Board Game Design Lab

In this episode, Rob Daviau and I chat about how to playtest, receive feedback, iterate, and playtest a whole lot more. The post How to Playtest like a Pro with Rob Daviau appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post How to Create More Game Designers with Jay Cormier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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/ The post How to Design AND Publish games with Ben Downton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post 10 Steps to Go from Nothing to Crowdfunding Campaign with Kyle Sussenbach appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post 71 Ways to Become a Better Game Designer with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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! The post Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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! The post How to Craft the Perfect Player Experience with Jonny Pac appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post How to Design Fun Games with James Ernest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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 The post How to Have Massive Success on Kickstarter with Amy and Dusty Droz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post How to get featured on podcasts and sound great with Justin Kral appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post My Crowdfunding Failure: A Post Mortem with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post Art, Working with Artists, and Becoming Your Best Creative Self with Jorge Velez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post The Legal Side of Creating Games with Zachary Strebeck appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post How to Balance Game Design with a Full Time Job with Sen-Foong Lim appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post How to Work on Lots of Projects at Once with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post How to Make Money Designing Games with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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! The post So, where were we? appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post See You Space Cowboy with Gabe Barrett and Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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! The post (Celebrating 300 Episodes!) The Design Journey of Alan Moon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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... The post Our Best Game Design Advice with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.