Board Game Design Lab

The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on Tips and Tricks to Make a Great Rulebook appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jamey Stegmaier is back, and we’re talking about the making of Scythe. We discuss the ins and outs of all the design choices that brought one of the best games in the world to life. The post The Making of Scythe with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Evan Derrick on Mechanics He Loves to Use appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Evan Derrick, designer and part owner of Van Ryder Games, discusses theme and how to really bring it to the forefront in a game.Evan designed “Detective: City of Angels” which is one of the most thematic games I’ve ever seen, so I pick his brain on what makes a theme really come together. The post THEME! And How to Bring It Out with Evan Derrick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Danny Lott on How to Help Designers Playtest Their Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Danny Lott, designer of Coma Ward, discusses how to design a horror themed game and really evoke a creepy experience. This episode has a ton of great advice, but I’m not gonna lie, it gets a little weird in the middle. (You’ll hear what I mean…) We finish strong though, haha. The post Designing Horror Themed Games with Danny Lott appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Carla Kopp on How to Run an Effective Playtest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, discusses how she stays on the hustle and gets so much done in design, publishing, playtesting, and Kickstarter.We talk about the tips and tricks she’s learned to hack her time and consistently make things happen. The post How to Hustle and Get Things Done with Carla Kopp appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jason Perez on Using Games for Therapy appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jason Perez, psychotherapist and host of the Every Night Is Game Night podcast, discusses the different ways people learn and how that should affect rulebook writing.We go into how the brain works, what makes rules so hard to learn, and more. The post Learning Styles and Writing Rulebooks with Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Randy Hoyt on what to Expect when Working with a Publisher appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Randy Hoyt, owner of Foxtrot Games, discusses how to turn a game into a product.We go into marketability, sellability, usability and more.Randy has been designing and publishing games for a number of years and has a ton of insight on making games that sell. The post Going from Game to Sellable Product with Randy Hoyt appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Fabio Del Rio on How to Stand out from the Crowd appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Fabio Del Rio, owner of CSE Games, discusses the ins and outs of sports themed games. We go into mechanics, marketability, licensing, challenges, success stories, and more. Fabio has been publishing sports games for over a decade and brings a lot of wisdom and insight to the episode. The post Sports Themed Games with Fabio Del Rio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Daniel Aronson on How to Go from 0 to 600+ Facebook Likes in 60 Days appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Daniel Aronson, professional graphic designer and game designer, discusses the importance of being intentional with all the graphic design in your game. We talk fonts, color choices, layouts, branding, and more in this information full episode. Daniel is the designer of “El Dorado,” which just launched on Kickstarter. Check it out here. The post Graphic Design and Its Effect on the Player Experience with Daniel Aronson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Lance the Undead Viking on Where He Thinks the Board Game Industry is Headed appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Lance Myxter, the Undead Viking, talks about game reviews from a lot of different angles. Lance has done over 1000 reviews and offers a lot of insight on the different ins and outs of the review world. He does a ton of videos for Kickstarter games and gives some great advice for anyone wanting to... The post Let’s Talk Game Reviews with Lance Myxter the Undead Viking appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Marshall Britt on Whether the Size of a Eurogame Matters appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Marshall Britt, owner of Yanaguana Games, talks about all the mistakes he’s made and lessons he’s learned as a small game publisher. The post Lessons Learned as a Small Publisher with Marshall Britt appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Hermann Luttmann on Designing a Zombie Game that Stands out from the Crowd appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Hermann Luttmann, designer of Dawn of the Zeds, talks about how to design a solo game.Hermann has created numerous games meant for only one player and offers a ton of interesting insight on how to craft the solitaire experience. The post How to Design a Solo Game with Hermann Luttmann appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Denny Weston on Designing Games that Can Be Played on the Road appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Denny Weston, designer of Kingdoms Lawn Game, discusses the ins, outs, and challenges of creating a game meant to be played in the great outdoors. And check out the Kingdoms Lawn Game Kickstarter here. The post Designing Outdoor Games with Denny Weston appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] James Hudson on His Favorite Non-Family Style Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

James Hudson, owner of Druid City Games, talks about how to create a game that families love to play.James works full time in the gaming industry, and his company focuses specifically on family games. We talk about what makes a game appealing to families and how to get noticed on Kickstarter. The post How to Design a Great Family Game with James Hudson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Daryl Andrews on Bringing a Licensed IP to Life appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Daryl Andrews, designer of Sagrada, discusses how to work on a bunch of designs at the same time.Daryl has designed around 100 games that are either in stores, in production, or have been signed and are waiting to move forward, so he has a TON of knowledge on the subject. The post How to Work on Multiple Games at the Same Time with Daryl Andrews appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Alex Hall & Gin Yu on Creating High Quality Videos appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Gin Yu and Alex Hall, filmmakers with Gin and Tonic Films, discuss their new web series Getting on Board. Gin and Alex have been interviewing and following game designers around for a while and filming their different processes.I had a ton of fun with this episode, and I think you’ll get a kick out of it... The post Lessons Learned from Following Game Designers Around with Alex Hall and Gin Yu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Seth Jaffee on the Value of Playing a Game Multiple Times appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Seth Jaffee, designer of Eminent Domain, discusses how to tackle that last 10% of game design that takes a game from merely good to that next level of great. And be sure to check out the BGDL inspired t-shirt project over at IndieGoGo. Shirts are only available for a very limited time. The post Taking a Design from Good to Great with Seth Jaffee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Richard Launius on Themes He’d Like to See appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, shares great, veteran advice on how to design an AI system for both co-op and non co-op games. The post Designing a Good AI System with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Tony Miller on Finding Time for Game Design appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Tony Miller, attendee of double digit design conventions, discusses why it’s so important to attend design cons and what you need to take with you to get the most out of your experience. The post Getting the Most out of a Design Convention with Tony Miller appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Gil Hova on Why Drafting Is Such a Great Mechanic appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Gil Hova, designer of The Networks, discusses how to manage a game’s scope and not allow it to get out of hand. We also go into a good bit of detail on abstraction and how vital it is for keeping a game’s scope where it needs to be. The post Keeping a Design from Getting out of Hand with Gil Hova appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Daniel Zayas on Kickstarter Features He Wants to See appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Daniel Zayas, a member of the Kickstarter Expert program, discusses what the program is and how it works. He also gives some really great advice on how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign. The post Advice from a Kickstarter Expert with Daniel Zayas appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Gabe Barrett on Using the Right Tools for the Job appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Gabe Barrett, founder of the BGDL, discusses why this hobby of ours matters and why game design is much more than just a fun, little activity. He also shares some stories that relate to design and talks about where the BGDL is headed in the future. The post Why Game Design Is Important with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Mike Mihealsick on Why Euro Games Are Awesome appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mike Mihealsick, from Coalition Games, discusses all the lessons and insights he’s learned after facilitating hundreds of blind playtests. Blind playtesting is the purifying fire in which we truly get to find out what our games are made of, and Mike offers a ton of advice on how to navigate the process well. The post Lessons Learned from Blind Playtesting with Mike Mihealsick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Chris Kirkman on Considerations When Designing a Small Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Chris Kirkman, designer of Fate of the Elder Gods, discusses Cthulhu themed games and what makes them so popular. There’s just something about Cthulhu that continues to intrigue people, and even with all the Cthulhu games that have come out, there’s still a great deal left to be explored. The post Cthulhu Themed Games with Chris Kirkman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Morten Pederson on Writing Rulebooks for Non-Native English Speakers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Morten Pedersen, designer behind the solo modes for games such as Scythe and Viticulture, discusses how to scale a game down to one player and create a great solo experience. Morten has his own design company that focuses on creating single player systems for games and has even won awards for it. For more, check out Morten’s... The post Creating a Great Solo Variant with Morten Pedersen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Patrick Leder on How to Know When a Game Is Done appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Patrick Leder, designer of Vast, discusses what all goes into designing an asymmetrical game. In Vast, each player takes on an incredibly different role with different actions, different win conditions, and different ways to play. And creating a game of this scope is no small task. The post Designing an Asymmetrical Game with Patrick Leder appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.