The Board Game Design Lab

Josh Horsley, designer of Castlescape, talks about designing deck-building games that have more going on than just building a deck.We talk about adding boards and other components, and we get into the benefits and obstacles of creating these kinds of games. And be sure to check out Josh’s game, Castlescape, on Kickstarter HERE. The post Deck Building and MORE with Josh Horsley appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The brand new BGDL community site is now live at www.bgdlplus.com! The post BGDL+ is live! appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ami Baio, designer of You Think You Know Me and several other conversation-based games, talks about what all goes into designing and publishing them.We talk about how to create gaming environments that encourage people to talk, listen, and enjoy chatting with each other. The post Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Joe Klipfel, designer of Griphold Tower, discusses what it’s like to take a large, published game and turn it into a microgame. Joe has done this with Set a Watch and Gloomhaven and offers lots of insight on how to break a game down to its essence. The post [Community Spotlight] Turning Big Games into Microgames with Joe Klipfel appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Marco Pecota, designer of Legions of Steel, discusses the ways he’s engaging with the fans of his game. We talk about building a community, releasing bonus content, reaching out to your fans for feedback, and more. The post [Community Spotlight] Customer Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction with Marco Pecota appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Martin Wallace, designer of Brass: Birmingham and about 100 other great games, talks about Euro games and his process for designing them.Martin is one of the greatest designers of all time, and he offers tons of excellent advice based on his 30+ years in the industry. The post How to Design Euro Games with Martin Wallace appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Joe Slack, designer Relics of Rajavihara, talks about the many different jobs in the board gaming industry and how people have found their way to those jobs.Joe recently released a book devoted to this topic, so we talk a lot about what he found through his interviews and research. And you can find Joe’s latest book about jobs in the gaming industry HERE.​ The post Getting a Job in the Board Game Industry with Joe Slack appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Nick Metzler, game designer at Spin Master, talks about designing games that create excellent social experiences.We also dive into chasing dreams, overcoming obstacles, and gamification.​ The post How to Design Social Experiences with Nick Metzler appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

BGDL community member Trevor Laforce discusses how to optimize your life to get more designing done in less time.We talk about habits, time management, and self-management in the context of designing games while also having a job, family, and busy schedule. And you can find Trevor’s daily planner and more time optimization content on his website here. The post Optimizing Game Design Time with Trevor Laforce appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dennis Furia talks about the board game identity pyramid.The pyramid is an excellent tool and framework to help you break down a game into its main selling points and help you figure out the why, what, and how behind your game. You can find more about the pyramid HERE. The post The Board Game Identity Pyramid with Dennis Furia appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.