Ep. 34 - Michael Yang, Designer of Compile

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Michael Yang, the designer behind the breakout two-player card game Compile, to talk about his fascinating path through gaming and design. From studying computer science and physics at Rutgers University and competing in collegiate paintball, to building algorithmic trading software, designing educational games at Filament Games, and working on massive mobile titles at PerBlue, Michael shares how each stage of his career shaped the way he approaches game systems, player interaction, and competitive design. 

Of course, we also dive deep into Compile itself — from its origins to the passionate community that rallied around the game. We discuss the evolution of the system through Main 2, Aux expansions, organized play, the upcoming digital adaptation, and what players can expect from the highly anticipated Main 3 and beyond. 

You can learn more about Compile on its Discord here: https://discord.gg/UYhE773mNw
Check out Just Gravy LLC here: www.justgravyllc.com
Subscribe to Michael’s newsletter here: https://substack.com/@justgravy

We also discuss all the new games, expansions, and add-ons that are at the store, along with upcoming releases headed our way shortly!

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at tabletopmerchant@gmail.com. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures, and more at Tabletop Merchant