
The Board Game Design Lab
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.
Latest episodes

Feb 2, 2022 • 1h 11min
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing Monster Taming Games with Tyler Langtimm
Tyler Langtimm, designer of Moxie: A Journey of Monsters, discusses how to design a game about monster taming (think Pokemon). Tyler has been working on a monster hunting/taming game for a while (and so have I), so we have quite a lot to talk about. We get into exploration, combat, puzzles, progression, and more.
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Feb 2, 2022 • 35min
[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Promote Your Game in Facebook Groups with Thomas Covert
Thomas Covert, founder of the Board Game Revolution Facebook group, dives into how to promote your game in Facebook groups without seeming like a slimy used car salesman.
We talk about asking for feedback, how to create engaging posts (and when to post them), paid promotion, and more.
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Jan 26, 2022 • 49min
Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn
Steve Finn, founder of Dr. Finn’s Games, discusses how to design set collection games. Steve has designed a ton of games with this mechanism including Biblios, Herbaceous, and Sunset over Water, so he has a lot to say on the topic.
And be sure to check out Steve’s Latest game on Kickstarter HERE.
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Jan 19, 2022 • 42min
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Creating a Business Plan with Jasper Burch
Jasper Burch, founder of Pine Island Games, dives into business plans and why you probably need one.
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Jan 19, 2022 • 32min
[BGDL Community Spotlight] Component First Game Design with Scott Smith
Scott Smith, designer of Dungeon Drop, discusses how to design games by starting with the components. Scott has become a master at this, and it’s an interesting way to approach design that often begins with theme or a mechanism.
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Jan 12, 2022 • 58min
Manufacturing Frequently Asked Questions with Hersh Glueck
Hersh Glueck, founder of Hero Time Manufacturing, discusses the most common pitfalls and frequently asked questions when it comes to printing a board game.Hersh lives in China and started a manufacturing company several years ago, so he has a ton of experience and knowledge when it comes to bringing a game to life. We also get into logistics and fulfillment during the episode.
Youtube series about Artwork: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCS1rWvDVjF44CLfYSvnn4kwmdWQstoD7
Check all prices for board game pieces: Board Game Pieces with Prices | Get a quote – Hero Time Manufacturing (herotime1.com)
All resources related to manufacturing and shipping: Resources for making a board game – Hero Time Manufacturing (herotime1.com)
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Jan 5, 2022 • 59min
The Making of Imperium with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle
David Turczi and Nigel Buckle discuss the making of their hit games Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends.We talk through everything from the initial idea all the way to getting the games published and onto people’s tables.
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Dec 29, 2021 • 1h 16min
Designing Storytelling Games with Jerry Hawthorne
Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses how to design a game that focuses on storytelling.Jerry has created several super popular storytelling games (and has a new one about to come out), and we dive into writing, scenario design, combat mechanisms, and more.
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Dec 22, 2021 • 50min
Entangled Decision Making in Games with Fabio Lopiano
Fabio Lopiano, designer of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, discusses how to use entangled decision-making as the primary mechanism in a game.In several of Fabio’s designs, players have to make choices based on how things like resources and actions are paired together or “entangled.” We unpack everything that goes into designing games that intertwine various options.
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Dec 15, 2021 • 1h 13min
How to Design a Cooperative Game with Mike Kelley
Mike Kelley, designer of Mega Man Adventures, discusses cooperative games and what goes into designing a good one.Mike has been designing and reviewing cooperative games for years, and we dive into both creating co-op games and how to stand out to reviewers and gamers.
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