
Ludology
Welcome to Ludology, an analytical discussion of the how’s and why’s of the world of board games. Rather than news and reviews, Ludology explores a variety of topics about games from a wider lens, and discusses game history, game design and game players.
Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.
Latest episodes

Aug 16, 2015 • 6min
GameTek Classic 110 - Luck
In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about luck and what increases or decreases it.
Duration: 06:13

Aug 9, 2015 • 56min
Ludology Episode 110 - The Battle Begins
Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Richard Borg to discuss the art of designing war games with mainstream appeal. Mr. Borg is the designer of the Command and Colors series of games, which includes Memoir 44 and Battlelore. What are the features of an entry-level wargame? How can you simplify but still capture the essence of a battle?
Duration: 56:06

Aug 1, 2015 • 8min
GameTek Classic 109 - Power
In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about making the player feel powerful.
We also launch our part of the big Dice Tower Network contest!
Duration: 7:42

Jul 26, 2015 • 1h 9min
Ludology Episode 109 - We're Listening
Mike and Geoff open up the mailbag and answer difficult and interesting listener questions!
Duration: 1:09:26

Jul 19, 2015 • 6min
GameTek Classic 108 - Ludology v Narratology
In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at the debate that raged in the 1990's between Narratologists and Ludologists.
Duration: 05:59

Jul 12, 2015 • 1h 16min
Ludology Episode 108 - Level Up
Geoff is pleased to welcome Scott Rogers, designer of video games such as Darksiders and God of War, and author of the books Level Up! and Swipe This!
The discussion centers around the concept of a 'level' as popularized in video games. Why is it such a popular way to organize games? What advantages does it give the designer? And what is the analog in the boardgame world?
Duration: 01:16:05

Jul 5, 2015 • 6min
GameTek Classic 107 - Analogies
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at how a good analogy can dramatically simplify learning a game.
Duration: 06:00

Jun 28, 2015 • 1h 16min
Ludology Episode 107 - Seven Up
Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into the Antoine Bauza game Seven Wonders. What works? What doesn't? What drove the design decisions?
Duration: 01:16:26

Jun 21, 2015 • 6min
GameTek Classic 106 - The Rule of One
In this classic GameTek, Goeff talks about how innovative a game can really be.
Duration: 06:14

Jun 14, 2015 • 1h 14min
Ludology Episode 106 - Hide and Seek
Mike and Geoff welcome guest Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Specter Ops and VOLT Robot Battle, to discuss hidden and programmed movement in games. Why use these techniques? What are good and bad examples?
Duration: 01:14:11