The Board Game Design Lab

Exploring grassroots game publishing with Joe Bragg, focusing on community building, small-batch printing, and the challenges of traditional publishing. Discusses self-publishing, preorder strategies, and innovative game launch approaches. Dive into the world of board game design and discover the benefits of taking a grassroots approach.

In this episode, Jason Perez and I chat about how designers can boost their creativity by thinking outside the box, pushing past tropes, and being more intentional about their thematic choices. The post How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Exploring the highs and lows of starting an indie publishing company in the board game industry, from navigating conventions to finding success through innovative partnerships and artistic vision. Delve into the challenges of game design, showcasing Valka, a strategic card battling game, and learn about creative constraints with mint tin games as examples.

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 check out BGDP here. You’ll find all sorts of skill sessions on designing, crowdfunding, and publishing games! And if you use coupon code “33today” you’ll receive 33% off the membership price The post Board Game Design Productivity Hacks with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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. The post Do this BEFORE designing a game | Leo Taylor appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Exploring strategies for sustaining a career in board game design by diversifying income streams, balancing financial stability with creative passion, navigating business realities, diversifying opportunities, effective planning and time management strategies, and discussing entrepreneurial accountability and project management in the gaming industry.

In this episode, Elan Lee, the creator of Exploding Kittens, talks about his venture into creating games for small children. Elan has been designing the games alongside his four-year-old daughter, and we talk about the process of designing games both for and with small kids. We also get into the business side of things and discuss marketing, manufacturing, and more! And be sure to check out the games HERE. The post Designing Games FOR and WITH Young Kids with Elan Lee appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dive into the world of board game design theory with Geoff Engelstein as he discusses loss aversion, impactful game endings, and the thrill of definitive outcomes. Explore the balance between surprise and manageability, the influence of peak-end theory in game design, and the concept of loss aversion in creating engaging player experiences. Discover how strategic gameplay in tournaments can shape game outcomes and the importance of fair play and storytelling in game design.

Jason Greeno, expert in creating print-n-play games, discusses the benefits and best practices of print-n-play games. They explore the ease of updates and expansions, creating a seamless experience, and the gameplay mechanics of The Cursed Menagerie. They also touch on creating and customizing print-n-play games with exciting possibilities.

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 -Twilight Imperium -Dune -Century: Spiced Road -Le Havre -Vast -Root -Concordia -Istanbul: the dice game -Sagrada -Gartenbau -Silly Street -Tyrants of the Underdark -Legendary -King of Tokyo -Sleeping Gods -Charterstone -Arkham Horror: the card game -RoboMon The post The Games Every Designer MUST Play with Pam Walls appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.