Sami Laakso, owner of Snowdale Design, discusses how to design a scenario based game.

Sami is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s been working on a campaign driven game with legacy elements for over 2 years. We discuss what he’s learned throughout the design process, and he gives lots of tips and tricks.

And you can find Sami’s scenario game on Kickstarter right now. Check it out here.

The post Designing Scenario Based Games with Sami Laakso appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Kirk Dennison on How to Dominate a Playtest Convention appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Today, Kirk Dennison, owner of Piecekeeper Games, discusses how to efficiently create new versions of a game and iterate like a boss

Kirk is both a publisher and a designer, and he’s obsessed with efficiency. He gets into some serious nuts and bolts about saving time and moving from one version to the next.

And be sure to check out Kirk’s latest game “Gearworks” on Kickstarter.

The post How to Iterate like a BOSS with Kirk Dennison appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Scott Rogers on Tips and Tricks for Art Direction appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Scott Rogers, designer of Rayguns and Rocketships, discusses how to intertwine theme and mechanics.

Scott has been designing both video and board games for years and teaches game design at the University of Southern California. Scott also does the “History of a Board Game” segments on the Dice Tower and Ludology podcasts.

And the Jack Vasal Memorial Fund auction mentioned in the show can be found HERE.

The post Intertwining Theme and Mechanics with Scott Rogers appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Andrew Birkett on How to Know When to Put a Game on the Shelf appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Andrew Birkett, founder of Atheris Games, discusses how he started a publishing company and got his first game 200% funded on Kickstarter.

We talk about tips for pre-campaign preparation, overcoming the mid-campaign slump, finishing strong, and more.

The post How a First Time Publisher Gets Funded on Kickstarter with Andrew Birkett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Timo Multamaki on Advice for Non-Native English Speakers who Want to Run a Kickstarter appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Timo Multamaki, founder of Dragon Dawn Productions, discusses the many things he’s learned about project management and getting games across the finish line.

Timo has a team of 40+ people from all over the world working on various games​​, so he’s had to become the glue that holds people together and keeps them on the same page until the games are done.

The post Project Management and Working with Virtual Teams with Timo Multamaki appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jamey Stegmaier on Tips and Tricks to Make a Great Rulebook appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jamey Stegmaier is back, and we’re talking about the making of Scythe. We discuss the ins and outs of all the design choices that brought one of the best games in the world to life.

The post The Making of Scythe with Jamey Stegmaier appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Evan Derrick on Mechanics He Loves to Use appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Evan Derrick, designer and part owner of Van Ryder Games, discusses theme and how to really bring it to the forefront in a game.

Evan designed “Detective: City of Angels” which is one of the most thematic games I’ve ever seen, so I pick his brain on what makes a theme really come together.

The post THEME! And How to Bring It Out with Evan Derrick appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Danny Lott on How to Help Designers Playtest Their Games appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Danny Lott, designer of Coma Ward, discusses how to design a horror themed game and really evoke a creepy experience. 

This episode has a ton of great advice, but I’m not gonna lie, it gets a little weird in the middle. (You’ll hear what I mean…) We finish strong though, haha.

The post Designing Horror Themed Games with Danny Lott appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Carla Kopp on How to Run an Effective Playtest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Carla Kopp, founder of Weird Giraffe Games, discusses how she stays on the hustle and gets so much done in design, publishing, playtesting, and Kickstarter.

We talk about the tips and tricks she’s learned to hack her time and consistently make things happen.

The post How to Hustle and Get Things Done with Carla Kopp appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Jason Perez on Using Games for Therapy appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jason Perez, psychotherapist and host of the Every Night Is Game Night podcast, discusses the different ways people learn and how that should affect rulebook writing.

We go into how the brain works, what makes rules so hard to learn, and more.

The post Learning Styles and Writing Rulebooks with Jason Perez appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post [BONUS] Randy Hoyt on what to Expect when Working with a Publisher appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.