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
Ryan and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Richard Garfield, designer of Magic: The Gathering, Robo Rally, Netrunner, King of Tokyo and more, along with bonus guest Mike Fitzgerald, whose latest designs include Diamonds and Baseball Highlights: 2045.
We discuss Richard's design philosophy, the origins of Magic, types of gamers, and much more.
Please also visit our geeklist to share your memories of Ludology for our 100th episode spectacular!
Duration: 01:31:23
In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at a curious incident at Johns Hopkins University.
Duration: 04:14
Ryan and Geoff discuss heuristics, and the way they are used in games. How can designers shape a game's heuristics to increase both depth and accessibility?
Duration: 01:30:34
In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the many instances of people cheating in chess tournaments.
Duration: 05:52
Ryan and Geoff revisit the topic of theme. Specifically how is theme expressed and integrated in games?
Duration: 01:26:58
In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at how the physical aspects of a game can be designed to deter or prevent cheating.
Duration: 05:39
Ryan and Geoff talk about their search for a publish for "Trading in the Mediterranean", and what the next steps are.
There is also an important announcement about the future of the show, so stick around until the end.
Duration: 1:03:10
In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses Reputation as an antidote to Cheating, and how it breaks down as groups grow in size.
Duration: 06:40
Ryan and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Ben Brode, Senior Game Designer for Hearthstone, the online card game from Blizzard Entertainment.
Ben joins us to discuss the design considerations behind Hearthstone, how they took advantage of the digital medium while still feeling like a physical card game, and why you should deliver pizza to your favorite game studio.
Duration: 41:20
In this classic GameTek, Geoff begins a two-part exploration of cheating with a personal admission.
Duration: 6:10
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
