GameTek Classic 141 - Game States
In this classic GameTek, Geoff wraps up his discussion of entropy and statistical mechanics by exploring the way that disorder and energy flow through a game system. Duration: 6:19
Dec 04, 2016•6 min
Ludology
Welcome to Ludology, an analytical discussion of the how’s and why’s of the world of board games. Rather than news and reviews, Ludology explores a variety of topics about games from a wider lens, and discusses game history, game design and game players.
Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.
Episodes
Ludology 141 - The Realtime Housewives of New Jersey
Mike and Geoff dive into real time games. What design techniques work for this mechanism? What does it do to the player experience? Duration: 1:00:50
Nov 27, 2016•1 hr 1 min
GameTek Classic 140 - Statistical Mechanics
In this classic GameTek Geoff continues his exploration of thermodynamics by talking about Statistical Mechanics and what it tells us about the world. Duration: 7:05
Nov 20, 2016•7 min
Ludology Episode 140 - Training Day
Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome guest Mark Herman to the program. Mark is the designer of a slew of games, including the first Card Driven Game (CDG) We The People . His latest design is Churchill . However the focus of our conversation is on Mark's work designing and executing simulations for the military and businesses, to test out their assumptions and strategies. He details these in his book Wargaming For Leaders . Duration 1:16:59...
Nov 13, 2016•1 hr 17 min
GameTek Classic 139 - Entropy
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the scientific concept of entropy. Duration: 5:32
Nov 06, 2016•6 min
Fog of Wallace
Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into Martin Wallace's latest game, Via Nebula. They look at all the design choices, from game play to theme to production. Duration: 1:09:04
Oct 30, 2016•1 hr 9 min
GameTek Classic 138 - Lead Changes
In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at lead changes, and some simple mathematical models that reveal some surprising truths. Duration: 06:31
Oct 23, 2016•7 min
Ludology Episode 138 - Hug To Win
Mike and Geoff discuss the different ways you can win a game, and how that effects the design and player experience. Duration: 1:13:29
Oct 16, 2016•1 hr 13 min
GameTek Classic 137 - Incompleteness
In this classic GameTek Geoff examines rules as a logical structure, and the way that relates to math concepts of axioms and completeness. Duration: 06:28
Oct 09, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 137 - A Thorn in the PA
Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome two of the designers of Thornwatch , Mike Krahulik and Mike Selinker, to discuss their game design process, and their views on gaming culture. Mike Krahulik is the artist for the popular webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder with Jerry Holkins. Mike Selinker is founder of Lone Shark games, and designer of many titles, including the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game . Duration: 1:15:33...
Sep 29, 2016•1 hr 16 min
GameTek Classic 136 - Hidden But Trackable
In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses games with 'Hidden But Trackable' information. Is it OK to write things down? Duration: 06:19
Sep 25, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 136 - Thinking Inside The Box
Mike and Geoff discuss the way that constraints, both internal and external, affect the design process. They are pleased to welcome guest Grant Rodiek, designer of Cry Havoc, to discuss his 54-card Guild, which challenges designers to develop games using only 54 cards. Duration: 1:06:26
Sep 18, 2016•1 hr 6 min
GameTek Classic 135 - Antidosis
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the ancient Greek practice of Antidosis, and it's application as a game mechanism. Duration: 05:34
Sep 11, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 135 - Necessary Evil
Mike and Geoff talk about teaching games in convention environments. If you are giving demos of a game in a booth, what are the key things to focus on? How much depth do you go into? They also discuss teaching games in general, with tips for getting things going smoothly. Duration: 1:07:30
Sep 04, 2016•1 hr 7 min
GameTek Classic 134 - The Void
In this all-new content, Geoff interviews Curtis Hickman, Chief Creative Officer of The Void , a company pioneering an immersive extension of Virtual Reality called Hyperreality. Debuting a few weeks ago as the Ghostbusters Dimension experience at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City, it got immediate rave reviews. What's new about this technology, and how can it be extended in the future? Duration: 16:09...
Aug 28, 2016•16 min
Ludology Episode 134 - There's No "I" In Team
Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guests Sen-Foong Lim and Jay Cormier, designers of Godfather: A New Don, Junk Art, and many more games. How does their collaboration work? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working as a team? Duration: 1:04:54
Aug 21, 2016•1 hr 5 min
GameTek Classic 133 - Scoring Tracks
In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Scoring Tracks, and how to make them work with your players, instead of against them. Duration: 06:26
Jul 31, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 133 - The Crying Game
A little window into dinner time at the Engelstein household: Young Brian asks the question "Can a board game make the players cry?" and he ends up on a podcast. So can they? Mike, Geoff, and Brian explore what makes people sad, and whether board games can do that - and how that affects their status as 'art'. Duration: 56:13
Jul 24, 2016•56 min
Ludology Episode 132 - Pyramid Scheme
Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Walter Crist, archeologist and co-author of Ancient Egyptians at Play , to discuss the history of board games in ancient Egypt, and their impact on culture and society. Duration: 51:10
Jul 10, 2016•51 min
Ludology Episode 131 - Whaa?
It's another Listener Question episode! Mike and Geoff take on all comers. Can they survive? Duration: 1:11:21
Jun 26, 2016•1 hr 11 min
GameTek Classic 130 - Mental Models
In this GameTek, Geoff discusses the role that mental models play in how we interact with objects in the world. Duration: 06:00
Jun 20, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 130 - All of Us
Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Suzanne Sheldon and Sydney Engelstein to discuss the topic of diversity and inclusion in gaming. Duration: 1:49:42
Jun 12, 2016•1 hr 50 min
GameTek Classic 129 - Semi Coop Tournaments
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at options for structuring tournaments for semi cooperative games. Duration: 06:27
Jun 05, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 129 - Fast Money
Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Soren Johnson. Soren was the lead designer on the computer game Civilization, and recently released Offworld Trading Company , which marries a traditional boardgame style economic battle with computer-based real time mechanics. Soren discusses the influence of board games on computer game design, and we go into depth on AI implementations. Duration: 1:09:20
May 29, 2016•1 hr 9 min
GameTek Classic 128 - Semi Coops
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at semi-cooperative games, and the particular challenges they create for social dynamics. Duration: 06:13
May 22, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 128 - Why?
Mike and Geoff discuss player motivations. What makes people want to play games? How do you design games to appeal to that type of player? Duration: 1:16:16
May 15, 2016•1 hr 16 min
GameTek Classic 127 - Cosmic Encounter
In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the smart design choices made by the designers of Cosmic Encounter. Duration: 06:15
May 08, 2016•6 min
Ludology Episode 127 - Inspiration
Mike and Geoff interview a panoply of designers of designers at the Gathering of Friends to hear about what inspires them. Duration: 46:36
May 01, 2016•42 min
GameTek Classic 126 - Flow
In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the psychological state called 'Flow'. Duration: 6:41
Apr 24, 2016•7 min
Ludology Episode 126 - Player One
Mike and Geoff are thrilled to have special guest Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari games. What were the game design considerations of the early video game industry? When you are inventing an entire new genre, where do you look for ideas? Duration: 42:15
Apr 17, 2016•42 min
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