Skip to Content
 

Board Game Design Lab's blog

BGDL 9 - Stephen Buonocore: How to Get Your Game Published

Stephen Buonocore, president of Stronghold Games, goes into all of the ins and outs of researching publishers, contacting publishers, and pitching your game. We talk in depth on how to do things the right way to give your game the best chance of being signed.

Then, Stephen closes the conversation with a couple funny stories about some epic game pitch fails.

Check out the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/how-to-get-your-game-published-with-st...

BGDL 8 - JR Honeycutt: Why Development Work Is So Important

JR Honeycutt, developer of SeaFall, goes into all the ins and outs of what game development is, why it’s important, and how you can become a developer.

People often don’t understand the difference between a designer and a developer. JR sorts out the difference and goes into the value of having a developer work on a game.

Check out the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/why-development-work-is-so-important-w...

BGDL 7 - Richard Launius: General Advice, Cthulu, and Creating an Epic Gaming Experience

Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror, gives incredible game design advice, talks Cthulu and what makes a great Cthulu game, and goes into how to make games that create epic experiences that stand the test of time.

This episode is packed full of wisdom from a game design legend.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/advice-cthulu-and-how-to-create-an-epi...

BGDL 6 - Jay Vales: Why Good Reviews Aren't Always the Magic Bullet

BGDF member Jay Vales discusses how his game, Conquest at Kismet, came to be and how it got great reviews but underperformed when it came to sales. We go into the contributing factors and what other designers can learn from the experience.

We also talk about some interesting design concepts, dealing with real-life death, and how even Zee Garcia can’t guarantee you sales.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/why-good-reviews-arent-always-the-magi...

BGDL 5 - Colby Dauch: Going Pro in the Gaming Industry

Colby Dauch, founder of Plaid Hat Games and designer of Summoner Wars, goes in depth on the challenges he faced when he started his own publishing company. We talk about business, life, and work/life balance, and we even get into not letting people discourage you from chasing your dreams.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/going-pro-in-the-gaming-industry-with-...

BGDL 4 - Mike Strickland: How to Turn Kickstarter Failure into $100k Success

Mike Strickland, designer of Tau Ceti, and I talk about his Kickstarter failure and what he did to relaunch the campaign to wild success. After an unsuccessful first attempt, Mike regrouped and brought in over $100k the second time around. We discuss what led to the dramatic difference.

Please note that Mike was in a spaceship while recording the episode, so you’ll notice the slight hum of the warp drive in the background. Or maybe it’s just the sound of his computer’s overzealous fan. But since we’re talking about a space game, let’s just pretend he’s on a spaceship.

BGDL 3 - Rahdo: How to Create the Perfect 2 Player Experience

Rahdo and I discuss 2 player games and how to craft an awesome 2 player experience. We go into specific mechanics that work really well in 2 player games, and we talk through how a designer can make a game scale down to 2 players effectively. After playing nearly 1000 games with just 2 players, Rahdo is an expert on the topic.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/how-to-create-the-perfect-2-player-exp...

BGDL 2 - Luke Laurie: How to Work with a Co-Designer

Luke Laurie, designer of The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire, and I discuss all the ins and outs of working with a co-designer. Luke has worked with a co-designer on multiple projects and provides great insight on what’s good and what’s challenging about the process.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/how-to-work-with-a-co-designer-with-lu...

BGDL 1 - Jamey Stegmaier: What I Wish I Would Have Known before I Got into Game Design

Jamey Stegmaier,Kickstarter guru and designer of Scythe, and I discuss all the things he wishes someone would have told him before he got into game design, kickstarter, publishing, and more. He gives a ton of valuable advice.

Listen to the episode here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/what-you-wish-you-would-have-known/

Welcome to the Board Game Design Lab

In Episode 0, I go into exactly what the Board Game Design Lab is and what it's trying to accomplish. I hope you'll join me for weekly interviews on specific topics in game design.

Listen to Episode 0 here:

http://www.boardgamedesignlab.com/welcome-to-the-board-game-design-lab/

Syndicate content


by Dr. Radut