

Ludology
Erica Hayes-Bouyouris, Sen-Foong Lim
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.
Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 31, 2013 • 9min
GameTek Classic 52 - Entanglement
In this classic Gametek, Geoff talks about Entanglement, Quantum Mechanics, and why our intuition about probability can be woefully incorrect. One of Geoff's favorite episodes!
Duration: 09:00
This episode of Ludology is sponsored by Relic Expedition, currently on Kickstarter!

Mar 24, 2013 • 1h 13min
Ludology Episode 52 - Let's Make a Deal!
This episode Ryan and Geoff tackle games that feature negotiation, either as a designed-in feature, or a by-product of the player interactions. What features make for a great negotiation game? What types of player experiences can they engender? Can Ryan get Geoff to agree to anything?
Duration: 1:13:10
This episode of Ludology is sponsored by Relic Expedition, currently on Kickstarter!

Mar 17, 2013 • 6min
GameTek Classic 51 - Regret
In this classic GameTek, Geoff examines regret - why we would rather not make a choice at all, rather than make it and have it not work out.
Duration: 6:26

Mar 10, 2013 • 1h 21min
Ludology Episode 51 - 50 for 50, Part 2
Ryan and Geoff return with the second half of their new games for 2012. Plus their top picks for the year!
Duration 1:20:55
This episode is sponsored by the game Influence, now on Kickstarter!

Mar 3, 2013 • 8min
GameTek Classic 50 - Monty Hall
In this classic GameTek, Geoff introduces the Monty Hall problem, an old chestnut that never fails to amaze those who have not heard it before.
Duration: 08:25
This episode is sponsored by the game Influence, now on Kickstarter!

Feb 24, 2013 • 1h 11min
Ludology Episode 50 - 50 for 50, Part 1
To celebrate the 50th episode of Ludology, Ryan and Geoff talk about 50 games that were new to them in 2012: The good, the bad, and the design features that stood out.
Duration: 1:10
This episode is sponsored by the game Influence, now on Kickstarter!

Feb 17, 2013 • 7min
GameTek Classic 49 - Martin Gardner
In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Martin Gardner, who wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American magazine from the mid 50's to the 1980's, and passed away in 2010.
Duration: 06:36

Feb 10, 2013 • 59min
Ludology Episode 49 - The Joke's On You!
Ryan and Geoff are joined by guest Zack Johnson, designer of the online game Kingdom of Loathing, to discuss the use (and misuse) of humor in games. How is humor used in games? Are there special considerations for making a game funny? Is Geoff capable of telling a joke?
Duration: 58:40

Feb 3, 2013 • 7min
GameTek Classic 48 - High Society
In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a close look under the hood at the Reiner Knizia game High Society, to tease out what makes it such a dynamic and engaging design.
Duration: 6:35

Jan 27, 2013 • 1h 7min
Ludology Episode 48 - Fun with Feedback
No, not listener feedback - Feedback loops. What are the different types of feedback, and how do designers incorporate them into games? Do certain types of games benefit from feedback? Is feedback necessary for a rich game experience?
Duration: 1:06