The Board Game Design Lab

Ryan Laukat, founder of Red Raven Games, discusses how to create a beautiful game that is also functional. Ryan does his own art for all of his games, so he has an incredible understanding of the tug of war a designer and artist can have when trying to make a game look great but also work well for the players. We also talk about some best practices when hiring and working with an artist. The post The Intersection of Art and Game Design with Ryan Laukat appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jerry Hawthorne on How He Draws Inspiration from Everyday Life appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Mice and Mystics, discusses the importance of story in games. Jerry specializes in narrative driven games and has numerous games to his credit. He goes into why people enjoy story in games so much and how you can inject more story into your games. Finally, he gives great advice on what to do first when creating a story driven game. My favorite idea from the interview: “Create a story. Not a series of incidents.” The post The Importance of Story in Games with Jerry Hawthorne appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Stephen Buonocore on Things to Consider when Adding Components to a Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Stephen Buonocore, president of Stronghold Games, goes into all of the ins and outs of researching publishers, contacting publishers, and pitching your game. We talk in depth on how to do things the right way to give your game the best chance of being signed. Then, Stephen closes the conversation with a couple funny stories about some epic game pitch fails. The post How to Get Your Game Published with Stephen Buonocore appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Richard Launius on His Favorite Game Mechanics appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, gives incredible game design advice, talks Cthulu and what makes a great Cthulu game, and goes into how to make games that create epic experiences that stand the test of time. This episode is packed full of wisdom from a game design legend. The post Advice, Cthulu, and How to Create an Epic Gaming Experience with Richard Launius appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jay Vales on How to Make a Good “Take That” Game appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jay Vales discusses how his game, Conquest at Kismet, came to be and how it got great reviews but underperformed when it came to sales. We go into the contributing factors and what other designers can learn from the experience. We also talk about some interesting design concepts, dealing with real-life death, and how even Zee Garcia can’t guarantee you sales. The post Why Good Reviews Aren’t Always the Magic Bullet with Jay Vales appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Colby Dauch on Barriers to Entry in Gaming appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.