Board Game Design Lab

Dustin Hendrickson, designer of Don’t Let It Die, discusses all the ins and outs of creating your game with Tabletop Simulator.Dustin has been working with TTS for years, and we cover basically everything you need to know to get your game on the platform and why it’s a good idea to do so. The post Designing with Tabletop Simulator with Dustin Hendrickson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Stephanie Kwok, designer of Ducks in Tow, discusses the process of simplifying a game down to its best possible version.Stephanie is both a designer and a publisher, so she offers both perspectives as we talk through ways to trim, cut, slice, and dice a game so that its most fun parts shine through. The post How to Simplify a Game with Stephanie Kwok appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Kirk Dennison, founder of Piecekeeper Games, discusses some pretty heavy topics as we get into self-care, mental health, depression, burnout, and more.Kirk went through a pretty tough time of life a while back, and we delve into issues that I believe a lot of people are struggling with right now. We also get into strategies for... The post Self Care and Dealing with Designer Burnout with Kirk Dennison appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Al Leduc, designer of Yukon Airways, discusses what all goes into designing a dice drafting game.We talk about balance, dice mitigation, why the d6 is king, and more! The post Dice Drafting Games with Al Leduc appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Casey Hill, founder of Hill Gaming Company, discusses the process of turning gamers into raving fans. Casey works for the software company Bonjoro which is hyper-focused on customer engagement and retention, so we have a lot to chat about when it comes to creating raving fans. The post How to Turn Gamers into Raving Fans with Casey Hill appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, it’s just me and I’m talking about why game design matters. In a world with so many pressing issues, it’s easy to not realize how important games and game design really are. I tell some personal stories and also get into where the Board Game Design Lab is headed. And be sure... The post Why Game Design Matters with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Alex Hague, designer of Wavelength, discusses all the ins and outs of designing a party game. We talk about simplicity, expectations, scoring systems, time constraints, and more! And be sure to check out Alex’s game, The Fuzzies, on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing Party Games with Alex Hague appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, discusses everything that goes into creating miniatures for a game. We talk about the design process, materials, manufacturing, and more. And be sure to check out John’s game, Token Terrors, on Kickstarter HERE. The post Miniatures with John de Campos appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Malachi Ray Rempen, founder of Itchy Feet, discusses what it means to design more than just a game. We talk about branding, spinoff products, merchandise, and more. And be sure to check out Malachi’s game, Roll Camera! , on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing More than Just a Game with Malachi Ray Rempen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jon Vallerand, founder of Subsurface Games, does a deep dive into the mechanism of majorities. We talk about the best majorities based games, ways to incentivize players, interactive play, and more. And be sure to check out Jon’s game, With a Smile and a Gun, on Kickstarter HERE.​​ The post Designing Majorities Based Games with Jon Vallerand appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, discusses what goes into both designing and publishing games that continue to have new content. We talk about content creation, different types of expansions, reinventing the fun for a game, and more. The post Designing Games in a Series with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Rachael Blaske, owner of Five24 Labs, discusses everything that goes into designing and publishing games that can fit in your pocket. We talk about design constraints, managing expectations, marketing, and more. The post Designing and Publishing Small Box Games with Rachael Blaske appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Corey Konieczka, one of the best designers on the planet, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. We talk about what it’s like to work at Fantasy Flight Games, coming up with ideas, playtesting, and more. If you’re not familiar with Corey, he’s worked on these games: Battlestar Galactica Space Hulk: Death Angel... The post The Design Process of Corey Konieczka appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald, from of Garphill Games, discuss what all goes into designing worker placement games. We talk about creating unique mechanisms, board design, player interaction, and more. The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Phalgun Polepalli, founder of DICE Toy Labs in India, discusses the process of defining your target audience and creating products for them. We talk about market research, community building, figuring out your ideal customer, and more.  The post Designing Games for a Specific Audience with Phalgun Polepalli appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Danielle Reynolds, designer with DMR Creative Group, discusses the many ways a designer can get involved in the game design community. We talk about volunteering, design groups, mentorships, and more.  The post How to Get Involved in the Game Design Community with Danielle Reynolds appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Christian Martinez discusses the making of his hit game, INIS. INIS is one of the highest-rated games of all time, and we go into everything from its title to its theme to its mechanisms.  The post The Making of INIS with Christian Martinez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Brad Talton, founder of Level 99 Games, discusses what goes into designing a game that lasts. We talk about creating games that are easily expandable, are easy to get into but provide depth for long-time players, and creating worlds that players want to keep coming back to. And be sure to check out Level 99’s latest... The post Designing Games that Last with Brad Talton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Hankerin Ferinale, founder of Runehammer Games, discusses what board game designers can learn from the world of tabletop RPGs. Hankerin is one of the most creative people I know, and he’s been creating RPG content for years. He has a ton of insight on how RPG concepts can improve board games. The post What Board Game Designers Can Learn from Tabletop RPGs with Hankerin Ferinale appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

T.C. Petty III, designer of VivaJava, discusses how to create positive player interaction in your game. Most games have a tendency to focus on negative interactions between players, but it doesn’t have to be that way! The post Creating Positive Player Interaction with T.C. Petty III appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.