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DRAFT ZERO
§ PODCAST / EPISODES

Secrets and Clues

2 episodes  ·  Apr 2026 – May 2026

"There is a cost to learning the information. There’s another phrase from game design that I like in terms of thrillers which is: information puts players in danger and danger rewards characters with information, right? That’s kind of the loop with like thriller game design."

— Stu Willis  |  DZ-126: Secrets and Clues

DZ-126: Secrets and Clues

How can Secrets and Clues motivate characters?
“Getting information puts your character in danger. And danger rewards your character with information." — One of three ideas we steal from game design in this episode. In this two part series, we talk about how secrets, clues and hidden information motivate characters and may (or may not) help you plot from a character perspective. Part One (this episode) looks at WAKE UP DEAD MAN; while Part Two (DZ-127) looks at SIDE EFFECTS, and the pilot episode of SHRINKING… →
⏱ 1h 28m
30 APR 2026
Listen if you want to understand how hidden information drives character motivation and plot structure!
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DZ-127: Secrets and Clues 2 - The Cost of Revelation

What does it cost a character to find something out, or to say it?
In this episode Stu, Chas and Mel apply the Landmark–Hidden–Secret framework (from DZ-126) across two very different genres: the thriller SIDE EFFECTS (2013) and the tragicomic pilot of SHRINKING… →
⏱ 1h 51m
27 MAY 2026
Listen to learn the emotional impact of revealing secrets vs discovering them.
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