The Board Game Design Lab came into existence for a very simple reason: I could never find the game design info that I needed. And I assumed I wasn't the only one. I had a lot of very specific questions I wanted to ask game designers and publishers, and as it turns out, they're more than happy to answer those questions when asked. So, I created the BGDL Podcast. I release a weekly show that interviews designers, publishers, and board game insiders on specific topics. We don't waste time talking about games we've played lately or get caught up on pop culture. There are plenty of other podcasts that do those things very well. Instead, the show does a deep dive into subjects that I hope listeners find extremely valuable as they progress through their game design journeys. The show comes out on Wednesdays.
Using Math to Design Better Games with Emerson Matsuuchi
In this BGDL rewind from December of 2020, I chat with Emerson Matsuuch about all the many ways a designer can use math to create better games. We talk spreadsheets, game balance, mathmatical models, and more!
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1/29/2024 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 56 seconds
Finding the Right Mixture of Luck and Skill with Richard Garfield
In this BGDL rewind from May of 2018, I chat with Richard Garfield about finding the right balance of luck vs skill when designing a game.
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1/21/2024 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Where the BGDL Is Headed in 2024
In this update, I talk about 2024’s vision for the BGDL. And if you need help with your game, company, or upcoming crowdfunding campaign, and you think I might be able to help, please click HERE.
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1/21/2024 • 7 minutes, 51 seconds
Your game design questions answered
In this episode, I answer a bunch of questions that were submitted by BGDL community members!
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12/16/2023 • 43 minutes, 31 seconds
How to Publish Games with a Grassroots Approach | Joe Bragg
In this episode, Joe Bragg, founder of the indie publishing company Meek Heroes Gaming, discusses the grassroots approach he’s taking to building his publishing company. We chat about why this approach makes sense for a lot of people, the pros and cons of not using crowdfunding, how to build a community from the ground up,...
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11/29/2023 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez
In this episode, Jason Perez and I chat about how designers can boost their creativity by thinking outside the box, pushing past tropes, and being more intentional about their thematic choices.
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11/21/2023 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 11 seconds
Listen to this BEFORE you start an indie publishing company | John de Campos
In this episode, John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, and I chat about the highs and lows of starting and running an indie publishing company in the board game industry.
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11/14/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 19 seconds
Board Game Design Productivity Hacks with Gabe Barrett
In this episode, I break down some game design productivity hacks that have been helping me lately, and I’m specifically talking about a concept called “habit fields.” This was a presentation I gave recently for Board Game Design Pro, so if you find it useful and want more helpful content like it, be sure to...
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11/9/2023 • 59 minutes, 15 seconds
Do this BEFORE designing a game | Leo Taylor
In this episode, Leo Taylor, designer of games in the Risk, Clue, and D&D universes, breaks down his “key pillars of game design” as we chat through the many questions designers should think through as they dive into a new game design. You can download a PDF of the key pillars HERE.
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11/3/2023 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 51 seconds
How to Make Money from Your Game Design Hobby with Joe Slack
In this episode, Joe Slack and I talk about how we’ve both been able to piece together lots of different revenue streams in the gaming industry to be able to make a full-time living from game design. And be sure to check out Joe’s latest puzzle game here: http://kck.st/3SfV1Np
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10/25/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 22 seconds
Designing Games FOR and WITH Young Kids with Elan Lee
In this episode, Elan Lee, the creator of Exploding Kittens, talks about his venture into creating games for small children. Elan has been designing the games alongside his four-year-old daughter, and we talk about the process of designing games both for and with small kids. We also get into the business side of things and...
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10/21/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 43 seconds
4 Amazing (and Useful) Examples of Board Game Design Theory with Geoff Engelstein
In this episode, Geoff Engelstein and I chat about design theory and break down Geoff’s favorite examples and how they relate to designing games. Geoff’s book about loss aversion can be found here: https://amzn.to/3rIgi7y More info about the Tabletop Network Conference can be found here: https://www.tabletopnetwork.com
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10/13/2023 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 9 seconds
Why You Should Create Print-n-Play Games with Jason Greeno
In this episode, Jason Greeno and I chat about the current boom in the print-n-play side of the market, and we dive into how and why more designers should create printable versions of their games. You can find a ridiculous number of PnP games on Jason’s website, PnP Arcade. And you can find his game,...
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10/3/2023 • 53 minutes, 22 seconds
The Games Every Designer MUST Play with Pam Walls
In this episode, Pam Walls and I chat about the games on our “must play” lists if you’re a game designer. And be sure to check out Pam’s awesome channel about game design here: https://www.youtube.com/@pamwallsgamedesign Here are the games we discuss: -Imhotep -Dungeons & Dragons -Catan -Chess -Magic: the Gathering -Robinson Crusoe -Kemet -Creature Comforts...
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9/28/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds
How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau
In this episode, Rob Daviau and I chat about how to playtest, receive feedback, iterate, and playtest a whole lot more.
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9/23/2023 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 21 seconds
How to Create More Game Designers with Jay Cormier
In this episode, Jay Cormier and I chat about how to teach game design concepts to others and help them become game designers. And be sure to check out Jay’s new game design activity book HERE.
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9/12/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 10 seconds
How to Design AND Publish games with Ben Downton
In this episode, I chat with Ben Downton who designs games and runs the publishing company Prometheus Game Labs. We chat about how lonely design work can be, how to balance being creative with running a business, Board Game Arena, and more! And here’s the Board Game Arena article mentioned in the show: https://prometheusgamelabs.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/how-a-game-gets-on-board-game-arena/
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9/7/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 29 seconds
10 Steps to Go from Nothing to Crowdfunding Campaign with Kyle Sussenbach
Kyle Sussenbach and I chat about how to get started in creating a publishing business and how to go from absolutely nothing to launching a crowdfunding campaign.
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8/30/2023 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 3 seconds
71 Ways to Become a Better Game Designer with Gabe Barrett
In this episode, I talk through pretty much every tip about game design that I can think of! And if you want to see the video version, you can check it out on YouTube HERE.
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8/22/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 50 seconds
Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire
In this episode, I chat with Jason Tagmire about everything related to 18-card games. We talk about designing, publishing, manufacturing, shipping, marketing, crowdfunding, and more!
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8/16/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 32 seconds
How to Craft the Perfect Player Experience with Jonny Pac
In this episode, I chat with Jonny Pac about how to create games that fully engage players and keep them coming back for more. We talk about the difference between puzzles and games, designing for different types of players, utilizing randomness, fuzzy logic, and a whole lot more!
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8/7/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 22 seconds
How to Design Fun Games with James Ernest
In this episode, I chat with James Ernest about how to make a game that doesn’t just work mechanically but is also a lot of fun to play. We talk about how to identify when testers are having fun, the design decisions that create fun experiences, utilizing surprise, and a whole lot more. You can...
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7/31/2023 • 52 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Have Massive Success on Kickstarter with Amy and Dusty Droz
In this episode, I chat with Amy and Dusty Droz who raised over $1 million on Kickstarter as first-time creators with a game that only costs $39. You can late back their game, Botany, here: https://botany.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
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7/24/2023 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 23 seconds
How to Get Featured on Podcasts and Sound Great with Justin Kral
In this episode, I give my best advice on how to reach out to content creators and get featured on podcasts, and I chat with my friend, Justin Kral, a professional audio engineer about how to create an audio setup that sounds great.
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7/18/2023 • 40 minutes, 26 seconds
My Crowdfunding Failure: A Post Mortem with Andrew Lowen
In this episode, I chat with Andrew Lowen, and we break down a recent crowdfunding campaign I ran that I had to cancel. I talk about the mistakes I made and what I’m doing to fix things as I get ready to relaunch the campaign.
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7/11/2023 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 47 seconds
Art, Working with Artists, and Becoming Your Best Creative Self with Jorge Velez
Jorge Velez, professional illustrator, discusses topics related to art and creativity. We talk about how comparison destroys creative people, how to make your own luck, the different paths to becoming a pro artist, best practices for finding and working with artists, and a whole lot more.
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7/3/2023 • 50 minutes, 13 seconds
The Legal Side of Creating Games with Zachary Strebeck
Zachary Strebeck, a lawyer who specializes in games, dives into the many legal issues that arise when bringing games to life and getting them on the market. We talk about clauses to look out for in contracts, the pros and cons of NDAs, what you need to know about copyrights and trademarks, and a whole...
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6/25/2023 • 55 minutes, 51 seconds
How to Balance Game Design with a Full Time Job with Sen-Foong Lim
In this episode, Sen-Foong Lim talks about how he balances his 50+ hour a week teaching job with working on 40+ games a year. We talk about how to design like crazy without burning out, how to get into a flow state, the myth of being self-made, how to work with co-designers, and a whole...
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6/19/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 33 seconds
How to Work on Lots of Projects at Once with Peter C. Hayward
Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking about how a hyper-creative person can pursue lots of different projects and actually get things done.
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6/11/2023 • 48 minutes, 56 seconds
How to Make Money Designing Games with Jamey Stegmaier
In this episode, Jamey Stegmaier talks about how to make money creating games. We talk about how to monetize creativity and the many roadblocks people run into. Jamey unpacks what he would do if he had to start over and build a publishing company from scratch. He opens up about his biggest financial mistake. We...
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6/5/2023 • 46 minutes, 17 seconds
So, where were we?
Here’s a quick update about the relaunching of the podcast and the future of the Board Game Design Lab. Lots of cool things ahead!
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6/5/2023 • 9 minutes, 32 seconds
See You Space Cowboy with Gabe Barrett and Jamey Stegmaier
Today’s show is the final episode of the BGDL podcast for the foreseeable future. Jamey Stegmaier, the show’s very first guest, joins me, and we talk through the past, present, and future of the BGDL, and I talk a lot about what’s next for me. I tell lots of stories, get a bit emotional, and talk...
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6/22/2022 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 24 seconds
(Celebrating 300 Episodes!) The Design Journey of Alan Moon
I’m celebrating the podcast’s 300th episode by chatting with Alan Moon, the designer of Ticket to Ride.We go through his long career in the gaming industry, discuss the genesis of Ticket to Ride, chat about playtesting and pitching, and more!
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6/15/2022 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 59 seconds
Our Best Game Design Advice with Peter C. Hayward
Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking through our absolute best tips and advice for game designers.We split the conversation into two parts: new designers and experienced designers. And we talk through our own successes and failures. And be sure to check out Peter’s latest game, Sunshine City, which you can...
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6/8/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 19 seconds
Designing Games with Your Kids with Patrick McNeil
Patrick Mcneil, from McMeeple Games, discusses what it’s like to design games with his children.Patrick has been creating games with his kids for years and has gotten many of the designs to the point of being fully published games. We talk about being intentional, setting the right expectations, overcoming negative feedback, and more.
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6/1/2022 • 58 minutes, 13 seconds
Designing Games Based on Real-Life Systems with Ben Rosset
Ben Rosset, designer of The Search for Planet X, talks about how to design games based on real-life systems and processes.Ben has designed games based on aging cheese, brewing beer, finding planets, manufacturing board games, and many other themes that happen in the real world, so we have quite a bit to chat about.
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5/25/2022 • 57 minutes, 42 seconds
How to Design Take That Games with Steph and Jess Nguyen
Jess and Steph Nguyen, from Hot Potatoz, talk about how to design take that games. We talk about finding a good balance of fun, game length, and hurt feelings. And we get into finding the right audience, playtesting, and more.
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5/18/2022 • 1 hour, 2 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Design Drafting Games with Jesse Stacy
Jesse Stacy, from Triceratops Games, discusses how to design drafting games. Jesse has been working on a drafting style game for a while, and we dive into the different types, how to keep a game moving, stacking other mechanisms, and more.
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5/11/2022 • 35 minutes, 6 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] The 3 Stages of Prototyping with Gino Brancazio
Gino Brancazio, from Tinkerbot Games, talks about the three stages of prototyping, and we discuss what you need to know depending on which stage you’re in.
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5/11/2022 • 42 minutes, 8 seconds
How to Get the Most out of Your Crowdfunding Campaign with Andrew Lowen and Sean Bradford
Andrew Lowen and Sean Bradford, from Next Level Web, talk about how to get the most out of your crowdfunding campaign. We spend most of the time talking about different aspects of marketing and break down examples from our own campaigns of what worked and what didn’t.
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5/4/2022 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 54 seconds
How to Run a Publishing Company with Rob Dougherty
Rob Dougherty, founder of Wise Wizard Games, talks about how to run a successful publishing company. We talk about how Rob got started, how to actually make money, how to use Kickstarter effectively, and more.
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4/27/2022 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 41 seconds
Designing Open World Games with Ryan Laukat
Ryan Laukat, designer of Sleeping Gods, talks about designing open world games. Sleeping Gods is a phenomenal example of how a board game can pull off the open world experience, and we do a deep dive into basically every aspect of its design. I’ve also been working on an open world game of my own...
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4/20/2022 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 38 seconds
Teaching Board Game Design with Matt Bivens
Matt Bivens discusses how to teach game design. Matt has been teaching design to high school kids for years, and we get into the usefulness of game design concepts, feedback, and more.
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4/13/2022 • 37 minutes, 7 seconds
Designing Greeting Card Games with Jess Metheringham
Jess Metheringham, founder of Dissent Games, talks about designing games that are housed completely on greeting cards. We talk about the value of constraints, holiday themes, and more.
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4/13/2022 • 32 minutes, 12 seconds
How to Design a Race Game with Kathleen Mercury
Kathleen Mercury, designer of Greece Lightning, talks about designing race games. We talk about meshing a racing theme with mechanisms that actually feel like a race, different ways to win, general design concepts, and more.
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4/6/2022 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 39 seconds
How to Design Asymmetrical Games with Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu
Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu, designers of Slash and Spells, talk about designing asymmetrical games. We talk about creating interesting differences, balancing factions, the challenges of playtesting these kinds of games, and more. And be sure to check out Stephen and Floyd’s game on Kickstarter HERE!
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3/30/2022 • 57 minutes, 37 seconds
How to Design Route Building Games with Ted Alspach
Ted Alspach, designer of Maglev Metro and several other route building games, talks about what makes these games special. We talk about themes that mesh well with the mechanism, end conditions, keeping players interested, and more.
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3/23/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 22 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Print-on-Demand Publishing with Arthur Franz
Arthur Franz, founder of Uplink Underground Games, discusses what it looks like to run a publishing company that’s based on print-on-demand manufacturing. We talk about pros and cons, pricing challenges, community building, and more.
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3/16/2022 • 32 minutes, 36 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing an Abstract Dexterity Game with Frank Sarro
Frank Sarro, designer of Pathways, talks about abstract dexterity games. We get into component quality, manufacturing challenges, complexity, and more.
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3/16/2022 • 28 minutes, 39 seconds
The Design Process of Phil Walker-Harding
Phil Walker-Harding, designer of Sushi Go, Barenpark, Imhotep, Gizmos, and several other great games, takes us behind the scenes of his personal design process. We talk about coming up with ideas, honing big ideas into super fun games, knowing when to walk away from a design, pitching to publishers, and more.
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3/9/2022 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 29 seconds
How to Multiply Your Time with Carla Kopp
Carla Kopp, from Weird Giraffe Games, discusses how to multiply your time and get more done. Carla runs multiple companies while also designing games and creating solo modes for other designers’ games, so she’s had to figure out how to create more hours in the day. We talk about time management, scheduling, and all sorts...
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3/2/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 10 seconds
How to Design 2 Player Games with Alf Seegert
Alf Seegert, designer of Haven, discusses how to design two-player games. Alf has designed several published two-player games, and we talk about tension, component limitations, delivering on expectations, and more. Alf Seegert’s Designer Diary for his latest game, Illumination, which includes a lot of information about his other games as well. His website. You can find...
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2/23/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 49 seconds
Community Building with Carol Mertz and Elan Lee
Carol Mertz and Elan Lee, from Exploding Kittens, discuss how to build a community. We talk about their record-setting Kickstarter campaign, building relationships with customers, guerrilla marketing techniques, and what it looks like to focus on the “crowd” portion of crowdfunding. And be sure to check out their latest Kickstarter project, Hand to Hand Wombat,...
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2/16/2022 • 57 minutes, 1 second
Building a Million Dollar Board Game Company with Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark
Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark, designers of Tenzi and owners of Carma Games, discuss how they built a game publishing company that’s made several million dollars.They tell their origin story, share guerrilla marketing techniques, discuss mistakes they’ve made, and much more. Also, you can get 20% off in the Carma Games online store by using...
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2/9/2022 • 1 hour, 6 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing Monster Taming Games with Tyler Langtimm
Tyler Langtimm, designer of Moxie: A Journey of Monsters, discusses how to design a game about monster taming (think Pokemon). Tyler has been working on a monster hunting/taming game for a while (and so have I), so we have quite a lot to talk about. We get into exploration, combat, puzzles, progression, and more.
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2/2/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 7 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Promote Your Game in Facebook Groups with Thomas Covert
Thomas Covert, founder of the Board Game Revolution Facebook group, dives into how to promote your game in Facebook groups without seeming like a slimy used car salesman. We talk about asking for feedback, how to create engaging posts (and when to post them), paid promotion, and more.
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2/2/2022 • 34 minutes, 43 seconds
Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn
Steve Finn, founder of Dr. Finn’s Games, discusses how to design set collection games. Steve has designed a ton of games with this mechanism including Biblios, Herbaceous, and Sunset over Water, so he has a lot to say on the topic. And be sure to check out Steve’s Latest game on Kickstarter HERE.
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1/26/2022 • 49 minutes, 16 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Creating a Business Plan with Jasper Burch
Jasper Burch, founder of Pine Island Games, dives into business plans and why you probably need one.
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1/19/2022 • 42 minutes, 16 seconds
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Component First Game Design with Scott Smith
Scott Smith, designer of Dungeon Drop, discusses how to design games by starting with the components. Scott has become a master at this, and it’s an interesting way to approach design that often begins with theme or a mechanism.
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1/19/2022 • 32 minutes, 6 seconds
Manufacturing Frequently Asked Questions with Hersh Glueck
Hersh Glueck, founder of Hero Time Manufacturing, discusses the most common pitfalls and frequently asked questions when it comes to printing a board game.Hersh lives in China and started a manufacturing company several years ago, so he has a ton of experience and knowledge when it comes to bringing a game to life. We also get into...
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1/12/2022 • 57 minutes, 46 seconds
The Making of Imperium with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle
David Turczi and Nigel Buckle discuss the making of their hit games Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends.We talk through everything from the initial idea all the way to getting the games published and onto people’s tables.
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1/5/2022 • 58 minutes, 59 seconds
Designing Storytelling Games with Jerry Hawthorne
Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses how to design a game that focuses on storytelling.Jerry has created several super popular storytelling games (and has a new one about to come out), and we dive into writing, scenario design, combat mechanisms, and more.
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12/29/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 18 seconds
Entangled Decision Making in Games with Fabio Lopiano
Fabio Lopiano, designer of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, discusses how to use entangled decision-making as the primary mechanism in a game.In several of Fabio’s designs, players have to make choices based on how things like resources and actions are paired together or “entangled.” We unpack everything that goes into designing games that...
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12/22/2021 • 50 minutes, 15 seconds
How to Design a Cooperative Game with Mike Kelley
Mike Kelley, designer of Mega Man Adventures, discusses cooperative games and what goes into designing a good one.Mike has been designing and reviewing cooperative games for years, and we dive into both creating co-op games and how to stand out to reviewers and gamers.
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12/15/2021 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 5 seconds
Designing a Trading Card Game in the Modern Era with Assad Quraishi
Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, discusses everything to think about if you want to design a trading card game for today’s market.We talk about how to get started, building an audience, when to go to Kickstarter, how to stand out, and more.
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12/8/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 51 seconds
Thematically Informed Game Design with Jonny Pac
Jonny Pac, designer of Merchants Cove and lots of other games, discusses his process of finding the perfect mesh of theme and mechanisms.We talk about his approach to theme in his various games, research, and what it looks like for mechanics to make sense inside the theme.
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12/1/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 54 seconds
Using Blue Ocean Strategy in Game Design with Marvin Hegen
Marvin Hegen, designer of Mindbug, discusses how to use a blue ocean strategy in game design and game publishing.We talk about blue ocean vs red ocean concepts, how the strategy can help you pitch games, marketing, and more.
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11/24/2021 • 48 minutes, 29 seconds
How to Expand on a Core Idea with Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson
Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, designers of the Undaunted series, discuss how to take a solid core idea and then expand on it.We talk about the making of Undaunted games, what goes into creating expansions, standalone sequels, and new games with similar DNA to previous designs.
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11/17/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 15 seconds
How to Put a New Twist on a Familiar Genre with Ariel Rubin and Juliana Moreno
Ariel Rubin and Juliana Moreno, designers of the Escape Room in a Box series, discuss what it takes to put a new twist on a familiar genre.Over the last few years, they’ve designed and published several games that brought new angles and fresh ideas to various different genres, so we dive into lots of great...
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11/10/2021 • 56 minutes, 2 seconds
Designing Games with Higher Player Counts with Darren Terpstra
Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite, discusses what to be aware of when designing games that go up to six or more playersWe talk about the pros and cons of higher player count games, balance, finding playtesters, and more.
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11/3/2021 • 49 minutes, 4 seconds
Top 10 Photoshop Tips for Game Designers with Nicolas Fournier
Nicolas Fournier, designer of Megapulse, breaks down his top 10 Photoshop tips and tricks to help game designers.
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10/27/2021 • 33 minutes, 51 seconds
A Game about Game Design with Jon Spike
Jon Spike, designer of Gamestormers, discusses his game about designing board games (it gets a bit meta). I think it’s an excellent way to introduce new people to the game design hobby and also might make for a helpful resource for seasoned designers.
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10/27/2021 • 27 minutes, 58 seconds
How to Design a Pick-up and Deliver Game with Marcel Köhler
Marcel Köhler, designer of Dutch Resistance: Orange Shall Overcome!, discusses what all goes into designing a pick-up and deliver game.We talk about how to make things thematic, the best number of resources, route obstacles, and more. And be sure to check out Marce’s pick-up and deliver game on Kickstarter HERE.
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10/20/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 17 seconds
The Pros and Cons of Doing Everything Yourself with Malachi Ray Rempen
Malachi Ray Rempen, designer of Roll Camera, discusses the pros and cons of doing all the main aspects of design, art, and publishing yourself.Malachi has both worked with others and done everything himself, so he can speak well on both perspectives. And be sure to check out Malachi’s expansion for Roll Camera on Kickstarter HERE.
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10/13/2021 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 6 seconds
How to Reach the Next Generation with Lucas Sosnick
Lucas Sosnick, designer of Crisis on Cardea, discusses different ways we can bring young people into both gaming and game design.Lucas is seventeen years old and has been both a gamer and a designer for a while, so he gives an inside look at what we can do to make the hobby a more welcoming...
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10/6/2021 • 45 minutes, 21 seconds
Collecting and Analyzing Playtest Data with Robert Longtin
Robert Longtin, professional data analyst, discusses all angles of playtest data. We talk about what data to collect, when to collect it, how to collect it, how to analyze it, and more. Learn more about Robert’s games HERE.
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9/29/2021 • 50 minutes, 15 seconds
Bipolarity, Depression, and Using Game Design to Cope with Morten Monrad Pedersen
Morten Monrad Pedersen, from Automa Factory and Stonemaier Games, dives into a more serious topic as we discuss bipolarity, depression, and using game design to cope.Morten was diagnosed with bipolarity several years ago and sheds a ton of light on the subject. He goes into a lot about his own personal journey and how games...
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9/22/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 12 seconds
A Look Behind the Scenes at Exploding Kittens with Carol Mertz
Carol Mertz, senior game designer at Exploding Kittens, gives us a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a major publisher.We talk about timelines, working with internal and external designers, pursuing excellent game ideas, how to get a job at Exploding Kittens, and more.
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9/15/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 34 seconds
A Word of Encouragement from Gabe Barrett
Today, it’s just me, and I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Pursuing a creative lifestyle can be incredibly difficult, so I wanted to do an episode to help you stay motivated and inspired.
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9/8/2021 • 33 minutes, 55 seconds
Designing Games Based on a Standard Deck of Cards with Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale
Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale, from Badgers from Mars, talk about how to design a game based on nothing more than a standard deck of cards.We talk about their game Regicide (currently number one on BGG’s Hotness list), pros and cons of such tight constraints, marketing, and more.
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9/1/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 30 seconds
How to Design Trick Taking Games with Fertessa Allyse
Fertessa Allyse, producer at Funko Games, talks about how to design a trick taking game.We talk about table talk, bringing new ideas to the genre, what to look for while playtesting, and more. And be sure to check out Fertessa’s trick taking game, Wicked and Wise, on Kickstarter HERE. *Also, at one point, I mention UNO as a trick taking game,...
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8/25/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds
Skill Barriers in Games with Jeff Fraser
Jeff Fraser, designer of Cartouche, talks about various skill barriers in games and what you should be aware of when designing games with elements like spatial reasoning, dexterity, memory, math, and negotiation.We talk about playtesting these elements, designing based on your target audience, and more. And be sure to check out Jeff’s game, Cartouche, on Kickstarter HERE.
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8/18/2021 • 57 minutes, 10 seconds
How and Why You Should Create Print-n-Play Games with Rachel Bruner
Rachel Bruner, designer of Harsh Shadows, talks about how to create print-n-play games and the many reasons why you might want to.Rachel is super active in the PnP community, and we discuss her thoughts on best practices, tools of the trade, getting a PnP game published, and more. And here are all the links and whatnot that were discussed...
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8/11/2021 • 1 hour, 8 seconds
How to Turn a Video Game into a Board Game with Perry Burkum
Perry Berkum, founder of Game Decks, talks about how to turn a video game into a board game.Perry’s company has published several board games inspired by video games, and we talk about theme, mechanisms, licensing, marketing, and more.
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8/4/2021 • 56 minutes, 2 seconds
(Community Spotlight) Using InDesign and Data Merge with Jeff Turner
In another BGDL community spotlight, Jeff Turner, founder of Skip Work Play Games, dives into how to use InDesign to do data merge and speed up your prototyping process.Data merge makes it easy to edit or change hundreds of cards with one click, and we get into both high-level concepts and technical how-to.
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7/28/2021 • 34 minutes, 9 seconds
Developing Games and Working with Developers with Anthony Howgego
Anthony Howgego, developer at Osprey Games, what goes into developing a game and nearly everything else surrounding development.We talk about taking games from good to great, how to work with a developer effectively, how to become a developer, and more.
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7/21/2021 • 57 minutes, 44 seconds
How to Make a Super Thematic Game and Do Research with Dave Beck
Dave Beck, designer of Distilled, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.Dave did a TON of research for his latest game, hired experts, and dove as deeply into the theme as he could. So, he’s got a lot of advice for anyone wanting to make a super thematic game. And be sure to check out Dave’s game, Distilled, on...
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7/14/2021 • 53 minutes, 35 seconds
Experiential Graphic Design with Kate Otte
Kate Otte, designer of First Ascent, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.Kate is a professional graphic designer, and we get into how to make games more accessible, understandable, and fun using excellent graphic design techniques. And be sure to check out Kate’s game, First Ascent, on Kickstarter HERE.
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7/7/2021 • 1 hour, 15 seconds
(Community Spotlight) Evaluating Your Game with SWOT Analysis with Nick Murray
Nick Murray, founder of Bitewing Games, discusses how you can evaluate your game and ideas using SWOT analysis. This is a common technique in the business world to analyze ideas, products, companies, etc., and it can really help with game design as well.
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6/30/2021 • 33 minutes, 37 seconds
(Community Spotlight) Layered Victory Conditions with Dan Hundycz
Dan Hundycz, founder of DPH Games, discusses layered victory conditions. In his latest game, Usurp the King, there’s a hierarchy of ways to win, and Dan breaks down how it came together. And be sure to check out Usurp the King on Kickstarter HERE.
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6/30/2021 • 35 minutes, 37 seconds
How to Design and Publish Games with Justin Gary
Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, talks about his personal process for designing and publishing games.Justin has designed and released a ton of hit games over the years and worked in lots of different segments of the gaming industry, so he has a ton of great tips and advice.
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6/23/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 23 seconds
Why to Self Publish…or Not with Andrew Lowen
Andrew Lowen, designer of Deliverance, talks about going through the process of deciding between traditional publishing and self-publishing.We talk about the pros and cons on both sides along with how to make things work if you go the self-publishing route. And be sure to check out Andrew’s game, Deliverance, on Kickstarter HERE.
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6/16/2021 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 28 seconds
Designing Puzzle Games with Janice Turner
Janice Turner, designer of Assembly, talks about designing puzzle games.We talk about player experience, designing during nap times, how to make puzzles fun and not tedious, and more! And be sure to check out Janice’s game, Pilfering Pandas, on Kickstarter HERE.
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6/9/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 22 seconds
Designing Games that Fit in an Envelope with Ben Downton
Ben Downton, designer of Micro Dojo, talks about designing micro-micro games – games so small they can fit in a regular-sized envelope.We talk about component constraints, focus, player expectations, and more! And be sure to check out Ben’s game, Micro Dojo, on Kickstarter HERE.
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6/2/2021 • 56 minutes, 46 seconds
Deck Building and MORE with Josh Horsley
Josh Horsley, designer of Castlescape, talks about designing deck-building games that have more going on than just building a deck.We talk about adding boards and other components, and we get into the benefits and obstacles of creating these kinds of games. And be sure to check out Josh’s game, Castlescape, on Kickstarter HERE.
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5/26/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 46 seconds
BGDL+ is live!
The brand new BGDL community site is now live at www.bgdlplus.com!
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5/25/2021 • 29 minutes, 14 seconds
Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio
Ami Baio, designer of You Think You Know Me and several other conversation-based games, talks about what all goes into designing and publishing them.We talk about how to create gaming environments that encourage people to talk, listen, and enjoy chatting with each other.
The post Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/19/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 12 seconds
[Community Spotlight] Turning Big Games into Microgames with Joe Klipfel
Joe Klipfel, designer of Griphold Tower, discusses what it’s like to take a large, published game and turn it into a microgame. Joe has done this with Set a Watch and Gloomhaven and offers lots of insight on how to break a game down to its essence.
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5/12/2021 • 32 minutes, 33 seconds
[Community Spotlight] Customer Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction with Marco Pecota
Marco Pecota, designer of Legions of Steel, discusses the ways he’s engaging with the fans of his game. We talk about building a community, releasing bonus content, reaching out to your fans for feedback, and more.
The post [Community Spotlight] Customer Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction with Marco Pecota appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/12/2021 • 31 minutes, 21 seconds
Why I Deleted Social Media from My Phone
About a month ago, I spent several hours doing a self-assessment of my life. I wasn’t sleeping well, which was a huge problem since I already wasn’t sleeping much. Usually, I can overcome a lack in quantity by an increase in quality, but when both of those things are bad, I find myself in a...
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5/7/2021 • 0
How to Design Euro Games with Martin Wallace
Martin Wallace, designer of Brass: Birmingham and about 100 other great games, talks about Euro games and his process for designing them.Martin is one of the greatest designers of all time, and he offers tons of excellent advice based on his 30+ years in the industry.
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5/5/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 second
Getting a Job in the Board Game Industry with Joe Slack
Joe Slack, designer Relics of Rajavihara, talks about the many different jobs in the board gaming industry and how people have found their way to those jobs.Joe recently released a book devoted to this topic, so we talk a lot about what he found through his interviews and research. And you can find Joe’s latest book about jobs in...
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4/28/2021 • 55 minutes, 57 seconds
How to Design Social Experiences with Nick Metzler
Nick Metzler, game designer at Spin Master, talks about designing games that create excellent social experiences.We also dive into chasing dreams, overcoming obstacles, and gamification.
The post How to Design Social Experiences with Nick Metzler appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/21/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 48 seconds
Optimizing Game Design Time with Trevor Laforce
BGDL community member Trevor Laforce discusses how to optimize your life to get more designing done in less time.We talk about habits, time management, and self-management in the context of designing games while also having a job, family, and busy schedule. And you can find Trevor’s daily planner and more time optimization content on his...
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4/14/2021 • 30 minutes, 18 seconds
The Board Game Identity Pyramid with Dennis Furia
Dennis Furia talks about the board game identity pyramid.The pyramid is an excellent tool and framework to help you break down a game into its main selling points and help you figure out the why, what, and how behind your game. You can find more about the pyramid HERE.
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4/14/2021 • 33 minutes, 29 seconds
Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman
Laura Hoffman, COO of Game on Tabletop, discusses the ins and outs, pros and cons of crowdfunding your game.Game on Tabletop is a crowdfunding platform specifically for board game campaigns, and Laura has a ton of experience working with creators and project managers.
The post Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/7/2021 • 1 hour, 47 seconds
Taxes for Designers and Publishers with Wade Hayes
Wade Hayes designer of Poetic License, dives into everyone’s favorite topic…taxes. We talk about lots of the major accounting topics designers and publishers need to be aware of.Wade is a tax pro, and this episode will be super helpful in making sure you stay in the government’s good graces (assuming you’re in the U.S.). Here’s an excellent tax guide PDF...
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3/31/2021 • 51 minutes, 19 seconds
Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout
Joe Hout, designer of Dungeon Draft, talks about how to design a roll and write game.Joe has designed quite a few roll and writes, and we get into dice vs cards, combos, player counts, and more. And be sure to check out Joe’s game Dice in the Darkness and play along on Twitch HERE.
The post Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/24/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 33 seconds
BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu
In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Alex Lu, designer of Dogs Bond, discusses how to implement interchangeable win conditions in a game.
The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/17/2021 • 31 minutes, 48 seconds
BGDL Community Spotlight – Designing a Game a Week with Wayne Koenig
In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Wayne Koenig, designer of lots of games, discusses his experience and process of designing a brand new game every single week.
The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Designing a Game a Week with Wayne Koenig appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/17/2021 • 36 minutes, 13 seconds
Designing Massive Games with Isaac Childres
Isaac Childres designer of Gloomhaven, talks about how to design games that are massive in scope.Gloomhaven is a 25-pound box of hours upon hours of gameplay, and we dive into design challenges, player progression, marketing, and more.
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3/10/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 21 seconds
Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry
Sara Perry, designer of Gift of Tulips, talks about all the many angles of shipping and logistics.Sara handles logistics for quite a few publishers (including me), and we talk about vetting fulfillment partners, shipping rates, what to think about if you’re just a game designer, and more. And be sure to check out Sara’s game on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/3/2021 • 57 minutes, 43 seconds
Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted: Wode Ridge with Gabe Barrett
Today, it’s just me on the show, and I’m discussing different angles of designing and publishing solo games, and I’m talking through the design process for my latest solo game, Hunted: Wode Ridge.I talk about pros, cons, design challenges, the business side of things, and more. And you can check out Hunted: Wode Ridge on...
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2/24/2021 • 54 minutes, 41 seconds
Overcoming Failure with James Fazio
James Fazio, founder of Pique Games, discusses how to overcome failure in game design and game publishing.We talk about defining success, the danger of comparison, taking feedback gracefully, and more.
The post Overcoming Failure with James Fazio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/17/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 28 seconds
Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade
Azhelle Wade, the toy coach, discusses how to design board games for the mass market and toy industry.We talk about “toyetic” games, patents, pitching to publishers, contraption based games, and more.
The post Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/10/2021 • 1 hour, 47 seconds
How to Design Digital Board Games with Justin Chu
Justin Chu, founder of Mobo Games, discusses how to design board games made specifically for the digital space.We talk about the pros and cons of digital-only board games along with the many things to think about and to be aware of when traveling into this side of the market.
The post How to Design Digital Board Games with Justin Chu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/3/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moynihan
Debbie Moynihan, COO of White Wizard Games, discusses how to market yourself, your game, and your company.Whether you’re a designer pitching to a publisher or wanting to run Kickstarter campaigns of your own, you’ll find some great wisdom in this one. Debbie also breaks down the seven P’s of marketing.
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1/27/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 23 seconds
How to Process Feedback with John D’Angelo
John D’Angelo, desinger of Runelords, discusses how to receive, process, and utilize feedback.Whether you’re talking to playtesters, gamers, members of your target audience, or anyone else, it’s important to know how to take in feedback, and it’s vital to know how to use it to make your games better. And be sure to check out John’s game,...
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1/20/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 52 seconds
Crafting a Humorous Experience with Grant Lyon
Grant Lyon, desinger of Curmudgeon, discusses everything that goes into crafting a fun and humorous gaming experience.Grant is a professional stand-up comic, and we talk about joke theory, humor in rulebooks, party games, and more.
The post Crafting a Humorous Experience with Grant Lyon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/13/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 5 seconds
How to Make the Game Design Community a Brighter Place with Your Friend Ben Moy
Your friend Ben Moy, desinger of Breakdancing Meeples, discusses his thoughts on how to make the game design space (and subsequently the world) a better and brighter place to be a part of.We talk about joining communities that resonate with you, like Girls’ Game Shelf and TGC Designer Discussion, using emojis and GIFs to foster relationships, reminding yourself...
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1/6/2021 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 24 seconds
How to Design Games for the Mass Market with Leslie Scott and Freddie Scott Vollrath
Leslie Scott, desinger of Jenga, and Freddie Scott Vollrath, designer of Slappy Camper, discuss what all goes into designing and pitching games for the mass market.We talk about what makes a game “mass market,” getting games into museums, where to pitch game ideas, and more.
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12/30/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 22 seconds
How to Write a Great Rulebook with Mike Lee
Mike Lee, professional rulebook writer, discusses how to put together a clear, concise set of rules for your game.Mike has written rulebooks for publishers like Button Shy Games, and he’s put together the most in-depth rules writing guide I’ve ever seen. We talk about cognitive load, structure, accessibility, and more. And if you want to dive deeper,...
The post How to Write a Great Rulebook with Mike Lee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/23/2020 • 57 minutes, 9 seconds
How to Stand Out in Retail with AJ Brandon
AJ Brandon, storefront manager at Board Game Bliss, discusses how to make sure your game stands out in retail.We talk about why some games stay on a store shelf for 2 minutes while other games sit there for 2 years. And we talk about what both designers and publishers can do to get their games noticed. And be...
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12/16/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 34 seconds
Using Math to Design Better Games with Emerson Matsuuchi
Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Century: Spice Road, discusses how to use math to design better games.We talk about game balance, spreadsheets, mathematical models, and more.
The post Using Math to Design Better Games with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/9/2020 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 36 seconds
Designing a Real-Time Game with Travis Jones
Travis Jones, designer of Pendulum, discusses what all goes into the design process for a real-time game.We talk about time constraints, chaos, analysis paralysis, board layout, and more.
The post Designing a Real-Time Game with Travis Jones appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/2/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 54 seconds
Puzzles in Games with Shannon McDowell
Shannon McDowell, puzzle maker and escape room designer, discusses what designers and publishers need to think about when designing puzzle games and games with puzzles in them.Shannon has done a ton of research on puzzles and how they relate to culture and cultural biases for Wilfred Laurier University. And she has a great system for defining and...
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11/25/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 54 seconds
What Makes a Great Solo Game with Jeremy Howard
Jeremy Howard, reviewer at Man vs Meeple, discusses what makes a great solo game.Jeremy is super passionate about solo games, and we dive into examples of excellent solo games, capturing tension, solo modes for multiplayer games, and more. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]
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11/18/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds
How to Live a Creative Life with Charlie McCarron
Charlie McCarron, designer of Four Humours, discusses what it looks like for a board game designer to live a creative lifeWe talk about scheduling, self-care, betting on yourself, inspiration, and more. And be sure to check out Charlie’s game on Kickstarter HERE. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]
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11/11/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 42 seconds
How to Promote a Game with Allen Wolf
Allen Wolf, founder of Morning Star Games, discusses various ways to promote a game and get the word out about it.We talk about how to contact game stores, traditional media, digital content creators, and more. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]
The post How to Promote a Game with Allen Wolf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/4/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 13 seconds
How to Design Games Online with Bevan Clatworthy
Bevan Clatworthy, designer of Ghostel, discusses all the different angles of bringing a game to life when you work exclusively online.Bevan has been co-designing games online since 2015, and we talk about scheduling, software, good habits, and more. And be sure to check out Bevan’s game Haunticulture on Kickstarter HERE.
The post How to Design Games Online with Bevan Clatworthy appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/28/2020 • 58 minutes, 59 seconds
How to Design and Publish an Expansion with Patrick Lysaght
Patrick Lysaght, designer of Commissioned, discusses the process of designing and publishing an expansion for a game.We talk about the different kinds of expansions, design challenges, and what it takes to bring them to the marketplace. And be sure to check out Patrick’s expansion to Commission on Kickstarter HERE.
The post How to Design and Publish an Expansion with Patrick Lysaght appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/21/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 9 seconds
Designing Word Games with Lori Love and Lea Velocci
Lori Love and Lea Velocci, founders of People for Goldfish, discuss the ins and outs of designing word games.We talk about components, scoring systems, accessibility, fun factor, and more. And be sure to check out Lori and Lea’s game Word Hustle on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Word Games with Lori Love and Lea Velocci appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/14/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 36 seconds
How to Run a Publishing Company with Scott Gaeta
Scott Gaeta, founder of Renegade Game Studio, discusses his journey to become one of the most well-known publishing companies in the industry. We talk about business advice, marketing, game development, and more!
The post How to Run a Publishing Company with Scott Gaeta appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/7/2020 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 58 seconds
How to Design a Polyomino Game with Frank West
Frank West, designer of Isle of Cats, discusses the ins and outs of designing a polyomino game (games with those funny Tetris tiles). Isle of Cats is one of the best polyomino games on the market, and we get into what makes these games fun, prototyping, and more.
The post How to Design a Polyomino Game with Frank West appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/30/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 30 seconds
How to Demo Games at Conventions with Sam Stockton
Sam Stockton, founder of B.A. Games, discusses everything you need to be planning for and thinking about when demoing your game at conventions (both in-person and online).Sam has been working conventions for years, and we get into booth setup, hiring volunteers, explaining your game, and more.
The post How to Demo Games at Conventions with Sam Stockton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/23/2020 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 38 seconds
Designing with Tabletop Simulator with Dustin Hendrickson
Dustin Hendrickson, designer of Don’t Let It Die, discusses all the ins and outs of creating your game with Tabletop Simulator.Dustin has been working with TTS for years, and we cover basically everything you need to know to get your game on the platform and why it’s a good idea to do so.
The post Designing with Tabletop Simulator with Dustin Hendrickson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/16/2020 • 50 minutes, 56 seconds
How to Simplify a Game with Stephanie Kwok
Stephanie Kwok, designer of Ducks in Tow, discusses the process of simplifying a game down to its best possible version.Stephanie is both a designer and a publisher, so she offers both perspectives as we talk through ways to trim, cut, slice, and dice a game so that its most fun parts shine through.
The post How to Simplify a Game with Stephanie Kwok appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/9/2020 • 55 minutes, 38 seconds
Self Care and Dealing with Designer Burnout with Kirk Dennison
Kirk Dennison, founder of Piecekeeper Games, discusses some pretty heavy topics as we get into self-care, mental health, depression, burnout, and more.Kirk went through a pretty tough time of life a while back, and we delve into issues that I believe a lot of people are struggling with right now. We also get into strategies for...
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9/2/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 40 seconds
Dice Drafting Games with Al Leduc
Al Leduc, designer of Yukon Airways, discusses what all goes into designing a dice drafting game.We talk about balance, dice mitigation, why the d6 is king, and more!
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8/26/2020 • 51 minutes, 24 seconds
How to Turn Gamers into Raving Fans with Casey Hill
Casey Hill, founder of Hill Gaming Company, discusses the process of turning gamers into raving fans. Casey works for the software company Bonjoro which is hyper-focused on customer engagement and retention, so we have a lot to chat about when it comes to creating raving fans.
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8/19/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 22 seconds
Why Game Design Matters with Gabe Barrett
In this episode, it’s just me and I’m talking about why game design matters. In a world with so many pressing issues, it’s easy to not realize how important games and game design really are. I tell some personal stories and also get into where the Board Game Design Lab is headed. And be sure...
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8/12/2020 • 33 minutes, 24 seconds
Designing Party Games with Alex Hague
Alex Hague, designer of Wavelength, discusses all the ins and outs of designing a party game. We talk about simplicity, expectations, scoring systems, time constraints, and more! And be sure to check out Alex’s game, The Fuzzies, on Kickstarter HERE.
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8/5/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 56 seconds
Miniatures with John de Campos
John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, discusses everything that goes into creating miniatures for a game. We talk about the design process, materials, manufacturing, and more. And be sure to check out John’s game, Token Terrors, on Kickstarter HERE.
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7/29/2020 • 58 minutes
Designing More than Just a Game with Malachi Ray Rempen
Malachi Ray Rempen, founder of Itchy Feet, discusses what it means to design more than just a game. We talk about branding, spinoff products, merchandise, and more. And be sure to check out Malachi’s game, Roll Camera! , on Kickstarter HERE.
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7/22/2020 • 1 hour, 42 seconds
Designing Majorities Based Games with Jon Vallerand
Jon Vallerand, founder of Subsurface Games, does a deep dive into the mechanism of majorities. We talk about the best majorities based games, ways to incentivize players, interactive play, and more. And be sure to check out Jon’s game, With a Smile and a Gun, on Kickstarter HERE.
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7/15/2020 • 59 minutes, 51 seconds
Designing Games in a Series with Justin Gary
Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, discusses what goes into both designing and publishing games that continue to have new content. We talk about content creation, different types of expansions, reinventing the fun for a game, and more.
The post Designing Games in a Series with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/8/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 42 seconds
Designing and Publishing Small Box Games with Rachael Blaske
Rachael Blaske, owner of Five24 Labs, discusses everything that goes into designing and publishing games that can fit in your pocket. We talk about design constraints, managing expectations, marketing, and more.
The post Designing and Publishing Small Box Games with Rachael Blaske appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/1/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 54 seconds
The Design Process of Corey Konieczka
Corey Konieczka, one of the best designers on the planet, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. We talk about what it’s like to work at Fantasy Flight Games, coming up with ideas, playtesting, and more. If you’re not familiar with Corey, he’s worked on these games: Battlestar Galactica Space Hulk: Death Angel...
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6/24/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 14 seconds
Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald
Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald, from of Garphill Games, discuss what all goes into designing worker placement games. We talk about creating unique mechanisms, board design, player interaction, and more.
The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/17/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 40 seconds
Designing Games for a Specific Audience with Phalgun Polepalli
Phalgun Polepalli, founder of DICE Toy Labs in India, discusses the process of defining your target audience and creating products for them. We talk about market research, community building, figuring out your ideal customer, and more. 
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6/10/2020 • 1 hour, 3 seconds
How to Get Involved in the Game Design Community with Danielle Reynolds
Danielle Reynolds, designer with DMR Creative Group, discusses the many ways a designer can get involved in the game design community. We talk about volunteering, design groups, mentorships, and more. 
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6/3/2020 • 54 minutes, 44 seconds
The Making of INIS with Christian Martinez
Christian Martinez discusses the making of his hit game, INIS. INIS is one of the highest-rated games of all time, and we go into everything from its title to its theme to its mechanisms. 
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5/27/2020 • 1 hour, 16 seconds
Designing Games that Last with Brad Talton
Brad Talton, founder of Level 99 Games, discusses what goes into designing a game that lasts. We talk about creating games that are easily expandable, are easy to get into but provide depth for long-time players, and creating worlds that players want to keep coming back to. And be sure to check out Level 99’s latest...
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5/20/2020 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Tabletop RPGs with Hankerin Ferinale
Hankerin Ferinale, founder of Runehammer Games, discusses what board game designers can learn from the world of tabletop RPGs. Hankerin is one of the most creative people I know, and he’s been creating RPG content for years. He has a ton of insight on how RPG concepts can improve board games.
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5/13/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 57 seconds
Creating Positive Player Interaction with T.C. Petty III
T.C. Petty III, designer of VivaJava, discusses how to create positive player interaction in your game. Most games have a tendency to focus on negative interactions between players, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
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5/6/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 26 seconds
How to Design a Collectible Card Game with Assad Quraishi
Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, how to design a collectible card game and how to run a company with a CCG as your main product. Assad has been designing CCGs for 20+ years and running his own CCG company for quite a while, so we’re able to explore nearly every angle of this aspect...
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4/29/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds
How to Turn Your Hobby into a Business with Chris van der Linden
Chris van der Linden, founder of Loresmyth Games, discusses his journey about going full-time in the gaming industry and how he turned his passion into his profession. It’s no small task to turn your hobby into a business, so Chris and I talk through how to make it happen, pitfalls, failure, and what the best parts...
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4/22/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 8 seconds
Accounting, Taxes, and Game Design with Justin Marty
Justin Marty, accountant at Anders CPA, discusses everything you need to be thinking about when it comes to taxes and accounting as a game designer or publisher. Whether you want to just design games on the side, run Kickstarters, or make games your full time job, we go in-depth on everything you should be thinking about...
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4/15/2020 • 1 hour, 56 seconds
How to Design Miniature War Games with Marco Pecota
Marco Pecota, designer of Legions of Steel, discusses everything that goes into designing a miniature war game. Marco has been designing these types of games since the 90s, and we go into combat systems, movement, metal vs plastic, and everything in between. And be sure to check out Marco’s miniatures packs on Kickstarter HERE.
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4/8/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 13 seconds
Designing Games that Tell Stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek
Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games and designer of Robinson Crusoe, discusses his company’s motto: Games that tell stories. We go in-depth into Ignacy’s design process, talk about his most popular games, and get to the heart of what it looks like to create games that have players leaving the table with a story to tell.
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4/1/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 9 seconds
The Secret Sauce of Game Design with Peter C. Hayward
Peter C. Hayward is back on the show, and we’re delving into the secret sauce of his personal design process. Hint: It all hinges on blind playtesting. Peter is a designer, developer, and publisher, so he has the benefit of seeing games from lots of different angles.
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3/25/2020 • 56 minutes
How to Fund a Game on Kickstarter with Gabe Barrett
It’s just me on the show, and I’m talking about my latest book project called Board Game Kickstarter Advice. I go through some of my favorite excerpts from the 50 interviews I did for the book and discuss why it’s such good advice if you want to fund a game on Kickstarter. Be sure to...
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3/18/2020 • 55 minutes, 24 seconds
What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Video Games with Charlie Cleveland
Charlie Cleveland, professional video game designer and founder of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, discusses the crossover of video games and board games and what board game designers can learn from their digital counterparts. And be sure to check out Charlie’s game, Vampire Vendetta, on Kickstarter HERE.
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3/11/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 1 second
Designing a Game System with Bez Shahriari
Bez Shahriari, designer of Yogi, discusses how to design not just a game but a gaming system that can support lots of different games. Bez designed a system called the ELL Deck a while back, and we get into everything a designer has to think about when working on a project that’s going to consist of more...
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3/4/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 52 seconds
Designing a Betting Game with Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi
Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi, designers of Gladius, discuss the design process for creating a game with betting at its core. We go into the ins and outs of balancing hidden vs open information, tension, and why people like these games so much.
The post Designing a Betting Game with Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/26/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 30 seconds
Designing Big Games with Tim Eisner
Tim Eisner, designer of Tidal Blades, discusses the design process for creating big games. Tim is a master of designing games that take up a bunch of space on your table, but his games are also super approachable.
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2/19/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 28 seconds
Designing a Farming Game with Juma Al-JouJou
Juma Al-JouJou, designer of Clans of Caledonia, discusses the design process for a farming centric game. We talk about market economies, resources, balance, and more.
The post Designing a Farming Game with Juma Al-JouJou appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/12/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 31 seconds
Localization with Mohamed Alqadi
Mohamed Alqadi, designer of Conqueror: Final Conquest, discusses what localization is and how you can take it to the next level. We talk about not only translating a game but also changing the art and gameplay depending on where the game is being sold.
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2/5/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 27 seconds
Designing a Nature-Themed Game with Erica Bouyouris
Erica Bouyouris, designer of Bosk, discusses what all goes into designing a nature-themed game. We talk about bringing a theme to life, mechanisms, art, components, and more.
The post Designing a Nature-Themed Game with Erica Bouyouris appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/29/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 9 seconds
Publishing Your First Game with David Smith and Travis Winstead
David Smith and Travis Winstead, designers of 10 Gallon Tank, discuss what all goes into publishing your first game. We talk about idea selection, creating a product, long-term planning, and more. And be sure to check out their game 10 Gallon Tank on Kickstarter HERE.
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1/22/2020 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 19 seconds
The Making of Dungeon Ball with Gabe Barrett
For this episode, I’m doing another design diary, and this time I’m talking about my monster-themed football game Dungeon Ball. I talk about how the game came to be and what went into its design process. I also go into the business side of things and talk about the highs and lows of its Kickstarter campaign.
The post The Making of Dungeon Ball with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/15/2020 • 55 minutes, 51 seconds
Designing Adventure Games with Mike Gnade
Mike Gnade, designer of Maximum Apocalypse, Set a Watch, The Few and Cursed, discusses what all goes into designing an adventure game.  We talk about open worlds, story moments, combat, events, luck, and all sorts of other things that come together to make a good adventure game.
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1/8/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 13 seconds
Designing an Awesome Print-n-Play with Martin Gonzalvez
Martin Gonzalvez, expert print-n-player, discusses why having a print-n-play version of your game is so important. We talk about best practices and ways to make PnP files with excellence. We also get into some game creation techniques.
The post Designing an Awesome Print-n-Play with Martin Gonzalvez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/1/2020 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 16 seconds
How to Market a Board Game (Part 2) with Andrew Lowen
Andrew Lowen, from Next Level Web, is back to discuss even more things you need to know in order to market a game effectively. We talk about Facebook ads, post-Kickstarter marketing, working with a marketing agency, and more.
The post How to Market a Board Game (Part 2) with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/25/2019 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 33 seconds
How to Market a Board Game (Part 1) with Andrew Lowen
Andrew Lowen, from Next Level Web, discusses everything you need to be thinking about when it comes to marketing your game. We talk email lists, Facebook, timelines, and more. There was so much, in fact, that this podcast will be a 2-part series.
The post How to Market a Board Game (Part 1) with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/18/2019 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 15 seconds
Combat Systems with Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda
Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda, from Gold Cauldron Games, discuss the ins and outs of various combat systems. We talk dice, cards, dexterity and more. And we analyze several “must play” games to learn how to design awesome combat. 
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12/11/2019 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 57 seconds
Post: Gallery Example
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in...
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12/10/2019 • 0
Podcasting Gear Review
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in...
The post Podcasting Gear Review appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/10/2019 • 0
5 Tips For Starting A New Podcast
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in...
The post 5 Tips For Starting A New Podcast appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/10/2019 • 0
Learn How We Started Podcasting
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in...
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12/10/2019 • 0
[ANNOUNCEMENT] The Board Game Design Calendar
The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] The Board Game Design Calendar appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/6/2019 • 2 minutes, 54 seconds
Mixing the Fine Arts with Game Design with Chris Totten
Chris Totten, designer of La Mancha, discusses the intersection of the fine arts and modern gaming. Chris is a professor of game design at Kent State University and has written several books on game design.
The post Mixing the Fine Arts with Game Design with Chris Totten appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/4/2019 • 1 hour, 19 seconds
Designing a Racing Game with Omar Tarancon
Omar Tarancon, designer of Safari Turbo, discusses how to design a racing game. We talk about creating tensions, special abilities, board design and more.
The post Designing a Racing Game with Omar Tarancon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/27/2019 • 53 minutes, 1 second
Getting the Most out of a Theme with Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire
Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire, from Tea Time Productions, discuss how they get the most out of the themes in their games. We talk about starting with a theme in mind and making the mechanisms bring it to life, and we go into how to start with mechanisms and add a theme to the mix. And check out...
The post Getting the Most out of a Theme with Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/20/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 59 seconds
Fulfillment, Shipping, and Logistics with Toby Truman
Toby Truman, warehouse owner and product fulfiller, discusses his best advice on shipping, logistics, and saving money. This was honestly one of the most enlightening episodes I’ve done, and Toby has great tips and tricks on how to get your game into the world for the best rates.
The post Fulfillment, Shipping, and Logistics with Toby Truman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/13/2019 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Time Management and Getting Things Done with Jason Brooks
Jason Brooks, designer of Legacies, discusses his best time management tips. We talk about all sorts of different ways to make time for game design, and we get into specific strategies for creating habits that make success inevitable. And be sure to check out Jason’s game, Legacies, which is on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Time Management and Getting Things Done with Jason Brooks appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/6/2019 • 58 minutes, 52 seconds
Designing Games with Your Kids with David and Jordanna Santiago
David and Jordanna Santiago, the father/daughter team behind the game Jujo, discuss their process for designing games and how other families can do the same. We talk about the importance of games as they relate to the development of children, and Jordanna gives lots of advice on how to design alongside kids. And be sure to check out their game Jujo which...
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10/30/2019 • 54 minutes, 18 seconds
The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Corkill, and Jorge Velez
For this episode, I’m doing basically a design diary for my latest game, Hunted. I talk about inspiration, playtesting, and development, and I interview the graphic designer and the artist to discuss their creative processes. Hunted has been a blast to design, and in this episode, I go through all the ins and outs of...
The post The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Corkill, and Jorge Velez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/23/2019 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 30 seconds
Building a Collaboration Based Publishing Company with Shawn Stankewich
Shawn Stankewich, founder of Flat Out Games, discusses how he’s building a publishing company that’s built on collaboration. Shawn’s company doesn’t hire out tasks but instead brings on team members who share in both the work and the profits. And be sure to check out Shawn’s game Calico which is on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Building a Collaboration Based Publishing Company with Shawn Stankewich appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/16/2019 • 55 minutes, 25 seconds
Designing Games for Non-Gamers with Adam McCrimmon
Adam McCrimmon, CEO of XYZ Game Labs, discusses how to design games with non-gamers and new gamers in mind. Adam’s company focuses on gateway games, and they’re constantly trying to get more people into the hobby. And be sure to check out Adam’s game Arch Ravels which is on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Games for Non-Gamers with Adam McCrimmon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/9/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 13 seconds
Celebrating 150 Episodes! with Gabe Barrett
For this episode, it’s just me on the show, and I’m taking some time to look back at where the BGDL has come from, look ahead to where we’re going, and answer your questions. It’s been an amazing three years of episodes, and I’m excited about what’s next!
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10/2/2019 • 55 minutes, 18 seconds
[BONUS] Andrew Birkett on Working a Booth at a Convention
The post [BONUS] Andrew Birkett on Working a Booth at a Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/27/2019 • 5 minutes, 6 seconds
Running an Indie Game Publishing Company with Andrew Birkett
Andrew Birkett, founder of Atheris Games, discusses what it looks like to be an indie game publisher. Andrew has been running his own game company for four years, and we do a deep dive into the ins and outs of the publishing world. And be sure to check out Andrew’s game Ruins of Mars which is on Kickstarter HERE.
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9/25/2019 • 53 minutes, 45 seconds
[BONUS] Glenn Ford on Designing Small Skirmish Games
The post [BONUS] Glenn Ford on Designing Small Skirmish Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/20/2019 • 3 minutes, 53 seconds
CE Marking and Board Games with Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford, the lead developer for Gaslands, discusses all the ins and outs of being able to legally place the CE mark on the back of your game box. There are a ton of misconceptions and misinformation about the process, and Glenn goes through everything step-by-step to make sure it’s crystal clear. And for more reading on...
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9/18/2019 • 52 minutes, 8 seconds
[BONUS] JB Howell on How to Work on Multiple Designs at the Same Time
The post [BONUS] JB Howell on How to Work on Multiple Designs at the Same Time appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/13/2019 • 6 minutes, 14 seconds
The Three Types of Creativity with JB Howell
JB Howell, designer of Flotilla, discusses the three types of creativity and how they relate to game design. JB is an up and coming designer who I believe will be a household name by the end of this year, and we go into a lot of the ins and outs of his own creative process.
The post The Three Types of Creativity with JB Howell appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/11/2019 • 55 minutes, 36 seconds
[BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Win the Spiel des Jahres
The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Win the Spiel des Jahres appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/6/2019 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
Designing a Civilization Game with Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier, designer of Tapestry, discusses how to design a civilization game. Creating a civ game is no small task, and we get into all the ins and outs of putting one together.
The post Designing a Civilization Game with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/4/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 46 seconds
[BONUS] Odin Phong on Creating an Anthology of Games
The post [BONUS] Odin Phong on Creating an Anthology of Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/30/2019 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
Designing a Roll and Write with Odin Phong
Odin Phong, founder of Inkwell Games, discusses how to design a roll and write game. The roll and write genre has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, and we get into why people are drawn to them and how to design a good one. And be sure to check out Odin’s roll and...
The post Designing a Roll and Write with Odin Phong appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/28/2019 • 48 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Ann Losito on Tips for Streaming
The post [BONUS] Ann Losito on Tips for Streaming appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/23/2019 • 3 minutes, 54 seconds
Media and Game Design with Ann Losito
Ann Losito, Twitch streamer with Twist Gaming, discusses how to engage with media as a game designer. In today’s world, designers and publishers are more and more having to be on top of their media game in order to be successful. Ann and I get into what that looks like.
The post Media and Game Design with Ann Losito appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/21/2019 • 44 minutes, 51 seconds
[BONUS] Dave Schultze on the Intersection of Industrial Design and Game Design
The post [BONUS] Dave Schultze on the Intersection of Industrial Design and Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/16/2019 • 4 minutes, 12 seconds
Designing 3D games with Dave Schultze
Dave Schultze, designer of Gridopolis, discusses how to design a game that not only spreads out on the table but also goes up. Dave has worked for companies like Lego, Hasbro, and Mattel designing toys and games and has a ton of knowledge on how to design three-dimensional games.
The post Designing 3D games with Dave Schultze appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/14/2019 • 46 minutes, 3 seconds
[BONUS] Lizzy Funkouser on Designing with Kids in the House
The post [BONUS] Lizzy Funkouser on Designing with Kids in the House appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/9/2019 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
Paying Attention to Detail with Lizzy Funkhouser
Lizzy Funkhouser, designer of Something to Fear, discusses what it looks like to pay attention to detail when designing a game. Lizzy loves to add Easter egg type details into her games to enhance the gaming experience, and we get into lots of examples and ways to add cool things to a design.
The post Paying Attention to Detail with Lizzy Funkhouser appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/7/2019 • 44 minutes, 49 seconds
[BONUS] John Brieger on Re-Theming a Game
The post [BONUS] John Brieger on Re-Theming a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/26/2019 • 7 minutes, 20 seconds
Freelancing in the Gaming Industry with John Brieger
John Brieger, professional freelancer, discusses what it looks like to make a living working on board games. John is a designer, developer, editor, and more, and he’s been working on games full-time for about a year.
The post Freelancing in the Gaming Industry with John Brieger appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/24/2019 • 55 minutes, 8 seconds
[BONUS] Joe Pilkus on Overcoming Failure
The post [BONUS] Joe Pilkus on Overcoming Failure appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/19/2019 • 15 minutes, 37 seconds
Lessons Learned from Developing Games with Joe Pilkus
Joe Pilkus, professional game developer, discusses the lessons he’s learned from developing games over the years. Joe has worked on games from Stonemaier Games, Academy Games, and many other major publishers, and he’s been helping fledgling game designers online for years.
The post Lessons Learned from Developing Games with Joe Pilkus appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/17/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 17 seconds
[BONUS] Derek Funkhouser on Going from Freelancer to Working for a Publisher
The post [BONUS] Derek Funkhouser on Going from Freelancer to Working for a Publisher appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/12/2019 • 10 minutes, 36 seconds
Creating Magic Moments with Derek Funkhouser
Derek Funkhouser, designer of Walking Dead: Something to Fear, discusses how to design games that create magic moments. Derek is the lead developer at Skybound Games and loves designing so that players enjoy awesome moments that they’ll talk about for years to come.
The post Creating Magic Moments with Derek Funkhouser appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/10/2019 • 56 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Wes Woodbury on Tips and Tricks for Tabletop Simulator
The post [BONUS] Wes Woodbury on Tips and Tricks for Tabletop Simulator appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/5/2019 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
Designing Fantasy Themed Games with Wes Woodbury
Wes Woodbury, designer of Legends of Novus, discusses how to design a fantasy-themed game. We talk about world-building, combat systems, art, and more. And be sure to check out Wes’s fantasy-themed board game on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Fantasy Themed Games with Wes Woodbury appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/3/2019 • 49 minutes, 58 seconds
[BONUS] Ryan Langewisch on Tile-Placement Games
The post [BONUS] Ryan Langewisch on Tile-Placement Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/28/2019 • 4 minutes, 56 seconds
Rapid Iteration with Ryan Langewisch
Ryan Langewisch, designer of Tasty Humans, discusses how to create and update a game quickly and efficiently. Ryan recently won a 48-hour game jam and has gotten really good at the iteration process.
The post Rapid Iteration with Ryan Langewisch appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/26/2019 • 55 minutes, 37 seconds
[BONUS] Luke Laurie on Designing Expansions
The post [BONUS] Luke Laurie on Designing Expansions appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/21/2019 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
Designing Worker Placement Games with Luke Laurie
Luke Laurie, designer of Energy Empire, discusses all the ins and outs of creating a worker placement game. Luke has a ton of experience with the genre with 4 more worker placement games set to come out over the next 2 years.
The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Luke Laurie appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/19/2019 • 58 minutes
[BONUS] Ian Zang on Rondel Games
The post [BONUS] Ian Zang on Rondel Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/14/2019 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
4 Types of Gamer Experiences with Ian Zang
Ian Zang, developer for Deep Water Games, discusses 4 different types of gamer experiences. Ian has simplified and categorized different ways that people experience games, and he shares a lot to think about as designers.
The post 4 Types of Gamer Experiences with Ian Zang appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/12/2019 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
[BONUS] Nikki Valens on Designing Games with App Integration
The post [BONUS] Nikki Valens on Designing Games with App Integration appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/7/2019 • 7 minutes, 37 seconds
Designing a Narrative Driven Game with Nikki Valens
Nikki Valens, designer of Mansions of Madness, discusses how to design a narrative driven game. Nikki has designed some of my absolute favorite games and is a master of creating games that tell good stories.
The post Designing a Narrative Driven Game with Nikki Valens appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/5/2019 • 50 minutes, 52 seconds
[BONUS] Bob and Ryan Craig on Drawing Inspiration from Retro Games
The post [BONUS] Bob and Ryan Craig on Drawing Inspiration from Retro Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/31/2019 • 10 minutes, 16 seconds
Designing a Tile-Laying Game with Bob and Ryan Craig
Bob and Ryan Craig, founders of One Day West Games, discuss how to design a tile-laying game. Their game, Monster Highway, is a fast-playing tile laying game about escaping from a Godzilla style monster, and they have several other tiling games in the works.
The post Designing a Tile-Laying Game with Bob and Ryan Craig appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/29/2019 • 44 minutes, 23 seconds
[BONUS] Geert Sillevis on Translating a Game
The post [BONUS] Geert Sillevis on Translating a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/24/2019 • 9 minutes, 2 seconds
Outdoor Mystery Games with Geert Sillevis
Geert Sillevis, founder of Mystery City Games, discusses how to design an outdoor escape room type of game. Geert’s game, “A Secret Sender,” is designed to help tourists experience Amsterdam while also enjoying a mystery game. (And it has a 5-star rating on Trip Advisor.)
The post Outdoor Mystery Games with Geert Sillevis appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/22/2019 • 46 minutes, 58 seconds
[BONUS] Elizabeth Hargrave on How to Get More Women into Game Design
The post [BONUS] Elizabeth Hargrave on How to Get More Women into Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/17/2019 • 15 minutes, 8 seconds
Designing an Engine Building Game with Elizabeth Hargrave
Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of Wingspan, discusses how to design engine building games. Wingspan is ranked in the top 100 on Board Game Geek, and we talk a lot about Elizabeth’s design process for creating the game.
The post Designing an Engine Building Game with Elizabeth Hargrave appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/15/2019 • 52 minutes, 19 seconds
[BONUS] Evan Derrick on the Dos and Don’ts for Artists
The post [BONUS] Evan Derrick on the Dos and Don’ts for Artists appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/10/2019 • 7 minutes, 3 seconds
Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Evan Derrick
Evan Derrick, designer of Detective: City of Angels, discusses his own journey and his advice on how to go pro in the gaming industry. Evan works for Van Ryder Games and has been a full-time pro for over a year. And be sure to check out Hostage Negotiator: Career on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Evan Derrick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/8/2019 • 1 hour, 4 seconds
[BONUS] Daryl Andrews on the Best Conventions to Go to as a Designer
The post [BONUS] Daryl Andrews on the Best Conventions to Go to as a Designer appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/3/2019 • 9 minutes, 34 seconds
Designing Games Based on a Licensed IP with Daryl Andrews
Daryl Andrews discusses designing games based on licensed IPs. Daryl has designed a TON of games based on comics, TV shows, and movies, and he goes through lots of ins and outs on how the process works.
The post Designing Games Based on a Licensed IP with Daryl Andrews appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/1/2019 • 50 minutes, 19 seconds
[BONUS] Darren Terpstra on Building an Audience through Going to Conventions
The post [BONUS] Darren Terpstra on Building an Audience through Going to Conventions appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/26/2019 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
Multiple Mechanisms in a Game with Darren Terpstra
Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite, discusses designing games with multiple moving parts and several mechanisms integrated together. Ignite has quite a few mechanisms working together, so Darren has had to figure out how to make this concept work in a streamlined way. And be sure to check out Ignite on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Multiple Mechanisms in a Game with Darren Terpstra appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/24/2019 • 42 minutes, 16 seconds
[BONUS] Tom Butler on Organizing Game Design Time
The post [BONUS] Tom Butler on Organizing Game Design Time appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/19/2019 • 6 minutes, 31 seconds
Designing Historical Games with Tom Butler
Tom Butler, designer of Patriots and Redcoats, discusses the design of historical games.  Tom has specialized in creating games based on history and has lots of interesting insight on the topic. And be sure to check out Tom’s new game, Paradise Lost, on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Historical Games with Tom Butler appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/17/2019 • 51 minutes, 26 seconds
[BONUS] Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell on Creating Miniatures
The post [BONUS] Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell on Creating Miniatures appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/12/2019 • 10 minutes, 37 seconds
Designing Economic Games with Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell
Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell discuss designing economic games. Adam and Woody have years of experience working in the real world of finance and economics and decided to design a game that translates those concepts into game mechanics. Check out their back-alley economic game set in a fantasy world, Plunderbund, on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Economic Games with Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/10/2019 • 55 minutes, 58 seconds
[ANNOUNCEMENT] 2019 Board Game Design Challenge
The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] 2019 Board Game Design Challenge appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/9/2019 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
[BONUS] Jesse Zamora on Hidden Information Games
The post [BONUS] Jesse Zamora on Hidden Information Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/5/2019 • 5 minutes, 37 seconds
[BGDL+] Quality vs Quantity, Lessons from Steve Martin, and the Weight Room
The post [BGDL+] Quality vs Quantity, Lessons from Steve Martin, and the Weight Room appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/4/2019 • 25 minutes, 9 seconds
Modifying Published Games with Jesse Zamora
Jesse Zamora discusses modifying published games and what can be learned from the process as game designers.
The post Modifying Published Games with Jesse Zamora appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/3/2019 • 37 minutes, 24 seconds
[BONUS] John Coveyou on Building a Brand
The post [BONUS] John Coveyou on Building a Brand appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/29/2019 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
Fun AND Educational Games with John Coveyou
John Coveyou, founder of Genius Games, discusses how to design games that also happen to be educational. John is the designer of Cytosis, Subatomic, Ion, and several other well-received science based games, and he’s really figured out how to take scientific ideas and translate them into enjoyable games. 
The post Fun AND Educational Games with John Coveyou appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/27/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 40 seconds
[BONUS] Peter C. Hayward on Designing 2nd Editions
The post [BONUS] Peter C. Hayward on Designing 2nd Editions appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/22/2019 • 6 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Be a Great Playtester with Peter C. Hayward
Peter C. Hayward, founder of Jellybean Games, discusses how to be a great playtester. Peter often gets paid by publishers to playtest games and probably playtests more games than anyone you know. He’s got great advice on what it looks like to be the most helpful playtester at the table. Be sure to check out Peter’s new...
The post How to Be a Great Playtester with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/20/2019 • 47 minutes, 21 seconds
[BONUS] Noel Gussen on Workflow and Organization
The post [BONUS] Noel Gussen on Workflow and Organization appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/15/2019 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
Multiple End Game Triggers with Noel Gussen
Noel Gussen, designer of Deckfighters, discusses designing a game with multiple win conditions. Noel’s MMA style card game has lots of ways to win (and lose), so we talk through different ways to add multiple end-game triggers.
The post Multiple End Game Triggers with Noel Gussen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/13/2019 • 41 minutes, 15 seconds
[BONUS] Jay Cormier on Managing Multiple Designs at the Same Time
The post [BONUS] Jay Cormier on Managing Multiple Designs at the Same Time appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/8/2019 • 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Playtesting Pro Tips with Jay Cormier
Jay Cormier, designer of Belfort and tons of other games, discusses tons of ins and outs of playtesting. Jay has been designing games for over 15 years and has a ton of experience and advice on how to get to the best game possible. And be sure to check out Jay’s playtest journal on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Playtesting Pro Tips with Jay Cormier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/6/2019 • 48 minutes, 25 seconds
[BONUS] Joe Slack on Going Pro in the Gaming Industry
The post [BONUS] Joe Slack on Going Pro in the Gaming Industry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/1/2019 • 10 minutes
Teaching Game Design with Joe Slack
Joe Slack, college instructor of game design, discusses the ins and outs of teaching game design to other people. Joe recently went full-time in the gaming industry and is focussing on helping others learn how to bring their games to life. And be sure to check out Joe’s board game design course HERE.
The post Teaching Game Design with Joe Slack appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/27/2019 • 43 minutes, 58 seconds
[BONUS] Patrick Rauland on Designing Asymmetrical Games
The post [BONUS] Patrick Rauland on Designing Asymmetrical Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/22/2019 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
[ANNOUNCEMENT] Learn How to Design Great Games People Love
The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] Learn How to Design Great Games People Love appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/21/2019 • 2 minutes, 26 seconds
Product Management and Game Design with Patrick Rauland
Patrick Rauland, designer of Fry Thief, discusses product management and how it relates to game design. Patrick has worked as a pro product manager in the software industry, and there are tons of ways that understanding product management will make you a better designer in everything from prototyping to playtesting to running a Kickstarter. Patrick’s game, Fry...
The post Product Management and Game Design with Patrick Rauland appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/20/2019 • 47 minutes, 58 seconds
[BONUS] Jason Tagmire on Kickstarting Small Games
The post [BONUS] Jason Tagmire on Kickstarting Small Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/15/2019 • 8 minutes, 36 seconds
Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire
Jason Tagmire, founder of Button Shy Games, discusses the process of designing and publishing small games that pack a big punch. Jason’s company specializes in 18 card games, and he’s become a master at packing a ton of game into a small package. And check out Button Shy’s latest game on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/13/2019 • 57 minutes, 44 seconds
[BGDL+] Interviewing Reiner Knizia for the 2nd Edition of the Board Game Design Advice Book
The 2nd edition will hit Kickstarter on February 19th, so be sure to check it out!
The post [BGDL+] Interviewing Reiner Knizia for the 2nd Edition of the Board Game Design Advice Book appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/12/2019 • 42 minutes, 36 seconds
[BONUS] Eric Rayl on How to Film a Great Video
The post [BONUS] Eric Rayl on How to Film a Great Video appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/8/2019 • 9 minutes, 43 seconds
The Game Designers Documentary with Eric Rayl
For the past 3 years, Eric Rayl has been traveling around the world interviewing some of the best designers in the world about their games, their processes, and their experiences in the industry. Check out the documentary HERE.
The post The Game Designers Documentary with Eric Rayl appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/6/2019 • 31 minutes, 30 seconds
[BONUS] Bill Lasek on the 5 Starting Points for Design
The post [BONUS] Bill Lasek on the 5 Starting Points for Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/1/2019 • 7 minutes, 42 seconds
Programmable Action Games with Bill Lasek
Bill Lasek, designer of Koi, discusses how to design programmable action games. Programmable actions provide really interesting options for players and create really interesting challenges for designers. Bill’s game, Koi, programs fish moving around a pond, so he has first-hand experience with this type of game.
The post Programmable Action Games with Bill Lasek appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/30/2019 • 55 minutes, 43 seconds
[BONUS] James Van Niekerk on Approaching Publishers
The post [BONUS] James Van Niekerk on Approaching Publishers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/25/2019 • 7 minutes, 19 seconds
Board Game Graphic Design with James Van Niekerk
James Van Niekerk, professional graphic designer and creator of Valor & Villainy, discusses colors, fonts, hierarchies, and tons of other concepts that you need to think about when working through the graphic design of a game.
The post Board Game Graphic Design with James Van Niekerk appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/23/2019 • 41 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Tim Fowers on Connecting with Gamers
The post [BONUS] Tim Fowers on Connecting with Gamers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/18/2019 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
Designing Deduction Games with Tim Fowers
Tim Fowers, designer of Burgle Bros and Fugitive, discusses how to design deduction games. Fugitive is one of my favorite deduction games, and Tim’s next game, Sabotage, is also a really cool deduction game coming out later this year.
The post Designing Deduction Games with Tim Fowers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/16/2019 • 43 minutes, 32 seconds
[BONUS] Steven Aramini on Re-Theming a Game
The post [BONUS] Steven Aramini on Re-Theming a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/11/2019 • 11 minutes, 32 seconds
Designing Area Control Games with Steven Aramini
Steven Aramini, designer of Animal Kingdoms, discusses how to design an area control game. Animal Kingdoms won the 2018 Cardboard Edison award and is a really clever, card-driven area control game.
The post Designing Area Control Games with Steven Aramini appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/9/2019 • 49 minutes, 35 seconds
[BONUS] Fabian Zimmermann on Roll & Write Games
The post [BONUS] Fabian Zimmermann on Roll & Write Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/4/2019 • 5 minutes, 18 seconds
Designing a Negotiation Game with Fabian Zimmermann
Fabian Zimmermann, designer of Goodcritters, discusses how to design a negotiation game. Goodcritters is the most recent game in the Dice Tower Essentials line, and negotiation is the core of the game.
The post Designing a Negotiation Game with Fabian Zimmermann appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/2/2019 • 39 minutes, 36 seconds
[BONUS] Darwin Kastle on Starting a Board Game Company
The post [BONUS] Darwin Kastle on Starting a Board Game Company appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/28/2018 • 5 minutes, 54 seconds
Designing a Deck Building Game with Darwin Kastle
Darwin Kastle, from White Wizard Games, discusses how to design a deck builder. Darwin is a hall of fame Magic: the Gathering player and has a TON of experience designing card games. His most popular games are Star Realms and Hero Realms.
The post Designing a Deck Building Game with Darwin Kastle appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/26/2018 • 57 minutes, 52 seconds
[BONUS] Rita Orlov on Adding Mystery to a Game
The post [BONUS] Rita Orlov on Adding Mystery to a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/21/2018 • 6 minutes, 21 seconds
Designing Puzzle Games with Rita Orlov
Rita Orlov discusses how to design a good puzzle game. Through her company, Post Curious, Rita designs deeply immersive games for people who enjoy a good challenge.
The post Designing Puzzle Games with Rita Orlov appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/19/2018 • 50 minutes, 52 seconds
[BONUS] Dan & Connie Kazmaier on In-Game Economy Systems
The post [BONUS] Dan & Connie Kazmaier on In-Game Economy Systems appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/14/2018 • 12 minutes, 15 seconds
Creating an Online Playtesting Group with Daniel & Connie Kazmaier
Daniel and Connie Kazmaier discuss how they put together a rather large online playtesting group for their game, Chai. They have nearly 800 playtesters in their group and go into how they’ve nurtured and developed it.
The post Creating an Online Playtesting Group with Daniel & Connie Kazmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/12/2018 • 39 minutes, 56 seconds
[BONUS] The Importance of Narrative in Games with Stephen & Michael Stagliano
The post [BONUS] The Importance of Narrative in Games with Stephen & Michael Stagliano appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/7/2018 • 19 minutes, 42 seconds
Designing a Tabletop RPG with Stephen & Michael Stagliano
Stephen and Michael Stagliano discuss designing an RPG system. They’ve been working on their own tabletop RPG game, and they run a podcast, both called Tavern of Heroes.They’ve been playing and designing role playing games for years, and we have a lively discussion on the ins and outs of putting one together. These guys have an...
The post Designing a Tabletop RPG with Stephen & Michael Stagliano appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/5/2018 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 30 seconds
[BGDL+] My Kickstarter Post Mortem
Jamey Stegmaier and I discuss what went wrong with my Kickstarter campaign and what I’m doing differently for the relaunch. Check out the relaunch of The Final Flicktier HERE.
The post [BGDL+] My Kickstarter Post Mortem appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/4/2018 • 36 minutes, 25 seconds
[BONUS] Aron West on Building a Fanbase
The post [BONUS] Aron West on Building a Fanbase appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/30/2018 • 8 minutes, 32 seconds
Designing Dexterity Games with Aron West
Aron West, designer of Catacombs, discusses the art and challenges in designing dexterity games with depth. He’s been designing and publishing these types of games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic. And be sure to check out the latest version of Catacombs HERE.
The post Designing Dexterity Games with Aron West appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/28/2018 • 58 minutes, 22 seconds
[BONUS] Jackson Pope on the Ups and Downs of Publishing
The post [BONUS] Jackson Pope on the Ups and Downs of Publishing appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/23/2018 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
Designing Hand Crafted Games with Jackson Pope
Jackson Pope, founder of Eurydice Games, talks about designing and putting together hand made games.Jackson has been hand crafting and selling his games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic.You can find the episode HERE.
The post Designing Hand Crafted Games with Jackson Pope appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/21/2018 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
[BGDL+] When Gatekeepers Say No, Creating Must-Have Components, and Using Video in Design
The post [BGDL+] When Gatekeepers Say No, Creating Must-Have Components, and Using Video in Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/16/2018 • 30 minutes, 48 seconds
[BONUS] David Abelson on Bringing Family into Game Design
The post [BONUS] David Abelson on Bringing Family into Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/16/2018 • 9 minutes, 14 seconds
Designing Abstract Games with David Abelson
David Abelson, founder of Fisher Heaton Games, talks about designing abstract games.David’s abstract game, Intelle, is a brain burning 2 player experience with a theme that actually makes sense. And be sure to check out the solo expansion for Intelle on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Abstract Games with David Abelson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/14/2018 • 57 minutes, 47 seconds
[BONUS] Dustin Staats on Contributing to the Board Gaming Community
The post [BONUS] Dustin Staats on Contributing to the Board Gaming Community appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/9/2018 • 6 minutes, 31 seconds
Gaming in the Classroom with Dustin Staats
Dustin Staats, founder of Board Gaming with English, talks about using and designing games in the classroom.Dustin has taught all over the worlds and regularly uses games to reinforce different concepts his students are learning.
The post Gaming in the Classroom with Dustin Staats appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/7/2018 • 46 minutes, 48 seconds
[BONUS] Jamey & Gabe on Designing The Final Flicktier
The post [BONUS] Jamey & Gabe on Designing The Final Flicktier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/2/2018 • 11 minutes, 16 seconds
Celebrating 100 Episodes!
Jamey Stegmaier is guest hosting, and we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the show! We’re talking past, present, and future with lots of interesting things thrown in.
The post Celebrating 100 Episodes! appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/31/2018 • 36 minutes, 47 seconds
[BONUS] Calum Taylor on Designing in Isolation
The post [BONUS] Calum Taylor on Designing in Isolation appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/26/2018 • 9 minutes, 23 seconds
Randomness and Player Agency with Calum Taylor
Calum Taylor, designer of Motora, talks about balancing luck with player agency.It’s good to have luck to keep a game unpredictable, but if it goes too far, players will feel like the game is playing them. You need to make sure players feel in control while also allowing for cool “plot twist” moments. And be sure...
The post Randomness and Player Agency with Calum Taylor appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/24/2018 • 57 minutes, 20 seconds
[BONUS] Nick Kopp on Bar Codes and SKUs
The post [BONUS] Nick Kopp on Bar Codes and SKUs appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/19/2018 • 10 minutes, 20 seconds
Designing Light Games with Carla Kopp
Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, talks about designing light (or filler) games. Carla’s company focuses on this type of games, and she’s designed several herself, so she definitely understands the topic well.
The post Designing Light Games with Carla Kopp appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/17/2018 • 53 minutes, 59 seconds
[BONUS] Julio Nazario on Getting Inspired
The post [BONUS] Julio Nazario on Getting Inspired appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/12/2018 • 9 minutes, 24 seconds
Innovative Uses of Game Components with Julio Nazario
Julio Nazario, winner of the HABA Games design challenge, talks about game components and interesting ways to use them.Julio has been designing some really innovative games using components in really cool ways.
The post Innovative Uses of Game Components with Julio Nazario appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/10/2018 • 58 minutes, 35 seconds
[BONUS] Isaac Vega on Working on Games in a Series
The post [BONUS] Isaac Vega on Working on Games in a Series appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/5/2018 • 10 minutes, 51 seconds
Balancing a Game with Isaac Vega
Isaac Vega, designer of Dead of Winter, Ashes, and many others, talks about how to balance a game.Isaac has designed some of the best games in the world and has really figured out how to make sure a game feels balanced to its players.
The post Balancing a Game with Isaac Vega appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/3/2018 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
[BONUS] Alex Maklai on Pirate Themed Games
The post [BONUS] Alex Maklai on Pirate Themed Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/28/2018 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
Augmented Reality and Board Games with Alex Maklai
Alex Macklai, designer of Sea of Nadia, talks about augmented reality and board games.Alex has been working on an AR-centric game for 2 years and has some interesting insight on the topic. For more info: www.maclaysgames.com
The post Augmented Reality and Board Games with Alex Maklai appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/26/2018 • 36 minutes, 29 seconds
[BONUS] Curt Covert’s Best Advice after 15 Years in the Industry
The post [BONUS] Curt Covert’s Best Advice after 15 Years in the Industry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/21/2018 • 13 minutes, 22 seconds
[ANNOUNCEMENT] Ignite Conference 2018
For all the details about Ignite, check out boardgamedesignlab.com/ignite/.
The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] Ignite Conference 2018 appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/21/2018 • 7 minutes, 9 seconds
Take That Games with Curt Covert
Curt Covert, designer of Tower of Madness and owner of Smirk & Dagger Games, talks about take-that games.Curt has been designing back-stabby games for years and is a wealth of information and insight on the topic. And he’s a ton of fun to talk to!
The post Take That Games with Curt Covert appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/19/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 23 seconds
[BONUS] Assad Quraishi on Designing CCGs
The post [BONUS] Assad Quraishi on Designing CCGs appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/14/2018 • 15 minutes, 19 seconds
Playtesting with Assad Quraishi
Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, talks about playtesting.Assad is a professional user interface designer and has a ton of insight on testing. Resources mentioned in the show: Here is some info about James Bach: His website: http://www.satisfice.com/ Some videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=james+bach Amazing Book: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/lessons-learned-in/9780471081128/ And for James Whittaker Blog from James: https://testing.googleblog.com/2009/06/james-whittaker-joins-google.html Some Videso: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=james+whittaker Good book: https://www.amazon.ca/Google-Tests-Software-James-Whittaker/dp/0321803027
The post Playtesting with Assad Quraishi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/12/2018 • 55 minutes, 28 seconds
[BONUS] Sami Laakso on How to Price a Game
The post [BONUS] Sami Laakso on How to Price a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/7/2018 • 11 minutes, 12 seconds
Designing Expansions with Sami Laakso
Sami Laakso, designer of Dale of Merchants, talks about designing expansions.Sami recently put together a pretty substantial expansion for his own game and has a good bit of insight on the topic. And be sure to check out Sami’s game and expansion on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Expansions with Sami Laakso appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/5/2018 • 52 minutes, 3 seconds
[BONUS] Dan Peterson on How to Present at a Publisher Speed Dating Event
The post [BONUS] Dan Peterson on How to Present at a Publisher Speed Dating Event appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/31/2018 • 14 minutes, 3 seconds
Removing Math from Games with Dan Peterson
Dan Peterson, head developer at Mayday Games, talks about how to streamline a game by removing math. We discuss why this is important in today’s market and various ways on how to do it effectively.
The post Removing Math from Games with Dan Peterson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/29/2018 • 34 minutes, 56 seconds
[BONUS] Marilia Poggiali on Bringing a Place to Life
The post [BONUS] Marilia Poggiali on Bringing a Place to Life appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/24/2018 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
The Cathartic Power of Game Design with Marilia Poggiali
Marilia Poggiali, designer of San Francisco vs Fog, talks about the personal tragedies she’s experienced and how game design and starting a publishing company have helped her overcome pain and find catharsis. And be sure to check out San Francisco vs Fog on Kickstarter HERE.
The post The Cathartic Power of Game Design with Marilia Poggiali appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/22/2018 • 48 minutes, 6 seconds
[BONUS] Callin Flores on Designing Super Hero Games
The post [BONUS] Callin Flores on Designing Super Hero Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/17/2018 • 14 minutes, 43 seconds
How to Design a Shuffle Builder with Callin Flores
Callin Flores, designer of Guardians, discusses how the finer details of creating a shuffle builder. (Games like Smash Up.)Callin’s game takes the shuffle building mechanism to new places, and he has a lot of insight on these types of games.
The post How to Design a Shuffle Builder with Callin Flores appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/15/2018 • 53 minutes, 17 seconds
[BONUS] Corry Damey on Designing Micro Games
The post [BONUS] Corry Damey on Designing Micro Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/10/2018 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
How to Win a Design Competition with Corry Damey
Corry Damey, designer of Seasons of Rice and winner of the BGDL Design Challenge, discusses how he’s managed to win 3 design competitions.
The post How to Win a Design Competition with Corry Damey appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/8/2018 • 35 minutes, 28 seconds
[BONUS] Bez Shahriari on Standing out at Conventions
The post [BONUS] Bez Shahriari on Standing out at Conventions appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/3/2018 • 8 minutes, 7 seconds
Designing Family Games with Bez Shahriari
Bez Shahriari, designer of Yogi, discusses the ins and outs of creating a game made specifically for families. We go into why family games are so good for helping kids as they grow up, and we talk about a lot of things to consider when making these types of games.
The post Designing Family Games with Bez Shahriari appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/1/2018 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 45 seconds
[BONUS] Dr. Corey Butler on Game Rating Systems
The post [BONUS] Dr. Corey Butler on Game Rating Systems appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/27/2018 • 6 minutes, 58 seconds
Player Psychology with Dr. Corey Butler
Dr. Corey Butler, social psychologist and avid gamer, has been conducting research on gamers for a while and has some really interesting information on player psychology based on both his formal training and his research. And check out all the really cool articles and research findings on Corey’s blog HERE.
The post Player Psychology with Dr. Corey Butler appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/25/2018 • 54 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Greg Loring-Albright on the Power Games Have to Make a Difference
The post [BONUS] Greg Loring-Albright on the Power Games Have to Make a Difference appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/20/2018 • 15 minutes, 46 seconds
Pervasive Games with Greg Loring-Albright
Greg Loring-Albright is back on the show, and we’re talking about games that don’t exist on a board or even at a table. Greg has been designing games that pervade into spaces much bigger than your dining room table, and he has some really interesting insight on how and why these games work.
The post Pervasive Games with Greg Loring-Albright appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/18/2018 • 39 minutes, 41 seconds
[BONUS] Kirk Dennison on Pledge Managers
The post [BONUS] Kirk Dennison on Pledge Managers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/13/2018 • 14 minutes, 10 seconds
3D Printing and Game Design with Kirk Dennison
Kirk Dennison of Piecekeeper Games is back on the show, and we’re talking about the various uses of 3D printing in game design. Kirk got into the world of 3D printing a while back and has found a lot of ways to put it to good use in his designs and for his company. And...
The post 3D Printing and Game Design with Kirk Dennison appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/11/2018 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds
Eric Lang’s Best Advice
Coming to you from Dice Tower Con 2018, Eric Lang had a free 20 minutes and agreed to answer some questions, so we found a not so quiet side room to chat. Eric gives his best advice on several design topics, and he provides incredible insight that all designers need to pay attention to.
The post Eric Lang’s Best Advice appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/6/2018 • 19 minutes, 26 seconds
Hacking Creativity to Become the Best in the World with Gabe Barrett
BGDL founder, Gabe Barrett, talks about many of the really cool and helpful creativity/productivity hacks he’s been learning about recently.He discusses some rather interesting findings that have come from researching some of the best in the world in different fields. There are also a lot of things that you’ll hopefully find encouraging. The end of this episode has...
The post Hacking Creativity to Become the Best in the World with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/4/2018 • 44 minutes, 46 seconds
[BONUS] Adrienne Ezell on Making Prototypes on the Cheap
The post [BONUS] Adrienne Ezell on Making Prototypes on the Cheap appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/29/2018 • 5 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Work with Artists with Adrienne Ezell
Adrienne Ezell, professional board game artist and art director, discusses how to work effectively with artists.Adrienne has been a pro artist for 15 years and now works full time in the board game industry. We talk communication, contracts, timelines, costs, and everything in between. Link to the 3d box maker we discussed: https://www.boxshot.com/    
The post How to Work with Artists with Adrienne Ezell appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/27/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 24 seconds
[BONUS] Ted Alspach on Tile Placement Games
The post [BONUS] Ted Alspach on Tile Placement Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/22/2018 • 9 minutes, 30 seconds
City Building Games with Ted Alspach
Ted Alspach, designer Suburbia of and founder of Bezier Games, discusses city building games.Suburbia is ranked 94th on Board Game Geek and is easily on the Mount Rushmore of city building games, so Ted really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to designing one of these types of games.
The post City Building Games with Ted Alspach appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/20/2018 • 52 minutes, 28 seconds
[BONUS] Nolan Nasser on Developing Games for a Licensed IP
The post [BONUS] Nolan Nasser on Developing Games for a Licensed IP appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/15/2018 • 7 minutes, 23 seconds
Art Direction in Games with Nolan Nasser
Nolan Nasser, illustrator and founder of Deep Water Games, discusses art direction in board games.Nolan has a ton of experience in directing art for well known games and shares a great deal of what he’s learned over the years.
The post Art Direction in Games with Nolan Nasser appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/13/2018 • 46 minutes, 32 seconds
[BONUS] Cody Stevens on Volunteering at a Convention for a Publisher
The post [BONUS] Cody Stevens on Volunteering at a Convention for a Publisher appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/8/2018 • 12 minutes, 18 seconds
Designing Dexterity Games with Cody Stevens
Cody Stevens, the designer of Dino Dunk, discusses dexterity games.We talk about lots of different dexterity style games, how they work, and what makes them good.
The post Designing Dexterity Games with Cody Stevens appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/6/2018 • 47 minutes, 19 seconds
[BONUS] Joseph Z Chen on How to Build an Email List
The post [BONUS] Joseph Z Chen on How to Build an Email List appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/1/2018 • 16 minutes, 48 seconds
Catch-Up Mechanisms with Joseph Z. Chen
Joseph Z Chen discusses catch-up mechanisms.Joseph is a designer and indie publisher who did a fairly in-depth analysis on ways different games keep players involved until the end. We talk about several popular games and their catch-up mechanisms as well as Joseph’s personal experiences. And don’t forget to check out Joseph’s game, Fantastic Factories, on...
The post Catch-Up Mechanisms with Joseph Z. Chen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/30/2018 • 41 minutes, 58 seconds
For the Love of Board Games – A Book by Erin Dean
Erin Dean, author of For the Love of Board Games, discusses her book and what she learned from the designers she interviewed. You can check out Erin’s documentary, The Board Game Boom, here.
The post For the Love of Board Games – A Book by Erin Dean appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/23/2018 • 36 minutes
[BONUS] Daniel Fremgen on Receiving Feedback from a Design Contest
Here’s Daniel’s article about receiving feedback from a design contest.
The post [BONUS] Daniel Fremgen on Receiving Feedback from a Design Contest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/18/2018 • 32 minutes, 52 seconds
The Indie Game Alliance with Matt Holden
Matt Holden discusses the Indie Game Alliance.Matt started the IGA four years ago to help small publishers and designers get their games demoed at conventions and game stores, and it’s grown into a robust organization that offers quite a few services.
The post The Indie Game Alliance with Matt Holden appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/16/2018 • 40 minutes, 11 seconds
[BONUS] Brad Talton on How to Build a Game Company
The post [BONUS] Brad Talton on How to Build a Game Company appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/11/2018 • 18 minutes, 19 seconds
Dueling Games with Brad Talton
Brad Talton, designer of BattleCon and Pixel Tactics, discusses dueling games. Brad has been creating dueling combat games for years and has found incredible success with his company, Level 99 Games.
The post Dueling Games with Brad Talton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/9/2018 • 59 minutes, 4 seconds
[BONUS] Richard Garfield on Collectible Card Games
The post [BONUS] Richard Garfield on Collectible Card Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/4/2018 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
Coming Attractions for the BGDL
I’ve got some exciting announcements for the BGDL:1) I’m starting a new thing that will hopefully lead to an even greater sense of community. Today, with the incredible help of Chris Perea, a BGDL Discord server has launched which will offer you another way to interact with others in the community and will lead to…2) BGDL Game...
The post Coming Attractions for the BGDL appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/4/2018 • 25 minutes, 15 seconds
Luck vs Skill with Richard Garfield
Richard Garfield, designer of Magic: The Gathering and a ton of other great games, discusses how to use luck and skill effectively in game design.Richard belongs on the game design Mount Rushmore and has awesome insight and advice.
The post Luck vs Skill with Richard Garfield appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/2/2018 • 48 minutes, 26 seconds
[BONUS] Jon Mietling on Portable Games
The post [BONUS] Jon Mietling on Portable Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/27/2018 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
Multi-Use Cards with Jon Mietling
Jon Mietling, designer of Palm Island, discusses how to effectively design a game with multi-use cards.Jon ran an incredibly successful Kickstarter for Palm Island which is rather innovative game that focusses solely on multi-use cards as its core mechanism.
The post Multi-Use Cards with Jon Mietling appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/25/2018 • 52 minutes, 10 seconds
[BONUS] 2018 Game Design Challenge
For the written rules and submission form, go HERE.
The post [BONUS] 2018 Game Design Challenge appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/20/2018 • 13 minutes, 18 seconds
Pitches & Sell Sheets with Jeremy Commandeur
Jeremy Commandeur, organizer of the largest Protospiel in the U.S., discusses pitches and sell sheets.Jeremy has had several designs published and has found a great deal of success in pitching to publishers and getting games signed. Sell Sheet Examples on Pinterest collected by John Brieger: https://www.pinterest.com/johnbrieger/boardgame-sell-sheets/ Sell Sheet Examples on Flickr collected by Jeremy Commandeur: https://www.pinterest.com/johnbrieger/boardgame-sell-sheets/...
The post Pitches & Sell Sheets with Jeremy Commandeur appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/18/2018 • 44 minutes, 57 seconds
[BONUS] Justin Jacobson on Managing Hype and Expectations
The post [BONUS] Justin Jacobson on Managing Hype and Expectations appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/13/2018 • 11 minutes, 19 seconds
Bringing Old Designs Back to Life with Justin Jacobson
Justin Jacobson, founder of Restoration Games, discusses the process of bringing a game back to life.Justin’s entire business model is built on taking old games off the shelf and breathing new life into them, and he offers great insight on how to do it. If you’ve got some old games of your own that you shelved...
The post Bringing Old Designs Back to Life with Justin Jacobson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/11/2018 • 48 minutes, 21 seconds
[BONUS] Peter Hayward on Attending a Prototype Convention
The post [BONUS] Peter Hayward on Attending a Prototype Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/6/2018 • 9 minutes, 13 seconds
The Two Types of Cooperative Games with Peter Hayward
Peter Hayward, founder of Jellybean Games, discusses the two types of cooperative games and what makes them work.Peter plays hundreds of prototypes a year, and he’s noticed some serious issues with the majority of the co-op prototypes he sees.
The post The Two Types of Cooperative Games with Peter Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/4/2018 • 44 minutes, 43 seconds
[BONUS] Brandon Rollins on Playtesting
The post [BONUS] Brandon Rollins on Playtesting appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/30/2018 • 7 minutes, 19 seconds
How to Make Your Game More Accessible with Brandon Rollins
Brandon Rollins, designer of Highways & Byways, discusses accessibility in games and ways to make your designs more inclusive.Brandon is an avid blogger and consistently writes great content to help game designers. Meeple Like Us accessibility reviews Color palettes for color blindness 10 Quick Accessibility Wins for Game Developers And make sure to check out Brandon’s latest Kickstarter...
The post How to Make Your Game More Accessible with Brandon Rollins appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/28/2018 • 41 minutes, 26 seconds
[BONUS] Jerry Hawthorne on How to Demo a Game at a Convention
The post [BONUS] Jerry Hawthorne on How to Demo a Game at a Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/23/2018 • 8 minutes, 15 seconds
Story Driven Games with Jerry Hawthorne
Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses story driven games and how to use narrative to create incredible gaming experiences.Jerry is a long-time veteran of the industry and specializes in games that evoke stories.
The post Story Driven Games with Jerry Hawthorne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/21/2018 • 1 hour, 35 seconds
[BONUS] Adam Rehberg on Balancing Life, Work, and Game Design
The post [BONUS] Adam Rehberg on Balancing Life, Work, and Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/16/2018 • 8 minutes, 59 seconds
Boxes and Packaging that Sell with Adam Rehberg
Adam Rehberg, owner of Adam’s Apple Games, discusses the finer details on what makes a box functional, fashionable, and provocative. For his day job, Adam is a packaging engineer for Target, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about. If you have box questions for Adam, you can find him on Twitter HERE. And be...
The post Boxes and Packaging that Sell with Adam Rehberg appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/14/2018 • 45 minutes, 42 seconds
[BONUS] Vincent Vergonjeanne on Licensing an IP for a Game
The post [BONUS] Vincent Vergonjeanne on Licensing an IP for a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/9/2018 • 9 minutes, 20 seconds
Designing Games with Digital Elements with Vincent Vergonjeanne
Vincent Vergonjeanne, founder of Lucky Duck Games, discusses games that use digital components in their design.Vincent runs his own video game company and has been quite successful in both the digital space and the board game industry, so he really knows a lot about this topic.
The post Designing Games with Digital Elements with Vincent Vergonjeanne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/7/2018 • 49 minutes, 2 seconds
[BONUS] Jason Mowery & Chase Williams on Designing Heist Games
The post [BONUS] Jason Mowery & Chase Williams on Designing Heist Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/2/2018 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Working with a Co-Designer with Jason Mowery and Chase Williams
Jason Mowery and Chase Williams, designers of The Big Score, discuss the process of co-designing a game.We talk scheduling, conflict management, and more. Also, you can check out their new game on Kickstarter HERE. (It’s basically Ocean’s 11, the board game.)
The post Working with a Co-Designer with Jason Mowery and Chase Williams appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/28/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 56 seconds
[BONUS] Petter Olsen on How to Create a Great Looking Prototype
The post [BONUS] Petter Olsen on How to Create a Great Looking Prototype appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/23/2018 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
The King of the Hill Mechanism with Petter Olsen
Petter Olsen, designer of Kill the King, discusses the king of the hill mechanism. (We also might go into propane and propane accessories…)Petter’s new game hinges on this particular mechanism, so he knows a lot about what makes it work well. You can check out his new game on Kickstarter HERE.
The post The King of the Hill Mechanism with Petter Olsen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/21/2018 • 36 minutes, 56 seconds
[BONUS] Greg Loring-Albright on How to Recover from Failure
The post [BONUS] Greg Loring-Albright on How to Recover from Failure appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/16/2018 • 15 minutes, 3 seconds
Designing Micro Games with Greg Loring-Albright
Greg Loring-Albright, designer of Leviathan, discusses the ins, outs, and what-have-yous of micro games. He brings up some great points about designing small games that carry a big experience.
The post Designing Micro Games with Greg Loring-Albright appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/14/2018 • 32 minutes, 57 seconds
[BONUS] Jon Gilmour on Post-Apocalyptic Games
The post [BONUS] Jon Gilmour on Post-Apocalyptic Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/9/2018 • 12 minutes, 33 seconds
2018 Design Challenge
Because we hit this stretch goal during the crowdfunding campaign, the BGDL will be sponsoring a board game design competition that will run from late April to mid July. The goal of the contest is to give designers the opportunity to grow and improve at the process that the gaming industry follows. (And to give...
The post 2018 Design Challenge appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/8/2018 • 0
Themes that Sell with Jon Gilmour
Jon Gilmour, designer of Dead of Winter, discusses how to design the experiences and themes that people can’t wait to get their hands on. Jon just seems to have an innate ability to design games that go hand in hand with what people are excited about, and he gives me a tour behind the curtain...
The post Themes that Sell with Jon Gilmour appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/7/2018 • 39 minutes, 46 seconds
[BONUS] An In Depth Interview of Gabe Barrett by the Cardboard Herald
The post [BONUS] An In Depth Interview of Gabe Barrett by the Cardboard Herald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/2/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 28 seconds
Creativity and the Future of the BGDL with Gabe Barrett
Today, it’s just me on the podcast, and I’m discussing creativity, time management, and the future of the BGDL.I’ve learned a lot of really great stuff about the creative process, and I want to share with you some of the things that have been helping me with my game designs.And then I want to tell...
The post Creativity and the Future of the BGDL with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/31/2018 • 44 minutes, 26 seconds
[BONUS] Alan Emrich on Games He Wants to Play and Wants to Publish
The post [BONUS] Alan Emrich on Games He Wants to Play and Wants to Publish appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/26/2018 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
How a Publisher Develops Games with Alan Emrich
Alan Emrich, founder of Victory Point Games, discusses how a publisher approaches the development process when taking a game from prototype to store shelf. Alan has been in the gaming industry for four decades and brings a great deal of experience and insight into this conversation. Both designers and publishers will benefit from what he...
The post How a Publisher Develops Games with Alan Emrich appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/24/2018 • 52 minutes, 19 seconds
[BONUS] Artyom Nichipurov on How to Find Playtesters
The post [BONUS] Artyom Nichipurov on How to Find Playtesters appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/19/2018 • 8 minutes, 34 seconds
Digital Prototyping on Tabletopia with Artyom Nichipurov
Artyom Nichipurov (Arty for short), designer of Guards of Atlantis: Tabletop MOBA, discusses Tabletopia and gives lots of tips and tricks on how to get your prototype up and running on the system. Tabletopia can be an extremely useful resource for playtesting, demoing, and pitching your game. If you need some help with the software,...
The post Digital Prototyping on Tabletopia with Artyom Nichipurov appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/17/2018 • 48 minutes, 18 seconds
[BONUS] Don Eskridge on Creating Expansions for a Game
The post [BONUS] Don Eskridge on Creating Expansions for a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/12/2018 • 11 minutes, 41 seconds
Designing Social Deduction Games with Don Eskridge
Don Eskridge, designer of The Resistance, discusses all the ins and outs of creating a social deduction game.The Resistance is one of the most popular games ever made that lets you lie directly to your friends’ faces, and Don has designed several more of these types of games, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about. And...
The post Designing Social Deduction Games with Don Eskridge appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/10/2018 • 55 minutes, 11 seconds
[BONUS] Dustin Schwartz on How to Go Pro in the Board Game Industry
The post [BONUS] Dustin Schwartz on How to Go Pro in the Board Game Industry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/5/2018 • 9 minutes, 46 seconds
How to Create an Awesome Rulebook with Dustin Schwartz
Dustin Schwartz, professional rulebook writer, discusses what makes a great rulebook and lots of tips and tricks on how to put together a ruleset that’s easy to teach and easy to learn. Dustin wrote 40 rulebooks in 2017 and is looking to write 100 in 2018, so he’s got a TON of experience on what...
The post How to Create an Awesome Rulebook with Dustin Schwartz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/3/2018 • 56 minutes, 9 seconds
[BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on the Pros and Cons of Leaving Kickstarter
The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on the Pros and Cons of Leaving Kickstarter appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/29/2017 • 6 minutes, 4 seconds
Designing Legacy Games with Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier is back on the show, and we’re talking Legacy Games. Jamey’s game, Charterstone, just came out, and it’s quite possibly the most ambitious Euro game in existence as it takes all the legacy style elements and applies them to a worker placement experience.Jamey is one of the best designers on the planet, and...
The post Designing Legacy Games with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/27/2017 • 53 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Matt Leacock on Developing Alternative Versions of Your Game
The post [BONUS] Matt Leacock on Developing Alternative Versions of Your Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/22/2017 • 10 minutes, 35 seconds
Crafting the Player Experience with Matt Leacock
Matt Leacock, designer of a little game called Pandemic, discusses how to craft the player experience.Matt is one of the most well-known designers in the world, and he’s learned how to finely tune a game to give players the desired experience. Previously, he worked for companies like Apple and Yahoo developing UX for various products,...
The post Crafting the Player Experience with Matt Leacock appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/20/2017 • 48 minutes, 50 seconds
[BONUS] Seth Grier on Where He Thinks the Industry Is Headed
The post [BONUS] Seth Grier on Where He Thinks the Industry Is Headed appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/15/2017 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
Shipping, Fulfillment, and Fulfillment Services with Seth Grier
Seth Grier, vice president of Quartermaster Logistics, discusses the ins and outs of shipping, fulfillment, and fulfillment services.Whether you’re looking to ship games out of your garage or hire a service to do it for you, this episode is for you as Seth goes into the nuts and bolts of things to be aware of when shipping board...
The post Shipping, Fulfillment, and Fulfillment Services with Seth Grier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/13/2017 • 39 minutes, 48 seconds
[BONUS] Juliana Patel & Ariel Rubin on How to Run an Effective Co-Design Team
The post [BONUS] Juliana Patel & Ariel Rubin on How to Run an Effective Co-Design Team appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/8/2017 • 9 minutes, 52 seconds
Designing Escape Room Games with Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin
Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin, designers of Escape Room in a Box, discuss the ins and outs of creating an escape room game.Juliana and Ariel are busy moms who find time to get together and design games, and they have a ton of insight on what makes a great escape experience. Escape Room in a Box was...
The post Designing Escape Room Games with Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/6/2017 • 53 minutes, 9 seconds
[BONUS] Andrew Harmon on How to Reach out to People about Your Kickstarter
The post [BONUS] Andrew Harmon on How to Reach out to People about Your Kickstarter appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/1/2017 • 8 minutes, 57 seconds
Creating Religious Themed Games with Andrew Harmon
Andrew Harmon, designer of Portals and Prophets, discusses religious themed games.Andrew designed a time travel game with a Biblical theme, and we talk the ins and outs of how to bring a religious themed game to life. We also talk about how not to offend too many people along the way. Also, Andrew’s game is out on Kickstarter right now....
The post Creating Religious Themed Games with Andrew Harmon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/29/2017 • 46 minutes, 6 seconds
[BONUS] Sami Laakso on Creating Family Friendly Art
The post [BONUS] Sami Laakso on Creating Family Friendly Art appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/24/2017 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
Designing Scenario Based Games with Sami Laakso
Sami Laakso, owner of Snowdale Design, discusses how to design a scenario based game.Sami is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s been working on a campaign driven game with legacy elements for over 2 years. We discuss what he’s learned throughout the design process, and he gives lots of tips and tricks. And you can find Sami’s...
The post Designing Scenario Based Games with Sami Laakso appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/22/2017 • 41 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Kirk Dennison on How to Dominate a Playtest Convention
The post [BONUS] Kirk Dennison on How to Dominate a Playtest Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/17/2017 • 8 minutes, 5 seconds
How to Iterate like a BOSS with Kirk Dennison
Today, Kirk Dennison, owner of Piecekeeper Games, discusses how to efficiently create new versions of a game and iterate like a boss Kirk is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s obsessed with efficiency. He gets into some serious nuts and bolts about saving time and moving from one version to the next. And...
The post How to Iterate like a BOSS with Kirk Dennison appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/15/2017 • 47 minutes, 10 seconds
[BONUS] Scott Rogers on Tips and Tricks for Art Direction
The post [BONUS] Scott Rogers on Tips and Tricks for Art Direction appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/10/2017 • 10 minutes, 4 seconds
Intertwining Theme and Mechanics with Scott Rogers
Scott Rogers, designer of Rayguns and Rocketships, discusses how to intertwine theme and mechanics.Scott has been designing both video and board games for years and teaches game design at the University of Southern California. Scott also does the “History of a Board Game” segments on the Dice Tower and Ludology podcasts. And the Jack Vasal Memorial Fund auction mentioned in...
The post Intertwining Theme and Mechanics with Scott Rogers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/8/2017 • 48 minutes, 48 seconds
[BONUS] Andrew Birkett on How to Know When to Put a Game on the Shelf
The post [BONUS] Andrew Birkett on How to Know When to Put a Game on the Shelf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/3/2017 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
How a First Time Publisher Gets Funded on Kickstarter with Andrew Birkett
Andrew Birkett, founder of Atheris Games, discusses how he started a publishing company and got his first game 200% funded on Kickstarter. We talk about tips for pre-campaign preparation, overcoming the mid-campaign slump, finishing strong, and more.
The post How a First Time Publisher Gets Funded on Kickstarter with Andrew Birkett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
11/1/2017 • 53 minutes, 33 seconds
[BONUS] Timo Multamaki on Advice for Non-Native English Speakers who Want to Run a Kickstarter
The post [BONUS] Timo Multamaki on Advice for Non-Native English Speakers who Want to Run a Kickstarter appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/27/2017 • 6 minutes, 54 seconds
Project Management and Working with Virtual Teams with Timo Multamaki
Timo Multamaki, founder of Dragon Dawn Productions, discusses the many things he’s learned about project management and getting games across the finish line.Timo has a team of 40+ people from all over the world working on various games, so he’s had to become the glue that holds people together and keeps them on the same page...
The post Project Management and Working with Virtual Teams with Timo Multamaki appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/25/2017 • 51 minutes, 5 seconds
[BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on Tips and Tricks to Make a Great Rulebook
The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on Tips and Tricks to Make a Great Rulebook appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/20/2017 • 11 minutes, 14 seconds
The Making of Scythe with Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier is back, and we’re talking about the making of Scythe. We discuss the ins and outs of all the design choices that brought one of the best games in the world to life.
The post The Making of Scythe with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/18/2017 • 42 minutes, 12 seconds
[BONUS] Evan Derrick on Mechanics He Loves to Use
The post [BONUS] Evan Derrick on Mechanics He Loves to Use appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/13/2017 • 10 minutes, 5 seconds
THEME! And How to Bring It Out with Evan Derrick
Evan Derrick, designer and part owner of Van Ryder Games, discusses theme and how to really bring it to the forefront in a game.Evan designed “Detective: City of Angels” which is one of the most thematic games I’ve ever seen, so I pick his brain on what makes a theme really come together.
The post THEME! And How to Bring It Out with Evan Derrick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/11/2017 • 53 minutes, 12 seconds
[BONUS] Danny Lott on How to Help Designers Playtest Their Games
The post [BONUS] Danny Lott on How to Help Designers Playtest Their Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/6/2017 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
Designing Horror Themed Games with Danny Lott
Danny Lott, designer of Coma Ward, discusses how to design a horror themed game and really evoke a creepy experience. This episode has a ton of great advice, but I’m not gonna lie, it gets a little weird in the middle. (You’ll hear what I mean…) We finish strong though, haha.
The post Designing Horror Themed Games with Danny Lott appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
10/4/2017 • 47 minutes, 59 seconds
[BONUS] Carla Kopp on How to Run an Effective Playtest
The post [BONUS] Carla Kopp on How to Run an Effective Playtest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/29/2017 • 13 minutes, 55 seconds
How to Hustle and Get Things Done with Carla Kopp
Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, discusses how she stays on the hustle and gets so much done in design, publishing, playtesting, and Kickstarter.We talk about the tips and tricks she’s learned to hack her time and consistently make things happen.
The post How to Hustle and Get Things Done with Carla Kopp appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/27/2017 • 51 minutes, 7 seconds
[BONUS] Jason Perez on Using Games for Therapy
The post [BONUS] Jason Perez on Using Games for Therapy appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/23/2017 • 8 minutes, 23 seconds
Learning Styles and Writing Rulebooks with Jason Perez
Jason Perez, psychotherapist and host of the Every Night Is Game Night podcast, discusses the different ways people learn and how that should affect rulebook writing.We go into how the brain works, what makes rules so hard to learn, and more.
The post Learning Styles and Writing Rulebooks with Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/20/2017 • 57 minutes, 16 seconds
[BONUS] Randy Hoyt on what to Expect when Working with a Publisher
The post [BONUS] Randy Hoyt on what to Expect when Working with a Publisher appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/15/2017 • 16 minutes
Going from Game to Sellable Product with Randy Hoyt
Randy Hoyt, owner of Foxtrot Games, discusses how to turn a game into a product.We go into marketability, sellability, usability and more.Randy has been designing and publishing games for a number of years and has a ton of insight on making games that sell.
The post Going from Game to Sellable Product with Randy Hoyt appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/13/2017 • 59 minutes, 42 seconds
[BONUS] Fabio Del Rio on How to Stand out from the Crowd
The post [BONUS] Fabio Del Rio on How to Stand out from the Crowd appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/8/2017 • 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Sports Themed Games with Fabio Del Rio
Fabio Del Rio, owner of CSE Games, discusses the ins and outs of sports themed games. We go into mechanics, marketability, licensing, challenges, success stories, and more. Fabio has been publishing sports games for over a decade and brings a lot of wisdom and insight to the episode.
The post Sports Themed Games with Fabio Del Rio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/6/2017 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 41 seconds
[BONUS] Daniel Aronson on How to Go from 0 to 600+ Facebook Likes in 60 Days
The post [BONUS] Daniel Aronson on How to Go from 0 to 600+ Facebook Likes in 60 Days appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
9/1/2017 • 12 minutes, 5 seconds
Graphic Design and Its Effect on the Player Experience with Daniel Aronson
Daniel Aronson, professional graphic designer and game designer, discusses the importance of being intentional with all the graphic design in your game. We talk fonts, color choices, layouts, branding, and more in this information full episode. Daniel is the designer of “El Dorado,” which just launched on Kickstarter. Check it out here.
The post Graphic Design and Its Effect on the Player Experience with Daniel Aronson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/30/2017 • 41 minutes, 15 seconds
[BONUS] Lance the Undead Viking on Where He Thinks the Board Game Industry is Headed
The post [BONUS] Lance the Undead Viking on Where He Thinks the Board Game Industry is Headed appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/25/2017 • 11 minutes, 34 seconds
Let’s Talk Game Reviews with Lance Myxter the Undead Viking
Lance Myxter, the Undead Viking, talks about game reviews from a lot of different angles. Lance has done over 1000 reviews and offers a lot of insight on the different ins and outs of the review world. He does a ton of videos for Kickstarter games and gives some great advice for anyone wanting to...
The post Let’s Talk Game Reviews with Lance Myxter the Undead Viking appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/23/2017 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 20 seconds
[BONUS] Marshall Britt on Whether the Size of a Eurogame Matters
The post [BONUS] Marshall Britt on Whether the Size of a Eurogame Matters appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/19/2017 • 10 minutes, 23 seconds
Lessons Learned as a Small Publisher with Marshall Britt
Marshall Britt, owner of Yanaguana Games, talks about all the mistakes he’s made and lessons he’s learned as a small game publisher.
The post Lessons Learned as a Small Publisher with Marshall Britt appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/16/2017 • 54 minutes, 41 seconds
[BONUS] Hermann Luttmann on Designing a Zombie Game that Stands out from the Crowd
The post [BONUS] Hermann Luttmann on Designing a Zombie Game that Stands out from the Crowd appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/11/2017 • 6 minutes, 19 seconds
How to Design a Solo Game with Hermann Luttmann
Hermann Luttmann, designer of Dawn of the Zeds, talks about how to design a solo game.Hermann has created numerous games meant for only one player and offers a ton of interesting insight on how to craft the solitaire experience.
The post How to Design a Solo Game with Hermann Luttmann appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/9/2017 • 58 minutes, 7 seconds
[BONUS] Denny Weston on Designing Games that Can Be Played on the Road
The post [BONUS] Denny Weston on Designing Games that Can Be Played on the Road appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/4/2017 • 7 minutes, 47 seconds
Designing Outdoor Games with Denny Weston
Denny Weston, designer of Kingdoms Lawn Game, discusses the ins, outs, and challenges of creating a game meant to be played in the great outdoors. And check out the Kingdoms Lawn Game Kickstarter here.
The post Designing Outdoor Games with Denny Weston appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
8/2/2017 • 41 minutes, 36 seconds
[BONUS] James Hudson on His Favorite Non-Family Style Games
The post [BONUS] James Hudson on His Favorite Non-Family Style Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/28/2017 • 4 minutes, 54 seconds
How to Design a Great Family Game with James Hudson
James Hudson, owner of Druid City Games, talks about how to create a game that families love to play.James works full time in the gaming industry, and his company focuses specifically on family games. We talk about what makes a game appealing to families and how to get noticed on Kickstarter.
The post How to Design a Great Family Game with James Hudson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/26/2017 • 30 minutes, 33 seconds
[BONUS] Daryl Andrews on Bringing a Licensed IP to Life
The post [BONUS] Daryl Andrews on Bringing a Licensed IP to Life appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/21/2017 • 15 minutes, 21 seconds
How to Work on Multiple Games at the Same Time with Daryl Andrews
Daryl Andrews, designer of Sagrada, discusses how to work on a bunch of designs at the same time.Daryl has designed around 100 games that are either in stores, in production, or have been signed and are waiting to move forward, so he has a TON of knowledge on the subject.
The post How to Work on Multiple Games at the Same Time with Daryl Andrews appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/19/2017 • 58 minutes, 12 seconds
[BONUS] Alex Hall & Gin Yu on Creating High Quality Videos
The post [BONUS] Alex Hall & Gin Yu on Creating High Quality Videos appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/14/2017 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
Lessons Learned from Following Game Designers Around with Alex Hall and Gin Yu
Gin Yu and Alex Hall, filmmakers with Gin and Tonic Films, discuss their new web series Getting on Board. Gin and Alex have been interviewing and following game designers around for a while and filming their different processes.I had a ton of fun with this episode, and I think you’ll get a kick out of it...
The post Lessons Learned from Following Game Designers Around with Alex Hall and Gin Yu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
7/12/2017 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 28 seconds
[BONUS] Seth Jaffee on the Value of Playing a Game Multiple Times
The post [BONUS] Seth Jaffee on the Value of Playing a Game Multiple Times appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/30/2017 • 6 minutes, 53 seconds
Taking a Design from Good to Great with Seth Jaffee
Seth Jaffee, designer of Eminent Domain, discusses how to tackle that last 10% of game design that takes a game from merely good to that next level of great. And be sure to check out the BGDL inspired t-shirt project over at IndieGoGo. Shirts are only available for a very limited time.
The post Taking a Design from Good to Great with Seth Jaffee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/28/2017 • 45 minutes, 4 seconds
[BONUS] Richard Launius on Themes He’d Like to See
The post [BONUS] Richard Launius on Themes He’d Like to See appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/23/2017 • 3 minutes, 27 seconds
Designing a Good AI System with Richard Launius
Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, shares great, veteran advice on how to design an AI system for both co-op and non co-op games.
The post Designing a Good AI System with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/21/2017 • 40 minutes, 12 seconds
[BONUS] Tony Miller on Finding Time for Game Design
The post [BONUS] Tony Miller on Finding Time for Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/16/2017 • 12 minutes, 29 seconds
Getting the Most out of a Design Convention with Tony Miller
Tony Miller, attendee of double digit design conventions, discusses why it’s so important to attend design cons and what you need to take with you to get the most out of your experience.
The post Getting the Most out of a Design Convention with Tony Miller appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/14/2017 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 18 seconds
[BONUS] Gil Hova on Why Drafting Is Such a Great Mechanic
The post [BONUS] Gil Hova on Why Drafting Is Such a Great Mechanic appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/9/2017 • 10 minutes, 51 seconds
Keeping a Design from Getting out of Hand with Gil Hova
Gil Hova, designer of The Networks, discusses how to manage a game’s scope and not allow it to get out of hand. We also go into a good bit of detail on abstraction and how vital it is for keeping a game’s scope where it needs to be.
The post Keeping a Design from Getting out of Hand with Gil Hova appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/7/2017 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 20 seconds
[BONUS] Daniel Zayas on Kickstarter Features He Wants to See
The post [BONUS] Daniel Zayas on Kickstarter Features He Wants to See appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
6/2/2017 • 8 minutes, 7 seconds
Advice from a Kickstarter Expert with Daniel Zayas
Daniel Zayas, a member of the Kickstarter Expert program, discusses what the program is and how it works. He also gives some really great advice on how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The post Advice from a Kickstarter Expert with Daniel Zayas appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/31/2017 • 35 minutes, 40 seconds
[BONUS] Gabe Barrett on Using the Right Tools for the Job
The post [BONUS] Gabe Barrett on Using the Right Tools for the Job appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/26/2017 • 4 minutes, 48 seconds
Why Game Design Is Important with Gabe Barrett
Gabe Barrett, founder of the BGDL, discusses why this hobby of ours matters and why game design is much more than just a fun, little activity. He also shares some stories that relate to design and talks about where the BGDL is headed in the future.
The post Why Game Design Is Important with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/24/2017 • 34 minutes
[BONUS] Mike Mihealsick on Why Euro Games Are Awesome
The post [BONUS] Mike Mihealsick on Why Euro Games Are Awesome appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/20/2017 • 4 minutes, 14 seconds
Lessons Learned from Blind Playtesting with Mike Mihealsick
Mike Mihealsick, from Coalition Games, discusses all the lessons and insights he’s learned after facilitating hundreds of blind playtests. Blind playtesting is the purifying fire in which we truly get to find out what our games are made of, and Mike offers a ton of advice on how to navigate the process well.
The post Lessons Learned from Blind Playtesting with Mike Mihealsick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/17/2017 • 36 minutes, 49 seconds
[BONUS] Chris Kirkman on Considerations When Designing a Small Game
The post [BONUS] Chris Kirkman on Considerations When Designing a Small Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/13/2017 • 8 minutes, 49 seconds
Cthulhu Themed Games with Chris Kirkman
Chris Kirkman, designer of Fate of the Elder Gods, discusses Cthulhu themed games and what makes them so popular. There’s just something about Cthulhu that continues to intrigue people, and even with all the Cthulhu games that have come out, there’s still a great deal left to be explored.
The post Cthulhu Themed Games with Chris Kirkman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/10/2017 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
[BONUS] Morten Pederson on Writing Rulebooks for Non-Native English Speakers
The post [BONUS] Morten Pederson on Writing Rulebooks for Non-Native English Speakers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/6/2017 • 6 minutes, 22 seconds
Creating a Great Solo Variant with Morten Pedersen
Morten Pedersen, designer behind the solo modes for games such as Scythe and Viticulture, discusses how to scale a game down to one player and create a great solo experience. Morten has his own design company that focuses on creating single player systems for games and has even won awards for it. For more, check out Morten’s...
The post Creating a Great Solo Variant with Morten Pedersen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
5/3/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 30 seconds
[BONUS] Patrick Leder on How to Know When a Game Is Done
The post [BONUS] Patrick Leder on How to Know When a Game Is Done appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/29/2017 • 2 minutes, 25 seconds
Designing an Asymmetrical Game with Patrick Leder
Patrick Leder, designer of Vast, discusses what all goes into designing an asymmetrical game. In Vast, each player takes on an incredibly different role with different actions, different win conditions, and different ways to play. And creating a game of this scope is no small task.
The post Designing an Asymmetrical Game with Patrick Leder appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/26/2017 • 43 minutes, 39 seconds
[BONUS] Chris Rowlands on What RPG Elements He’d Like to See More of in Board Games
The post [BONUS] Chris Rowlands on What RPG Elements He’d Like to See More of in Board Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/22/2017 • 13 minutes, 54 seconds
Content as Marketing with Chris Rowlands
Chris Rowlands, designer of Last Garden and host of NPC-Cast, discusses creating awesome content that helps people as much as possible and also builds up goodwill toward you and your games. The board game community is incredible, and there are tons of opportunities to help fellow designers and add value to what they’re trying to create. And...
The post Content as Marketing with Chris Rowlands appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/19/2017 • 43 minutes, 47 seconds
[BONUS] Rob Daviau on What Themes Need a Legacy Version
The post [BONUS] Rob Daviau on What Themes Need a Legacy Version appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/15/2017 • 4 minutes, 1 second
How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau
Rob Daviau, designer of Pandemic Legacy, and I discuss how to run playtests like an absolute pro. Rob started designing games for Hasbro before moving into the designer game space, and he has a TON of insight on how to playtest your way to an amazing game.
The post How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/12/2017 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 2 seconds
[BONUS] Brent Kinney on Underutilized Printing Opportunities in Games
The post [BONUS] Brent Kinney on Underutilized Printing Opportunities in Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/8/2017 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
The Ins & Outs of Printing with a Vice President from Panda Game Manufacturing, Brent Kinney
Brent Kinney, vice president at Panda Game Manufacturing, discusses the details and nuances of getting your game printed. We talk typical setbacks, what the different phases in the process look like, ways to make the process easier, and much more. Panda GM is one of the major manufacturers of board games in the world, and...
The post The Ins & Outs of Printing with a Vice President from Panda Game Manufacturing, Brent Kinney appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
4/5/2017 • 43 minutes, 8 seconds
[BONUS] Tom Vasel on Where He Hopes the Gaming Industry Goes Next
The post [BONUS] Tom Vasel on Where He Hopes the Gaming Industry Goes Next appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/31/2017 • 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Lessons Learned from Playing 5000+ Games with Tom Vasel
Tom Vasel, founder of the Dice Tower, discusses some of the many things he’s learned after playing an astronomical number of games. We talk themes, mechanics, Kickstarter, publishing, trends, and tons of other stuff. Tom has played and reviewed thousands upon thousands of games which has led to some interesting insight on what makes a...
The post Lessons Learned from Playing 5000+ Games with Tom Vasel appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/29/2017 • 37 minutes, 40 seconds
[BONUS] Sen-Foong Lim on Where to Find Components for Your Prototypes
The post [BONUS] Sen-Foong Lim on Where to Find Components for Your Prototypes appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/24/2017 • 5 minutes, 19 seconds
How to Organize a Design Space with Sen-Foong Lim
Sen-Foong Lim, designer of Belfort and Junk Art, discusses the many things a good game design space needs and ways to organize it all. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the show: Gimp Canva Cropodile Rotary Cutter  
The post How to Organize a Design Space with Sen-Foong Lim appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/22/2017 • 58 minutes, 1 second
[BONUS] Edo Baraf on How to Create and Manage Kickstarter Stretch Goals
The post [BONUS] Edo Baraf on How to Create and Manage Kickstarter Stretch Goals appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/17/2017 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
Custom Components in Your Game with Edo Baraf
Edo Baraf, designer of Herbaceous, discusses the many different types of custom components you can add to your games and the challenges and considerations that go with each one. We talk custom dice, boards, boxes, inserts, meeples, sleeves, and more. (Not miniatures. That will be its own episode.) Edo has experience with lots of custom...
The post Custom Components in Your Game with Edo Baraf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/15/2017 • 46 minutes, 15 seconds
[BONUS] Dan Peterson on Themes that Need to Be Explored
The post [BONUS] Dan Peterson on Themes that Need to Be Explored appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/10/2017 • 5 minutes, 2 seconds
Why a Publisher Might Reject Your Game and How to Handle It with Dan Peterson
Dan Peterson, chief developer and head of new acquisitions at Mayday Games, discusses why a publisher might reject your game and how to handle it. Dan looks at close to 200 unpublished games a year and has years of experience in finding new games to publish. This episode is packed with great wisdom for anyone wanting to...
The post Why a Publisher Might Reject Your Game and How to Handle It with Dan Peterson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/8/2017 • 51 minutes, 40 seconds
[BONUS] JT Smith on How to Come Up with Expansion Ideas
The post [BONUS] JT Smith on How to Come Up with Expansion Ideas appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/3/2017 • 11 minutes, 7 seconds
How to Design a Great Cooperative Game with JT Smith
JT Smith, designer of The Captain Is Dead, talks about how to design a great cooperative game. We talk creating tension, alpha players, and the math behind a good AI system. Personally, I think The Captain Is Dead is one of the best co-op games on the market today, and it was great to get JT’s...
The post How to Design a Great Cooperative Game with JT Smith appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
3/1/2017 • 33 minutes, 8 seconds
[BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Approach a Small Publisher with Your Game
The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Approach a Small Publisher with Your Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/24/2017 • 8 minutes, 25 seconds
A Day in the Life of a Pro Designer with Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier, designer of Scythe, is back on the show, and we’re talking about what the schedule of a pro game designer looks like. It’s easy to have a romanticized idea of what being a full time designer is, but it doesn’t quite line up with reality. We talk about the daily fires that have...
The post A Day in the Life of a Pro Designer with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/22/2017 • 43 minutes, 2 seconds
[BONUS] Emerson Matsuuchi on His Process of Creating Special Abilities
The post [BONUS] Emerson Matsuuchi on His Process of Creating Special Abilities appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/17/2017 • 6 minutes, 24 seconds
How to Make a Great Hidden Movement Game with Emerson Matsuuchi
Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Specter Ops, goes into all the ins and outs of putting together a hidden movement game. There are very few hidden movement games out there right now which means there’s still a ton to be explored. Emerson discusses the challenges he faced and his insights on the topic.
The post How to Make a Great Hidden Movement Game with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/15/2017 • 36 minutes, 26 seconds
[BONUS] Ryan Laukat on Creating Art for a Kickstarter Project
The post [BONUS] Ryan Laukat on Creating Art for a Kickstarter Project appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/10/2017 • 5 minutes, 26 seconds
The Intersection of Art and Game Design with Ryan Laukat
Ryan Laukat, founder of Red Raven Games, discusses how to create a beautiful game that is also functional. Ryan does his own art for all of his games, so he has an incredible understanding of the tug of war a designer and artist can have when trying to make a game look great but also...
The post The Intersection of Art and Game Design with Ryan Laukat appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/8/2017 • 47 minutes, 32 seconds
[BONUS] Jerry Hawthorne on How He Draws Inspiration from Everyday Life
The post [BONUS] Jerry Hawthorne on How He Draws Inspiration from Everyday Life appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/3/2017 • 8 minutes, 23 seconds
The Importance of Story in Games with Jerry Hawthorne
Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Mice and Mystics, discusses the importance of story in games. Jerry specializes in narrative driven games and has numerous games to his credit. He goes into why people enjoy story in games so much and how you can inject more story into your games. Finally, he gives great advice on what to do...
The post The Importance of Story in Games with Jerry Hawthorne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
2/1/2017 • 27 minutes, 33 seconds
[BONUS] Stephen Buonocore on Things to Consider when Adding Components to a Game
The post [BONUS] Stephen Buonocore on Things to Consider when Adding Components to a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/27/2017 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
How to Get Your Game Published with Stephen Buonocore
Stephen Buonocore, president of Stronghold Games, goes into all of the ins and outs of researching publishers, contacting publishers, and pitching your game. We talk in depth on how to do things the right way to give your game the best chance of being signed. Then, Stephen closes the conversation with a couple funny stories...
The post How to Get Your Game Published with Stephen Buonocore appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/25/2017 • 55 minutes, 31 seconds
[BONUS] Richard Launius on His Favorite Game Mechanics
The post [BONUS] Richard Launius on His Favorite Game Mechanics appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/13/2017 • 7 minutes, 16 seconds
Advice, Cthulu, and How to Create an Epic Gaming Experience with Richard Launius
Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, gives incredible game design advice, talks Cthulu and what makes a great Cthulu game, and goes into how to make games that create epic experiences that stand the test of time. This episode is packed full of wisdom from a game design legend.
The post Advice, Cthulu, and How to Create an Epic Gaming Experience with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/11/2017 • 51 minutes, 41 seconds
[BONUS] Jay Vales on How to Make a Good “Take That” Game
The post [BONUS] Jay Vales on How to Make a Good “Take That” Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/6/2017 • 1 minute, 48 seconds
Why Good Reviews Aren’t Always the Magic Bullet with Jay Vales
Jay Vales discusses how his game, Conquest at Kismet, came to be and how it got great reviews but underperformed when it came to sales. We go into the contributing factors and what other designers can learn from the experience. We also talk about some interesting design concepts, dealing with real-life death, and how even...
The post Why Good Reviews Aren’t Always the Magic Bullet with Jay Vales appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
1/4/2017 • 44 minutes, 20 seconds
[BONUS] Colby Dauch on Barriers to Entry in Gaming
The post [BONUS] Colby Dauch on Barriers to Entry in Gaming appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/30/2016 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Colby Dauch
Colby Dauch, founder of Plaid Hat Games and designer of Summoner Wars, goes in depth on the challenges he faced when he started his own publishing company. We talk about business, life, and work/life balance, and we even get into not letting people discourage you from chasing your dreams. The article Colby talks about in...
The post Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Colby Dauch appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/28/2016 • 58 minutes, 10 seconds
[BONUS] Mike Strickland on Coming up with Alien Races
The post [BONUS] Mike Strickland on Coming up with Alien Races appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/23/2016 • 9 minutes, 38 seconds
How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100K+ Success with Mike Strickland
Mike Strickland, designer of Tau Ceti, and I talk about his Kickstarter failure and what he did to relaunch the campaign to wild success. After an unsuccessful first attempt, Mike regrouped and brought in over $100k the second time around. We discuss what led to the dramatic difference. Please note that Mike was in a spaceship...
The post How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100K+ Success with Mike Strickland appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/21/2016 • 30 minutes, 27 seconds
[BONUS] Rahdo on Themes He’d Like to See More Of
The post [BONUS] Rahdo on Themes He’d Like to See More Of appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/19/2016 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
[BONUS] Luke Laurie on Things All New Designers Need to Know
The post [BONUS] Luke Laurie on Things All New Designers Need to Know appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/18/2016 • 11 minutes, 54 seconds
[Bonus] Jamey Stegmaier on his favorite game mechanisms
The post [Bonus] Jamey Stegmaier on his favorite game mechanisms appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/17/2016 • 12 minutes, 50 seconds
How to Create the Perfect 2 Player Experience with Rahdo
Rahdo and I discuss 2 player games and how to craft an awesome 2 player experience. We go into specific mechanics that work really well in 2 player games, and we talk through how a designer can make a game scale down to 2 players effectively. After playing nearly 1000 games with just 2 players,...
The post How to Create the Perfect 2 Player Experience with Rahdo appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/14/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 29 seconds
How to Work with a Co-Designer with Luke Laurie
Luke Laurie, designer of The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire, and I discuss all the ins and outs of working with a co-designer. Luke has worked with a co-designer on multiple projects and provides great insight on what’s good and what’s challenging about the process. Check out more from Luke at The League of Gamemakers.
The post How to Work with a Co-Designer with Luke Laurie appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/14/2016 • 48 minutes, 11 seconds
What I Wish I Would Have Known before I Got into Game Design with Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier,Kickstarter guru and designer of Scythe, and I discuss all the things he wishes someone would have told him before he got into game design, kickstarter, publishing, and more. He gives a ton of valuable advice. For lists of games designers should play, click HERE. For more from Jamey, check out the Stonemaier Games website.
The post What I Wish I Would Have Known before I Got into Game Design with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
12/13/2016 • 51 minutes, 31 seconds
Welcome to the Board Game Design Lab
The Board Game Design Lab is a website and podcast that focuses on helping designers make fun and engaging board games. Click PLAY to find out more.
The post Welcome to the Board Game Design Lab appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
