Ted Alspach, designer of Maglev Metro and several other route building games, talks about what makes these games special.

We talk about themes that mesh well with the mechanism, end conditions, keeping players interested, and more.

The post How to Design Route Building Games with Ted Alspach appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Steve Finn, founder of Dr. Finn’s Games, discusses how to design set collection games. Steve has designed a ton of games with this mechanism including Biblios, Herbaceous, and Sunset over Water, so he has a lot to say on the topic.

And be sure to check out Steve’s Latest game on Kickstarter HERE.

The post Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Fabio Lopiano, designer of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, discusses how to use entangled decision-making as the primary mechanism in a game.

In several of Fabio’s designs, players have to make choices based on how things like resources and actions are paired together or “entangled.” We unpack everything that goes into designing games that intertwine various options.

The post Entangled Decision Making in Games with Fabio Lopiano appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Mike Kelley, designer of Mega Man Adventures, discusses cooperative games and what goes into designing a good one.

Mike has been designing and reviewing cooperative games for years, and we dive into both creating co-op games and how to stand out to reviewers and gamers.

The post How to Design a Cooperative Game with Mike Kelley appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jonny Pac, designer of Merchants Cove and lots of other games, discusses his process of finding the perfect mesh of theme and mechanisms.

We talk about his approach to theme in his various games, research, and what it looks like for mechanics to make sense inside the theme.

The post Thematically Informed Game Design with Jonny Pac appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

The post How to Design a Pick-up and Deliver Game with Marcel Köhler 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.

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.

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.

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.

Martin Wallace, designer of Brass: Birmingham and about 100 other great games, talks about Euro games and his process for designing them.

Martin is one of the greatest designers of all time, and he offers tons of excellent advice based on his 30+ years in the industry.

The post How to Design Euro Games with Martin Wallace 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.

The post Designing Roll and Write Games with Joe Hout appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

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

The post BGDL Community Spotlight – Interchangeable Win Conditions with Alex Lu 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.

Travis Jones, designer of Pendulum, discusses what all goes into the design process for a real-time game.

We talk about time constraints, chaos, analysis paralysis, board layout, and more.

The post Designing a Real-Time Game with Travis Jones appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Shannon McDowell, puzzle maker and escape room designer, discusses what designers and publishers need to think about when designing puzzle games and games with puzzles in them.

Shannon has done a ton of research on puzzles and how they relate to culture and cultural biases for Wilfred Laurier University. And she has a great system for defining and understanding the different types of puzzles in games.

[mobileonly]To download this episode to your phone, click <a href=”https://media.blubrry.com/board_game_design_lab/content.blubrry.com/board_game_design_lab/BGDL_209_Shannon_McDowell.mp3″>HERE</a>.[/mobileonly]

The post Puzzles in Games with Shannon McDowell appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Frank West, designer of Isle of Cats, discusses the ins and outs of designing a polyomino game (games with those funny Tetris tiles). 

Isle of Cats is one of the best polyomino games on the market, and we get into what makes these games fun, prototyping, and more.

The post How to Design a Polyomino Game with Frank West appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Al Leduc, designer of Yukon Airways, discusses what all goes into designing a dice drafting game.

We talk about balance, dice mitigation, why the d6 is king, and more!

The post Dice Drafting Games with Al Leduc appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Jon Vallerand, founder of Subsurface Games, does a deep dive into the mechanism of majorities.

We talk about the best majorities based games, ways to incentivize players, interactive play, and more.

And be sure to check out Jon’s game, With a Smile and a Gun, on Kickstarter HERE.​​

The post Designing Majorities Based Games with Jon Vallerand appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald, from of Garphill Games, discuss what all goes into designing worker placement games.

We talk about creating unique mechanisms, board design, player interaction, and more.

The post Designing Worker Placement Games with Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.