Joe Slack, designer Relics of Rajavihara, talks about the many different jobs in the board gaming industry and how people have found their way to those jobs.

Joe recently released a book devoted to this topic, so we talk a lot about what he found through his interviews and research.

And you can find Joe’s latest book about jobs in the gaming industry HERE.​

The post Getting a Job in the Board Game Industry with Joe Slack appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Nick Metzler, game designer at Spin Master, talks about designing games that create excellent social experiences.

We also dive into chasing dreams, overcoming obstacles, and gamification.​

The post How to Design Social Experiences with Nick Metzler appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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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Dennis Furia talks about the board game identity pyramid.

The pyramid is an excellent tool and framework to help you break down a game into its main selling points and help you figure out the why, what, and how behind your game.

You can find more about the pyramid HERE.

The post The Board Game Identity Pyramid with Dennis Furia appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Laura Hoffman, COO of Game on Tabletop, discusses the ins and outs, pros and cons of crowdfunding your game.

Game on Tabletop is a crowdfunding platform specifically for board game campaigns, and Laura has a ton of experience working with creators and project managers.​

The post Why You Should Crowdfund Your Game (or Not) with Laura Hoffman appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Wade Hayes designer of Poetic License, dives into everyone’s favorite topic…taxes. We talk about lots of the major accounting topics designers and publishers need to be aware of.

Wade is a tax pro, and this episode will be super helpful in making sure you stay in the government’s good graces (assuming you’re in the U.S.).

Here’s an excellent tax guide PDF Wade created.

And be sure to check out Wade’s game, Poetic License, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Taxes for Designers and Publishers with Wade Hayes appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Joe Hout, designer of Dungeon Draft, talks about how to design a roll and write game.

Joe has designed quite a few roll and writes, and we get into dice vs cards, combos, player counts, and more.

And be sure to check out Joe’s game Dice in the Darkness and play along on Twitch HERE.

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In this BGDL community spotlight episode, Alex Lu, designer of Dogs Bond, discusses how to implement interchangeable win conditions in a game.

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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.

The post Designing Massive Games with Isaac Childres appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Sara Perry, designer of Gift of Tulips, talks about all the many angles of shipping and logistics.

Sara handles logistics for quite a few publishers (including me), and we talk about vetting fulfillment partners, shipping rates, what to think about if you’re just a game designer, and more.

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

The post Board Game Logistics and Fulfillment with Sara Perry appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Today, it’s just me on the show, and I’m discussing different angles of designing and publishing solo games, and I’m talking through the design process for my latest solo game, Hunted: Wode Ridge.

I talk about pros, cons, design challenges, the business side of things, and more.

And you can check out Hunted: Wode Ridge on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Designing Solo Games and the Making of Hunted: Wode Ridge with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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.

The post How to Design Digital Board Games with Justin Chu appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Debbie Moynihan, COO of White Wizard Games, discusses how to market yourself, your game, and your company.

Whether you’re a designer pitching to a publisher or wanting to run Kickstarter campaigns of your own, you’ll find some great wisdom in this one. Debbie also breaks down the seven P’s of marketing.

The post How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moynihan appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

John D’Angelo, desinger of Runelords, discusses how to receive, process, and utilize feedback.

Whether you’re talking to playtesters, gamers, members of your target audience, or anyone else, it’s important to know how to take in feedback, and it’s vital to know how to use it to make your games better.

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

The post How to Process Feedback with John D’Angelo appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Grant Lyon, desinger of Curmudgeon, discusses everything that goes into crafting a fun and humorous gaming experience.

Grant is a professional stand-up comic, and we talk about joke theory, humor in rulebooks, party games, and more.

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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.

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