Design Talk - Exploring Nevaros with Raven Zachary

Design Talk - Exploring Nevaros with Raven Zachary

From The Game Design Round Table by Dirk Knemeyer & David V. Heron

April 7, 2026 · 59 min · Season 1 · Episode 386

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Raven Zachary about integrating AI in game design through his project Navaros.

Hosts Dirk Knemeyer and David Heron are joined by Raven Zachary, a veteran tech executive and product leader known for his work in spatial computing, AI, and the internet industry. This episode explores the intersection of traditional game design and modern technology, focusing on Raven's new project, Navaros, a persistent browser-based game (PBBG). Raven shares how he utilized AI-assisted "vibe coding" to build a complex maritime exploration game without being a professional programmer, spending over 300 hours iterating with AI agents. Listeners will learn how to use AI as a "research assistant" to clarify mechanics and why iterative design is the key to mastering these new tools.

People in this episode

Hosts: Dirk Knemeyer, David V. Heron

Guest: Raven Zachary

Topics covered

  • game design
  • AI-assisted design
  • maritime exploration
  • iterative design
  • browser-based games

Keywords

  • game design
  • AI
  • Navaros
  • iterative design
  • browser-based game

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AI, internet industry, spatial computing

Products: Navaros

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