Podcast
Design Theory Archives - Board Game Design Lab
Hosted by Gabe Barrett · EN
Helping You Design Great Games People Love
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
My new book will help you find the FUN
Mar 20, 202502:49:07Tap to summarizeMy game design book, Find the Fun, recently came out, and in this episode, I do a brief synopsis and give you the audio version of the first three chapters. To check out Find the Fun on Amazon, go here: https://amzn.to/4hmxseU The post My new book will help you find the FUN appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi
Jan 29, 202401:12:56Tap to summarizeIn this BGDL rewind from December of 2020, I chat with Emerson Matsuuch about all the many ways a designer can use math to create better games. We talk spreadsheets, game balance, mathematical models, and more! The post Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →Finding the Right Mixture of Luck and Skill with Richard Garfield
Jan 21, 202401:02:18Tap to summarizeIn this BGDL rewind from May of 2018, I chat with Richard Garfield about finding the right balance of luck vs skill when designing a game. The post Finding the Right Mixture of Luck and Skill with Richard Garfield appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez
Nov 21, 202301:06:11Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Jason Perez and I chat about how designers can boost their creativity by thinking outside the box, pushing past tropes, and being more intentional about their thematic choices. The post How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →4 Amazing (and Useful) Examples of Board Game Design Theory with Geoff Engelstein
Oct 13, 202301:27:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Geoff Engelstein and I chat about design theory and break down Geoff’s favorite examples and how they relate to designing games. Geoff’s book about loss aversion can be found here: https://amzn.to/3rIgi7y More info about the Tabletop Network Conference can be found here: https://www.tabletopnetwork.com The post 4 Amazing (and Useful) Examples of Board Game Design Theory with Geoff Engelstein appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire
Aug 16, 202301:02:32Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →How to Design Asymmetrical Games with Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu
Mar 30, 202200:57:37Tap to summarizeStephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu, designers of Slash and Spells, talk about designing asymmetrical games. We talk about creating interesting differences, balancing factions, the challenges of playtesting these kinds of games, and more. And be sure to check out Stephen and Floyd’s game on Kickstarter HERE! The post How to Design Asymmetrical Games with Stephen Schwartz and Floyd Lu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing an Abstract Dexterity Game with Frank Sarro
Mar 16, 202200:28:39Tap to summarizeFrank Sarro, designer of Pathways, talks about abstract dexterity games. We get into component quality, manufacturing challenges, complexity, and more. The post [BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing an Abstract Dexterity Game with Frank Sarro appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →The Design Process of Phil Walker-Harding
Mar 9, 202201:07:29Tap to summarizePhil Walker-Harding, designer of Sushi Go, Barenpark, Imhotep, Gizmos, and several other great games, takes us behind the scenes of his personal design process. We talk about coming up with ideas, honing big ideas into super fun games, knowing when to walk away from a design, pitching to publishers, and more. The post The Design Process of Phil Walker-Harding appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
Transcribe →How to Design 2 Player Games with Alf Seegert
Feb 23, 202201:06:49Tap to summarizeAlf Seegert, designer of Haven, discusses how to design two-player games. Alf has designed several published two-player games, and we talk about tension, component limitations, delivering on expectations, and more. Alf Seegert’s Designer Diary for his latest game, Illumination, which includes a lot of information about his other games as well. His website. You can find his games at Eagle-Gryphon Games, the easiest place to order Illumination, The Road to Canterbury, Fantastiqa, Heir to the Pharaoh, and others if you can’t find them at your FLGS. Many Alf Seegert games are on sale, and Heir to the Pharaoh is half off! The post How to Design 2 Player Games with Alf Seegert appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.
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