

The Board Game Design Lab
Gabe Barrett
The Board Game Design Lab was created for one purpose: to help you design great games people love. To accomplish that goal, this podcast interviews designers, publishers, and board game insiders on specific topics related to game design. I don’t waste time talking about recently played games or pop culture. Instead, the show does a deep dive into subjects that I hope you’ll find extremely valuable as you progress through your game design journey.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 7, 2021 • 1h 1min
Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman
Laura Hoffman, COO of Game on Tabletop, discusses the ins and outs, pros and cons of crowdfunding your game.Game on Tabletop is a crowdfunding platform specifically for board game campaigns, and Laura has a ton of experience working with creators and project managers.
The post Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 31, 2021 • 51min
Taxes for Designers and Publishers with Wade Hayes
Wade Hayes designer of Poetic License, dives into everyone’s favorite topic…taxes. We talk about lots of the major accounting topics designers and publishers need to be aware of.Wade is a tax pro, and this episode will be super helpful in making sure you stay in the government’s good graces (assuming you’re in the U.S.).
Here’s an excellent tax guide PDF Wade created.
And be sure to check out Wade’s game, Poetic License, on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Taxes for Designers and Publishers with Wade Hayes appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 24, 2021 • 1h 7min
Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout
Joe Hout, designer of Dungeon Draft, talks about how to design a roll and write game.Joe has designed quite a few roll and writes, and we get into dice vs cards, combos, player counts, and more.
And be sure to check out Joe’s game Dice in the Darkness and play along on Twitch HERE.
The post Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 17, 2021 • 32min
BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu
In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Alex Lu, designer of Dogs Bond, discusses how to implement interchangeable win conditions in a game.
The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 17, 2021 • 36min
BGDL Community Spotlight – Designing a Game a Week with Wayne Koenig
In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Wayne Koenig, designer of lots of games, discusses his experience and process of designing a brand new game every single week.
The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Designing a Game a Week with Wayne Koenig appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 10, 2021 • 1h 11min
Designing Massive Games with Isaac Childres
Isaac Childres designer of Gloomhaven, talks about how to design games that are massive in scope.Gloomhaven is a 25-pound box of hours upon hours of gameplay, and we dive into design challenges, player progression, marketing, and more.
The post Designing Massive Games with Isaac Childres appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mar 3, 2021 • 58min
Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry
Sara Perry, designer of Gift of Tulips, talks about all the many angles of shipping and logistics.Sara handles logistics for quite a few publishers (including me), and we talk about vetting fulfillment partners, shipping rates, what to think about if you’re just a game designer, and more.
And be sure to check out Sara’s game on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Feb 24, 2021 • 55min
Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted: Wode Ridge with Gabe Barrett
Today, it’s just me on the show, and I’m discussing different angles of designing and publishing solo games, and I’m talking through the design process for my latest solo game, Hunted: Wode Ridge.I talk about pros, cons, design challenges, the business side of things, and more.
And you can check out Hunted: Wode Ridge on Kickstarter HERE.
The post Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted: Wode Ridge with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Feb 17, 2021 • 1h 3min
Overcoming Failure with James Fazio
James Fazio, founder of Pique Games, discusses how to overcome failure in game design and game publishing.We talk about defining success, the danger of comparison, taking feedback gracefully, and more.
The post Overcoming Failure with James Fazio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Feb 10, 2021 • 1h 1min
Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade
Azhelle Wade, the toy coach, discusses how to design board games for the mass market and toy industry.We talk about “toyetic” games, patents, pitching to publishers, contraption based games, and more.
The post Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.