Stay ConnectedWelcome to Ludology, an analytical discussion of the how’s and why’s of the world of board games. Rather than news and reviews, Ludology explores a variety of topics about games from a wider lens, and discusses game history, game design and game players.
Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.
Copyright: © Geoff Engelstein, Sen-Foong Lim, and Erica Bouyouris
In this classic GameTek Geoff continues his exploration of thermodynamics by talking about Statistical Mechanics and what it tells us about the world.
Duration: 7:05
Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome guest Mark Herman to the program. Mark is the designer of a slew of games, including the first Card Driven Game (CDG) We The People. His latest design is Churchill.
However the focus of our conversation is on Mark's work designing and executing simulations for the military and businesses, to test out their assumptions and strategies. He details these in his book Wargaming For Leaders.
Duration 1:16:59
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the scientific concept of entropy.
Duration: 5:32
Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into Martin Wallace's latest game, Via Nebula. They look at all the design choices, from game play to theme to production.
Duration: 1:09:04
In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at lead changes, and some simple mathematical models that reveal some surprising truths.
Duration: 06:31
Mike and Geoff discuss the different ways you can win a game, and how that effects the design and player experience.
Duration: 1:13:29
In this classic GameTek Geoff examines rules as a logical structure, and the way that relates to math concepts of axioms and completeness.
Duration: 06:28
Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome two of the designers of Thornwatch, Mike Krahulik and Mike Selinker, to discuss their game design process, and their views on gaming culture. Mike Krahulik is the artist for the popular webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder with Jerry Holkins. Mike Selinker is founder of Lone Shark games, and designer of many titles, including the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.
Duration: 1:15:33
In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses games with 'Hidden But Trackable' information. Is it OK to write things down?
Duration: 06:19
Mike and Geoff discuss the way that constraints, both internal and external, affect the design process. They are pleased to welcome guest Grant Rodiek, designer of Cry Havoc, to discuss his 54-card Guild, which challenges designers to develop games using only 54 cards.
Duration: 1:06:26
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