BGDL community member Trevor Laforce discusses how to optimize your life to get more designing done in less time.

We talk about habits, time management, and self-management in the context of designing games while also having a job, family, and busy schedule.

And you can find Trevor’s daily planner and more time optimization content on his website here.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Justin Chu, founder of Mobo Games, discusses how to design board games made specifically for the digital space.

We talk about the pros and cons of digital-only board games along with the many things to think about and to be aware of when traveling into this side of the market.

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Your friend Ben Moy, desinger of Breakdancing Meeples, discusses his thoughts on how to make the game design space (and subsequently the world) a better and brighter place to be a part of.

We talk about joining communities that resonate with you, like Girls’ Game Shelf and TGC Designer Discussion, using emojis and GIFs to foster relationships, reminding yourself that everyone is a person beyond the screen, owning up to and growing from your mistakes, and more.​​

Ben devotes a great deal of his time to helping and encouraging others in the game design community and has some great ideas on how we can all work to make this a truly excellent hobby.

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Leslie Scott, desinger of Jenga, and Freddie Scott Vollrath, designer of Slappy Camper, discuss what all goes into designing and pitching games for the mass market.

We talk about what makes a game “mass market,” getting games into museums, where to pitch game ideas, and more.

The post How to Design Games for the Mass Market with Leslie Scott and Freddie Scott Vollrath appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jeremy Howard, reviewer at Man vs Meeple, discusses what makes a great solo game.

Jeremy is super passionate about solo games, and we dive into examples of excellent solo games, capturing tension, solo modes for multiplayer games, and more.

[mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

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Charlie McCarron, designer of Four Humours, discusses what it looks like for a board game designer to live a creative life

We talk about scheduling, self-care, betting on yourself, inspiration, and more.

And be sure to check out Charlie’s game on Kickstarter HERE.​​

[mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click HERE.[/mobileonly]

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Dustin Hendrickson, designer of Don’t Let It Die, discusses all the ins and outs of creating your game with Tabletop Simulator.

Dustin has been working with TTS for years, and we cover basically everything you need to know to get your game on the platform and why it’s a good idea to do so.

The post Designing with Tabletop Simulator with Dustin Hendrickson appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Kirk Dennison, founder of Piecekeeper Games, discusses some pretty heavy topics as we get into self-care, mental health, depression, burnout, and more.

Kirk went through a pretty tough time of life a while back, and we delve into issues that I believe a lot of people are struggling with right now. We also get into strategies for dealing with and overcoming dark times.

And be sure to check out Kirk’s latest project, Rurik: Stone and Blade, on Kickstarter now.

The post Self Care and Dealing with Designer Burnout with Kirk Dennison appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, it’s just me and I’m talking about why game design matters. In a world with so many pressing issues, it’s easy to not realize how important games and game design really are.

I tell some personal stories and also get into where the Board Game Design Lab is headed.

And be sure to check out my latest project, the Board Game Design Starter Kit, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Why Game Design Matters with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, discusses everything that goes into creating miniatures for a game.

We talk about the design process, materials, manufacturing, and more.

And be sure to check out John’s game, Token Terrors, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Miniatures with John de Campos appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Corey Konieczka, one of the best designers on the planet, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process.

We talk about what it’s like to work at Fantasy Flight Games, coming up with ideas, playtesting, and more.

If you’re not familiar with Corey, he’s worked on these games:

• Battlestar Galactica
• Space Hulk: Death Angel
• Descent 2nd Edition
• Eldritch Horror
• Star Wars: Imperial Assault
• Star Wars: Rebellion
• Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
• Star Wars: Outer Rim​​​​
• ​​​​​​​​​And a TON more!

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Danielle Reynolds, designer with DMR Creative Group, discusses the many ways a designer can get involved in the game design community.

We talk about volunteering, design groups, mentorships, and more. 

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Hankerin Ferinale, founder of Runehammer Games, discusses what board game designers can learn from the world of tabletop RPGs.

Hankerin is one of the most creative people I know, and he’s been creating RPG content for years. He has a ton of insight on how RPG concepts can improve board games.

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Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games and designer of Robinson Crusoe, discusses his company’s motto: Games that tell stories.

We go in-depth into Ignacy’s design process, talk about his most popular games, and get to the heart of what it looks like to create games that have players leaving the table with a story to tell.

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Martin Gonzalvez, expert print-n-player, discusses why having a print-n-play version of your game is so important. 

We talk about best practices and ways to make PnP files with excellence. We also get into some game creation techniques.

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