
Fun Problems
Board game design is a deep and often challenging pursuit. We explore all aspects of game design and the fun problems (and solutions) that come with it.
Latest episodes

Jul 4, 2025 • 1h 1min
#63 - A Week in the Life of a Game Designer
Join Peter and AJ as they take you behind the curtain to explore a week in the busy life of board game designers. They share their daily routines, challenges, and the creative processes involved in crafting engaging board games.
Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Facebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod

Jun 28, 2025 • 1h 12min
#62 - Audience Sell-Sheets 3
AJ Brandon, Alex Cutler, and Peter C. Hayward explore what makes an effective sell sheet, providing feedback on listener-submitted examples. Throughout the discussion, they offer actionable advice on how to improve clarity, visual hierarchy, and focus in order to capture the interest of potential publishers.
Sell Sheets: https://tinyurl.com/43r9h7dz
Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Facebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Jun 13, 2025 • 27min
#61 - Amazing Board Game Hooks
Today we follow up on an exercise of developing hooks we gave to our community by highlighting the very best we've seen shared in our discord.
Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Facebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

7 snips
Jun 9, 2025 • 53min
#60 - An Entire Episode About Drawing Cards
The hosts dive deep into game design, focusing on the mechanics of card selection and balancing player agency with excitement. They dissect card dynamics in popular games like Magic: The Gathering and explore hand management in Strategy Gaming. Humorous anecdotes about inside jokes and a catchy phrase, 'suck it Brent,' add levity to the discussion. Through insightful analysis, they reveal the complexities of creating engaging gameplay while navigating publisher concerns, making it a captivating listen for any game enthusiast.

5 snips
May 31, 2025 • 1h 9min
#59 - The Best Design Advice on the Internet – Part 5
The hosts hilariously dissect a game design blog, balancing laughter with insightful debate. They delve into the art of balancing game components to enhance player experience while stressing the importance of accessibility and polished design. The complexities of campaign games and unique mechanics are also explored, highlighting player interactions and victory conditions. With touches of nostalgia, they reminisce about childhood meals, weaving in humor and heartfelt connections to food. A lively blend of design wisdom and lighthearted anecdotes awaits!

May 23, 2025 • 1h 4min
#58 - Audience Sell-Sheets 2
Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon explore what makes an effective sell sheet, providing feedback on listener-submitted examples. Throughout the discussion, they offer actionable advice on how to improve clarity, visual hierarchy, and focus in order to capture the interest of potential publishers.
Link to Sell Sheets: https://tinyurl.com/4n85j7vf
Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

May 17, 2025 • 1h 18min
#57 - How to Balance your Board Game Part 2
The episode delves into the importance of understanding player dynamics, how to tackle randomness, the impact of player skills on balance, and the art of choosing fun over perfect equilibrium.
Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

May 9, 2025 • 1h 15min
#56 - How to Balance your Board Game Part 1
In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon delve deep into the intricacies of balancing game design. They explore the concept of balance from various angles, including strategic collapse, a test of skill, economies, and more to create engaging gameplay.
Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

May 9, 2025 • 50min
#55 - Catch-Up Mechanisms and Hooks
In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon discuss catch-up mechanisms in gaming, such as rubber banding and blue shells. They also dive into an interesting exercise aimed at developing game design concepts through strong hooks.
Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

May 3, 2025 • 1h 1min
#54 - Would CMYK Publish This?
Alex Hague and James Nathan Spencer explain what CMYK is looking for, and go through many examples of published games that would be a great fit. Tune in to see if you have a game CMYK is looking to publish! Email hello@cmyk.games to submit your game ideas to the company!
Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me
Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com
Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!