The Board Game Design Lab

Amy and Dusty Droz join me to talk about how they’ve built an extremely profitable publishing business in a relatively short amount of time. We talk about tariffs, fulfillment, audience, budgeting, customer service, and a whole lot more! The post How to build a million dollar publishing company with Amy and Dusty Droz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, Jamey Stegmaier and I chat about the various trends we’re seeing in the current game design landscape. We talk about solo and 2-player games, open worlds, licensed IPs, and more! The post Game Design Trends for 2025 with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I chat with Andrew Lowen, from Crowdfunding Nerds, about how to make people aware your game exists. Also, be sure to check out Andrew’s crowdfunding marketing course, and if you sign up through my affiliate link, you’ll not only get a ton of resources to help you market your game but also a FREE one-hour coaching call with me. https://crowdfundingnerds.com/bgdl/ The post Game Marketing Made Simple with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

My 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.

Explore Corey Konieczka's design process in creating top-ranked games, navigating challenges of working on IPs like Star Wars, prototyping insights, and knowing when to abandon a design. Gain valuable tips on game development and the evolution of game design in the industry.

Elizabeth Hargrave shares insights on designing engine-building games like Wingspan, discussing strategy diversity, balancing winning strategies, creating engaging endings, and maintaining game balance. Exploring the evolution of engine-building games, she highlights the satisfaction of evolving game engines and the importance of crafting engaging conclusions to keep players interested. Strategies, challenges, and tactics in engine building games like Splendor and Terraforming Mars are also discussed, emphasizing the delicate balance required for a cohesive gameplay experience.

Discover the art of designing games that tell stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games. Learn about the evolution of a game designer, the challenges of knowing when to walk away from a project, and transforming games like 51st State into Imperial Settlers. Explore the crucial role of execution in game design success and the importance of playtesting for creating engaging experiences.

In 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.

Richard Garfield, game designer, discusses the balance between luck and skill in game design. Topics include the false dichotomy between luck and skill, the impact of luck in creating drama in games, finding the right balance in game design, and the evolution of collectible card games and their rules.

In this episode, I answer a bunch of questions that were submitted by BGDL community members! The post Your game design questions answered appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.