The Board Game Design Lab

Latest Episodes:

Designing Mass Market Games with Azhelle Wade Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

Azhelle Wade, the toy coach, discusses how to design board games for the mass market and toy industry.
We talk about “toyetic” games, patents, pitching to publishers, contraption based games, and more.

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How to Design Digital Board Games with Justin Chu Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

Justin Chu, founder of Mobo Games, discusses how to design board games made specifically for the digital space.
We talk about the pros and cons of digital-only board games along with the many things to think about and to be aware of when traveling into this side of the market.

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How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moynihan Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Debbie Moynihan, COO of White Wizard Games, discusses how to market yourself, your game, and your company.
Whether you’re a designer pitching to a publisher or wanting to run Kickstarter campaigns of your own, you’ll find some great wisdom in this one. Debbie also breaks down the seven P’s of marketing.

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How to Process Feedback with John D’Angelo Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

John D’Angelo, desinger of Runelords, discusses how to receive, process, and utilize feedback.
Whether you’re talking to playtesters, gamers, members of your target audience, or anyone else, it’s important to know how to take in feedback, and it’s vital to know how to use it to make your games better.

And be sure to check out John’s game, Runelords, on Kickstarter HERE.

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Crafting a Humorous Experience with Grant Lyon Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

Grant Lyon, desinger of Curmudgeon, discusses everything that goes into crafting a fun and humorous gaming experience.
Grant is a professional stand-up comic, and we talk about joke theory, humor in rulebooks, party games, and more.

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How to Make the Game Design Community a Brighter Place with Your Friend Ben Moy Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

Your friend Ben Moy, desinger of Breakdancing Meeples, discusses his thoughts on how to make the game design space (and subsequently the world) a better and brighter place to be a part of.
We talk about joining communities that resonate with you, like Girls’ Game Shelf and TGC Designer Discussion, using emojis and GIFs to foster relationships, reminding yourself that everyone is a person beyond the screen, owning up to and growing from your mistakes, and more.
Ben devotes a great deal of his time to helping and encouraging others in the game design community and has some great ideas on how we can all work to make this a truly excellent hobby.

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How to Design Games for the Mass Market with Leslie Scott and Freddie Scott Vollrath Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

Leslie Scott, desinger of Jenga, and Freddie Scott Vollrath, designer of Slappy Camper, discuss what all goes into designing and pitching games for the mass market.
We talk about what makes a game “mass market,” getting games into museums, where to pitch game ideas, and more.

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How to Write a Great Rulebook with Mike Lee Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

Mike Lee, professional rulebook writer, discusses how to put together a clear, concise set of rules for your game.
Mike has written rulebooks for publishers like Button Shy Games, and he’s put together the most in-depth rules writing guide I’ve ever seen. We talk about cognitive load, structure, accessibility, and more.

And if you want to dive deeper, make sure to check out the Rulebook Editors’ Hangout Discord channel HERE.

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How to Stand Out in Retail with AJ Brandon Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

AJ Brandon, storefront manager at Board Game Bliss, discusses how to make sure your game stands out in retail.
We talk about why some games stay on a store shelf for 2 minutes while other games sit there for 2 years. And we talk about what both designers and publishers can do to get their games noticed.

And be sure to check out AJ’s new podcast about board game design, Fun Problems.

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Using Math to Design Better Games with Emerson Matsuuchi Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Century: Spice Road, discusses how to use math to design better games.
We talk about game balance, spreadsheets, mathematical models, and more.

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