TTRPG Kids Ep 9
In this installment of Steph Campbell's TTRPGKids, they discuss how to tailor-make a system for YOUR particular child, creating something custom that both you and your little gamer will enjoy!
Feb 12, 2024•9 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 316 Toy Included!
Dave Chalker (co-designer of Restoration Game's Thunder Road) joins Erica and Sen to talk about toys, games, and toyetic games.
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 7
In this installment of Thinking Beyond Mechanisms, Sarah Shipp discusses the concept of Decision Space and the five elements that comprise it: Logic, Strategy, Agency, Motivation, and Emotion.
Jan 29, 2024•8 min
Ludology 315 Happy 2024
Erica and Sen make some resolutions about game design and predictions about the tabletop industry to ring in the new year!
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 20 min
Pros and Cons Ep 4
In this episode of Pros and Cons Sen meets with Kristen Mott, who talks about how she recently broke into the industry, how she designs with her children as playtesters, and how she's explored non-traditional markets for publication. Recorded at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH in June 2023.
Jan 14, 2024•53 min
Pros and Cons Ep 3
Sen chats with Jordan Goddard about the growth of his family endeavor - Indy Toy Lab, a toy and game design studio with hobby roots that's aiming it's sights at the mass market. This podcast was recorded at Origins Game Fair in June of 2023 in Columbus, OH.
Jan 07, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Pros and Cons Ep 2
In this second installment of talking to industry pros at gaming conventions, Sen chats with Tuesday Badell and Ben Begeal at Origins in Columbus, June 2023. We talk about design-centric conventions in general and the specific philosophy behind UnPub.
Jan 01, 2024•53 min
Pros and Cons Ep 1
In the Pros and Cons series, Sen interviews industry professionals live at game conventions around the world. In this first installment, Sen interviews Andy Kim - designer of The Spill from Smirk & Laughter Games - at Toronto's BreakoutCon in March 2023. Andy talks about The Spill, spas, and upcoming designs.
Dec 24, 2023•1 hr 2 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 8
Steph brings their monthly dose of TTRPG advice to the table, this time extolling the benefits of playing roleplaying games with young children in the home or classroom.
Dec 18, 2023•6 min
Ludology 314 What Games Mean to Calvin
This week, Erica and Sen welcome writer, designer, and relucatant movie star Calvin Wong Tze Loon 黃子倫 to talk about his piece in "What Board Games Me To Me: Tales from the Tabletop," an anthology of short essays written by people from across the board game industry that was recently published by Aconyte Books. Join us as we find out more about the book and what Calvin finds so humanizing about games in their many forms.
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Ludology EP 313 Welcome to the Social Club
Erica and Sen speak with Ami Baio of Pink Tiger Games about her line of social communication games, how she makes them, and how she's able to find success outside of traditional markets for board games.
Nov 27, 2023•53 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 7
In the 7th installment of this series, Steph covers their strategies for helping children cope with spells, tracking information and more, offering practical solutions so you, too, can game with your kiddos!
Nov 19, 2023•8 min
Ludology 312 Fall Host Chat
Sen and Erica ask each other questions collected from our Patreon supporters about the differences between designing a board game and an RPG, what working for a mass market game company is like, how we balance games, what we did to break into the industry, and more!
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 6
In her segment, Thinking Beyond Mechanisms, Sarah Shipp talks about psychologist Steven Reiss' 16 Motivators or Human Needs in terms of game design and how considering these can help make a more engaging game.
Nov 05, 2023•7 min
Ludology 311 The Essen Experience
Will Meadows from the Tantrum House channel joins Erica and Sen to talk about his recent experience at the board gaming convention to end all board gaming conventions - Spiel in Essen, Germany. Having been four times, Will is a veteran Spiel-goer and he talks about all of the sights he saw and games he played while there this year. Since Will had to go eat dinner, Erica and Sen finish he Ludological Lightning Round by asking each other the questions they intended to ask Will!
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr 9 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 6
In this episode of our special series, guest host Steph Campbell discusses how to maintain the attention of younger players. They give several excellent tips and tricks to help your kiddos maintain focus at the game table.
Oct 22, 2023•8 min
Ludology 310 Professional Jugglers
Sen and Erica welcome Heather O'Neill (CEO of 9th Level Games, Managing Director of UnPub, and game designer) to Ludology to chat about juggling all of her roles and the state of the tabletop industry, where many people have to combine several roles into the equivalent of a full time job.
Oct 15, 2023•49 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 5
In this episode of Thinking Beyond Mechanisms, guest host Sarah Shipp discusses some of the terms that designers often talk about (balance, elegance, and efficiency) but turns many of them on their ear to look at them slightly askew. Sarah posits that thinking about these elements in the opposite may help struggling designers recognize their role in creating a game that meets these lofty (and often vague) goals.
Oct 09, 2023•7 min
Ludology 309 Home Grown Games
Sen and Erica welcome Brian Lenz from Delano Games (www.delanogames.com) to discuss the intricacies of manufacturing board games in North America this week on Ludology.
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 22 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 5
Special guest host, Steph Campbell, discusses how they introduced their son to TTRPGs at the ripe old age of 2.
Sep 24, 2023•6 min
Ludology 308 We've Got More in Store!
Erica and Sen welcome Travis Severance, owner of Millennium Games - the largest game store in the United States - to the podcast. Travis brings years of retail experience to the table and lends insight into what sells games. From puzzles to pickleball and everything in between, Travis sheds light on how games and hobbies are merchandised to customers and we discuss if there's anything about game or product design that can help retailers do what they do best. Note: You'll hear a dog barking inter...
Sep 17, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 4
Guest host, Sarah Shipp, talks about the concept of resonance when designing games, SUCCESS (from "Made to Stick" by Chip & Dan Heath), and Sarah's own equation for resonance: Familiary + Unexpectedness - Chaff Also, see Sarah's GDC talk on Creating Resonance with Thematic Design available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61YNkTv3xgM
Sep 11, 2023•8 min
Episode 307 Let's Party!
Erica and Sen welcome Pam Walls, a designer who specializes in party games, to the Ludology Podcast. Pam provides excellent insight into what it takes to make large and diverse groups of people want to play a game together. Pam's latest creation, Blob Party, was a Gen Con 2023 release for Wiz Kid Games.
Sep 03, 2023•59 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 4
In the fourth installment of TTRPG Kids, Steph talks about how to pick a setting that is engaging for the children that you're gaming with.
Aug 27, 2023•6 min
Ludology 306 We Survived Gen Con 2023!
Sen and Erica welcome designer and Dice Tower member Roy Cannaday to the show to tell us about his experience at Gen Con 2023 that was made extra special because it was also the official launch of his first game, Last Light.
Aug 20, 2023•55 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 3
Guest host, Sarah Shipp, discusses Artistotle's Classical Unities and explores how unity of action, time, and place can be used to design a more cohesive game.
Aug 13, 2023•8 min
Ludology 305 Co-Host Catch Up
Erica and Sen discuss their comings and goings over the past few months. Sen attended Origins in June and Erica went to SDCC in July. So before they both head to Gen Con in August, they figured they should touch base and see what each other were up to!
Aug 06, 2023•51 min
TTRPG Kids Ep 3
In this episode, Steph talks about their use of safety tools and how they modified some for use with their son.
Jul 30, 2023•8 min
Ludology 304 Unboxing Game Design
Erica and Sen welcome designer, author and game studies professor, Gordon Calleja to the show to discuss his book "Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design" from the MIT Press (ISBN 978-0-262-54395-8). Gordon gives a chapter-by-chapter rundown of the book that will be the focus of our first Ludology Book Club event - stay tuned for further information!
Jul 23, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Episode 2
Segment host Sarah Shipp returns to talk about the concept of immersion in tabletop games. Amongst others, Sarah references Gordon Calleja theories on immersion in her discussion - Gordon will be next week's guest on the main Ludology podcast.
Jul 16, 2023•8 min
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