Podcast

The design process of one of the world’s best designers, Corey Konieczka

In this BGDL rewind from June of 2020, Corey Konieczka breaks down his entire design process. Corey has several games ranked in the top 100 games of all time, and it was incredibly insightful to learn about how he brings a game to life. We chat about his path into the industry, his prototyping process,…

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How to Design an Engine Building Game with Elizabeth Hargrave

In this BGDL rewind from May of 2019, Elizabeth Hargrave dives into all the ins and outs of designing an engine-building game. We chat about her personal design process and all the interesting obstacles she encountered when designing Wingspan. We also talk about how to layer concepts on top of each other, balancing winning strategies,…

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How to Design Games that Tell Stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek

In this BGDL rewind from April of 2020, 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…

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Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi

In this BGDL rewind from December of 2020, I chat with Emerson Matsuuch about all the many ways a designer can use math to create better games. We talk spreadsheets, game balance, mathematical models, and more!

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Where the BGDL Is Headed in 2024

In this update, I talk about 2024’s vision for the BGDL. And if you need help with your game, company, or upcoming crowdfunding campaign, and you think I might be able to help, please click HERE.

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Your game design questions answered

In this episode, I answer a bunch of questions that were submitted by BGDL community members!

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How to Publish Games with a Grassroots Approach | Joe Bragg

In this episode, Joe Bragg, founder of the indie publishing company Meek Heroes Gaming, discusses the grassroots approach he’s taking to building his publishing company. We chat about why this approach makes sense for a lot of people, the pros and cons of not using crowdfunding, how to build a community from the ground up,…

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How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez

In this episode, Jason Perez and I chat about how designers can boost their creativity by thinking outside the box, pushing past tropes, and being more intentional about their thematic choices.

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Listen to this BEFORE you start an indie publishing company | John de Campos

In this episode, John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, and I chat about the highs and lows of starting and running an indie publishing company in the board game industry.

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Board Game Design Productivity Hacks with Gabe Barrett

In this episode, I break down some game design productivity hacks that have been helping me lately, and I’m specifically talking about a concept called “habit fields.” This was a presentation I gave recently for Board Game Design Pro, so if you find it useful and want more helpful content like it, be sure to…

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Do this BEFORE designing a game | Leo Taylor

In this episode, Leo Taylor, designer of games in the Risk, Clue, and D&D universes, breaks down his “key pillars of game design” as we chat through the many questions designers should think through as they dive into a new game design. You can download a PDF of the key pillars HERE.

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How to Make Money from Your Game Design Hobby with Joe Slack

In this episode, Joe Slack and I talk about how we’ve both been able to piece together lots of different revenue streams in the gaming industry to be able to make a full-time living from game design. And be sure to check out Joe’s latest puzzle game here: http://kck.st/3SfV1Np

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Designing Games FOR and WITH Young Kids with Elan Lee

In this episode, Elan Lee, the creator of Exploding Kittens, talks about his venture into creating games for small children. Elan has been designing the games alongside his four-year-old daughter, and we talk about the process of designing games both for and with small kids. We also get into the business side of things and…

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4 Amazing (and Useful) Examples of Board Game Design Theory with Geoff Engelstein

In this episode, Geoff Engelstein and I chat about design theory and break down Geoff’s favorite examples and how they relate to designing games. Geoff’s book about loss aversion can be found here: https://amzn.to/3rIgi7y More info about the Tabletop Network Conference can be found here: https://www.tabletopnetwork.com

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Why You Should Create Print-n-Play Games with Jason Greeno

In this episode, Jason Greeno and I chat about the current boom in the print-n-play side of the market, and we dive into how and why more designers should create printable versions of their games. You can find a ridiculous number of PnP games on Jason’s website, PnP Arcade. And you can find his game,…

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The Games Every Designer MUST Play with Pam Walls

In this episode, Pam Walls and I chat about the games on our “must play” lists if you’re a game designer. And be sure to check out Pam’s awesome channel about game design here: https://www.youtube.com/@pamwallsgamedesign Here are the games we discuss: -Imhotep -Dungeons & Dragons -Catan -Chess -Magic: the Gathering -Robinson Crusoe -Kemet -Creature Comforts…

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How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau

In this episode, Rob Daviau and I chat about how to playtest, receive feedback, iterate, and playtest a whole lot more.

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How to Create More Game Designers with Jay Cormier

In this episode, Jay Cormier and I chat about how to teach game design concepts to others and help them become game designers. And be sure to check out Jay’s new game design activity book HERE.

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How to Design AND Publish games with Ben Downton

In this episode, I chat with Ben Downton who designs games and runs the publishing company Prometheus Game Labs. We chat about how lonely design work can be, how to balance being creative with running a business, Board Game Arena, and more! And here’s the Board Game Arena article mentioned in the show: https://prometheusgamelabs.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/how-a-game-gets-on-board-game-arena/

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10 Steps to Go from Nothing to Crowdfunding Campaign with Kyle Sussenbach

Kyle Sussenbach and I chat about how to get started in creating a publishing business and how to go from absolutely nothing to launching a crowdfunding campaign.

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71 Ways to Become a Better Game Designer with Gabe Barrett

In this episode, I talk through pretty much every tip about game design that I can think of! And if you want to see the video version, you can check it out on YouTube HERE.

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Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire

In this episode, I chat with Jason Tagmire about everything related to 18-card games. We talk about designing, publishing, manufacturing, shipping, marketing, crowdfunding, and more!

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How to Craft the Perfect Player Experience with Jonny Pac

In this episode, I chat with Jonny Pac about how to create games that fully engage players and keep them coming back for more. We talk about the difference between puzzles and games, designing for different types of players, utilizing randomness, fuzzy logic, and a whole lot more!

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How to Design Fun Games with James Ernest

In this episode, I chat with James Ernest about how to make a game that doesn’t just work mechanically but is also a lot of fun to play. We talk about how to identify when testers are having fun, the design decisions that create fun experiences, utilizing surprise, and a whole lot more. You can…

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How to Have Massive Success on Kickstarter with Amy and Dusty Droz

In this episode, I chat with Amy and Dusty Droz who raised over $1 million on Kickstarter as first-time creators with a game that only costs $39. You can late back their game, Botany, here: https://botany.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

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How to Get Featured on Podcasts and Sound Great with Justin Kral

In this episode, I give my best advice on how to reach out to content creators and get featured on podcasts, and I chat with my friend, Justin Kral, a professional audio engineer about how to create an audio setup that sounds great.

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My Crowdfunding Failure: A Post Mortem with Andrew Lowen

In this episode, I chat with Andrew Lowen, and we break down a recent crowdfunding campaign I ran that I had to cancel. I talk about the mistakes I made and what I’m doing to fix things as I get ready to relaunch the campaign.

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Art, Working with Artists, and Becoming Your Best Creative Self with Jorge Velez

Jorge Velez, professional illustrator, discusses topics related to art and creativity. We talk about how comparison destroys creative people, how to make your own luck, the different paths to becoming a pro artist, best practices for finding and working with artists, and a whole lot more.

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The Legal Side of Creating Games with Zachary Strebeck

Zachary Strebeck, a lawyer who specializes in games, dives into the many legal issues that arise when bringing games to life and getting them on the market. We talk about clauses to look out for in contracts, the pros and cons of NDAs, what you need to know about copyrights and trademarks, and a whole…

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How to Balance Game Design with a Full Time Job with Sen-Foong Lim

In this episode, Sen-Foong Lim talks about how he balances his 50+ hour a week teaching job with working on 40+ games a year. We talk about how to design like crazy without burning out, how to get into a flow state, the myth of being self-made, how to work with co-designers, and a whole…

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How to Work on Lots of Projects at Once with Peter C. Hayward

Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking about how a hyper-creative person can pursue lots of different projects and actually get things done.

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How to Make Money Designing Games with Jamey Stegmaier

In this episode, Jamey Stegmaier talks about how to make money creating games. We talk about how to monetize creativity and the many roadblocks people run into. Jamey unpacks what he would do if he had to start over and build a publishing company from scratch. He opens up about his biggest financial mistake. We…

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So, where were we?

Here’s a quick update about the relaunching of the podcast and the future of the Board Game Design Lab. Lots of cool things ahead!

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See You Space Cowboy with Gabe Barrett and Jamey Stegmaier

Today’s show is the final episode of the BGDL podcast for the foreseeable future. Jamey Stegmaier, the show’s very first guest, joins me, and we talk through the past, present, and future of the BGDL, and I talk a lot about what’s next for me.  I tell lots of stories, get a bit emotional, and talk…

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(Celebrating 300 Episodes!) The Design Journey of Alan Moon

I’m celebrating the podcast’s 300th episode by chatting with Alan Moon, the designer of Ticket to Ride.We go through his long career in the gaming industry, discuss the genesis of Ticket to Ride, chat about playtesting and pitching, and more!

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Our Best Game Design Advice with Peter C. Hayward

Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking through our absolute best tips and advice for game designers.We split the conversation into two parts: new designers and experienced designers. And we talk through our own successes and failures. And be sure to check out Peter’s latest game, Sunshine City, which you can…

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Designing Games with Your Kids with Patrick McNeil

Patrick Mcneil, from McMeeple Games, discusses what it’s like to design games with his children.Patrick has been creating games with his kids for years and has gotten many of the designs to the point of being fully published games. We talk about being intentional, setting the right expectations, overcoming negative feedback, and more.

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Designing Games Based on Real-Life Systems with Ben Rosset

Ben Rosset, designer of The Search for Planet X, talks about how to design games based on real-life systems and processes.​Ben has designed games based on aging cheese, brewing beer, finding planets, manufacturing board games, and many other themes that happen in the real world, so we have quite a bit to chat about.

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How to Design Take That Games with Steph and Jess Nguyen

Jess and Steph Nguyen, from Hot Potatoz, talk about how to design take that games. We talk about finding a good balance of fun, game length, and hurt feelings. And we get into finding the right audience, playtesting, and more.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Design Drafting Games with Jesse Stacy

Jesse Stacy, from Triceratops Games, discusses how to design drafting games. Jesse has been working on a drafting style game for a while, and we dive into the different types, how to keep a game moving, stacking other mechanisms, and more.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] The 3 Stages of Prototyping with Gino Brancazio

Gino Brancazio, from Tinkerbot Games, talks about the three stages of prototyping, and we discuss what you need to know depending on which stage you’re in.

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How to Get the Most out of Your Crowdfunding Campaign with Andrew Lowen and Sean Bradford

Andrew Lowen and Sean Bradford, from Next Level Web, talk about how to get the most out of your crowdfunding campaign. We spend most of the time talking about different aspects of marketing and break down examples from our own campaigns of what worked and what didn’t.

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How to Run a Publishing Company with Rob Dougherty

Rob Dougherty, founder of Wise Wizard Games, talks about how to run a successful publishing company. We talk about how Rob got started, how to actually make money, how to use Kickstarter effectively, and more.

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Designing Open World Games with Ryan Laukat

Ryan Laukat, designer of Sleeping Gods, talks about designing open world games. Sleeping Gods is a phenomenal example of how a board game can pull off the open world experience, and we do a deep dive into basically every aspect of its design. I’ve also been working on an open world game of my own…

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Teaching Board Game Design with Matt Bivens

Matt Bivens discusses how to teach game design. Matt has been teaching design to high school kids for years, and we get into the usefulness of game design concepts, feedback, and more.

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Designing Greeting Card Games with Jess Metheringham

Jess Metheringham, founder of Dissent Games, talks about designing games that are housed completely on greeting cards. We talk about the value of constraints, holiday themes, and more.

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How to Design a Race Game with Kathleen Mercury

Kathleen Mercury, designer of Greece Lightning, talks about designing race games. We talk about meshing a racing theme with mechanisms that actually feel like a race, different ways to win, general design concepts, and more.

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How to Design Asymmetrical Games with Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu

Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu, designers of Slash and Spells, talk about designing asymmetrical games. We talk about creating interesting differences, balancing factions, the challenges of playtesting these kinds of games, and more. And be sure to check out Stephen and Floyd’s game on Kickstarter HERE!

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How to Design Route Building Games with Ted Alspach

Ted Alspach, designer of Maglev Metro and several other route building games, talks about what makes these games special. We talk about themes that mesh well with the mechanism, end conditions, keeping players interested, and more.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Print-on-Demand Publishing with Arthur Franz

Arthur Franz, founder of Uplink Underground Games, discusses what it looks like to run a publishing company that’s based on print-on-demand manufacturing. We talk about pros and cons, pricing challenges, community building, and more.

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The Design Process of Phil Walker-Harding

Phil Walker-Harding, designer of Sushi Go, Barenpark, Imhotep, Gizmos, and several other great games, takes us behind the scenes of his personal design process. We talk about coming up with ideas, honing big ideas into super fun games, knowing when to walk away from a design, pitching to publishers, and more.

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How to Multiply Your Time with Carla Kopp

Carla Kopp, from Weird Giraffe Games, discusses how to multiply your time and get more done. Carla runs multiple companies while also designing games and creating solo modes for other designers’ games, so she’s had to figure out how to create more hours in the day. We talk about time management, scheduling, and all sorts…

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How to Design 2 Player Games with Alf Seegert

Alf Seegert, designer of Haven, discusses how to design two-player games. Alf has designed several published two-player games, and we talk about tension, component limitations, delivering on expectations, and more. Alf Seegert’s Designer Diary for his latest game, Illumination, which includes a lot of information about his other games as well.  His website. You can find…

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Community Building with Carol Mertz and Elan Lee

Carol Mertz and Elan Lee, from Exploding Kittens, discuss how to build a community. ​​We talk about their record-setting Kickstarter campaign, building relationships with customers, guerrilla marketing techniques, and what it looks like to focus on the “crowd” portion of crowdfunding. And be sure to check out their latest Kickstarter project, Hand to Hand Wombat,…

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Building a Million Dollar Board Game Company with Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark

Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark, designers of Tenzi and owners of Carma Games, discuss how they built a game publishing company that’s made several million dollars.They tell their origin story, share guerrilla marketing techniques, discuss mistakes they’ve made, and much more. Also, you can get 20% off in the Carma Games online store by using…

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing Monster Taming Games with Tyler Langtimm

Tyler Langtimm, designer of Moxie: A Journey of Monsters, discusses how to design a game about monster taming (think Pokemon). Tyler has been working on a monster hunting/taming game for a while (and so have I), so we have quite a lot to talk about. We get into exploration, combat, puzzles, progression, and more.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Promote Your Game in Facebook Groups with Thomas Covert

Thomas Covert, founder of the Board Game Revolution Facebook group, dives into how to promote your game in Facebook groups without seeming like a slimy used car salesman. We talk about asking for feedback, how to create engaging posts (and when to post them), paid promotion, and more.

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Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn

Steve Finn, founder of Dr. Finn’s Games, discusses how to design set collection games. Steve has designed a ton of games with this mechanism including Biblios, Herbaceous, and Sunset over Water, so he has a lot to say on the topic. And be sure to check out Steve’s Latest game on Kickstarter HERE.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Creating a Business Plan with Jasper Burch

Jasper Burch, founder of Pine Island Games, dives into business plans and why you probably need one.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Component First Game Design with Scott Smith

Scott Smith, designer of Dungeon Drop, discusses how to design games by starting with the components. Scott has become a master at this, and it’s an interesting way to approach design that often begins with theme or a mechanism.

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Manufacturing Frequently Asked Questions with Hersh Glueck

Hersh Glueck, founder of Hero Time Manufacturing, discusses the most common pitfalls and frequently asked questions when it comes to printing a board game.Hersh lives in China and started a manufacturing company several years ago, so he has a ton of experience and knowledge when it comes to bringing a game to life. We also get into…

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The Making of Imperium with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle

David Turczi and Nigel Buckle discuss the making of their hit games Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends.We talk through everything from the initial idea all the way to getting the games published and onto people’s tables.

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Designing Storytelling Games with Jerry Hawthorne

Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses how to design a game that focuses on storytelling.Jerry has created several super popular storytelling games (and has a new one about to come out), and we dive into writing, scenario design, combat mechanisms, and more.

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Entangled Decision Making in Games with Fabio Lopiano

Fabio Lopiano, designer of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, discusses how to use entangled decision-making as the primary mechanism in a game.In several of Fabio’s designs, players have to make choices based on how things like resources and actions are paired together or “entangled.” We unpack everything that goes into designing games that…

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How to Design a Cooperative Game with Mike Kelley

Mike Kelley, designer of Mega Man Adventures, discusses cooperative games and what goes into designing a good one.Mike has been designing and reviewing cooperative games for years, and we dive into both creating co-op games and how to stand out to reviewers and gamers.

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Designing a Trading Card Game in the Modern Era with Assad Quraishi

Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, discusses everything to think about if you want to design a trading card game for today’s market.We talk about how to get started, building an audience, when to go to Kickstarter, how to stand out, and more.

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Thematically Informed Game Design with Jonny Pac

Jonny Pac, designer of Merchants Cove and lots of other games, discusses his process of finding the perfect mesh of theme and mechanisms.We talk about his approach to theme in his various games, research, and what it looks like for mechanics to make sense inside the theme.

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Using Blue Ocean Strategy in Game Design with Marvin Hegen

Marvin Hegen, designer of Mindbug, discusses how to use a blue ocean strategy in game design and game publishing.We talk about blue ocean vs red ocean concepts, how the strategy can help you pitch games, marketing, and more.

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How to Expand on a Core Idea with Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson

Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, designers of the Undaunted series, discuss how to take a solid core idea and then expand on it.We talk about the making of Undaunted games, what goes into creating expansions, standalone sequels, and new games with similar DNA to previous designs.

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How to Put a New Twist on a Familiar Genre with Ariel Rubin and Juliana Moreno

Ariel Rubin and Juliana Moreno, designers of the Escape Room in a Box series, discuss what it takes to put a new twist on a familiar genre.Over the last few years, they’ve designed and published several games that brought new angles and fresh ideas to various different genres, so we dive into lots of great…

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Designing Games with Higher Player Counts with Darren Terpstra

Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite, discusses what to be aware of when designing games that go up to six or more playersWe talk about the pros and cons of higher player count games, balance, finding playtesters, and more.

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Top 10 Photoshop Tips for Game Designers with Nicolas Fournier

Nicolas Fournier, designer of Megapulse, breaks down his top 10 Photoshop tips and tricks to help game designers.

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A Game about Game Design with Jon Spike

Jon Spike, designer of Gamestormers, discusses his game about designing board games (it gets a bit meta). I think it’s an excellent way to introduce new people to the game design hobby and also might make for a helpful resource for seasoned designers.

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How to Design a Pick-up and Deliver Game with Marcel Köhler

Marcel Köhler, designer of Dutch Resistance: Orange Shall Overcome!, discusses what all goes into designing a pick-up and deliver game.We talk about how to make things thematic, the best number of resources, route obstacles, and more. And be sure to check out Marce’s pick-up and deliver game on Kickstarter HERE.​​

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The Pros and Cons of Doing Everything Yourself with Malachi Ray Rempen

Malachi Ray Rempen, designer of Roll Camera, discusses the pros and cons of doing all the main aspects of design, art, and publishing yourself.Malachi has both worked with others and done everything himself, so he can speak well on both perspectives. And be sure to check out Malachi’s expansion for Roll Camera on Kickstarter HERE.

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How to Reach the Next Generation with Lucas Sosnick

Lucas Sosnick, designer of Crisis on Cardea, discusses different ways we can bring young people into both gaming and game design.Lucas is seventeen years old and has been both a gamer and a designer for a while, so he gives an inside look at what we can do to make the hobby a more welcoming…

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Collecting and Analyzing Playtest Data with Robert Longtin

Robert Longtin, professional data analyst, discusses all angles of playtest data. We talk about what data to collect, when to collect it, how to collect it, how to analyze it, and more. Learn more about Robert’s games HERE.

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Bipolarity, Depression, and Using Game Design to Cope with Morten Monrad Pedersen

Morten Monrad Pedersen, from Automa Factory and Stonemaier Games, dives into a more serious topic as we discuss bipolarity, depression, and using game design to cope.Morten was diagnosed with bipolarity several years ago and sheds a ton of light on the subject. He goes into a lot about his own personal journey and how games…

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A Look Behind the Scenes at Exploding Kittens with Carol Mertz

Carol Mertz, senior game designer at Exploding Kittens, gives us a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a major publisher.We talk about timelines, working with internal and external designers, pursuing excellent game ideas, how to get a job at Exploding Kittens, and more.

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A Word of Encouragement from Gabe Barrett

Today, it’s just me, and I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Pursuing a creative lifestyle can be incredibly difficult, so I wanted to do an episode to help you stay motivated and inspired.

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Designing Games Based on a Standard Deck of Cards with Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale

Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale, from Badgers from Mars, talk about how to design a game based on nothing more than a standard deck of cards.We talk about their game Regicide (currently number one on BGG’s Hotness list), pros and cons of such tight constraints, marketing, and more.

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How to Design Trick Taking Games with Fertessa Allyse

Fertessa Allyse, producer at Funko Games, talks about how to design a trick taking game.We talk about table talk, bringing new ideas to the genre, what to look for while playtesting, and more. And be sure to check out Fertessa’s trick taking game, Wicked and Wise, on Kickstarter HERE. *Also, at one point, I mention UNO as a trick taking game,…

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Skill Barriers in Games with Jeff Fraser

Jeff Fraser, designer of Cartouche, talks about various skill barriers in games and what you should be aware of when designing games with elements like spatial reasoning, dexterity, memory, math, and negotiation.We talk about playtesting these elements, designing based on your target audience, and more. And be sure to check out Jeff’s game, Cartouche, on Kickstarter HERE.​

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How and Why You Should Create Print-n-Play Games with Rachel Bruner

Rachel Bruner, designer of Harsh Shadows, talks about how to create print-n-play games and the many reasons why you might want to.Rachel is super active in the PnP community, and we discuss her thoughts on best practices, tools of the trade, getting a PnP game published, and more. And here are all the links and whatnot that were discussed…

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How to Turn a Video Game into a Board Game with Perry Burkum

Perry Berkum, founder of Game Decks, talks about how to turn a video game into a board game.Perry’s company has published several board games inspired by video games, and we talk about theme, mechanisms, licensing, marketing, and more.

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(Community Spotlight) Using InDesign and Data Merge with Jeff Turner

In another BGDL community spotlight, Jeff Turner, founder of Skip Work Play Games, dives into how to use InDesign to do data merge and speed up your prototyping process.Data merge makes it easy to edit or change hundreds of cards with one click, and we get into both high-level concepts and technical how-to.

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Developing Games and Working with Developers with Anthony Howgego

Anthony Howgego, developer at Osprey Games, what goes into developing a game and nearly everything else surrounding development.We talk about taking games from good to great, how to work with a developer effectively, how to become a developer, and more.

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How to Make a Super Thematic Game and Do Research with Dave Beck

Dave Beck, designer of Distilled, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.Dave did a TON of research for his latest game, hired experts, and dove as deeply into the theme as he could. So, he’s got a lot of advice for anyone wanting to make a super thematic game. And be sure to check out Dave’s game, Distilled, on…

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Experiential Graphic Design with Kate Otte

Kate Otte, designer of First Ascent, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.Kate is a professional graphic designer, and we get into how to make games more accessible, understandable, and fun using excellent graphic design techniques. And be sure to check out Kate’s game, First Ascent, on Kickstarter HERE.

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(Community Spotlight) Evaluating Your Game with SWOT Analysis with Nick Murray

Nick Murray, founder of Bitewing Games, discusses how you can evaluate your game and ideas using SWOT analysis. This is a common technique in the business world to analyze ideas, products, companies, etc., and it can really help with game design as well.

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(Community Spotlight) Layered Victory Conditions with Dan Hundycz

Dan Hundycz, founder of DPH Games, discusses layered victory conditions. In his latest game, Usurp the King, there’s a hierarchy of ways to win, and Dan breaks down how it came together. And be sure to check out Usurp the King on Kickstarter HERE.

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How to Design and Publish Games with Justin Gary

Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, talks about his personal process for designing and publishing games.Justin has designed and released a ton of hit games over the years and worked in lots of different segments of the gaming industry, so he has a ton of great tips and advice.

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Why to Self Publish…or Not with Andrew Lowen

Andrew Lowen, designer of Deliverance, talks about going through the process of deciding between traditional publishing and self-publishing.We talk about the pros and cons on both sides along with how to make things work if you go the self-publishing route. And be sure to check out Andrew’s game, Deliverance, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Puzzle Games with Janice Turner

Janice Turner, designer of Assembly, talks about designing puzzle games.We talk about player experience, designing during nap times, how to make puzzles fun and not tedious, and more! And be sure to check out Janice’s game, Pilfering Pandas, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Games that Fit in an Envelope with Ben Downton

Ben Downton, designer of Micro Dojo, talks about designing micro-micro games – games so small they can fit in a regular-sized envelope.We talk about component constraints, focus, player expectations, and more! And be sure to check out Ben’s game, Micro Dojo, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Deck Building and MORE with Josh Horsley

Josh Horsley, designer of Castlescape, talks about designing deck-building games that have more going on than just building a deck.We talk about adding boards and other components, and we get into the benefits and obstacles of creating these kinds of games. And be sure to check out Josh’s game, Castlescape, on Kickstarter HERE.

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BGDL+ is live!

Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio

Ami Baio, designer of You Think You Know Me and several other conversation-based games, talks about what all goes into designing and publishing them.We talk about how to create gaming environments that encourage people to talk, listen, and enjoy chatting with each other.

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[Community Spotlight] Turning Big Games into Microgames with Joe Klipfel

Joe Klipfel, designer of Griphold Tower, discusses what it’s like to take a large, published game and turn it into a microgame. Joe has done this with Set a Watch and Gloomhaven and offers lots of insight on how to break a game down to its essence.

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[Community Spotlight] Customer Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction with Marco Pecota

Marco Pecota, designer of Legions of Steel, discusses the ways he’s engaging with the fans of his game. We talk about building a community, releasing bonus content, reaching out to your fans for feedback, and more.

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Why I Deleted Social Media from My Phone

About a month ago, I spent several hours doing a self-assessment of my life. I wasn’t sleeping well, which was a huge problem since I already wasn’t sleeping much. Usually, I can overcome a lack in quantity by an increase in quality, but when both of those things are bad, I find myself in a…

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How to Design Euro Games with Martin Wallace

Martin Wallace, designer of Brass: Birmingham and about 100 other great games, talks about Euro games and his process for designing them.Martin is one of the greatest designers of all time, and he offers tons of excellent advice based on his 30+ years in the industry.

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Getting a Job in the Board Game Industry with Joe Slack

Joe Slack, designer Relics of Rajavihara, talks about the many different jobs in the board gaming industry and how people have found their way to those jobs.Joe recently released a book devoted to this topic, so we talk a lot about what he found through his interviews and research. And you can find Joe’s latest book about jobs in…

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How to Design Social Experiences with Nick Metzler

Nick Metzler, game designer at Spin Master, talks about designing games that create excellent social experiences.We also dive into chasing dreams, overcoming obstacles, and gamification.​

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Optimizing Game Design Time with Trevor Laforce

BGDL community member Trevor Laforce discusses how to optimize your life to get more designing done in less time.We talk about habits, time management, and self-management in the context of designing games while also having a job, family, and busy schedule. And you can find Trevor’s daily planner and more time optimization content on his…

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The Board Game Identity Pyramid with Dennis Furia

Dennis Furia talks about the board game identity pyramid.The pyramid is an excellent tool and framework to help you break down a game into its main selling points and help you figure out the why, what, and how behind your game. You can find more about the pyramid HERE.

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Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman

Laura Hoffman, COO of Game on Tabletop, discusses the ins and outs, pros and cons of crowdfunding your game.Game on Tabletop is a crowdfunding platform specifically for board game campaigns, and Laura has a ton of experience working with creators and project managers.​

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Taxes for Designers and Publishers with Wade Hayes

Wade Hayes designer of Poetic License, dives into everyone’s favorite topic…taxes. We talk about lots of the major accounting topics designers and publishers need to be aware of.Wade is a tax pro, and this episode will be super helpful in making sure you stay in the government’s good graces (assuming you’re in the U.S.). Here’s an excellent tax guide PDF…

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Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout

Joe Hout, designer of Dungeon Draft, talks about how to design a roll and write game.Joe has designed quite a few roll and writes, and we get into dice vs cards, combos, player counts, and more. And be sure to check out Joe’s game Dice in the Darkness and play along on Twitch HERE.

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BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu

In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Alex Lu, designer of Dogs Bond, discusses how to implement interchangeable win conditions in a game.

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BGDL Community Spotlight – Designing a Game a Week with Wayne Koenig

In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Wayne Koenig, designer of lots of games, discusses his experience and process of designing a brand new game every single week.

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Designing Massive Games with Isaac Childres

Isaac Childres designer of Gloomhaven, talks about how to design games that are massive in scope.Gloomhaven is a 25-pound box of hours upon hours of gameplay, and we dive into design challenges, player progression, marketing, and more.

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Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry

Sara Perry, designer of Gift of Tulips, talks about all the many angles of shipping and logistics.Sara handles logistics for quite a few publishers (including me), and we talk about vetting fulfillment partners, shipping rates, what to think about if you’re just a game designer, and more. And be sure to check out Sara’s game on Kickstarter HERE.​

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Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted: Wode Ridge with Gabe Barrett

Today, it’s just me on the show, and I’m discussing different angles of designing and publishing solo games, and I’m talking through the design process for my latest solo game, Hunted: Wode Ridge.I talk about pros, cons, design challenges, the business side of things, and more. And you can check out Hunted: Wode Ridge on…

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Overcoming Failure with James Fazio

James Fazio, founder of Pique Games, discusses how to overcome failure in game design and game publishing.We talk about defining success, the danger of comparison, taking feedback gracefully, and more.

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Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade

Azhelle Wade, the toy coach, discusses how to design board games for the mass market and toy industry.We talk about “toyetic” games, patents, pitching to publishers, contraption based games, and more.

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How to Design Digital Board Games with Justin Chu

Justin Chu, founder of Mobo Games, discusses how to design board games made specifically for the digital space.We talk about the pros and cons of digital-only board games along with the many things to think about and to be aware of when traveling into this side of the market.

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How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moynihan

Debbie Moynihan, COO of White Wizard Games, discusses how to market yourself, your game, and your company.Whether you’re a designer pitching to a publisher or wanting to run Kickstarter campaigns of your own, you’ll find some great wisdom in this one. Debbie also breaks down the seven P’s of marketing.

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How to Process Feedback with John D’Angelo

John D’Angelo, desinger of Runelords, discusses how to receive, process, and utilize feedback.Whether you’re talking to playtesters, gamers, members of your target audience, or anyone else, it’s important to know how to take in feedback, and it’s vital to know how to use it to make your games better. And be sure to check out John’s game,…

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Crafting a Humorous Experience with Grant Lyon

Grant Lyon, desinger of Curmudgeon, discusses everything that goes into crafting a fun and humorous gaming experience.Grant is a professional stand-up comic, and we talk about joke theory, humor in rulebooks, party games, and more.

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How to Make the Game Design Community a Brighter Place with Your Friend Ben Moy

Your friend Ben Moy, desinger of Breakdancing Meeples, discusses his thoughts on how to make the game design space (and subsequently the world) a better and brighter place to be a part of.We talk about joining communities that resonate with you, like Girls’ Game Shelf and TGC Designer Discussion, using emojis and GIFs to foster relationships, reminding yourself…

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How to Design Games for the Mass Market with Leslie Scott and Freddie Scott Vollrath

Leslie Scott, desinger of Jenga, and Freddie Scott Vollrath, designer of Slappy Camper, discuss what all goes into designing and pitching games for the mass market.We talk about what makes a game “mass market,” getting games into museums, where to pitch game ideas, and more.

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How to Write a Great Rulebook with Mike Lee

Mike Lee, professional rulebook writer, discusses how to put together a clear, concise set of rules for your game.Mike has written rulebooks for publishers like Button Shy Games, and he’s put together the most in-depth rules writing guide I’ve ever seen. We talk about cognitive load, structure, accessibility, and more. And if you want to dive deeper,…

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Using Math to Design Better Games with Emerson Matsuuchi

Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Century: Spice Road, discusses how to use math to design better games.We talk about game balance, spreadsheets, mathematical models, and more.

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Designing a Real-Time Game with Travis Jones

Travis Jones, designer of Pendulum, discusses what all goes into the design process for a real-time game.We talk about time constraints, chaos, analysis paralysis, board layout, and more.

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Puzzles in Games with Shannon McDowell

Shannon McDowell, puzzle maker and escape room designer, discusses what designers and publishers need to think about when designing puzzle games and games with puzzles in them.Shannon has done a ton of research on puzzles and how they relate to culture and cultural biases for Wilfred Laurier University. And she has a great system for defining and…

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What Makes a Great Solo Game with Jeremy Howard

Jeremy Howard, reviewer at Man vs Meeple, discusses what makes a great solo game.Jeremy is super passionate about solo games, and we dive into examples of excellent solo games, capturing tension, solo modes for multiplayer games, and more. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

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How to Live a Creative Life with Charlie McCarron

Charlie McCarron, designer of Four Humours, discusses what it looks like for a board game designer to live a creative lifeWe talk about scheduling, self-care, betting on yourself, inspiration, and more. And be sure to check out Charlie’s game on Kickstarter HERE.​​ [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

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How to Promote a Game with Allen Wolf

Allen Wolf, founder of Morning Star Games, discusses various ways to promote a game and get the word out about it.We talk about how to contact game stores, traditional media, digital content creators, and more. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

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How to Design Games Online with Bevan Clatworthy

Bevan Clatworthy, designer of Ghostel, discusses all the different angles of bringing a game to life when you work exclusively online.Bevan has been co-designing games online since 2015, and we talk about scheduling, software, good habits, and more. And be sure to check out Bevan’s game Haunticulture on Kickstarter HERE.

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How to Design and Publish an Expansion with Patrick Lysaght

Patrick Lysaght, designer of Commissioned, discusses the process of designing and publishing an expansion for a game.We talk about the different kinds of expansions, design challenges, and what it takes to bring them to the marketplace. And be sure to check out Patrick’s expansion to Commission on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Word Games with Lori Love and Lea Velocci

Lori Love and Lea Velocci, founders of People for Goldfish, discuss the ins and outs of designing word games.We talk about components, scoring systems, accessibility, fun factor, and more. And be sure to check out Lori and Lea’s game Word Hustle on Kickstarter HERE.​​

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How to Run a Publishing Company with Scott Gaeta

Scott Gaeta, founder of Renegade Game Studio, discusses his journey to become one of the most well-known publishing companies in the industry. We talk about business advice, marketing, game development, and more!

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How to Design a Polyomino Game with Frank West

Frank West, designer of Isle of Cats, discusses the ins and outs of designing a polyomino game (games with those funny Tetris tiles). Isle of Cats is one of the best polyomino games on the market, and we get into what makes these games fun, prototyping, and more.

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How to Demo Games at Conventions with Sam Stockton

Sam Stockton, founder of B.A. Games, discusses everything you need to be planning for and thinking about when demoing your game at conventions (both in-person and online).Sam has been working conventions for years, and we get into booth setup, hiring volunteers, explaining your game, and more.

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Designing with Tabletop Simulator with Dustin Hendrickson

Dustin Hendrickson, designer of Don’t Let It Die, discusses all the ins and outs of creating your game with Tabletop Simulator.Dustin has been working with TTS for years, and we cover basically everything you need to know to get your game on the platform and why it’s a good idea to do so.

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How to Simplify a Game with Stephanie Kwok

Stephanie Kwok, designer of Ducks in Tow, discusses the process of simplifying a game down to its best possible version.Stephanie is both a designer and a publisher, so she offers both perspectives as we talk through ways to trim, cut, slice, and dice a game so that its most fun parts shine through.

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Self Care and Dealing with Designer Burnout with Kirk Dennison

Kirk Dennison, founder of Piecekeeper Games, discusses some pretty heavy topics as we get into self-care, mental health, depression, burnout, and more.Kirk went through a pretty tough time of life a while back, and we delve into issues that I believe a lot of people are struggling with right now. We also get into strategies for…

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Dice Drafting Games with Al Leduc

Al Leduc, designer of Yukon Airways, discusses what all goes into designing a dice drafting game.We talk about balance, dice mitigation, why the d6 is king, and more!

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How to Turn Gamers into Raving Fans with Casey Hill

Casey Hill, founder of Hill Gaming Company, discusses the process of turning gamers into raving fans. Casey works for the software company Bonjoro which is hyper-focused on customer engagement and retention, so we have a lot to chat about when it comes to creating raving fans.

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Why Game Design Matters with Gabe Barrett

In this episode, it’s just me and I’m talking about why game design matters. In a world with so many pressing issues, it’s easy to not realize how important games and game design really are. I tell some personal stories and also get into where the Board Game Design Lab is headed. And be sure…

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Designing Party Games with Alex Hague

Alex Hague, designer of Wavelength, discusses all the ins and outs of designing a party game. We talk about simplicity, expectations, scoring systems, time constraints, and more! And be sure to check out Alex’s game, The Fuzzies, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Miniatures with John de Campos

John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, discusses everything that goes into creating miniatures for a game. We talk about the design process, materials, manufacturing, and more. And be sure to check out John’s game, Token Terrors, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing More than Just a Game with Malachi Ray Rempen

Malachi Ray Rempen, founder of Itchy Feet, discusses what it means to design more than just a game. We talk about branding, spinoff products, merchandise, and more. And be sure to check out Malachi’s game, Roll Camera! , on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Majorities Based Games with Jon Vallerand

Jon Vallerand, founder of Subsurface Games, does a deep dive into the mechanism of majorities. We talk about the best majorities based games, ways to incentivize players, interactive play, and more. And be sure to check out Jon’s game, With a Smile and a Gun, on Kickstarter HERE.​​

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Designing Games in a Series with Justin Gary

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.

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Designing and Publishing Small Box Games with Rachael Blaske

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.

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The Design Process of Corey Konieczka

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…

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Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald

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.

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Designing Games for a Specific Audience with Phalgun Polepalli

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. 

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How to Get Involved in the Game Design Community with Danielle Reynolds

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. 

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The Making of INIS with Christian Martinez

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. 

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Designing Games that Last with Brad Talton

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…

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What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Tabletop RPGs with Hankerin Ferinale

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.

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Creating Positive Player Interaction with T.C. Petty III

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!

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How to Design a Collectible Card Game with Assad Quraishi

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…

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How to Turn Your Hobby into a Business with Chris van der Linden

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…

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Accounting, Taxes, and Game Design with Justin Marty

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…

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How to Design Miniature War Games with Marco Pecota

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.

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Designing Games that Tell Stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek

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.

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The Secret Sauce of Game Design with Peter C. Hayward

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.​​

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How to Fund a Game on Kickstarter with Gabe Barrett

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…

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What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Video Games with Charlie Cleveland

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.

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Designing a Game System with Bez Shahriari

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…

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Designing a Betting Game with Victoria Caña and Alex Uboldi

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.

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Designing Big Games with Tim Eisner

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.

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Designing a Farming Game with Juma Al-JouJou

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.

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Localization with Mohamed Alqadi

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.

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Designing a Nature-Themed Game with Erica Bouyouris

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.

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Publishing Your First Game with David Smith and Travis Winstead

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.

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The Making of Dungeon Ball with Gabe Barrett

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.

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Designing Adventure Games with Mike Gnade

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.

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Designing an Awesome Print-n-Play with Martin Gonzalvez

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.

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How to Market a Board Game (Part 2) with Andrew Lowen

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.

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How to Market a Board Game (Part 1) with Andrew Lowen

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.

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Combat Systems with Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda

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. 

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Mixing the Fine Arts with Game Design with Chris Totten

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.

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Designing a Racing Game with Omar Tarancon

Omar Tarancon, designer of Safari Turbo, discusses how to design a racing game. We talk about creating tensions, special abilities, board design and more.

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Getting the Most out of a Theme with Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire

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…

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Fulfillment, Shipping, and Logistics with Toby Truman

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.

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Time Management and Getting Things Done with Jason Brooks

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.

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Designing Games with Your Kids with David and Jordanna Santiago

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…

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The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Corkill, and Jorge Velez

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…

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Building a Collaboration Based Publishing Company with Shawn Stankewich

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.

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Designing Games for Non-Gamers with Adam McCrimmon

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.

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Celebrating 150 Episodes! with Gabe Barrett

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!

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Running an Indie Game Publishing Company with Andrew Birkett

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.

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CE Marking and Board Games with Glenn Ford

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…

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The Three Types of Creativity with JB Howell

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.

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Designing a Civilization Game with Jamey Stegmaier

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.

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Designing a Roll and Write with Odin Phong

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…

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Media and Game Design with Ann Losito

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.

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Designing 3D games with Dave Schultze

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.

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Paying Attention to Detail with Lizzy Funkhouser

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.

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Freelancing in the Gaming Industry with John Brieger

John Brieger, professional freelancer, discusses what it looks like to make a living working on board games. John is a designer, developer, editor, and more, and he’s been working on games full-time for about a year.

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Lessons Learned from Developing Games with Joe Pilkus

Joe Pilkus, professional game developer, discusses the lessons he’s learned from developing games over the years. Joe has worked on games from Stonemaier Games, Academy Games, and many other major publishers, and he’s been helping fledgling game designers online for years.

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Creating Magic Moments with Derek Funkhouser

Derek Funkhouser, designer of Walking Dead: Something to Fear, discusses how to design games that create magic moments. Derek is the lead developer at Skybound Games and loves designing so that players enjoy awesome moments that they’ll talk about for years to come.

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Designing Fantasy Themed Games with Wes Woodbury

Wes Woodbury, designer of Legends of Novus, discusses how to design a fantasy-themed game. We talk about world-building, combat systems, art, and more.  And be sure to check out Wes’s fantasy-themed board game on Kickstarter HERE.

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Rapid Iteration with Ryan Langewisch

Ryan Langewisch, designer of Tasty Humans, discusses how to create and update a game quickly and efficiently. Ryan recently won a 48-hour game jam and has gotten really good at the iteration process.

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Designing Worker Placement Games with Luke Laurie

Luke Laurie, designer of Energy Empire, discusses all the ins and outs of creating a worker placement game. Luke has a ton of experience with the genre with 4 more worker placement games set to come out over the next 2 years.

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4 Types of Gamer Experiences with Ian Zang

Ian Zang, developer for Deep Water Games, discusses 4 different types of gamer experiences. Ian has simplified and categorized different ways that people experience games, and he shares a lot to think about as designers.

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Designing a Narrative Driven Game with Nikki Valens

Nikki Valens, designer of Mansions of Madness, discusses how to design a narrative driven game. Nikki has designed some of my absolute favorite games and is a master of creating games that tell good stories.

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Designing a Tile-Laying Game with Bob and Ryan Craig

Bob and Ryan Craig, founders of One Day West Games, discuss how to design a tile-laying game. Their game, Monster Highway, is a fast-playing tile laying game about escaping from a Godzilla style monster, and they have several other tiling games in the works.

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Outdoor Mystery Games with Geert Sillevis

Geert Sillevis, founder of Mystery City Games, discusses how to design an outdoor escape room type of game. Geert’s game, “A Secret Sender,” is designed to help tourists experience Amsterdam while also enjoying a mystery game. (And it has a 5-star rating on Trip Advisor.)

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Designing an Engine Building Game with Elizabeth Hargrave

Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of Wingspan, discusses how to design engine building games. Wingspan is ranked in the top 100 on Board Game Geek, and we talk a lot about Elizabeth’s design process for creating the game.

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Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick, designer of Detective: City of Angels, discusses his own journey and his advice on how to go pro in the gaming industry. Evan works for Van Ryder Games and has been a full-time pro for over a year. And be sure to check out Hostage Negotiator: Career on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Games Based on a Licensed IP with Daryl Andrews

Daryl Andrews discusses designing games based on licensed IPs. Daryl has designed a TON of games based on comics, TV shows, and movies, and he goes through lots of ins and outs on how the process works.

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Multiple Mechanisms in a Game with Darren Terpstra

Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite, discusses designing games with multiple moving parts and several mechanisms integrated together. Ignite has quite a few mechanisms working together, so Darren has had to figure out how to make this concept work in a streamlined way. And be sure to check out Ignite on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Historical Games with Tom Butler

Tom Butler, designer of Patriots and Redcoats, discusses the design of historical games.  Tom has specialized in creating games based on history and has lots of interesting insight on the topic. And be sure to check out Tom’s new game, Paradise Lost, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Economic Games with Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell

Adam Chunn and Woody Hutsell discuss designing economic games. Adam and Woody have years of experience working in the real world of finance and economics and decided to design a game that translates those concepts into game mechanics. Check out their back-alley economic game set in a fantasy world, Plunderbund, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Modifying Published Games with Jesse Zamora

Jesse Zamora discusses modifying published games and what can be learned from the process as game designers.

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Fun AND Educational Games with John Coveyou

John Coveyou, founder of Genius Games, discusses how to design games that also happen to be educational. John is the designer of Cytosis, Subatomic, Ion, and several other well-received science based games, and he’s really figured out how to take scientific ideas and translate them into enjoyable games. 

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How to Be a Great Playtester with Peter C. Hayward

Peter C. Hayward, founder of Jellybean Games, discusses how to be a great playtester. Peter often gets paid by publishers to playtest games and probably playtests more games than anyone you know. He’s got great advice on what it looks like to be the most helpful playtester at the table. Be sure to check out Peter’s new…

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Multiple End Game Triggers with Noel Gussen

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.

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Playtesting Pro Tips with Jay Cormier

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.​​

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Teaching Game Design with Joe Slack

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.

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Product Management and Game Design with Patrick Rauland

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…

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Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire

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.

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The Game Designers Documentary with Eric Rayl

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.

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Programmable Action Games with Bill Lasek

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.

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Board Game Graphic Design with James Van Niekerk

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.

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Designing Deduction Games with Tim Fowers

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.

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Designing Area Control Games with Steven Aramini

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.

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Designing a Negotiation Game with Fabian Zimmermann

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.

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Designing a Deck Building Game with Darwin Kastle

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.

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Designing Puzzle Games with Rita Orlov

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.

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Creating an Online Playtesting Group with Daniel & Connie Kazmaier

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.

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Designing a Tabletop RPG with Stephen & Michael Stagliano

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…

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[BGDL+] My Kickstarter Post Mortem

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.

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Designing Dexterity Games with Aron West

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.

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Designing Hand Crafted Games with Jackson Pope

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.

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Designing Abstract Games with David Abelson

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.

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Gaming in the Classroom with Dustin Staats

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.

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Celebrating 100 Episodes!

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.​​

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Randomness and Player Agency with Calum Taylor

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…

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Designing Light Games with Carla Kopp

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.

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Innovative Uses of Game Components with Julio Nazario

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.

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Balancing a Game with Isaac Vega

Isaac Vega, designer of Dead of Winter, Ashes, and many others, talks about how to balance a game.Isaac has designed some of the best games in the world and has really figured out how to make sure a game feels balanced to its players.

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Augmented Reality and Board Games with Alex Maklai

Alex Macklai, designer of Sea of Nadia, talks about augmented reality and board games.Alex has been working on an AR-centric game for 2 years and has some interesting insight on the topic. For more info: www.maclaysgames.com

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Take That Games with Curt Covert

Curt Covert, designer of Tower of Madness and owner of Smirk & Dagger Games, talks about take-that games.Curt has been designing back-stabby games for years and is a wealth of information and insight on the topic. And he’s a ton of fun to talk to!

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Playtesting with Assad Quraishi

Assad Quraishi, designer of Genesis: Battle of Champions, talks about playtesting.Assad is a professional user interface designer and has a ton of insight on testing. Resources mentioned in the show: Here is some info about James Bach: His website: http://www.satisfice.com/ Some videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=james+bach Amazing Book: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/lessons-learned-in/9780471081128/ And for James Whittaker Blog from James: https://testing.googleblog.com/2009/06/james-whittaker-joins-google.html Some Videso: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=james+whittaker Good book: https://www.amazon.ca/Google-Tests-Software-James-Whittaker/dp/0321803027

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Designing Expansions with Sami Laakso

Sami Laakso, designer of Dale of Merchants, talks about designing expansions.Sami recently put together a pretty substantial expansion for his own game and has a good bit of insight on the topic. And be sure to check out Sami’s game and expansion on Kickstarter HERE.

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Removing Math from Games with Dan Peterson

Dan Peterson, head developer at Mayday Games, talks about how to streamline a game by removing math. We discuss why this is important in today’s market and various ways on how to do it effectively.

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The Cathartic Power of Game Design with Marilia Poggiali

Marilia Poggiali, designer of San Francisco vs Fog, talks about the personal tragedies she’s experienced and how game design and starting a publishing company have helped her overcome pain and find catharsis. And be sure to check out San Francisco vs Fog on Kickstarter HERE.

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How to Design a Shuffle Builder with Callin Flores

Callin Flores, designer of Guardians, discusses how the finer details of creating a shuffle builder. (Games like Smash Up.)Callin’s game takes the shuffle building mechanism to new places, and he has a lot of insight on these types of games.​​

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How to Win a Design Competition with Corry Damey

Corry Damey, designer of Seasons of Rice and winner of the BGDL Design Challenge, discusses how he’s managed to win 3 design competitions.

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Designing Family Games with Bez Shahriari

Bez Shahriari, designer of Yogi, discusses the ins and outs of creating a game made specifically for families. We go into why family games are so good for helping kids as they grow up, and we talk about a lot of things to consider when making these types of games.

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Player Psychology with Dr. Corey Butler

Dr. Corey Butler, social psychologist and avid gamer, has been conducting research on gamers for a while and has some really interesting information on player psychology based on both his formal training and his research. And check out all the really cool articles and research findings on Corey’s blog HERE.

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Pervasive Games with Greg Loring-Albright

Greg Loring-Albright is back on the show, and we’re talking about games that don’t exist on a board or even at a table. Greg has been designing games that pervade into spaces much bigger than your dining room table, and he has some really interesting insight on how and why these games work.

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3D Printing and Game Design with Kirk Dennison

Kirk Dennison of Piecekeeper Games is back on the show, and we’re talking about the various uses of 3D printing in game design. Kirk got into the world of 3D printing a while back and has found a lot of ways to put it to good use in his designs and for his company. And…

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Eric Lang’s Best Advice

Coming to you from Dice Tower Con 2018, Eric Lang had a free 20 minutes and agreed to answer some questions, so we found a not so quiet side room to chat. Eric gives his best advice on several design topics, and he provides incredible insight that all designers need to pay attention to.

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Hacking Creativity to Become the Best in the World with Gabe Barrett

BGDL founder, Gabe Barrett, talks about many of the really cool and helpful creativity/productivity hacks he’s been learning about recently.He discusses some rather interesting findings that have come from researching some of the best in the world in different fields. There are also a lot of things that you’ll hopefully find encouraging. The end of this episode has…

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How to Work with Artists with Adrienne Ezell

Adrienne Ezell, professional board game artist and art director, discusses how to work effectively with artists.Adrienne has been a pro artist for 15 years and now works full time in the board game industry. We talk communication, contracts, timelines, costs, and everything in between. Link to the 3d box maker we discussed: https://www.boxshot.com/    

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City Building Games with Ted Alspach

Ted Alspach, designer Suburbia of and founder of Bezier Games, discusses city building games.Suburbia is ranked 94th on Board Game Geek and is easily on the Mount Rushmore of city building games, so Ted really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to designing one of these types of games.

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Art Direction in Games with Nolan Nasser

Nolan Nasser, illustrator and founder of Deep Water Games, discusses art direction in board games.Nolan has a ton of experience in directing art for well known games and shares a great deal of what he’s learned over the years.

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Designing Dexterity Games with Cody Stevens

Cody Stevens, the designer of Dino Dunk, discusses dexterity games.We talk about lots of different dexterity style games, how they work, and what makes them good.

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Catch-Up Mechanisms with Joseph Z. Chen

Joseph Z Chen discusses catch-up mechanisms.Joseph is a designer and indie publisher who did a fairly in-depth analysis on ways different games keep players involved until the end. We talk about several popular games and their catch-up mechanisms as well as Joseph’s personal experiences. And don’t forget to check out Joseph’s game, Fantastic Factories, on…

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For the Love of Board Games – A Book by Erin Dean

Erin Dean, author of For the Love of Board Games, discusses her book and what she learned from the designers she interviewed. You can check out Erin’s documentary, The Board Game Boom, here.

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The Indie Game Alliance with Matt Holden

Matt Holden discusses the Indie Game Alliance.Matt started the IGA four years ago to help small publishers and designers get their games demoed at conventions and game stores, and it’s grown into a robust organization that offers quite a few services.

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Dueling Games with Brad Talton

Brad Talton, designer of BattleCon and Pixel Tactics, discusses dueling games. Brad has been creating dueling combat games for years and has found incredible success with his company, Level 99 Games.

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Coming Attractions for the BGDL

I’ve got some exciting announcements for the BGDL:1) I’m starting a new thing that will hopefully lead to an even greater sense of community. Today, with the incredible help of Chris Perea, a BGDL Discord server has launched which will offer you another way to interact with others in the community and will lead to…2) BGDL Game…

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Luck vs Skill with Richard Garfield

Richard Garfield, designer of Magic: The Gathering and a ton of other great games, discusses how to use luck and skill effectively in game design.Richard belongs on the game design Mount Rushmore and has awesome insight and advice.

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Multi-Use Cards with Jon Mietling

Jon Mietling, designer of Palm Island, discusses how to effectively design a game with multi-use cards.Jon ran an incredibly successful Kickstarter for Palm Island which is rather innovative game that focusses solely on multi-use cards as its core mechanism.

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Pitches & Sell Sheets with Jeremy Commandeur

Jeremy Commandeur, organizer of the largest Protospiel in the U.S., discusses pitches and sell sheets.Jeremy has had several designs published and has found a great deal of success in pitching to publishers and getting games signed. Sell Sheet Examples on Pinterest collected by John Brieger: https://www.pinterest.com/johnbrieger/boardgame-sell-sheets/ Sell Sheet Examples on Flickr collected by Jeremy Commandeur: https://www.pinterest.com/johnbrieger/boardgame-sell-sheets/…

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Bringing Old Designs Back to Life with Justin Jacobson

Justin Jacobson, founder of Restoration Games, discusses the process of bringing a game back to life.Justin’s entire business model is built on taking old games off the shelf and breathing new life into them, and he offers great insight on how to do it. If you’ve got some old games of your own that you shelved…

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The Two Types of Cooperative Games with Peter Hayward

Peter Hayward, founder of Jellybean Games, discusses the two types of cooperative games and what makes them work.Peter plays hundreds of prototypes a year, and he’s noticed some serious issues with the majority of the co-op prototypes he sees.

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How to Make Your Game More Accessible with Brandon Rollins

Brandon Rollins, designer of Highways & Byways, discusses accessibility in games and ways to make your designs more inclusive.Brandon is an avid blogger and consistently writes great content to help game designers. Meeple Like Us accessibility reviews Color palettes for color blindness 10 Quick Accessibility Wins for Game Developers And make sure to check out Brandon’s latest Kickstarter…

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Story Driven Games with Jerry Hawthorne

Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses story driven games and how to use narrative to create incredible gaming experiences.Jerry is a long-time veteran of the industry and specializes in games that evoke stories.

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Boxes and Packaging that Sell with Adam Rehberg

Adam Rehberg, owner of Adam’s Apple Games, discusses the finer details on what makes a box functional, fashionable, and provocative. For his day job, Adam is a packaging engineer for Target, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about. If you have box questions for Adam, you can find him on Twitter HERE. And be…

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Designing Games with Digital Elements with Vincent Vergonjeanne

Vincent Vergonjeanne, founder of Lucky Duck Games, discusses games that use digital components in their design.Vincent runs his own video game company and has been quite successful in both the digital space and the board game industry, so he really knows a lot about this topic.

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Working with a Co-Designer with Jason Mowery and Chase Williams

Jason Mowery and Chase Williams, designers of The Big Score, discuss the process of co-designing a game.We talk scheduling, conflict management, and more. Also, you can check out their new game on Kickstarter HERE. (It’s basically Ocean’s 11, the board game.)

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The King of the Hill Mechanism with Petter Olsen

Petter Olsen, designer of Kill the King, discusses the king of the hill mechanism. (We also might go into propane and propane accessories…)Petter’s new game hinges on this particular mechanism, so he knows a lot about what makes it work well.​​ You can check out his new game on Kickstarter HERE.

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Designing Micro Games with Greg Loring-Albright

Greg Loring-Albright, designer of Leviathan, discusses the ins, outs, and what-have-yous of micro games. He brings up some great points about designing small games that carry a big experience.

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Themes that Sell with Jon Gilmour

Jon Gilmour, designer of Dead of Winter, discusses how to design the experiences and themes that people can’t wait to get their hands on. Jon just seems to have an innate ability to design games that go hand in hand with what people are excited about, and he gives me a tour behind the curtain…

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Creativity and the Future of the BGDL with Gabe Barrett

Today, it’s just me on the podcast, and I’m discussing creativity, time management, and the future of the BGDL.I’ve learned a lot of really great stuff about the creative process, and I want to share with you some of the things that have been helping me with my game designs.And then I want to tell…

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How a Publisher Develops Games with Alan Emrich

Alan Emrich, founder of Victory Point Games, discusses how a publisher approaches the development process when taking a game from prototype to store shelf. Alan has been in the gaming industry for four decades and brings a great deal of experience and insight into this conversation. Both designers and publishers will benefit from what he…

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Digital Prototyping on Tabletopia with Artyom Nichipurov

Artyom Nichipurov (Arty for short), designer of Guards of Atlantis: Tabletop MOBA, discusses Tabletopia and gives lots of tips and tricks on how to get your prototype up and running on the system. Tabletopia can be an extremely useful resource for playtesting, demoing, and pitching your game. If you need some help with the software,…

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Designing Social Deduction Games with Don Eskridge

Don Eskridge, designer of The Resistance, discusses all the ins and outs of creating a social deduction game.The Resistance is one of the most popular games ever made that lets you lie directly to your friends’ faces, and Don has designed several more of these types of games, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about. And…

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How to Create an Awesome Rulebook with Dustin Schwartz

Dustin Schwartz, professional rulebook writer, discusses what makes a great rulebook and lots of tips and tricks on how to put together a ruleset that’s easy to teach and easy to learn. Dustin wrote 40 rulebooks in 2017 and is looking to write 100 in 2018, so he’s got a TON of experience on what…

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Designing Legacy Games with Jamey Stegmaier

Jamey Stegmaier is back on the show, and we’re talking Legacy Games. Jamey’s game, Charterstone, just came out, and it’s quite possibly the most ambitious Euro game in existence as it takes all the legacy style elements and applies them to a worker placement experience.Jamey is one of the best designers on the planet, and…

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Crafting the Player Experience with Matt Leacock

Matt Leacock, designer of a little game called Pandemic, discusses how to craft the player experience.​Matt is one of the most well-known designers in the world, and he’s learned how to finely tune a game to give players the desired experience. Previously, he worked for companies like Apple and Yahoo developing UX for various products,…

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Shipping, Fulfillment, and Fulfillment Services with Seth Grier

Seth Grier, vice president of Quartermaster Logistics, discusses the ins and outs of shipping, fulfillment, and fulfillment services.Whether you’re looking to ship games out of your garage or hire a service to do it for you, this episode is for you as Seth goes into the nuts and bolts of things to be aware of when shipping board…

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Designing Escape Room Games with Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin

Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin, designers of Escape Room in a Box, discuss the ins and outs of creating an escape room game.Juliana and Ariel are busy moms who find time to get together and design games, and they have a ton of insight on what makes a great escape experience. Escape Room in a Box was…

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Creating Religious Themed Games with Andrew Harmon

Andrew Harmon, designer of Portals and Prophets, discusses religious themed games.Andrew designed a time travel game with a Biblical theme, and we talk the ins and outs of how to bring a religious themed game to life. We also talk about how not to offend too many people along the way. Also, Andrew’s game is out on Kickstarter right now….

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Designing Scenario Based Games with Sami Laakso

Sami Laakso, owner of Snowdale Design, discusses how to design a scenario based game.Sami is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s been working on a campaign driven game with legacy elements for over 2 years. We discuss what he’s learned throughout the design process, and he gives lots of tips and tricks. And you can find Sami’s…

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How to Iterate like a BOSS with Kirk Dennison

Today, Kirk Dennison, owner of Piecekeeper Games, discusses how to efficiently create new versions of a game and iterate like a boss Kirk is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s obsessed with efficiency. He gets into some serious nuts and bolts about saving time and moving from one version to the next. And…

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Intertwining Theme and Mechanics with Scott Rogers

Scott Rogers, designer of Rayguns and Rocketships, discusses how to intertwine theme and mechanics.Scott has been designing both video and board games for years and teaches game design at the University of Southern California. Scott also does the “History of a Board Game” segments on the Dice Tower and Ludology podcasts. And the Jack Vasal Memorial Fund auction mentioned in…

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How a First Time Publisher Gets Funded on Kickstarter with Andrew Birkett

Andrew Birkett, founder of Atheris Games, discusses how he started a publishing company and got his first game 200% funded on Kickstarter. We talk about tips for pre-campaign preparation, overcoming the mid-campaign slump, finishing strong, and more.

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Project Management and Working with Virtual Teams with Timo Multamaki

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…

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The Making of Scythe with Jamey Stegmaier

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.

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THEME! And How to Bring It Out with Evan Derrick

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.

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Designing Horror Themed Games with Danny Lott

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.

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How to Hustle and Get Things Done with Carla Kopp

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.

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Learning Styles and Writing Rulebooks with Jason Perez

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.

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Going from Game to Sellable Product with Randy Hoyt

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.

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Sports Themed Games with Fabio Del Rio

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.

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Graphic Design and Its Effect on the Player Experience with Daniel Aronson

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.

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Let’s Talk Game Reviews with Lance Myxter the Undead Viking

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…

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Lessons Learned as a Small Publisher with Marshall Britt

Marshall Britt, owner of Yanaguana Games, talks about all the mistakes he’s made and lessons he’s learned as a small game publisher.

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How to Design a Solo Game with Hermann Luttmann

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.

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Designing Outdoor Games with Denny Weston

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.

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How to Design a Great Family Game with James Hudson

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.

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How to Work on Multiple Games at the Same Time with Daryl Andrews

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.

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Lessons Learned from Following Game Designers Around with Alex Hall and Gin Yu

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…

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Taking a Design from Good to Great with Seth Jaffee

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.

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Designing a Good AI System with Richard Launius

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.

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Getting the Most out of a Design Convention with Tony Miller

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.

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Keeping a Design from Getting out of Hand with Gil Hova

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.

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Advice from a Kickstarter Expert with Daniel Zayas

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.

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Why Game Design Is Important with Gabe Barrett

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.

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Lessons Learned from Blind Playtesting with Mike Mihealsick

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.

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Cthulhu Themed Games with Chris Kirkman

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.

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Creating a Great Solo Variant with Morten Pedersen

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…

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Designing an Asymmetrical Game with Patrick Leder

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.

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Content as Marketing with Chris Rowlands

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…

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How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau

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.

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The Ins & Outs of Printing with a Vice President from Panda Game Manufacturing, Brent Kinney

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…

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Lessons Learned from Playing 5000+ Games with Tom Vasel

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…

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How to Organize a Design Space with Sen-Foong Lim

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  

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Custom Components in Your Game with Edo Baraf

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…

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Why a Publisher Might Reject Your Game and How to Handle It with Dan Peterson

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…

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How to Design a Great Cooperative Game with JT Smith

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…

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A Day in the Life of a Pro Designer with Jamey Stegmaier

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…

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How to Make a Great Hidden Movement Game with Emerson Matsuuchi

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.

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The Intersection of Art and Game Design with Ryan Laukat

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…

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The Importance of Story in Games with Jerry Hawthorne

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…

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How to Get Your Game Published with Stephen Buonocore

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…

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Advice, Cthulu, and How to Create an Epic Gaming Experience with Richard Launius

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.

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Why Good Reviews Aren’t Always the Magic Bullet with Jay Vales

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…

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Going Pro in the Gaming Industry with Colby Dauch

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…

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How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100K+ Success with Mike Strickland

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…

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How to Create the Perfect 2 Player Experience with Rahdo

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,…

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How to Work with a Co-Designer with Luke Laurie

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.

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What I Wish I Would Have Known before I Got into Game Design with Jamey Stegmaier

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.

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