Design Theory Archives - Board Game Design Lab

My game design book, Find the Fun, recently came out, and in this episode, I do a brief synopsis and give you the audio version of the first three chapters. To check out Find the Fun on Amazon, go here: https://amzn.to/4hmxseU The post My new book will help you find the FUN appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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, mathematical models, and more! The post Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post Finding the Right Mixture of Luck and Skill with Richard Garfield appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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 The post 4 Amazing (and Useful) Examples of Board Game Design Theor...

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! The post Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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! The post How to Design Asymmetrical Games with Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu appeared firs...

Frank Sarro, designer of Pathways, talks about abstract dexterity games. We get into component quality, manufacturing challenges, complexity, and more. The post [BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing an Abstract Dexterity Game with Frank Sarro appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post The Design Process of Phil Walker-Harding appeared first on Board Game Design La...

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... The post How to De...

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. The post [BGDL Community Spotlight] Component First Game Design with Scott Smith appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post Designing Storytelling Games with Jerry Hawthorne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post How to Expand on a Core Idea with Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson appeared first on Board Game Design L...

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... The post How to Put a New Twist on a Familiar Genre with Ariel Rubin and Juliana M...

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. The post Designing Games with Higher Player Counts with Darren Terpstra appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post A Game about Game Design with Jon Spike appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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.​ The post Skill Ba...

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. The post How to Turn a Video Game into a Board Game with Perry Burkum appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post (Community Spotlight) Evaluating Your Game with SWOT Analysis with Nick Murray appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post (Community Spotlight) Layered Victory Conditions with Dan Hundycz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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. The post [Community Spotlight] Turning Big Games into Microgames with Joe Klipfel appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .