The Board Game Design Lab

<p>Noel Gussen, designer of Deckfighters, discusses designing a game with multiple win conditions. Noel’s MMA style card game has lots of ways to win (and lose), so we talk through different ways to add multiple end-game triggers.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/multiple-end-game-triggers-with-noel-gussen/">Multiple End Game Triggers with Noel Gussen</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-jay-cormier-on-managing-multiple-designs-at-the-same-time/">[BONUS] Jay Cormier on Managing Multiple Designs at the Same Time</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Jay Cormier, designer of Belfort and tons of other games, discusses tons of ins and outs of playtesting. Jay has been designing games for over 15 years and has a ton of experience and advice on how to get to the best game possible. And be sure to check out Jay’s playtest journal on Kickstarter HERE.​​</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/playtesting-pro-tips-with-jay-cormier/">Playtesting Pro Tips with Jay Cormier</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-joe-slack-on-going-pro-in-the-gaming-industry/">[BONUS] Joe Slack on Going Pro in the Gaming Industry</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Joe Slack, college instructor of game design, discusses the ins and outs of teaching game design to other people. Joe recently went full-time in the gaming industry and is focussing on helping others learn how to bring their games to life. And be sure to check out Joe’s board game design course HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/teaching-game-design-with-joe-slack/">Teaching Game Design with Joe Slack</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-patrick-rauland-on-designing-asymmetrical-games/">[BONUS] Patrick Rauland on Designing Asymmetrical Games</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/announcement-learn-how-to-design-great-games-people-love/">[ANNOUNCEMENT] Learn How to Design Great Games People Love</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Patrick Rauland, designer of Fry Thief, discusses product management and how it relates to game design. Patrick has worked as a pro product manager in the software industry, and there are tons of ways that understanding product management will make you a better designer in everything from prototyping to playtesting to running a Kickstarter. Patrick’s game, Fry...</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/product-management-and-game-design-with-patrick-rauland/">Product Management and Game Design with Patrick Rauland</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-jason-tagmire-on-kickstarting-small-games/">[BONUS] Jason Tagmire on Kickstarting Small Games</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Jason Tagmire, founder of Button Shy Games, discusses the process of designing and publishing small games that pack a big punch. Jason’s company specializes in 18 card games, and he’s become a master at packing a ton of game into a small package.​​ And check out Button Shy’s latest game on Kickstarter HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/small-games-that-pack-a-big-punch-with-jason-tagmire/">Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The 2nd edition will hit Kickstarter on February 19th, so be sure to check it out!</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bgdl-interviewing-reiner-knizia-for-the-2nd-edition-of-the-board-game-design-advice-book/">[BGDL+] Interviewing Reiner Knizia for the 2nd Edition of the Board Game Design Advice Book</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-eric-rayl-on-how-to-film-a-great-video/">[BONUS] Eric Rayl on How to Film a Great Video</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>For the past 3 years, Eric Rayl has been traveling around the world interviewing some of the best designers in the world about their games, their processes, and their experiences in the industry. Check out the documentary HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/the-game-designers-documentary-with-eric-rayl/">The Game Designers Documentary with Eric Rayl</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-bill-lasek-on-the-5-starting-points-for-design/">[BONUS] Bill Lasek on the 5 Starting Points for Design</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Bill Lasek, designer of Koi, discusses how to design programmable action games. Programmable actions provide really interesting options for players and create really interesting challenges for designers. Bill’s game, Koi, programs fish moving around a pond, so he has first-hand experience with this type of game.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/programmable-action-games-with-bill-lasek/">Programmable Action Games with Bill Lasek</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-james-van-niekerk-on-approaching-publishers/">[BONUS] James Van Niekerk on Approaching Publishers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>James Van Niekerk, professional graphic designer and creator of Valor & Villainy, discusses colors, fonts, hierarchies, and tons of other concepts that you need to think about when working through the graphic design of a game.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/board-game-graphic-design-with-james-van-niekerk/">Board Game Graphic Design with James Van Niekerk</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-tim-fowers-on-connecting-with-gamers/">[BONUS] Tim Fowers on Connecting with Gamers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Tim Fowers, designer of Burgle Bros and Fugitive, discusses how to design deduction games. Fugitive is one of my favorite deduction games, and Tim’s next game, Sabotage, is also a really cool deduction game coming out later this year.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-deduction-games-with-tim-fowers/">Designing Deduction Games with Tim Fowers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-steven-aramini-on-re-theming-a-game/">[BONUS] Steven Aramini on Re-Theming a Game</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Steven Aramini, designer of Animal Kingdoms, discusses how to design an area control game. Animal Kingdoms won the 2018 Cardboard Edison award and is a really clever, card-driven area control game.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-area-control-games-with-steven-aramini/">Designing Area Control Games with Steven Aramini</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-fabian-zimmermann-on-roll-write-games/">[BONUS] Fabian Zimmermann on Roll & Write Games</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Fabian Zimmermann, designer of Goodcritters, discusses how to design a negotiation game. Goodcritters is the most recent game in the Dice Tower Essentials line, and negotiation is the core of the game.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-a-negotiation-game-with-fabian-zimmermann/">Designing a Negotiation Game with Fabian Zimmermann</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-starting-a-board-game-company/">[BONUS] Darwin Kastle on Starting a Board Game Company</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Darwin Kastle, from White Wizard Games, discusses how to design a deck builder. Darwin is a hall of fame Magic: the Gathering player and has a TON of experience designing card games. His most popular games are Star Realms and Hero Realms.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-a-deck-building-game-with-darwin-kastle/">Designing a Deck Building Game with Darwin Kastle</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-rita-orlov-on-adding-mystery-to-a-game/">[BONUS] Rita Orlov on Adding Mystery to a Game</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Rita Orlov discusses how to design a good puzzle game. Through her company, Post Curious, Rita designs deeply immersive games for people who enjoy a good challenge.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-puzzle-games-with-rita-orlov/">Designing Puzzle Games with Rita Orlov</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-dan-connie-kazmaier-on-in-game-economy-systems/">[BONUS] Dan & Connie Kazmaier on In-Game Economy Systems</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Daniel and Connie Kazmaier discuss how they put together a rather large online playtesting group for their game, Chai. They have nearly 800 playtesters in their group and go into how they’ve nurtured and developed it.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/creating-an-online-playtesting-group-with-daniel-connie-kazmaier/">Creating an Online Playtesting Group with Daniel & Connie Kazmaier</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-the-importance-of-narrative-in-games-with-stephen-michael-stagliano/">[BONUS] The Importance of Narrative in Games with Stephen & Michael Stagliano</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Stephen and Michael Stagliano discuss designing an RPG system. They’ve been working on their own tabletop RPG game, and they run a podcast, both called Tavern of Heroes.They’ve been playing and designing role playing games for years, and we have a lively discussion on the ins and outs of putting one together. These guys have an...</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-a-tabletop-rpg-with-stephen-michael-stagliano/">Designing a Tabletop RPG with Stephen & Michael Stagliano</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Jamey Stegmaier and I discuss what went wrong with my Kickstarter campaign and what I’m doing differently for the relaunch. Check out the relaunch of The Final Flicktier HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bgdl-my-kickstarter-post-mortem/">[BGDL+] My Kickstarter Post Mortem</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-aron-west-on-building-a-fanbase/">[BONUS] Aron West on Building a Fanbase</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Aron West, designer of Catacombs, discusses the art and challenges in designing dexterity games with depth. He’s been designing and publishing these types of games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic. And be sure to check out the latest version of Catacombs HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-dexterity-games-with-aron-west/">Designing Dexterity Games with Aron West</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-jackson-pope-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-publishing/">[BONUS] Jackson Pope on the Ups and Downs of Publishing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Jackson Pope, founder of Eurydice Games, talks about designing and putting together hand made games.Jackson has been hand crafting and selling his games for years and has a ton of insight on the topic.You can find the episode HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-hand-crafted-games-with-jackson-pope/">Designing Hand Crafted Games with Jackson Pope</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bgdl-when-gatekeepers-say-no-creating-must-have-components-and-using-video-in-design/">[BGDL+] When Gatekeepers Say No, Creating Must-Have Components, and Using Video in Design</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-david-abelson-on-bringing-family-into-game-design/">[BONUS] David Abelson on Bringing Family into Game Design</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>David Abelson, founder of Fisher Heaton Games, talks about designing abstract games.David’s abstract game, Intelle, is a brain burning 2 player experience with a theme that actually makes sense. And be sure to check out the solo expansion for Intelle on Kickstarter HERE.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-abstract-games-with-david-abelson/">Designing Abstract Games with David Abelson</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-dustin-staats-on-contributing-to-the-board-gaming-community/">[BONUS] Dustin Staats on Contributing to the Board Gaming Community</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Dustin Staats, founder of Board Gaming with English, talks about using and designing games in the classroom.Dustin has taught all over the worlds and regularly uses games to reinforce different concepts his students are learning.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/gaming-in-the-classroom-with-dustin-staats/">Gaming in the Classroom with Dustin Staats</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-designing-the-final-flicktier/">[BONUS] Jamey & Gabe on Designing The Final Flicktier</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Jamey Stegmaier is guest hosting, and we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the show! We’re talking past, present, and future with lots of interesting things thrown in.​​</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/celebrating-100-episodes/">Celebrating 100 Episodes!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-calum-taylor-on-designing-in-isolation/">[BONUS] Calum Taylor on Designing in Isolation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Calum Taylor, designer of Motora, talks about balancing luck with player agency.It’s good to have luck to keep a game unpredictable, but if it goes too far, players will feel like the game is playing them. You need to make sure players feel in control while also allowing for cool “plot twist” moments. And be sure...</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/randomness-and-player-agency-with-calum-taylor/">Randomness and Player Agency with Calum Taylor</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-nick-kopp-on-bar-codes/">[BONUS] Nick Kopp on Bar Codes and SKUs</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, talks about designing light (or filler) games. Carla’s company focuses on this type of games, and she’s designed several herself, so she definitely understands the topic well.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/designing-light-games-with-carla-kopp/">Designing Light Games with Carla Kopp</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-julio-nazario-on-getting-inspired/">[BONUS] Julio Nazario on Getting Inspired</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>Julio Nazario, winner of the HABA Games design challenge, talks about game components and interesting ways to use them.Julio has been designing some really innovative games using components in really cool ways.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/innovative-uses-of-game-components-with-julio-nazario/">Innovative Uses of Game Components with Julio Nazario</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com/bonus-isaac-vega-on-working-on-games-in-a-series/">[BONUS] Isaac Vega on Working on Games in a Series</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boardgamedesignlab.com">Board Game Design Lab</a>.</p>