Game Economy Design, and he pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build player-friendly yet profitable game economies. Expect deep dives into:
- What game economy design actually is (and how it differs from monetization)
- The biggest misconceptions developers have about economy design
- Vertical vs. horizontal progression, and why many games get it wrong
- Lessons from case studies like Clash Royale, Marvel Snap, and The Finals
- How to balance free vs. premium currency without alienating players
- Why testing “feels good” is harder than it sounds
- Career lessons from building his own studio and working across Europe
- Writing the go-to book on game economy design
Whether you’re an aspiring game designer, a live-ops manager, or a player curious about how games keep you hooked, this episode is a rare inside look into one of the most complex and misunderstood roles in game development.
