Experience Points

James Mendez on Playing With Chemistry This episode of Experience Points features James Mendez , a professor of chemistry at Indiana University Columbus who designs 3D-printed models , role-playing games , and board games to make chemistry approachable for students who are not chemistry majors. James explains how boredom in his classes led him to 3D printing, and why he embraced colleagues' c...

Suzanne Lyons on Cooperative Games This episode of Experience Points features Suzanne Lyons , an educator, author, game designer, and founder of CooperativeGames.com who has championed cooperative games in education since 2009. Suzanne recounts discovering cooperative games at a nature education conference, taking over Animal Town , one of the earliest makers of cooperative board games in America,...

Thomas Biedermann on CyberNations This episode of Experience Points features Thomas Biedermann , a senior lecturer at the Australian National University School of Cybernetics and designer of CyberNations , a semi-cooperative board game about leading responsibly in a complex, adaptive world. Thomas traces the threads running through his practice - homemade board games in a French basement, tabletop...

Withered Technology and Lateral Thinking Some ideas arrive before their time. But the best ideas arrive at exactly the right moment. And often that is not because the idea was flashy, or spectacular, or brand new. It's because someone found a different way to see, to use, or to apply something that was already sitting right in front of them… Today we're talking about withered technology...

Sebastian Bae on Littoral Commander This episode of Experience Points features Sebastian Bae , a senior game designer at the Center for Naval Analyses and designer of Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific , an educational wargame exploring future tactical conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Sebastian shares his meandering path from the Marine Corps infantry to professional wargame design, and how his enliste...

Win Conditions First If I asked your learners how they win, could they answer in one sentence? Because if they can't, your design is already broken. In games, win conditions are obvious. They're clear and immediate. You either reach the finish line, defeat the boss, or score the most points. But in learning, we often bury success under vague objectives, long descriptions, and unclear exp...

AP Table Talk: Variable Setup In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave dig into the variable setup mechanic , where the starting game state changes from play to play through randomized boards, player setups, resources, and objectives. From foundational classics like Risk , Catan , and Dominion to favorites like Istanbul , Hey, That's My Fish! , Waddle , Inis , and Sagrada , they debat...

What are Matrix Games? At its core, a matrix game is a structured argumentation system used for learning through play. They were developed back in 1992 by Chris Engle, who wanted a teaching tool that was simpler and more flexible than the rules-heavy wargames and role-playing games of the era. If you liked this episode please consider commenting, sharing, and subscribing. Subscribing is absolutely...

Gijs van Bilsen on Live Action Learning and LARPs This episode of Experience Points features Gijs van Bilsen , founder of the Live Action Learning Institute , who shares how live-action role-playing (LARP) can transform imagination into a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. Gijs explains how stepping into fictional but recognizable scenarios allows people to safely practice skills...

AP Table Talk: Tug of War In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave dig into the tug-of-war mechanic , where a shared marker moves back and forth along a track toward opposing ends, creating a zero-sum struggle in which one player's gain is the other's loss. From minimalist gems like Hanamikoji to heavyweight political thrillers like Twilight Struggle and Watergate , to modern two...

What are Military Simulations? Some of the most well-known games - chess, checkers, and Go - can all trace their lineage to battles, warfare, and general conflict. These games are related, at least in some way, to how humans have waged war against one another for millennia. But if these games are based on warfare, then what was their original purpose? Why recreate battles and tactics in this forma...

Escape Rooms for Learning You know that feeling when the clock is ticking, and you’re scrambling to solve a puzzle before time runs out? Maybe you're searching for a hidden key under a rug, decoding a cipher on a whiteboard, or yelling, “Hey! Try this combination!” as your team races to escape a locked room? Then you’ve probably already done an escape room before! Now, what if I told you that...

Victoria Ichizli-Bartels on Be Your Best Game Master This episode of Experience Points features self-gamification pioneer Victoria Ichizli-Bartels , who reveals how treating everyday life as a game can spark joy, reduce stress, and boost productivity. Victoria shares how combining role-playing , kaizen , and playful design helps people navigate challenges with curiosity and self-compassion. Drawin...

Raul Mora on Understanding Second Language Users as Gamers In this episode of Experience Points, Dr. Raul Alberto Mora shares insights from his book Understanding Second Language Users as Gamers: Language as Victory . He explores how gamers learn English through play, not for school, but to win, connect, and belong in gaming spaces. Mora emphasizes the value of research by gamers, highlighting how...

Jon Spike on Games as Creative Constraint In this episode of Experience Points, Jon Spike explores how creative constraint drives innovation in game design and learning. A former K–12 English teacher now working at University of Wisconsin–Whitewater , Jon shares how classroom experimentation led him to design tabletop educational games through GamestormEDU . He highlights Gamestormers , which uses...

AP Table Talk: Race In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave dig into the race mechanic , where players compete toward a shared finish line and the first to cross it ends the game. From childhood staples like Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land to modern classics like Catan , Splendor , Heat: Pedal to the Metal , and Cosmoctopus , they unpack how race structures create tension, pacing, and d...

Katrin Becker on Learning through Playful Experiences In this episode of Experience Points, serious games expert Katrin Becker explores why “good enough” may be more powerful than perfection in gamified learning . She argues that focusing on defined criteria rather than comparison increases student agency and supports a wider range of learners; not just top performers. Katrin highlights safety and...

Hostile Players Today we’re diving into something that affects every gamer at some point: hostile players. You probably already know the type… Those people who turn a fun session into a cesspit of negativity. I’m talking about cynics, trolls, griefers... and the downright toxic folks who seem to thrive on ruining the vibe. But here’s the twist: these players aren’t just villains. They’re symptoms....

Meghan Gardner on Gamification for Emotional Engagement This episode of Experience Points features transformative design expert Meghan Gardner, who shares how gamification can create emotionally engaging, healing, and educational experiences. Meghan explains how structured play and role-playing ; using techniques like “alibi” and safety signals—help learners explore tough topics while feeling safe...

Mary-Ellen Fimbel on Game Design Principles for Education This episode of Experience Points features game designer and educator Mary-Ellen Fimbel , who shares how game design principles can transform classroom learning. She discusses “teaching like a game dev,” using storytelling, interactivity, and even puppets as playful avatars to deliver authentic feedback and spark curiosity. Mary-Ellen expla...

What are Role-Playing Games? Today, we’re diving into one of the most fascinating - and frankly, most misunderstood - forms of interactive play: Role-Playing Games, or RPGs. So what are RPGs? Are they just about dice rolls and dragons? Are they all swords and stats? Or is there something deeper, and something profoundly human, about stepping into someone else’s shoes in a world that is not quite o...

Amber Sewell on Games as Information Literacy In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng talks with Amber Sewell , a Teaching and Learning Librarian at UNLV , about using games to teach information literacy . Amber shares how her classroom activity Authority Argle Bargle turns debates about academic majors into playful, critical discussions on credibility and source evaluation. She also reflec...

Victoria Banks on Dungeons, Dragons, and Discourse In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng interviews Victoria Banks, a Clemson University PhD student and video game scriptwriter, on using Dungeons & Dragons –inspired course design to engage students. She explains how mechanics like levels, boss battles, and character creation boost motivation and agency , while linking game rhetoric to...

AP Table Talk: Variable Player Powers In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave explore Variable Player Powers , where players get unique abilities (or flaws!) that shape strategy and spark replayability. From the classic HeroQuest and Battlestar Galactica to asymmetric gems like Root , Sky Team , and Star Wars: Rebellion , they break down how this mechanic fuels dynamic gameplay, negotiati...

Richard Durham on Learning through Engaging Gameplay In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng speaks with Richard Durham , a prolific game designer, creative director, and educator at Wondertree Studios. Richard shares insights from designing over 30 games across mediums—from street festivals and museum activations to tabletop and secret events—driven by curiosity and a focus on player exper...