Podcast Archives - Board Game Design Lab

Timo Multamaki, founder of Dragon Dawn Productions, discusses the many things he’s learned about project management and getting games across the finish line.Timo has a team of 40+ people from all over the world working on various games​​, so he’s had to become the glue that holds people together and keeps them on the same page... The post Project Management and Working with Virtual Teams with Timo Multamaki 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Chris Rowlands, designer of Last Garden and host of NPC-Cast, discusses creating awesome content that helps people as much as possible and also builds up goodwill toward you and your games. The board game community is incredible, and there are tons of opportunities to help fellow designers and add value to what they’re trying to create. And... The post Content as Marketing with Chris Rowlands appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Rob Daviau, designer of Pandemic Legacy, and I discuss how to run playtests like an absolute pro. Rob started designing games for Hasbro before moving into the designer game space, and he has a TON of insight on how to playtest your way to an amazing game. The post How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Brent Kinney, vice president at Panda Game Manufacturing, discusses the details and nuances of getting your game printed. We talk typical setbacks, what the different phases in the process look like, ways to make the process easier, and much more. Panda GM is one of the major manufacturers of board games in the world, and... The post The Ins & Outs of Printing with a Vice President from Panda Game Manufacturing, Brent Kinney appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Tom Vasel, founder of the Dice Tower, discusses some of the many things he’s learned after playing an astronomical number of games. We talk themes, mechanics, Kickstarter, publishing, trends, and tons of other stuff. Tom has played and reviewed thousands upon thousands of games which has led to some interesting insight on what makes a... The post Lessons Learned from Playing 5000+ Games with Tom Vasel appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Sen-Foong Lim, designer of Belfort and Junk Art, discusses the many things a good game design space needs and ways to organize it all. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the show: Gimp Canva Cropodile Rotary Cutter   The post How to Organize a Design Space with Sen-Foong Lim appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Edo Baraf, designer of Herbaceous, discusses the many different types of custom components you can add to your games and the challenges and considerations that go with each one. We talk custom dice, boards, boxes, inserts, meeples, sleeves, and more. (Not miniatures. That will be its own episode.) Edo has experience with lots of custom... The post Custom Components in Your Game with Edo Baraf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dan Peterson, chief developer and head of new acquisitions at Mayday Games, discusses why a publisher might reject your game and how to handle it. Dan looks at close to 200 unpublished games a year and has years of experience in finding new games to publish. This episode is packed with great wisdom for anyone wanting to... The post Why a Publisher Might Reject Your Game and How to Handle It with Dan Peterson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

JT Smith, designer of The Captain Is Dead, talks about how to design a great cooperative game. We talk creating tension, alpha players, and the math behind a good AI system. Personally, I think The Captain Is Dead is one of the best co-op games on the market today, and it was great to get JT’s... The post How to Design a Great Cooperative Game with JT Smith appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jamey Stegmaier, designer of Scythe, is back on the show, and we’re talking about what the schedule of a pro game designer looks like. It’s easy to have a romanticized idea of what being a full time designer is, but it doesn’t quite line up with reality. We talk about the daily fires that have... The post A Day in the Life of a Pro Designer with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Specter Ops, goes into all the ins and outs of putting together a hidden movement game. There are very few hidden movement games out there right now which means there’s still a ton to be explored. Emerson discusses the challenges he faced and his insights on the topic. The post How to Make a Great Hidden Movement Game with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ryan Laukat, founder of Red Raven Games, discusses how to create a beautiful game that is also functional. Ryan does his own art for all of his games, so he has an incredible understanding of the tug of war a designer and artist can have when trying to make a game look great but also... The post The Intersection of Art and Game Design with Ryan Laukat appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Mice and Mystics, discusses the importance of story in games. Jerry specializes in narrative driven games and has numerous games to his credit. He goes into why people enjoy story in games so much and how you can inject more story into your games. Finally, he gives great advice on what to do... The post The Importance of Story in Games with Jerry Hawthorne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Stephen Buonocore, president of Stronghold Games, goes into all of the ins and outs of researching publishers, contacting publishers, and pitching your game. We talk in depth on how to do things the right way to give your game the best chance of being signed. Then, Stephen closes the conversation with a couple funny stories... The post How to Get Your Game Published with Stephen Buonocore appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, gives incredible game design advice, talks Cthulu and what makes a great Cthulu game, and goes into how to make games that create epic experiences that stand the test of time. This episode is packed full of wisdom from a game design legend. The post Advice, Cthulu, and How to Create an Epic Gaming Experience with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jay Vales discusses how his game, Conquest at Kismet, came to be and how it got great reviews but underperformed when it came to sales. We go into the contributing factors and what other designers can learn from the experience. We also talk about some interesting design concepts, dealing with real-life death, and how even... The post Why Good Reviews Aren’t Always the Magic Bullet with Jay Vales appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Colby Dauch, founder of Plaid Hat Games and designer of Summoner Wars, goes in depth on the challenges he faced when he started his own publishing company. We talk about business, life, and work/life balance, and we even get into not letting people discourage you from chasing your dreams. The article Colby talks about in... The post Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Colby Dauch appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mike Strickland, designer of Tau Ceti, and I talk about his Kickstarter failure and what he did to relaunch the campaign to wild success. After an unsuccessful first attempt, Mike regrouped and brought in over $100k the second time around. We discuss what led to the dramatic difference. Please note that Mike was in a spaceship... The post How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100K+ Success with Mike Strickland appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Rahdo and I discuss 2 player games and how to craft an awesome 2 player experience. We go into specific mechanics that work really well in 2 player games, and we talk through how a designer can make a game scale down to 2 players effectively. After playing nearly 1000 games with just 2 players,... The post How to Create the Perfect 2 Player Experience with Rahdo appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Luke Laurie, designer of The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire, and I discuss all the ins and outs of working with a co-designer. Luke has worked with a co-designer on multiple projects and provides great insight on what’s good and what’s challenging about the process. Check out more from Luke at The League of Gamemakers. The post How to Work with a Co-Designer with Luke Laurie appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jamey Stegmaier,Kickstarter guru and designer of Scythe, and I discuss all the things he wishes someone would have told him before he got into game design, kickstarter, publishing, and more. He gives a ton of valuable advice. For lists of games designers should play, click HERE. For more from Jamey, check out the Stonemaier Games website. The post What I Wish I Would Have Known before I Got into Game Design with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.