Ludology

Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome guest Mark Herman to the program. Mark is the designer of a slew of games, including the first Card Driven Game (CDG) We The People . His latest design is Churchill . However the focus of our conversation is on Mark's work designing and executing simulations for the military and businesses, to test out their assumptions and strategies. He details these in his...

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the scientific concept of entropy. Duration: 5:32

Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into Martin Wallace's latest game, Via Nebula. They look at all the design choices, from game play to theme to production. Duration: 1:09:04

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at lead changes, and some simple mathematical models that reveal some surprising truths. Duration: 06:31

Mike and Geoff discuss the different ways you can win a game, and how that effects the design and player experience. Duration: 1:13:29

In this classic GameTek Geoff examines rules as a logical structure, and the way that relates to math concepts of axioms and completeness. Duration: 06:28

Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome two of the designers of Thornwatch , Mike Krahulik and Mike Selinker, to discuss their game design process, and their views on gaming culture. Mike Krahulik is the artist for the popular webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder with Jerry Holkins. Mike Selinker is founder of Lone Shark games, and designer of many titles, including the Pathfinder Adventure Card Ga...

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses games with 'Hidden But Trackable' information. Is it OK to write things down? Duration: 06:19

Mike and Geoff discuss the way that constraints, both internal and external, affect the design process. They are pleased to welcome guest Grant Rodiek, designer of Cry Havoc, to discuss his 54-card Guild, which challenges designers to develop games using only 54 cards. Duration: 1:06:26

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the ancient Greek practice of Antidosis, and it's application as a game mechanism. Duration: 05:34

Mike and Geoff talk about teaching games in convention environments. If you are giving demos of a game in a booth, what are the key things to focus on? How much depth do you go into? They also discuss teaching games in general, with tips for getting things going smoothly. Duration: 1:07:30 

In this all-new content, Geoff interviews Curtis Hickman, Chief Creative Officer of The Void , a company pioneering an immersive extension of Virtual Reality called Hyperreality. Debuting a few weeks ago as the Ghostbusters Dimension experience at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City, it got immediate rave reviews. What's new about this technology, and how can it be extended in the future?...

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guests Sen-Foong Lim and Jay Cormier, designers of Godfather: A New Don, Junk Art, and many more games. How does their collaboration work? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working as a team? Duration: 1:04:54

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Scoring Tracks, and how to make them work with your players, instead of against them. Duration: 06:26

A little window into dinner time at the Engelstein household: Young Brian asks the question "Can a board game make the players cry?" and he ends up on a podcast. So can they? Mike, Geoff, and Brian explore what makes people sad, and whether board games can do that - and how that affects their status as 'art'. Duration: 56:13

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Walter Crist, archeologist and co-author of Ancient Egyptians at Play , to discuss the history of board games in ancient Egypt, and their impact on culture and society. Duration: 51:10

It's another Listener Question episode! Mike and Geoff take on all comers. Can they survive? Duration: 1:11:21

In this GameTek, Geoff discusses the role that mental models play in how we interact with objects in the world. Duration: 06:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Suzanne Sheldon and Sydney Engelstein to discuss the topic of diversity and inclusion in gaming. Duration: 1:49:42

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at options for structuring tournaments for semi cooperative games. Duration: 06:27

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Soren Johnson. Soren was the lead designer on the computer game Civilization, and recently released Offworld Trading Company , which marries a traditional boardgame style economic battle with computer-based real time mechanics. Soren discusses the influence of board games on computer game design, and we go into depth on AI implementations. Duration: 1:09...

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at semi-cooperative games, and the particular challenges they create for social dynamics. Duration: 06:13

Mike and Geoff discuss player motivations. What makes people want to play games? How do you design games to appeal to that type of player? Duration: 1:16:16

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the smart design choices made by the designers of Cosmic Encounter. Duration: 06:15

Mike and Geoff interview a panoply of designers of designers at the Gathering of Friends to hear about what inspires them. Duration: 46:36