Board Game Design Lab
Board Game Design Lab
Gabe Barrett
Helping You Design Great Games People Love
The design process of one of the world’s best designers, Corey Konieczka
In this BGDL rewind from June of 2020, Corey Konieczka breaks down his entire design process. Corey has several games ranked in the top 100 games of all time, and it was incredibly insightful to learn about how he brings a game to life. We chat about his path into the industry, his prototyping process,...
Feb 26
1 hr 8 min
How to Design an Engine Building Game with Elizabeth Hargrave
In this BGDL rewind from May of 2019, Elizabeth Hargrave dives into all the ins and outs of designing an engine-building game. We chat about her personal design process and all the interesting obstacles she encountered when designing Wingspan. We also talk about how to layer concepts on top of each other, balancing winning strategies,...
Feb 18
53 min
How to Design Games that Tell Stories with Ignacy Trzewiczek
In this BGDL rewind from April of 2020, Ignacy Trzewiczek, founder of Portal Games and designer of Robinson Crusoe, discusses his company’s motto: Games that tell stories. We go in-depth into Ignacy’s design process, talk about his most popular games, and get to the heart of what it looks like to create games that have players leaving...
Feb 11
1 hr 3 min
Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi
In this BGDL rewind from December of 2020, I chat with Emerson Matsuuch about all the many ways a designer can use math to create better games. We talk spreadsheets, game balance, mathematical models, and more!
Jan 29
1 hr 12 min
Finding the Right Mixture of Luck and Skill with Richard Garfield
In this BGDL rewind from May of 2018, I chat with Richard Garfield about finding the right balance of luck vs skill when designing a game.
Jan 21
1 hr 2 min
Where the BGDL Is Headed in 2024
In this update, I talk about 2024’s vision for the BGDL. And if you need help with your game, company, or upcoming crowdfunding campaign, and you think I might be able to help, please click HERE.
Jan 21
7 min
Your game design questions answered
In this episode, I answer a bunch of questions that were submitted by BGDL community members!
Dec 16, 2023
43 min
How to Publish Games with a Grassroots Approach | Joe Bragg
In this episode, Joe Bragg, founder of the indie publishing company Meek Heroes Gaming, discusses the grassroots approach he’s taking to building his publishing company. We chat about why this approach makes sense for a lot of people, the pros and cons of not using crowdfunding, how to build a community from the ground up,...
Nov 29, 2023
59 min
How to Boost Creativity and Avoid Tropes | Jason Perez
In this episode, Jason Perez and I chat about how designers can boost their creativity by thinking outside the box, pushing past tropes, and being more intentional about their thematic choices.
Nov 21, 2023
1 hr 6 min
Listen to this BEFORE you start an indie publishing company | John de Campos
In this episode, John de Campos, founder of Terrible Games, and I chat about the highs and lows of starting and running an indie publishing company in the board game industry.
Nov 14, 2023
1 hr 23 min
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