The Board Game Design Lab

Edo Baraf, designer of Herbaceous, discusses the many different types of custom components you can add to your games and the challenges and considerations that go with each one. We talk custom dice, boards, boxes, inserts, meeples, sleeves, and more. (Not miniatures. That will be its own episode.) Edo has experience with lots of custom components and offers a ton of insight on the things to be aware of when adding them to your game. The post Custom Components in Your Game with Edo Baraf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Dan Peterson on Themes that Need to Be Explored appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dan Peterson, chief developer and head of new acquisitions at Mayday Games, discusses why a publisher might reject your game and how to handle it. Dan looks at close to 200 unpublished games a year and has years of experience in finding new games to publish. This episode is packed with great wisdom for anyone wanting to travel down the traditional publishing path. The post Why a Publisher Might Reject Your Game and How to Handle It with Dan Peterson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] JT Smith on How to Come Up with Expansion Ideas appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

JT Smith, designer of The Captain Is Dead, talks about how to design a great cooperative game. We talk creating tension, alpha players, and the math behind a good AI system. Personally, I think The Captain Is Dead is one of the best co-op games on the market today, and it was great to get JT’s insight on its creation. The post How to Design a Great Cooperative Game with JT Smith appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on How to Approach a Small Publisher with Your Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jamey Stegmaier, designer of Scythe, is back on the show, and we’re talking about what the schedule of a pro game designer looks like. It’s easy to have a romanticized idea of what being a full time designer is, but it doesn’t quite line up with reality. We talk about the daily fires that have to be put out, how to be intentional with your time, ways to become more efficient, and much more. The post A Day in the Life of a Pro Designer with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Emerson Matsuuchi on His Process of Creating Special Abilities appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Specter Ops, goes into all the ins and outs of putting together a hidden movement game. There are very few hidden movement games out there right now which means there’s still a ton to be explored. Emerson discusses the challenges he faced and his insights on the topic. The post How to Make a Great Hidden Movement Game with Emerson Matsuuchi appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Ryan Laukat on Creating Art for a Kickstarter Project appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.