Business Archives - Board Game Design Lab

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. The post A Look Behind the Scenes at Exploding Kittens with Carol Mertz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post How to Design and Publish Games with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post Why to Self Publish…or Not with Andrew Lowen a...

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 .

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... The post Getting a Job in the Board Game Industry with Joe...

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. The post The Board Game Identity Pyramid with Dennis Furia appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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 .

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... The post...

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 Fulf...

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. The post How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moyn...

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... The post How to Stand Out in Retail with AJ Brandon appeared first on Board Game Desi...

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 .

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 appeare...

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 .

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 .

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. The post How to Turn Gamers into Raving Fans with Casey Hill appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post Miniatures with John de Campos appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post Designing More than Just a Game with Malachi Ray Rempen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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 .

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 .

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.  The post Designing Games for a Specific Audience with Phalgun Polepalli appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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... The post Designing Games that Last with Brad Talton appeared first on Boa...

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... The post How to Turn Your Hobby into a Business with Chris van der Linden...

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... The post Accounting, Taxes, and Game Design with Justin Marty appeared fir...

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... The post How to Fund a Game on Kickstarter with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Des...