Mechanisms Archives - Board Game Design Lab

In this BGDL rewind from May of 2019, Elizabeth Hargrave dives into all the ins and outs of designing an engine-building game. We chat about her personal design process and all the interesting obstacles she encountered when designing Wingspan. We also talk about how to layer concepts on top of each other, balancing winning strategies,... The post How to Design an Engine Building Game with Elizabet...

Ben Rosset, designer of The Search for Planet X, talks about how to design games based on real-life systems and processes.​Ben has designed games based on aging cheese, brewing beer, finding planets, manufacturing board games, and many other themes that happen in the real world, so we have quite a bit to chat about. The post Designing Games Based on Real-Life Systems with Ben Rosset appeared first...

Jess and Steph Nguyen, from Hot Potatoz, talk about how to design take that games. We talk about finding a good balance of fun, game length, and hurt feelings. And we get into finding the right audience, playtesting, and more. The post How to Design Take That Games with Steph and Jess Nguyen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jesse Stacy, from Triceratops Games, discusses how to design drafting games. Jesse has been working on a drafting style game for a while, and we dive into the different types, how to keep a game moving, stacking other mechanisms, and more. The post [BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Design Drafting Games with Jesse Stacy appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Ted Alspach, designer of Maglev Metro and several other route building games, talks about what makes these games special. We talk about themes that mesh well with the mechanism, end conditions, keeping players interested, and more. The post How to Design Route Building Games with Ted Alspach appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Steve Finn, founder of Dr. Finn’s Games, discusses how to design set collection games. Steve has designed a ton of games with this mechanism including Biblios, Herbaceous, and Sunset over Water, so he has a lot to say on the topic. And be sure to check out Steve’s Latest game on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn appeared first on Board Game Desig...

Fabio Lopiano, designer of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, discusses how to use entangled decision-making as the primary mechanism in a game. In several of Fabio’s designs, players have to make choices based on how things like resources and actions are paired together or “entangled.” We unpack everything that goes into designing games that... The post Entangled Decision Making...

Mike Kelley, designer of Mega Man Adventures, discusses cooperative games and what goes into designing a good one. Mike has been designing and reviewing cooperative games for years, and we dive into both creating co-op games and how to stand out to reviewers and gamers. The post How to Design a Cooperative Game with Mike Kelley appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jonny Pac, designer of Merchants Cove and lots of other games, discusses his process of finding the perfect mesh of theme and mechanisms. We talk about his approach to theme in his various games, research, and what it looks like for mechanics to make sense inside the theme. The post Thematically Informed Game Design with Jonny Pac appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Marcel Köhler, designer of Dutch Resistance: Orange Shall Overcome!, discusses what all goes into designing a pick-up and deliver game. We talk about how to make things thematic, the best number of resources, route obstacles, and more. And be sure to check out Marce’s pick-up and deliver game on Kickstarter HERE.​​ The post How to Design a Pick-up and Deliver Game with Marcel Köhler appeared...

Fertessa Allyse, producer at Funko Games, talks about how to design a trick taking game. We talk about table talk, bringing new ideas to the genre, what to look for while playtesting, and more. And be sure to check out Fertessa’s trick taking game, Wicked and Wise, on Kickstarter HERE. *Also, at one point, I mention UNO as a trick taking game,... The post How to Design Trick Taking Games wit...

Janice Turner, designer of Assembly, talks about designing puzzle games. We talk about player experience, designing during nap times, how to make puzzles fun and not tedious, and more! And be sure to check out Janice’s game, Pilfering Pandas, on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing Puzzle Games with Janice Turner appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Josh Horsley, designer of Castlescape, talks about designing deck-building games that have more going on than just building a deck. We talk about adding boards and other components, and we get into the benefits and obstacles of creating these kinds of games. And be sure to check out Josh’s game, Castlescape, on Kickstarter HERE. The post Deck Building and MORE with Josh Horsley appeared firs...

Ami Baio, designer of You Think You Know Me and several other conversation-based games, talks about what all goes into designing and publishing them. We talk about how to create gaming environments that encourage people to talk, listen, and enjoy chatting with each other. The post Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Martin Wallace, designer of Brass: Birmingham and about 100 other great games, talks about Euro games and his process for designing them. Martin is one of the greatest designers of all time, and he offers tons of excellent advice based on his 30+ years in the industry. The post How to Design Euro Games with Martin Wallace appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Joe Hout, designer of Dungeon Draft, talks about how to design a roll and write game. Joe has designed quite a few roll and writes, and we get into dice vs cards, combos, player counts, and more. And be sure to check out Joe’s game Dice in the Darkness and play along on Twitch HERE. The post Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Alex Lu, designer of Dogs Bond, discusses how to implement interchangeable win conditions in a game. The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Today, it’s just me on the show, and I’m discussing different angles of designing and publishing solo games, and I’m talking through the design process for my latest solo game, Hunted: Wode Ridge. I talk about pros, cons, design challenges, the business side of things, and more. And you can check out Hunted: Wode Ridge on... The post Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted:...

Travis Jones, designer of Pendulum, discusses what all goes into the design process for a real-time game. We talk about time constraints, chaos, analysis paralysis, board layout, and more. The post Designing a Real-Time Game with Travis Jones appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Shannon McDowell, puzzle maker and escape room designer, discusses what designers and publishers need to think about when designing puzzle games and games with puzzles in them. Shannon has done a ton of research on puzzles and how they relate to culture and cultural biases for Wilfred Laurier University. And she has a great system for defining and... The post Puzzles in Games with Shannon McDowell...

Frank West, designer of Isle of Cats, discusses the ins and outs of designing a polyomino game (games with those funny Tetris tiles). Isle of Cats is one of the best polyomino games on the market, and we get into what makes these games fun, prototyping, and more. The post How to Design a Polyomino Game with Frank West appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Al Leduc, designer of Yukon Airways, discusses what all goes into designing a dice drafting game. We talk about balance, dice mitigation, why the d6 is king, and more! The post Dice Drafting Games with Al Leduc appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jon Vallerand, founder of Subsurface Games, does a deep dive into the mechanism of majorities. We talk about the best majorities based games, ways to incentivize players, interactive play, and more. And be sure to check out Jon’s game, With a Smile and a Gun, on Kickstarter HERE.​​ The post Designing Majorities Based Games with Jon Vallerand appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald, from of Garphill Games, discuss what all goes into designing worker placement games. We talk about creating unique mechanisms, board design, player interaction, and more. The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, how to design a collectible card game and how to run a company with a CCG as your main product. Assad has been designing CCGs for 20+ years and running his own CCG company for quite a while, so we’re able to explore nearly every angle of this aspect... The post How to Design a Collectible Card Game with Assad Quraishi appeared first o...