The Board Game Design Lab - podcast cover

The Board Game Design Lab

Gabe Barrettboardgamedesignlab.com
The Board Game Design Lab was created for one purpose: to help you design great games people love. To accomplish that goal, this podcast interviews designers, publishers, and board game insiders on specific topics related to game design. I don’t waste time talking about recently played games or pop culture. Instead, the show does a deep dive into subjects that I hope you’ll find extremely valuable as you progress through your game design journey.
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Episodes

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. The post How to Design a Solo Game with Hermann Luttmann appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Aug 09, 201758 min

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. The post Designing Outdoor Games with Denny Weston appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Aug 02, 201742 min

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. The post How to Design a Great Family Game with James Hudson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

Jul 26, 201731 min

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. The post How to Work on Multiple Games at the Same Time with Daryl Andrews appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

Jul 19, 201758 min

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... The post Lessons Learned from Following Game Designers Around with Alex Hall and Gin Yu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

Jul 12, 20171 hr 9 min

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. The post Taking a Design from Good to Great with Seth Jaffee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

Jun 28, 201745 min

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. The post Designing a Good AI System with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jun 21, 201740 min

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. The post Getting the Most out of a Design Convention with Tony Miller appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jun 14, 20171 hr 17 min

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. The post Keeping a Design from Getting out of Hand with Gil Hova appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

Jun 07, 20171 hr 8 min

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. The post Advice from a Kickstarter Expert with Daniel Zayas appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

May 31, 201736 min

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. The post Why Game Design Is Important with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab .

May 24, 201734 min

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. The post Lessons Learned from Blind Playtesting with Mike Mihealsick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

May 17, 201737 min

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. The post Cthulhu Themed Games with Chris Kirkman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

May 10, 201754 min

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... The post Creating a Great Solo Variant with Morten Pedersen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

May 03, 20171 hr 4 min

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. The post Designing an Asymmetrical Game with Patrick Leder appeared first on Board Game Design Lab ....

Apr 26, 201744 min
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