The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast

How do you escalate risk and reward? Should game markets be predictable? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda make mosaics in Azul.

When are wildcards necessary? How do you reward topdecking? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie punch their tickets in Ticket to Ride.

Should players roll defense dice? When should you use counterattacks? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss miniature wargames.

How do you represent momentum? What should be the consequences of holding debt? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda shoot first in X-Wing.

What distinguishes melee and ranged attacks? Do persistent corpses enhance combat? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie don their caster rings in Necromolds.

How do you make the entire map important? Does line of sight need to be complicated? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor summon their warriors in Heroscape.

When is losing options a relief? How many cards should players be able to play per turn? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda talk about card shedding games.

Must progression be personal? How can you customize a card? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie craft heroes in Custom Heroes.

Why do game titles matter? What makes for a great game box? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor search for patterns in I Know...You Don't.

Why subtract points for leftover cards? What makes once-per-game actions compelling? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda climb the ladder in Scout.

What are the advantages of board games over video games for autobattlers? How do you make random actions look intentional? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss autobattlers.

What makes for satisfying blocking mechanics? Why does repetition matter? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie duke it out in Tag Team.

Are choices necessary to keep players engaged? How does art support gameplay? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor choose their racers in Magical Athlete.

How do you scale the strength of an automa opponent? Is it okay to score random amounts of points? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda fill up the bench in Challengers.

Does phase order matter? How do you reward bookkeeping? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor pick up some flashy tricks in The Cones of Dunshire.

What can you do if you want to make a TCG? What makes a good resource system? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda talk about Trading Card Games.

What limits should there be on deck construction? Should all cards be usable as resources? The Force is with Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie in Star Wars: Unlimited.

Should mechanics call out specific cards by name? Why would a player use a weaker attack instead of a stronger one? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor gotta catch 'em all in the Pokémon TCG.

Do keywords make deckbuilding approachable? How do you spotlight certain cards? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda tap their lands for mana in Magic: The Gathering.

How do thresholds differ from spending? Are there any genres set collection doesn't work with? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie talk about Set Collection.

When should all actions be mandatory? How can turn structure foreshadow interactions? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor get out the popcorn in Spooktacular.

When should players be encouraged to make trades? What is the point of charging players for a third plot if everybody buys one anyway? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda grow beans in Bohnanza.

How do you balance wildcards while still making them appealing? Can mechanics serve as mnemonics? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie dig up gems in Splendor.

When do you end the game? Why does urgency matter? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss engine-building games.

How do you keep players engaged when it is not their turn? Should you use faction-specific disadvantages? Charlie, Ananda, and Trevor spin their gears in Sprocketforge.