The Board Game Design Lab

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 examples of how to do this. The post How to Put a New Twist on a Familiar Genre with...

Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite , discusses what to be aware of when designing games that go up to six or more players We 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 .

Nicolas Fournier, designer of Megapulse , breaks down his top 10 Photoshop tips and tricks to help game designers. The post Top 10 Photoshop Tips for Game Designers with Nicolas Fournier 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 .

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 appear...

Malachi Ray Rempen, designer of Roll Camera , discusses the pros and cons of doing all the main aspects of design, art, and publishing yourself. Malachi has both worked with others and done everything himself, so he can speak well on both perspectives. And be sure to check out Malachi’s expansion for Roll Camera on Kickstarter HERE . The post The Pros and Cons of Doing Everything Yourself wi...

Lucas Sosnick, designer of Crisis on Cardea , discusses different ways we can bring young people into both gaming and game design. Lucas is seventeen years old and has been both a gamer and a designer for a while, so he gives an inside look at what we can do to make the hobby a more welcoming place. And be sure to check out Lucas’s game on Kickstarter HERE .​​ The post How to Reach the Next...

Robert Longtin, professional data analyst, discusses all angles of playtest data. We talk about what data to collect, when to collect it, how to collect it, how to analyze it, and more. Learn more about Robert’s games HERE . The post Collecting and Analyzing Playtest Data with Robert Longtin appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Morten Monrad Pedersen, from Automa Factory and Stonemaier Games, dives into a more serious topic as we discuss bipolarity, depression, and using game design to cope. Morten was diagnosed with bipolarity several years ago and sheds a ton of light on the subject. He goes into a lot about his own personal journey and how games and game design have helped him. Also, here’s the Malcom Gladwell v...

Carol Mertz, senior game designer at Exploding Kittens , gives us a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a major publisher. We talk about timelines, working with internal and external designers, pursuing excellent game ideas, how to get a job at Exploding Kittens, and more. The post A Look Behind the Scenes at Exploding Kittens with Carol Mertz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Today, it’s just me, and I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Pursuing a creative lifestyle can be incredibly difficult, so I wanted to do an episode to help you stay motivated and inspired. The post A Word of Encouragement from Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale, from  Badgers from Mars , talk about how to design a game based on nothing more than a standard deck of cards. We talk about their game  Regicide  (currently number one on BGG’s Hotness list), pros and cons of such tight constraints, marketing, and more. The post Designing Games Based on a Standard Deck of Cards with Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams,...

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, however, it’s definitely a matching gam...

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 Skil...

Rachel Bruner, designer of  Harsh Shadows , talks about how to create print-n-play games and the many reasons why you might want to. Rachel is super active in the PnP community, and we discuss her thoughts on best practices, tools of the trade, getting a PnP game published, and more. And here are all the links and whatnot that were discussed on the show: Print and Play Gaming Facebook Group: https...

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 .

In another BGDL community spotlight, Jeff Turner, founder of Skip Work Play Games , dives into how to use InDesign to do data merge and speed up your prototyping process. Data merge makes it easy to edit or change hundreds of cards with one click, and we get into both high-level concepts and technical how-to. The post (Community Spotlight) Using InDesign and Data Merge with Jeff Turner appeared fi...

Anthony Howgego, developer at  Osprey Games , what goes into developing a game and nearly everything else surrounding development. We talk about taking games from good to great, how to work with a developer effectively, how to become a developer, and more. The post Developing Games and Working with Developers with Anthony Howgego appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Dave Beck, designer of  Distilled , talks about improving games through experiential graphic design. Dave did a TON of research for his latest game, hired experts, and dove as deeply into the theme as he could. So, he’s got a lot of advice for anyone wanting to make a super thematic game. And be sure to check out Dave’s game, Distilled, on Kickstarter  HERE . The post How to Make a Sup...

Kate Otte, designer of  First Ascent , talks about improving games through experiential graphic design. Kate is a professional graphic designer, and we get into how to make games more accessible, understandable, and fun using excellent graphic design techniques. And be sure to check out Kate’s game, First Ascent, on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Experiential Graphic Design with Kate Otte appe...

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 .

Justin Gary, designer of  Ascension , talks about his personal process for designing and publishing games. Justin has designed and released a ton of hit games over the years and worked in lots of different segments of the gaming industry, so he has a ton of great tips and advice. The post How to Design and Publish Games with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Andrew Lowen, designer of  Deliverance , talks about going through the process of deciding between traditional publishing and self-publishing. We talk about the pros and cons on both sides along with how to make things work if you go the self-publishing route. And be sure to check out Andrew’s game, Deliverance, on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Why to Self Publish…or Not with Andrew Low...

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 .