The Booster Pack Network

This episode of BOOSTER PACK THROWBACK stands out as one of the most unique episodes yet. Joining Rands today is Brian Lewis, and unlike nearly all the previous guests, Brian doesn't create games—rather he helps protect them by using the law. As the first in-house lawyer hired by Wizards of the Coast, Brian shares his experiences working to help Magic become the gaming juggernaut that it is t...

On this episode of TCG Design Theory, Jay talks to Kryptik TCG’s creator, Tanner McBride, about designing combat mechanics. Combat is a staple in trading card games, but is it an essential part of their design? How much does combat influence the other mechanics of a game’s design? Considering combat is often a huge factor for players in deciding whether or not to play a game, balancing the system’...

This time we have a special bonus, end-of-year episode. You are going to get a little look behind the curtain here at The Booster Pack Network. What we have here is a pilot episode record from a new podcast we are developing. The idea is simple: Rands is joined by a trio of TCG experts each specializing in one of the "Big 3" TCGs—Magic, Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh. Please let us know what you...

On this "BOOSTER PACK THROWBACK", Rands is lucky enough to be joined by *the* John Wick. John was the person behind the story for the original L5R CCG, as well as the creator of the 7th Sea setting (which also had its own CCG). Famously, the L5R's story tournament system allowed players to craft the story in those games though competitive play. John speaks to the challenges & ad...

On this episode of TCG Design Theory, Jay talks to Alpha Clash TCG’s lead designer, Ridge Kiley, about designing around theme. Trading card games typically center around an already established world or IP, which provides a framework for the game’s design. However, it can sometimes prove to be difficult to stay true to the source material. Maintaining the balance between your game’s mechanics and h...

On this episode of the Rare Slot podcast, Rands is joined by previous guest & D-Spirits creator, STERLING. Since the last time they chatted STERLING has been busy managing and expanding the D-Spirits card game & brand. He catches Rands up on the challenges & successes he has faced since becoming a pioneer in this new era of crowdfunded, indie TCGs. He also discuss his brand new Kicksta...

[[ We apologies for the audio quality of this episode. This technical difficulty is limited to this episode only — TBPN ]] On this "BOOSTER PACK THROWBACK", Rands is visited by a man of many talents! As a writer, an editor, an art director, a game designer & even president of a publishing company; Matt Forbeck has done so much in gaming—both analogue & digital. As someone who was...

On this episode of TCG Design Theory, Jay talks to fellow TBPN collaborator Rands Lincoln about the different historical periods so far in collectible trading card game history. Trading card games are a notoriously difficult product to produce successfully. With that in mind, an essential lesson for any TCG designer is the history of the genre. If you are willing to learning from the mistakes of t...

[[ Formally titled The Booster Pack: Rare Slot ]] On this first standalone Rare Slot episode, Rands sits down with gaming historian & author Ben Riggs. Ben shares his perspective on how TCGs changed the tabletop hobby landscape after their arrival in 1993. Specifically we discuss what happened to the then-most popular genre of gaming—Roleplaying Games—as collectible games began to take hold of...

[[ Formally titled The Booster Pack Podcast ]] On this very first episode of the newly retitled "BOOSTER PACK THROWBACK", Rands chats to one of the most influential figures in tabletop gaming—Peter Adkison! Peter founded Wizards of the Coast & suggested that Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield try creating a simple, portable card game. This one suggestion changed not only...

On this debut episode of TCG Design Theory, host Jay Dotson kicks off the series with a chat to game designer, content creator & community builder Gabe Barrett. Gabe is the host of the BOARD GAME DESIGN LAB podcast & has launched several successful board games of his very own. Here he discusses his 7 tips for becoming an accomplished & prolific game designer. These universal principles...

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]] [[ To find TCG DESIGN THEORY, sub to this podcast feed — Episode #1 goes live Oct 11, 2022 ]] Some big changes are coming to The Booster Pack podcast. In this episode Rands introduces the start of theses changes & then chats with the host of a brand-new trading card game...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] We once again follow history's path back to the golden age of collectible trading card games. Our adventure finds us exploring the origins of the Middle Earth CCG by Iron Crown Enterprises. The sagely wizard that is guiding us this time is none other than tabletop ga...

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]] We've got something special on this RARE SLOT! Rands chats to the producers of a brand-new documentary that covers the history & community of Magic: The Gathering. This film, titled Igniting The Spark, features over 50 interviews with people who have impacted or bee...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] Today we are joined for our second episode with collectible game pioneer Tom Braunlich. Tom, along with his design partner Rollie Tesh, designed 2 of the biggest CCGs of the 1990s: Decipher's Star Trek & Star Wars CCGs. This episode Tom chats to Rands about how h...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] Today we are joined for our first of two episodes with collectible game pioneer Tom Braunlich. Tom, along with his design partner Rollie Tesh, designed 2 of the biggest CCGs in the 1990s: Decipher's Star Trek & Star Wars CCGs. This episode Tom chats to Rands abou...

[NOTE: [[THIS EPISODE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A 2022 GENCON TRIP. It is now kept in this feed only for archival purposes]] ] In this very short, glasses-free Singles episode, shameless Rands brags about an upcoming trip to GenCon. Will you be there too? Also, share your past GenCon stories with me! EMAIL — theboosterpack@ccghistory.com Find @CCG History on socials: https://www.facebook.com/CCGhist...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] On this episode Rands talks to Stephen Domzalski, the former Manager of Game Development for the Fleer Trading Card Company. During the first CCG craze of the mid-1990s, Fleer eagerly jumped into the game publishing world with the launch of 2 collectible games based on hu...

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]] On this RARE SLOT episode of The Booster Pack podcast, Rands is joined by a veteran of hobby card game creation—Andrew Navaro. For over 15 years Andrew worked with Fantasy Flight Games to produce several hobby card games inc. Android: Netrunner, Call of Cthulhu CCG/LCG, Game...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] On this episode Rands is joined by lauded Dungeons & Dragon's author & worldbuilder Steven E. Schend. Steven's time in collectible trading card games was short but impactful—he designed the Blood Wars CCG in 1995 at TSR. However, Steven's history wi...

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]] [[[The Booster Pack's interview with SCRYE magazine founder JM White can be found elsewhere on this podcast feed or via YouTube: https://youtu.be/1P0OvkUrFVo]]] On this bonus episode of The Booster Pack podcast, celebrated author John Jackson Miller walks us back throug...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] On this episode of The Booster Pack, Rands talks to tabletop game designer Matt Hyra. Matt's stories with collectible games actually start even before the very first one—Magic: The Gathering—is released. Since those days he has worked on several CCGs, including the m...

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]] On this episode of the Rare Slot, Rands discusses the history & future of cooperative (or solo) modes in collectible trading card games with game designer Brett Schofield. These modes (often called "Player vs Environment" or "PvE" modes) are something...

Some snake or something once said "...And Now For Something Completely Different". Well, on today's show things are a bit different. On this super-sized "Singles" episode, Rands discusses a brief history of collectible trading card games based on other media properties & why the future of them might be vastly different from the past. If this is your first "Singles...

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]] Magi-Nation Duel & The Spoils TCG—you'd be hard pressed to find two Trading Card Games more different. One is a kid-friendly Pokemon-esque franchise with relatively simple gameplay. The other presents a hard-hitting world of mature humor & was one of the most...