Board Game Design Lab
Summary: The Board Game Design Lab came into existence for a very simple reason: I could never find the game design info that I needed. And I assumed I wasn't the only one. I had a lot of very specific questions I wanted to ask game designers and publishers, and as it turns out, they're more than happy to answer those questions when asked. So, I created the BGDL Podcast. I release a weekly show that interviews designers, publishers, and board game insiders on specific topics. We don't waste time talking about games we've played lately or get caught up on pop culture. There are plenty of other podcasts that do those things very well. Instead, the show does a deep dive into subjects that I hope listeners find extremely valuable as they progress through their game design journeys. The show comes out on Wednesdays.
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Podcasts:
Ian Zang, developer for Deep Water Games, discusses 4 different types of gamer experiences. Ian has simplified and categorized different ways that people experience games, and he shares a lot to think about as designers.
[BONUS] Nikki Valens on Designing Games with App Integration
Nikki Valens, designer of Mansions of Madness, discusses how to design a narrative driven game. Nikki has designed some of my absolute favorite games and is a master of creating games that tell good stories.
[BONUS] Bob and Ryan Craig on Drawing Inspiration from Retro Games
Bob and Ryan Craig, founders of One Day West Games, discuss how to design a tile-laying game. Their game, Monster Highway, is a fast-playing tile laying game about escaping from a Godzilla style monster, and they have several other tiling games in the works.
[BONUS] Geert Sillevis on Translating a Game
Geert Sillevis, founder of Mystery City Games, discusses how to design an outdoor escape room type of game. Geert’s game, “A Secret Sender,” is designed to help tourists experience Amsterdam while also enjoying a mystery game. (And it has a 5-star rating on Trip Advisor.)
[BONUS] Elizabeth Hargrave on How to Get More Women into Game Design
Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of Wingspan, discusses how to design engine building games. Wingspan is ranked in the top 100 on Board Game Geek, and we talk a lot about Elizabeth’s design process for creating the game.
[BONUS] Evan Derrick on the Dos and Don’ts for Artists
Evan Derrick, designer of Detective: City of Angels, discusses his own journey and his advice on how to go pro in the gaming industry. Evan works for Van Ryder Games and has been a full-time pro for over a year. And be sure to check out Hostage Negotiator: Career on Kickstarter HERE.
[BONUS] Daryl Andrews on the Best Conventions to Go to as a Designer
Daryl Andrews discusses designing games based on licensed IPs. Daryl has designed a TON of games based on comics, TV shows, and movies, and he goes through lots of ins and outs on how the process works.
[BONUS] Darren Terpstra on Building an Audience through Going to Conventions
Darren Terpstra, designer of Ignite, discusses designing games with multiple moving parts and several mechanisms integrated together. Ignite has quite a few mechanisms working together, so Darren has had to figure out how to make this concept work in a streamlined way. And be sure to check out Ignite on Kickstarter HERE.
