Podcast Archives - Board Game Design Lab

Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, discusses what goes into both designing and publishing games that continue to have new content. We talk about content creation, different types of expansions, reinventing the fun for a game, and more. The post Designing Games in a Series with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Rachael Blaske, owner of Five24 Labs, discusses everything that goes into designing and publishing games that can fit in your pocket. We talk about design constraints, managing expectations, marketing, and more. The post Designing and Publishing Small Box Games with Rachael Blaske appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Corey Konieczka, one of the best designers on the planet, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. We talk about what it’s like to work at Fantasy Flight Games, coming up with ideas, playtesting, and more. If you’re not familiar with Corey, he’s worked on these games: Battlestar Galactica Space Hulk: Death Angel... The post The Design Process of Corey Konieczka appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald, from of Garphill Games, discuss what all goes into designing worker placement games. We talk about creating unique mechanisms, board design, player interaction, and more. The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Phalgun Polepalli, founder of DICE Toy Labs in India, discusses the process of defining your target audience and creating products for them. We talk about market research, community building, figuring out your ideal customer, and more.  The post Designing Games for a Specific Audience with Phalgun Polepalli appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Danielle Reynolds, designer with DMR Creative Group, discusses the many ways a designer can get involved in the game design community. We talk about volunteering, design groups, mentorships, and more.  The post How to Get Involved in the Game Design Community with Danielle Reynolds appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Christian Martinez discusses the making of his hit game, INIS. INIS is one of the highest-rated games of all time, and we go into everything from its title to its theme to its mechanisms.  The post The Making of INIS with Christian Martinez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Brad Talton, founder of Level 99 Games, discusses what goes into designing a game that lasts. We talk about creating games that are easily expandable, are easy to get into but provide depth for long-time players, and creating worlds that players want to keep coming back to. And be sure to check out Level 99’s latest... The post Designing Games that Last with Brad Talton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Hankerin Ferinale, founder of Runehammer Games, discusses what board game designers can learn from the world of tabletop RPGs. Hankerin is one of the most creative people I know, and he’s been creating RPG content for years. He has a ton of insight on how RPG concepts can improve board games. The post What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Tabletop RPGs with Hankerin Ferinale appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

T.C. Petty III, designer of VivaJava, discusses how to create positive player interaction in your game. Most games have a tendency to focus on negative interactions between players, but it doesn’t have to be that way! The post Creating Positive Player Interaction with T.C. Petty III appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, how to design a collectible card game and how to run a company with a CCG as your main product. Assad has been designing CCGs for 20+ years and running his own CCG company for quite a while, so we’re able to explore nearly every angle of this aspect... The post How to Design a Collectible Card Game with Assad Quraishi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Chris van der Linden, founder of Loresmyth Games, discusses his journey about going full-time in the gaming industry and how he turned his passion into his profession. It’s no small task to turn your hobby into a business, so Chris and I talk through how to make it happen, pitfalls, failure, and what the best parts... The post How to Turn Your Hobby into a Business with Chris van der Linden appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Justin Marty, accountant at Anders CPA, discusses everything you need to be thinking about when it comes to taxes and accounting as a game designer or publisher. Whether you want to just design games on the side, run Kickstarters, or make games your full time job, we go in-depth on everything you should be thinking about... The post Accounting, Taxes, and Game Design with Justin Marty appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Marco Pecota, designer of Legions of Steel, discusses everything that goes into designing a miniature war game. Marco has been designing these types of games since the 90s, and we go into combat systems, movement, metal vs plastic, and everything in between. And be sure to check out Marco’s miniatures packs on Kickstarter HERE. The post How to Design Miniature War Games with Marco Pecota appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games and designer of Robinson Crusoe, discusses his company’s motto: Games that tell stories. We go in-depth into Ignacy’s design process, talk about his most popular games, and get to the heart of what it looks like to create games that have players leaving the table with a story to tell. The post Designing Games that Tell Stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Peter C. Hayward is back on the show, and we’re delving into the secret sauce of his personal design process. Hint: It all hinges on blind playtesting. Peter is a designer, developer, and publisher, so he has the benefit of seeing games from lots of different angles.​​ The post The Secret Sauce of Game Design with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

It’s just me on the show, and I’m talking about my latest book project called Board Game Kickstarter Advice. I go through some of my favorite excerpts from the 50 interviews I did for the book and discuss why it’s such good advice if you want to fund a game on Kickstarter. Be sure to... The post How to Fund a Game on Kickstarter with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Charlie Cleveland, professional video game designer and founder of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, discusses the crossover of video games and board games and what board game designers can learn from their digital counterparts. And be sure to check out Charlie’s game, Vampire Vendetta, on Kickstarter HERE. The post What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Video Games with Charlie Cleveland appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Bez Shahriari, designer of Yogi, discusses how to design not just a game but a gaming system that can support lots of different games. Bez designed a system called the ELL Deck a while back, and we get into everything a designer has to think about when working on a project that’s going to consist of more... The post Designing a Game System with Bez Shahriari appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi, designers of Gladius, discuss the design process for creating a game with betting at its core. We go into the ins and outs of balancing hidden vs open information, tension, and why people like these games so much. The post Designing a Betting Game with Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Tim Eisner, designer of Tidal Blades, discusses the design process for creating big games. Tim is a master of designing games that take up a bunch of space on your table, but his games are also super approachable. The post Designing Big Games with Tim Eisner appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Juma Al-JouJou, designer of Clans of Caledonia, discusses the design process for a farming centric game. We talk about market economies, resources, balance, and more. The post Designing a Farming Game with Juma Al-JouJou appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mohamed Alqadi, designer of Conqueror: Final Conquest, discusses what localization is and how you can take it to the next level. We talk about not only translating a game but also changing the art and gameplay depending on where the game is being sold. The post Localization with Mohamed Alqadi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Erica Bouyouris, designer of Bosk, discusses what all goes into designing a nature-themed game. We talk about bringing a theme to life, mechanisms, art, components, and more. The post Designing a Nature-Themed Game with Erica Bouyouris appeared first on 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 Game Design Lab.

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 Design Lab.

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.

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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... The post Getting the Most out of a Theme with Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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 first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post Designing Games with Your Kids with David and Jordanna Santiago appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Corkill, and Jorge Velez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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 Publishing Company with Shawn Stankewich appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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 Game Design Lab.

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.

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 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... The post CE Marking and Board Games with Glenn Ford 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.

Jamey Stegmaier, designer of Tapestry, discusses how to design a civilization game. Creating a civ game is no small task, and we get into all the ins and outs of putting one together. The post Designing a Civilization Game with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Odin Phong, founder of Inkwell Games, discusses how to design a roll and write game. The roll and write genre has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, and we get into why people are drawn to them and how to design a good one. And be sure to check out Odin’s roll and... The post Designing a Roll and Write with Odin Phong appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ann Losito, Twitch streamer with Twist Gaming, discusses how to engage with media as a game designer. In today’s world, designers and publishers are more and more having to be on top of their media game in order to be successful. Ann and I get into what that looks like. The post Media and Game Design with Ann Losito appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dave Schultze, designer of Gridopolis, discusses how to design a game that not only spreads out on the table but also goes up. Dave has worked for companies like Lego, Hasbro, and Mattel designing toys and games and has a ton of knowledge on how to design three-dimensional games. The post Designing 3D games with Dave Schultze appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Lizzy Funkhouser, designer of Something to Fear, discusses what it looks like to pay attention to detail when designing a game. Lizzy loves to add Easter egg type details into her games to enhance the gaming experience, and we get into lots of examples and ways to add cool things to a design. The post Paying Attention to Detail with Lizzy Funkhouser appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.