The Board Game Design Lab

Latest Episodes:

Building a Million Dollar Board Game Company with Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

Kevin Carroll and Steve Mark, designers of Tenzi and owners of Carma Games, discuss how they built a game publishing company that’s made several million dollars.
They tell their origin story, share guerrilla marketing techniques, discuss mistakes they’ve made, and much more.

Also, you can get 20% off in the Carma Games online store by using coupon code BGDL.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Designing Monster Taming Games with Tyler Langtimm Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

Tyler Langtimm, designer of Moxie: A Journey of Monsters, discusses how to design a game about monster taming (think Pokemon). Tyler has been working on a monster hunting/taming game for a while (and so have I), so we have quite a lot to talk about. We get into exploration, combat, puzzles, progression, and more.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Promote Your Game in Facebook Groups with Thomas Covert Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

Thomas Covert, founder of the Board Game Revolution Facebook group, dives into how to promote your game in Facebook groups without seeming like a slimy used car salesman.

We talk about asking for feedback, how to create engaging posts (and when to post them), paid promotion, and more.

The post [BGDL Community Spotlight] How to Promote Your Game in Facebook Groups with Thomas Covert appeared first on Board Game Design Lab.

Designing Set Collection Games with Steve Finn Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

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.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Creating a Business Plan with Jasper Burch Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Jasper Burch, founder of Pine Island Games, dives into business plans and why you probably need one.

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[BGDL Community Spotlight] Component First Game Design with Scott Smith Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Scott Smith, designer of Dungeon Drop, discusses how to design games by starting with the components. Scott has become a master at this, and it’s an interesting way to approach design that often begins with theme or a mechanism.

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Manufacturing Frequently Asked Questions with Hersh Glueck Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Hersh Glueck, founder of Hero Time Manufacturing, discusses the most common pitfalls and frequently asked questions when it comes to printing a board game.
Hersh lives in China and started a manufacturing company several years ago, so he has a ton of experience and knowledge when it comes to bringing a game to life. We also get into logistics and fulfillment during the episode.

Youtube series about Artwork: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCS1rWvDVjF44CLfYSvnn4kwmdWQstoD7 Check all prices for board game pieces: Board Game Pieces with Prices | Get a quote – Hero Time Manufacturing (herotime1.com) All resources related to manufacturing and shipping: Resources for making a board game – Hero Time Manufacturing (herotime1.com)

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The Making of Imperium with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

David Turczi and Nigel Buckle discuss the making of their hit games Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends.
We talk through everything from the initial idea all the way to getting the games published and onto people’s tables.

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Designing Storytelling Games with Jerry Hawthorne Dec 29, 2021

Show notes

Jerry Hawthorne, designer of Stuffed Fables, discusses how to design a game that focuses on storytelling.
Jerry has created several super popular storytelling games (and has a new one about to come out), and we dive into writing, scenario design, combat mechanisms, and more.

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Entangled Decision Making in Games with Fabio Lopiano Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

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.

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