The Board Game Design Lab

Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda, from Gold Cauldron Games, discuss the ins and outs of various combat systems. We talk dice, cards, dexterity and more. And we analyze several “must play” games to learn how to design awesome combat.  The post Combat Systems with Jayson Smith and Jason Zmuda appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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Chris Totten, designer of La Mancha, discusses the intersection of the fine arts and modern gaming. Chris is a professor of game design at Kent State University and has written several books on game design. The post Mixing the Fine Arts with Game Design with Chris Totten appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Omar Tarancon, designer of Safari Turbo, discusses how to design a racing game. We talk about creating tensions, special abilities, board design and more. The post Designing a Racing Game with Omar Tarancon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire, from Tea Time Productions, discuss how they get the most out of the themes in their games. We talk about starting with a theme in mind and making the mechanisms bring it to life, and we go into how to start with mechanisms and add a theme to the mix. And check out their super thematic biathlon game on Kickstarter HERE.​​ The post Getting the Most out of a Theme with Tobias Olsson and Samuel Sapire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Toby Truman, warehouse owner and product fulfiller, discusses his best advice on shipping, logistics, and saving money. This was honestly one of the most enlightening episodes I’ve done, and Toby has great tips and tricks on how to get your game into the world for the best rates. The post Fulfillment, Shipping, and Logistics with Toby Truman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jason Brooks, designer of Legacies, discusses his best time management tips. We talk about all sorts of different ways to make time for game design, and we get into specific strategies for creating habits that make success inevitable. And be sure to check out Jason’s game, Legacies, which is on Kickstarter HERE. The post Time Management and Getting Things Done with Jason Brooks appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

David and Jordanna Santiago, the father/daughter team behind the game Jujo, discuss their process for designing games and how other families can do the same. We talk about the importance of games as they relate to the development of children, and Jordanna gives lots of advice on how to design alongside kids. And be sure to check out their game Jujo which is on Kickstarter HERE. The post Designing Games with Your Kids with David and Jordanna Santiago appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

For this episode, I’m doing basically a design diary for my latest game, Hunted. I talk about inspiration, playtesting, and development, and I interview the graphic designer and the artist to discuss their creative processes. Hunted has been a blast to design, and in this episode, I go through all the ins and outs of how it came to be. The post The Making of Hunted with Gabe Barrett, Drew Corkill, and Jorge Velez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Shawn Stankewich, founder of Flat Out Games, discusses how he’s building a publishing company that’s built on collaboration. Shawn’s company doesn’t hire out tasks but instead brings on team members who share in both the work and the profits. And be sure to check out Shawn’s game Calico which is on Kickstarter HERE. The post Building a Collaboration Based Publishing Company with Shawn Stankewich appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.