Podcast Archives - Board Game Design Lab

Patrick Rauland, designer of Fry Thief, discusses product management and how it relates to game design. Patrick has worked as a pro product manager in the software industry, and there are tons of ways that understanding product management will make you a better designer in everything from prototyping to playtesting to running a Kickstarter. Patrick’s game, Fry... The post Product M...

Jason Tagmire, founder of Button Shy Games, discusses the process of designing and publishing small games that pack a big punch. Jason’s company specializes in 18 card games, and he’s become a master at packing a ton of game into a small package.​​ And check out Button Shy’s latest game on Kickstarter HERE. The post Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire appear...

The 2nd edition will hit Kickstarter on February 19th, so be sure to check it out! The post [BGDL+] Interviewing Reiner Knizia for the 2nd Edition of the Board Game Design Advice Book appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

For the past 3 years, Eric Rayl has been traveling around the world interviewing some of the best designers in the world about their games, their processes, and their experiences in the industry. Check out the documentary HERE. The post The Game Designers Documentary with Eric Rayl appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Bill Lasek, designer of Koi, discusses how to design programmable action games. Programmable actions provide really interesting options for players and create really interesting challenges for designers. Bill’s game, Koi, programs fish moving around a pond, so he has first-hand experience with this type of game. The post Programmable Action Games with Bill Lasek appeared first on Board Game...

James Van Niekerk, professional graphic designer and creator of Valor & Villainy, discusses colors, fonts, hierarchies, and tons of other concepts that you need to think about when working through the graphic design of a game. The post Board Game Graphic Design with James Van Niekerk appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Tim Fowers, designer of Burgle Bros and Fugitive, discusses how to design deduction games. Fugitive is one of my favorite deduction games, and Tim’s next game, Sabotage, is also a really cool deduction game coming out later this year. The post Designing Deduction Games with Tim Fowers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Steven Aramini, designer of Animal Kingdoms, discusses how to design an area control game. Animal Kingdoms won the 2018 Cardboard Edison award and is a really clever, card-driven area control game. The post Designing Area Control Games with Steven Aramini appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Fabian Zimmermann, designer of Goodcritters, discusses how to design a negotiation game. Goodcritters is the most recent game in the Dice Tower Essentials line, and negotiation is the core of the game. The post Designing a Negotiation Game with Fabian Zimmermann appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Darwin Kastle, from White Wizard Games, discusses how to design a deck builder. Darwin is a hall of fame Magic: the Gathering player and has a TON of experience designing card games. His most popular games are Star Realms and Hero Realms. The post Designing a Deck Building Game with Darwin Kastle appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Rita Orlov discusses how to design a good puzzle game. Through her company, Post Curious, Rita designs deeply immersive games for people who enjoy a good challenge. The post Designing Puzzle Games with Rita Orlov appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Daniel and Connie Kazmaier discuss how they put together a rather large online playtesting group for their game, Chai. They have nearly 800 playtesters in their group and go into how they’ve nurtured and developed it. The post Creating an Online Playtesting Group with Daniel & Connie Kazmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Stephen and Michael Stagliano discuss designing an RPG system. They’ve been working on their own tabletop RPG game, and they run a podcast, both called Tavern of Heroes. They’ve been playing and designing role playing games for years, and we have a lively discussion on the ins and outs of putting one together. These guys have an... The post Designing a Tabletop RPG with Stephen &...

Jamey Stegmaier and I discuss what went wrong with my Kickstarter campaign and what I’m doing differently for the relaunch. Check out the relaunch of The Final Flicktier HERE. The post [BGDL+] My Kickstarter Post Mortem appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Aron West, designer of Catacombs, discusses the art and challenges in designing dexterity games with depth. He’s been designing and publishing these types of games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic. And be sure to check out the latest version of Catacombs HERE. The post Designing Dexterity Games with Aron West appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jackson Pope, founder of Eurydice Games, talks about designing and putting together hand made games. Jackson has been hand crafting and selling his games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic. You can find the episode HERE. The post Designing Hand Crafted Games with Jackson Pope appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

The post [BGDL+] When Gatekeepers Say No, Creating Must-Have Components, and Using Video in Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

David Abelson, founder of Fisher Heaton Games, talks about designing abstract games. David’s abstract game, Intelle, is a brain burning 2 player experience with a theme that actually makes sense. And be sure to check out the solo expansion for Intelle on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing Abstract Games with David Abelson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Dustin Staats, founder of Board Gaming with English, talks about using and designing games in the classroom. Dustin has taught all over the worlds and regularly uses games to reinforce different concepts his students are learning. The post Gaming in the Classroom with Dustin Staats appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jamey Stegmaier is guest hosting, and we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the show! We’re talking past, present, and future with lots of interesting things thrown in.​​ The post Celebrating 100 Episodes! appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Calum Taylor, designer of Motora, talks about balancing luck with player agency. It’s good to have luck to keep a game unpredictable, but if it goes too far, players will feel like the game is playing them. You need to make sure players feel in control while also allowing for cool “plot twist” moments. And be sure... The post Randomness and Player Agency with Calum Taylor appeare...

Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, talks about designing light (or filler) games. Carla’s company focuses on this type of games, and she’s designed several herself, so she definitely understands the topic well. The post Designing Light Games with Carla Kopp appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Julio Nazario, winner of the HABA Games design challenge, talks about game components and interesting ways to use them. Julio has been designing some really innovative games using components in really cool ways. The post Innovative Uses of Game Components with Julio Nazario appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Isaac Vega, designer of Dead of Winter, Ashes, and many others, talks about how to balance a game. Isaac has designed some of the best games in the world and has really figured out how to make sure a game feels balanced to its players. The post Balancing a Game with Isaac Vega appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Alex Macklai, designer of Sea of Nadia, talks about augmented reality and board games. Alex has been working on an AR-centric game for 2 years and has some interesting insight on the topic. For more info: www.maclaysgames.com The post Augmented Reality and Board Games with Alex Maklai appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .