The Board Game Design Lab

David Smith and Travis Winstead, designers of  10 Gallon Tank , discuss what all goes into publishing your first game.  We talk about idea selection, creating a product, long-term planning, and more. And be sure to check out their game 10 Gallon Tank on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Publishing Your First Game with David Smith and Travis Winstead appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

For this episode, I’m doing another design diary, and this time I’m talking about my monster-themed football game Dungeon Ball. I talk about how the game came to be and what went into its design process.  I also go into the business side of things and talk about the highs and lows of its Kickstarter campaign. The post The Making of Dungeon Ball with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board...

Mike Gnade, designer of  Maximum Apocalypse ,  Set a Watch ,  The Few and Cursed , discusses what all goes into designing an adventure game.  We talk about open worlds, story moments, combat, events, luck, and all sorts of other things that come together to make a good adventure game. The post Designing Adventure Games with Mike Gnade appeared first on Board Game...

Martin Gonzalvez, expert print-n-player, discusses why having a print-n-play version of your game is so important.  We talk about best practices and ways to make PnP files with excellence. We also get into some game creation techniques. The post Designing an Awesome Print-n-Play with Martin Gonzalvez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Andrew Lowen, from  Next Level Web , is back to discuss even more things you need to know in order to market a game effectively. We talk about Facebook ads, post-Kickstarter marketing, working with a marketing agency, and more. The post How to Market a Board Game (Part 2) with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Andrew Lowen, from  Next Level Web , discusses everything you need to be thinking about when it comes to marketing your game. We talk email lists, Facebook, timelines, and more. There was so much, in fact, that this podcast will be a 2-part series. The post How to Market a Board Game (Part 1) with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda, from  Gold Cauldron Games , discuss the ins and outs of various combat systems. We talk dice, cards, dexterity and more. And we analyze several “must play” games to learn how to design awesome combat.  The post Combat Systems with Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] The Board Game Design Calendar appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Chris Totten, designer of La Mancha , discusses the intersection of the fine arts and modern gaming. Chris is a professor of game design at Kent State University and has written several books on game design. The post Mixing the Fine Arts with Game Design with Chris Totten appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Omar Tarancon, designer of  Safari Turbo , discusses how to design a racing game. We talk about creating tensions, special abilities, board design and more. The post Designing a Racing Game with Omar Tarancon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire, from  Tea Time Productions , discuss how they get the most out of the themes in their games. We talk about starting with a theme in mind and making the mechanisms bring it to life, and we go into how to start with mechanisms and add a theme to the mix. And check out their super thematic biathlon game on Kickstarter  HERE .​​ The post Getting the Most out of a Theme...

Toby Truman, warehouse owner and product fulfiller, discusses his best advice on shipping, logistics, and saving money. This was honestly one of the most enlightening episodes I’ve done, and Toby has great tips and tricks on how to get your game into the world for the best rates. The post Fulfillment, Shipping, and Logistics with Toby Truman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jason Brooks, designer of  Legacies , discusses his best time management tips. We talk about all sorts of different ways to make time for game design, and we get into specific strategies for creating habits that make success inevitable. And be sure to check out Jason’s game, Legacies, which is on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Time Management and Getting Things Done with Jason Brooks appeared...

David and Jordanna Santiago, the father/daughter team behind the game  Jujo , discuss their process for designing games and how other families can do the same. We talk about the importance of games as they relate to the development of children, and Jordanna gives lots of advice on how to design alongside kids. And be sure to check out their game Jujo which is on...

For this episode, I’m doing basically a design diary for my latest game, Hunted. I talk about inspiration, playtesting, and development, and I interview the graphic designer and the artist to discuss their creative processes. Hunted has been a blast to design, and in this episode, I go through all the ins and outs of how it came to be. The post The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Co...

Shawn Stankewich, founder of  Flat Out Games , discusses how he’s building a publishing company that’s built on collaboration. Shawn’s company doesn’t hire out tasks but instead brings on team members who share in both the work and the profits. And be sure to check out Shawn’s game Calico which is on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Building a Collaboration Based Publishi...

Adam McCrimmon, CEO of  XYZ Game Labs , discusses how to design games with non-gamers and new gamers in mind. Adam’s company focuses on gateway games, and they’re constantly trying to get more people into the hobby. And be sure to check out Adam’s game Arch Ravels which is on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Designing Games for Non-Gamers with Adam McCrimmon appeared first on Board G...

For this episode, it’s just me on the show, and I’m taking some time to look back at where the BGDL has come from, look ahead to where we’re going, and answer your questions. It’s been an amazing three years of episodes, and I’m excited about what’s next! The post Celebrating 150 Episodes! with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

The post [BONUS] Andrew Birkett on Working a Booth at a Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Andrew Birkett, founder of  Atheris Games , discusses what it looks like to be an indie game publisher. Andrew has been running his own game company for four years, and we do a deep dive into the ins and outs of the publishing world. And be sure to check out Andrew’s game Ruins of Mars which is on Kickstarter  HERE . The post Running an Indie Game Publishing Company with Andrew Birkett...

The post [BONUS] Glenn Ford on Designing Small Skirmish Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Glenn Ford, the lead developer for  Gaslands , discusses all the ins and outs of being able to legally place the CE mark on the back of your game box. There are a ton of misconceptions and misinformation about the process, and Glenn goes through everything step-by-step to make sure it’s crystal clear. And for more reading on CE Marking: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/toy-manufacturers...

The post [BONUS] JB Howell on How to Work on Multiple Designs at the Same Time appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

JB Howell, designer of  Flotilla , discusses the three types of creativity and how they relate to game design. JB is an up and coming designer who I believe will be a household name by the end of this year, and we go into a lot of the ins and outs of his own creative process. The post The Three Types of Creativity with JB Howell appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Win the Spiel des Jahres appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .