Ludology 281 - I Like Big Games and I Cannot Lie
Gil and Sen meet up with James Hudson of Druid City Games to discuss the pleasure of games that are big, sprawling productions.
Aug 21, 2022•1 hr 3 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
Biography of a Board Game 280.5 - Kill Dr. Lucky
Scott takes us through the history of Kill Dr. Lucky, a game where, instead of trying to deduce the murder of a wealthy old man, you're trying to actually do the deed.
Aug 14, 2022•9 min
Ludology 280 - Refuse to Leave the Room
Erica and Sen talk with Dr. Tanya Pobuda about her groundbreaking research of representation in board games, the purpose of journalism, and her work in academia. SHOW NOTES 2m01s: Emma and Gil chatted with Dr. Mary Flanagan on Ludology 226 - Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo . 7m37s: Two seminal works in the theory behind fun and play are Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens and Roger Caillois' Man, Play, and Games . 27m05s: Analog Game Studies provides an academic, analyti...
Aug 07, 2022•1 hr 29 min
GameTek Classic 279.5 - FPS FTW
In GameTek Classic 275.5 - MENACE , Geoff discussed a simple machine that anyone can build that can learn how to play tic-tac-toe competitively. Here, Geoff continues the conversation, this time with modern researchers using a neural network to teach a machine to play a first-person shooter video game, and the tweak they needed to make to see their AI become competitive with human players.
Jul 31, 2022•6 min
Ludology 279 - Two Princes
Erica and Gil discuss Erica's time so far working at Spinmaster, making mass-market games for kids and families. How is it different from making games for the hobby market? SHOW NOTES 0m43s: We recently chatted with Sydney Engelstein of Indie Boards & Cards in Ludology 274 - Indie 500 , and with Carol Mertz of Exploding Kittens in Ludology 277 - Combustible Felines . 7m28s: The Rubiks brand of puzzles, toys, and games, centered around the world-famous Rubik's Cube. And the legendary brand of...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 278.5 - Agricola
In this classic GameTek, Scott tells us about the history of Agricola, which sparked new life in worker-placement games.
Jul 17, 2022•12 min
Ludology 278 - Everyone's a Critic
Sen and Gil have a talk with game reviewer and critic Daniel Thurot of the marvelous game review site Space-Biff! about his distinctive style of writing, the difference between review and criticism, and theming in games. SHOW NOTES 4m48s: The Settlers of Zarahemla 5m26s: Roger Ebert was a movie critic; Gil remains a big fan of his writing . Also: Tom Chick ( whom Dan interviewed on his own podcast ), Tom Francis 14m55s: Fort 29m35s: The recent film Men 31m56s: Sen and Jay's game MIND MGMT 34m37s...
Jul 10, 2022•55 min
GameTek 277.5 - Tabletop Network 2022
Geoff tells us about big changes in store for Tabletop Network 2022 , and why he's so excited for it! This is an amazing show for game designers, and you can easily stay for BGG.CON immediately afterwards. Please consider attending!
Jul 03, 2022•13 min
Ludology 277 - Combustible Felines
Sen and Gil chat with game designer Carol Mertz, senior game designer at Exploding Kittens. Carol has worked on many Exploding Kittens games, like Hand To Hand Wombat, Exploding Kittens: Recipe for Disaster, and Exploding Kittens: 2-Player Version. She's also known for her own designs, especially the wildly creative HELLCOUCH , the only couch co-op that uses an actual couch. SHOW NOTES 2m28s: We chatted with Sydney Engelstein of Indie Game Studios recently, on Ludology 274 - Indie 500 . 17m28s: ...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr
Biography of a Board Game Classic 276.5 - Bang
Scott rassles up the tangled history of the Western-themed social deduction game Bang!
Jun 19, 2022•8 min
Ludology 276 - Text Messages
Gil and Sen sit down with game designer and chronicler Aaron A. Reed to talk about his project 50 Years of Text Games , in which he covered one important game for each year between 1971 and 2020. The project will be made into a book . SHOW NOTES 2m21s: The Oregon Trail 3m13s: Gil mentions a bunch of games that Aaron wrote about: Adventure , Hunt the Wumpus , games made with Inform and Twine , 80 Days , Fallen London . 9m22s: Sen's childhood PET computer , Gil's childhood Panasonic computer 10m24...
Jun 12, 2022•1 hr 7 min
GameTek Classic 275.5 - MENACE
Geoff tells us about MENACE; not Phantom or Dennis, but the Matchbox Educable Noughts and Crosses Engine , which Donald Michie designed in 1961 as a relatively simple AI that would allow anyone to see how a machine could be trained to get better at a task.
Jun 05, 2022•6 min
Ludology 275 - Designing for the Diaspora
Erica and Gil chat with returning guest Banana Chan and our own Sen-Foong Lim about designing their game Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall. What's it like making a game about a specific demographic, and who is this game for? SHOW NOTES 0m54s: Banana was last on the show in Ludology 228 - The Roles We Play . 4m56s: More information about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. 18m31s: James Mendez Hodes discussed cultural consultation with us in Ludology 247 - Orc-kay Computer . 31m25s: Jason Mornin...
May 29, 2022•56 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 274.5 - Scrabble
Scott takes us through the history of the classic word game Scrabble.
May 22, 2022•10 min
Ludology 274 - Indie 500
Gil and Sen chat with game designer, developer, and polyhedral dice addict Sydney Engelstein of Indie Game Studios about how to pitch your game to a publisher, the process of designing and developing Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition , coming up with new narrative for Aeon's End , and what kinds of theater would best be adapted into a board game. SHOW NOTES 8m28s: Obsession 19m07s: Race for the Galaxy 56m16s: Noises Off! 57m44s: Sen is making a reference to the game Thanos Rising: Avengers Infi...
May 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
GameTek Classic 273.5 - Asmodee Research
Geoff chats with Mikael Le Bourhis of Asmodee Research and Game In Lab about the work they are doing studying the impact of tabletop gaming on society and life. You can find out more information from Game In Lab here .
May 08, 2022•5 min
Ludology 273 - We're Goin' Local
Erica and Sen chat with localization expert, "gaming handyman," and occasional street busker Matthew Legault of Scorpion Masqué to discuss what it takes to move a game from one language to another. SHOW NOTES 25m03s - Here's the bonus episode we did about the production and translation of Agricola. Scott Rogers also did a Biography of a Board Game about it . 30m36s - Guy LaFleur was a legendary ice hockey player who won 5 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. 49m57s - Strike , Team Team , St...
May 01, 2022•56 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 272.5 - Candyland
In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes us through the sweet history of the kids' game Candyland.
Apr 24, 2022•9 min
Ludology 272 - The Art of Games
Gil and Erica sit with game developer and new music fan Brenna Noonan to talk about her experiences developing games with her development company Quillsilver Studios , her experiences working on the smash hit Everdell , and the intersection of music and games. SHOW NOTES 2m59s: Everdell , Roll Player: Adventures , Dog Park 6m14s: Erica and Scott chatted with the Laukats about making games as a family in Ludology 251 - All In the Family . 10m17s: Gil and Geoff discussed ludonarrative dissonance i...
Apr 17, 2022•46 min
GameTek Classic 271.5 - Hypergeometric
Geoff runs us through the Hypergeometric and Binomial functions in a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel. Don't be intimidated by their names; they're actually pretty easy to use, and invaluable for game designers. You can find Geoff's GameTek newsletter on this subject here.
Apr 10, 2022•7 min
Ludology 271 - The Dotted Line
Erica, Gil, and Sen have a roundtable discussion about their experiences with contracts. What are things designers should look for when negotiating their contracts? Note that none of us are lawyers, and at no point in this episode do we give out actual legal advice. If you need legal advice, please consult an actual lawyer! SHOW NOTES 25m46s: Here's the Meeple Syrup episode on localization , with Mike Raftopolous. 38m18s: "Spin" is SpinMaster, the game publishing company that Erica works for. 43...
Apr 03, 2022•58 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 270.5 - Scotland Yard
In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes us through the history of the classic deduction game Scotland Yard.
Mar 27, 2022•7 min
Ludology 270 - The Elite Eight
Gil sits down for a one-on-one with game designer, teacher, and lecturer Marc LeBlanc to discuss some of his game design ideas, especially his 8 Kinds of Fun and the Mechanics/Dynamics/Aesthetics (MDA) framework . NOTE: Towards the end of the episode, Gil's mic cable started to get unhappy. Apologies for the static! SHOW NOTES 0m50s: Looking Glass Studios , Ultima Underworld II , Thief , System Shock , Defense of the Oasis , Heroes Welcome 4m30s: Marc's 8 types of fun: Sensation, Fantasy, Narrat...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min
GameTek Classic 269.5 - Jeopardy James
In this GameTek Classic, Geoff tells us about the strategies behind "Jeopardy" James Holzhauer's amazing run on the TV game show Jeopardy, in which he won 32 consecutive games between April and June 2019, earning $2,464,216. What does James do differently than everyone else?
Mar 13, 2022•7 min
Ludology 269 - A Tale of Two Designers
Sen and Erica sit down with Matthew Dunstan and Dave Neale to discuss how they work as a team, working on a wide variety of games, working on a narrow group of games, and what it's like making a game based entirely in sound! In this episode, Matthew mentions Postmark Games , his PNP project with Rory Muldoon. At 37m31s, Sen mentions Piaget's Characteristics of Play . At 44m15s, Matt mentions Ludology 265 - Hold Onto Your Hats!...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 268.5 - Uno
In this classic Biography of a Board Game from 2017, Scott tells us the origins of the massively popular card game Uno.
Feb 27, 2022•8 min
Ludology 268 - Pinball Wizard
Gil and Sen are delighted to welcome Geoff Engelstein back to the show to discuss the making of his hit roll-and-write game Super-Skill Pinball. What calls did he make when designing the game, and how much did it change from his original vision? SHOW NOTES 3m29s: Take It Easy 5m38s: Limes 6m12s: Matt Wolfe joined us for Ludology 157 - Come Scale Away . Welcome To... 9m09s: Versailles 1919 25m58s: Yes, Games Magazine is thankfully still with us. Merchant of Venus 28m00s: Ares Project , the 1980 a...
Feb 20, 2022•52 min
GameTek Classic 267.5 - Endowment
Geoff tells us about the curious effect of endowment, and describes how both the game show Deal or No Deal and the video game Portal use it to enormous effect.
Feb 13, 2022•7 min
Ludology 267 - I'm Looking At You, 2022!
It's an annual Ludology tradition to invite The Podfather of Gaming, Stephen Buonocore, to the show at the start of each year to discuss trends in the industry. As always, Stephen flashes his business acumen and deep insight into what he thinks the industry is in store for in 2022.
Feb 06, 2022•46 min
Biography of a Board Game Classic 266.5 - Operation
In this re-air of a Biography of a Board Game from September 2017, Scott slices open the history of the game Operation. Note: Even though Scott has stepped away from the show, we will still be publishing classic Biography of a Board Game episodes for the time being.
Jan 30, 2022•6 min
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