Carol Mertz, senior game designer at Exploding Kittens, gives us a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a major publisher.

We talk about timelines, working with internal and external designers, pursuing excellent game ideas, how to get a job at Exploding Kittens, and more.

The post A Look Behind the Scenes at Exploding Kittens with Carol Mertz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Today, it’s just me, and I’ve got a word of encouragement for you. Pursuing a creative lifestyle can be incredibly difficult, so I wanted to do an episode to help you stay motivated and inspired.

The post A Word of Encouragement from Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale, from Badgers from Mars, talk about how to design a game based on nothing more than a standard deck of cards.

We talk about their game Regicide (currently number one on BGG’s Hotness list), pros and cons of such tight constraints, marketing, and more.

The post Designing Games Based on a Standard Deck of Cards with Luke Badger, Paul Abrahams, and Andy Richdale appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Fertessa Allyse, producer at Funko Games, talks about how to design a trick taking game.

We talk about table talk, bringing new ideas to the genre, what to look for while playtesting, and more.

And be sure to check out Fertessa’s trick taking game, Wicked and Wise, on Kickstarter HERE.

*Also, at one point, I mention UNO as a trick taking game, however, it’s definitely a matching game. (duh, haha)

The post How to Design Trick Taking Games with Fertessa Allyse appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jeff Fraser, designer of Cartouche, talks about various skill barriers in games and what you should be aware of when designing games with elements like spatial reasoning, dexterity, memory, math, and negotiation.

We talk about playtesting these elements, designing based on your target audience, and more.

And be sure to check out Jeff’s game, Cartouche, on Kickstarter HERE.​

The post Skill Barriers in Games with Jeff Fraser appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Rachel Bruner, designer of Harsh Shadows, talks about how to create print-n-play games and the many reasons why you might want to.

Rachel is super active in the PnP community, and we discuss her thoughts on best practices, tools of the trade, getting a PnP game published, and more.

And here are all the links and whatnot that were discussed on the show:

The post How and Why You Should Create Print-n-Play Games with Rachel Bruner appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Perry Berkum, founder of Game Decks, talks about how to turn a video game into a board game.

Perry’s company has published several board games inspired by video games, and we talk about theme, mechanisms, licensing, marketing, and more.

The post How to Turn a Video Game into a Board Game with Perry Burkum appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In another BGDL community spotlight, Jeff Turner, founder of Skip Work Play Games, dives into how to use InDesign to do data merge and speed up your prototyping process.

Data merge makes it easy to edit or change hundreds of cards with one click, and we get into both high-level concepts and technical how-to.

The post (Community Spotlight) Using InDesign and Data Merge with Jeff Turner appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Anthony Howgego, developer at Osprey Games, what goes into developing a game and nearly everything else surrounding development.

We talk about taking games from good to great, how to work with a developer effectively, how to become a developer, and more.

The post Developing Games and Working with Developers with Anthony Howgego appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dave Beck, designer of Distilled, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.

Dave did a TON of research for his latest game, hired experts, and dove as deeply into the theme as he could. So, he’s got a lot of advice for anyone wanting to make a super thematic game.

And be sure to check out Dave’s game, Distilled, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post How to Make a Super Thematic Game and Do Research with Dave Beck appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Kate Otte, designer of First Ascent, talks about improving games through experiential graphic design.

Kate is a professional graphic designer, and we get into how to make games more accessible, understandable, and fun using excellent graphic design techniques.

And be sure to check out Kate’s game, First Ascent, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Experiential Graphic Design with Kate Otte appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Nick Murray, founder of Bitewing Games, discusses how you can evaluate your game and ideas using SWOT analysis. This is a common technique in the business world to analyze ideas, products, companies, etc., and it can really help with game design as well.

The post (Community Spotlight) Evaluating Your Game with SWOT Analysis with Nick Murray appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Dan Hundycz, founder of DPH Games, discusses layered victory conditions. In his latest game, Usurp the King, there’s a hierarchy of ways to win, and Dan breaks down how it came together.

And be sure to check out Usurp the King on Kickstarter HERE.

The post (Community Spotlight) Layered Victory Conditions with Dan Hundycz appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Justin Gary, designer of Ascension, talks about his personal process for designing and publishing games.

Justin has designed and released a ton of hit games over the years and worked in lots of different segments of the gaming industry, so he has a ton of great tips and advice.

The post How to Design and Publish Games with Justin Gary appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Andrew Lowen, designer of Deliverance, talks about going through the process of deciding between traditional publishing and self-publishing.

We talk about the pros and cons on both sides along with how to make things work if you go the self-publishing route.

And be sure to check out Andrew’s game, Deliverance, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Why to Self Publish…or Not with Andrew Lowen appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Janice Turner, designer of Assembly, talks about designing puzzle games.

We talk about player experience, designing during nap times, how to make puzzles fun and not tedious, and more!

And be sure to check out Janice’s game, Pilfering Pandas, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Designing Puzzle Games with Janice Turner appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ben Downton, designer of Micro Dojo, talks about designing micro-micro games – games so small they can fit in a regular-sized envelope.

We talk about component constraints, focus, player expectations, and more!

And be sure to check out Ben’s game, Micro Dojo, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Designing Games that Fit in an Envelope with Ben Downton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Josh Horsley, designer of Castlescape, talks about designing deck-building games that have more going on than just building a deck.

We talk about adding boards and other components, and we get into the benefits and obstacles of creating these kinds of games.

And be sure to check out Josh’s game, Castlescape, on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Deck Building and MORE with Josh Horsley appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The brand new BGDL community site is now live at www.bgdlplus.com!

The post BGDL+ is live! appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Ami Baio, designer of You Think You Know Me and several other conversation-based games, talks about what all goes into designing and publishing them.

We talk about how to create gaming environments that encourage people to talk, listen, and enjoy chatting with each other.

The post Designing Conversation Games with Ami Baio appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.