In this episode, Pam Walls and I chat about the games on our “must play” lists if you’re a game designer. And be sure to check out Pam’s awesome channel about game design here: https://www.youtube.com/@pamwallsgamedesign

Here are the games we discuss:

-Imhotep

-Dungeons & Dragons

-Catan -Chess

-Magic: the Gathering

-Robinson Crusoe

-Kemet -Creature Comforts

-Twilight Imperium

-Dune

-Century: Spiced Road

-Le Havre

-Vast

-Root

-Concordia

-Istanbul: the dice game

-Sagrada

-Gartenbau

-Silly Street

-Tyrants of the Underdark

-Legendary

-King of Tokyo

-Sleeping Gods

-Charterstone

-Arkham Horror: the card game

-RoboMon

The post The Games Every Designer MUST Play with Pam Walls appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I chat with Ben Downton who designs games and runs the publishing company Prometheus Game Labs. We chat about how lonely design work can be, how to balance being creative with running a business, Board Game Arena, and more!

And here’s the Board Game Arena article mentioned in the show: https://prometheusgamelabs.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/how-a-game-gets-on-board-game-arena/

The post How to Design AND Publish games with Ben Downton appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I talk through pretty much every tip about game design that I can think of!

And if you want to see the video version, you can check it out on YouTube HERE.

The post 71 Ways to Become a Better Game Designer with Gabe Barrett appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I chat with Jason Tagmire about everything related to 18-card games. We talk about designing, publishing, manufacturing, shipping, marketing, crowdfunding, and more!

The post Small Games that Pack a Big Punch with Jason Tagmire appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I chat with Jonny Pac about how to create games that fully engage players and keep them coming back for more. We talk about the difference between puzzles and games, designing for different types of players, utilizing randomness, fuzzy logic, and a whole lot more!

The post How to Craft the Perfect Player Experience with Jonny Pac appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, I chat with James Ernest about how to make a game that doesn’t just work mechanically but is also a lot of fun to play. We talk about how to identify when testers are having fun, the design decisions that create fun experiences, utilizing surprise, and a whole lot more.

You can find James’s game design lectures and articles here: https://crabfragmentlabs.com/lecture-hall

And here’s that video he mentioned about goats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58-atNakMWw

The post How to Design Fun Games with James Ernest appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

In this episode, Sen-Foong Lim talks about how he balances his 50+ hour a week teaching job with working on 40+ games a year. We talk about how to design like crazy without burning out, how to get into a flow state, the myth of being self-made, how to work with co-designers, and a whole lot more!

The post How to Balance Game Design with a Full Time Job with Sen-Foong Lim appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking about how a hyper-creative person can pursue lots of different projects and actually get things done.

The post How to Work on Lots of Projects at Once with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

I’m celebrating the podcast’s 300th episode by chatting with Alan Moon, the designer of Ticket to Ride.

We go through his long career in the gaming industry, discuss the genesis of Ticket to Ride, chat about playtesting and pitching, and more!

The post (Celebrating 300 Episodes!) The Design Journey of Alan Moon appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Peter C. Hayward, from Jellybean Games, is back, and we’re talking through our absolute best tips and advice for game designers.

We split the conversation into two parts: new designers and experienced designers. And we talk through our own successes and failures.

And be sure to check out Peter’s latest game, Sunshine City, which you can download for free HERE!

The post Our Best Game Design Advice with Peter C. Hayward appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.