Podcast

In this BGDL rewind from June of 2020, Corey Konieczka breaks down his entire design process. Corey has several games ranked in the top 100 games of all time, and it was incredibly insightful to learn about how he brings a game to life. We chat about his path into the industry, his prototyping process,…

In this BGDL rewind from April of 2020, Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games and designer of Robinson Crusoe, discusses his company’s motto: Games that tell stories. We go in-depth into Ignacy’s design process, talk about his most popular games, and get to the heart of what it looks like to create games that have players leaving…

In this episode, I break down some game design productivity hacks that have been helping me lately, and I’m specifically talking about a concept called “habit fields.” This was a presentation I gave recently for Board Game Design Pro, so if you find it useful and want more helpful content like it, be sure to…

In this episode, Leo Taylor, designer of games in the Risk, Clue, and D&D universes, breaks down his “key pillars of game design” as we chat through the many questions designers should think through as they dive into a new game design. You can download a PDF of the key pillars HERE.

In this episode, Pam Walls and I chat about the games on our “must play” lists if you’re a game designer. And be sure to check out Pam’s awesome channel about game design here: https://www.youtube.com/@pamwallsgamedesign Here are the games we discuss: -Imhotep -Dungeons & Dragons -Catan -Chess -Magic: the Gathering -Robinson Crusoe -Kemet -Creature Comforts…

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.

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!

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…

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…

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.

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!

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…

Patrick Mcneil, from McMeeple Games, discusses what it’s like to design games with his children.Patrick has been creating games with his kids for years and has gotten many of the designs to the point of being fully published games. We talk about being intentional, setting the right expectations, overcoming negative feedback, and more.

Gino Brancazio, from Tinkerbot Games, talks about the three stages of prototyping, and we discuss what you need to know depending on which stage you’re in.

Malachi Ray Rempen, designer of Roll Camera, discusses the pros and cons of doing all the main aspects of design, art, and publishing yourself.Malachi has both worked with others and done everything himself, so he can speak well on both perspectives. And be sure to check out Malachi’s expansion for Roll Camera on Kickstarter HERE.

Today, it’s just me, and I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Pursuing a creative lifestyle can be incredibly difficult, so I wanted to do an episode to help you stay motivated and inspired.

Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale, from Badgers from Mars, talk about how to design a game based on nothing more than a standard deck of cards.We talk about their game Regicide (currently number one on BGG’s Hotness list), pros and cons of such tight constraints, marketing, and more.

Rachel Bruner, designer of Harsh Shadows, talks about how to create print-n-play games and the many reasons why you might want to.Rachel is super active in the PnP community, and we discuss her thoughts on best practices, tools of the trade, getting a PnP game published, and more. And here are all the links and whatnot that were discussed…

Anthony Howgego, developer at Osprey Games, what goes into developing a game and nearly everything else surrounding development.We talk about taking games from good to great, how to work with a developer effectively, how to become a developer, and more.

BGDL community member Trevor Laforce discusses how to optimize your life to get more designing done in less time.We talk about habits, time management, and self-management in the context of designing games while also having a job, family, and busy schedule. And you can find Trevor’s daily planner and more time optimization content on his…

Isaac Childres designer of Gloomhaven, talks about how to design games that are massive in scope.Gloomhaven is a 25-pound box of hours upon hours of gameplay, and we dive into design challenges, player progression, marketing, and more.

James Fazio, founder of Pique Games, discusses how to overcome failure in game design and game publishing.We talk about defining success, the danger of comparison, taking feedback gracefully, and more.

Azhelle Wade, the toy coach, discusses how to design board games for the mass market and toy industry.We talk about “toyetic” games, patents, pitching to publishers, contraption based games, and more.

Justin Chu, founder of Mobo Games, discusses how to design board games made specifically for the digital space.We talk about the pros and cons of digital-only board games along with the many things to think about and to be aware of when traveling into this side of the market.

Your friend Ben Moy, desinger of Breakdancing Meeples, discusses his thoughts on how to make the game design space (and subsequently the world) a better and brighter place to be a part of.We talk about joining communities that resonate with you, like Girls’ Game Shelf and TGC Designer Discussion, using emojis and GIFs to foster relationships, reminding yourself…

Leslie Scott, desinger of Jenga, and Freddie Scott Vollrath, designer of Slappy Camper, discuss what all goes into designing and pitching games for the mass market.We talk about what makes a game “mass market,” getting games into museums, where to pitch game ideas, and more.

Jeremy Howard, reviewer at Man vs Meeple, discusses what makes a great solo game.Jeremy is super passionate about solo games, and we dive into examples of excellent solo games, capturing tension, solo modes for multiplayer games, and more. [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

Charlie McCarron, designer of Four Humours, discusses what it looks like for a board game designer to live a creative lifeWe talk about scheduling, self-care, betting on yourself, inspiration, and more. And be sure to check out Charlie’s game on Kickstarter HERE.​​ [mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

Bevan Clatworthy, designer of Ghostel, discusses all the different angles of bringing a game to life when you work exclusively online.Bevan has been co-designing games online since 2015, and we talk about scheduling, software, good habits, and more. And be sure to check out Bevan’s game Haunticulture on Kickstarter HERE.

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…

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. 

Jason Brooks, designer of Legacies, discusses his best time management tips. We talk about all sorts of different ways to make time for game design, and we get into specific strategies for creating habits that make success inevitable. And be sure to check out Jason’s game, Legacies, which is on Kickstarter HERE.

David and Jordanna Santiago, the father/daughter team behind the game Jujo, discuss their process for designing games and how other families can do the same. We talk about the importance of games as they relate to the development of children, and Jordanna gives lots of advice on how to design alongside kids. And be sure to check out their game Jujo which…

Lizzy Funkhouser, designer of Something to Fear, discusses what it looks like to pay attention to detail when designing a game. Lizzy loves to add Easter egg type details into her games to enhance the gaming experience, and we get into lots of examples and ways to add cool things to a design.

Ryan Langewisch, designer of Tasty Humans, discusses how to create and update a game quickly and efficiently. Ryan recently won a 48-hour game jam and has gotten really good at the iteration process.

Daryl Andrews discusses designing games based on licensed IPs. Daryl has designed a TON of games based on comics, TV shows, and movies, and he goes through lots of ins and outs on how the process works.

Jesse Zamora discusses modifying published games and what can be learned from the process as game designers.

Jason Tagmire, founder of Button Shy Games, discusses the process of designing and publishing small games that pack a big punch. Jason’s company specializes in 18 card games, and he’s become a master at packing a ton of game into a small package.​​ And check out Button Shy’s latest game on Kickstarter HERE.

The 2nd edition will hit Kickstarter on February 19th, so be sure to check it out!

For the past 3 years, Eric Rayl has been traveling around the world interviewing some of the best designers in the world about their games, their processes, and their experiences in the industry. Check out the documentary HERE.