Indie Board Game Designers: Recent Episodes
Patrick Rauland
Learn from independent board game designers how they got where they did and what they learned along the way.
Reed Mascola jumps on to talk about his game Vigilante, how he designed individual goals for each character in a social deduction game, and why fog is the best super power.
I get to chat with Chris Anderson from The Board Game Workshop.
He tells us about the 2021 contest (and how you can get feedback on top of feedback on top of feedback), as well as how he got into board games, and why he loves Buttonshy games.
I get Joe Slack back on the show to:
- Give us an update on Relics of Rajavijara on manufacturing and fulfillment
- Tell us about his new book The Board Game Designer’s Guide to Working in the Industry
- and his thoughts on when we can get back to board game events
I get to chat with Andrew Kuplic from Flame Point Games about launching the 2nd edition of #MagicalUnicornQuest on Kickstarter.
Darren Terpestra comes back onto the podcast to give us an update on his game Ignite as well as a Game Design Mastery Course.
I chat with Harrison Brooks who designed EleavtorUp.
- He's 17 years old so we talk about the challenges and benefits of designing games while you're 17
- He believes in screen-free time
- And we get into Lego
Today we try something new. Matthew Stockton interviews Josh Bakken.
We get into ZU Tiles: Hime, trading card games like Magic the Gathering, and the top 5 anime & manga recommendations.
John D'Angelo designed Runelords based on the book series by David Farland.
We get into intellectual property, royalties, and of course espresso. ☕
John D'Angelo designed Runelords based on the book series by David Farland.
We get into intellectual property, royalties, and of course espresso. ☕
I chat with Arif Nezih Savi about his game #Sinners. A game that you either love or hate. We get into:
- How do you market a game that's so polarizing?
- How do you pitch a game where there are no local publishers?
- And what you should do during a boring movie
I get to chat with Grant Lyon about:
- His board game reviews
- His first playtest experience
- And his game Curmudgeon
I chat with Charlie Labuz who created the game Parched which uses drink coasters as game pieces. I get into all of that and more with Charlie.
Hello loyal listeners! Here's my special Black Friday discount just for you:
- BF2020 - 50% off when you order 10 copies of Fry Thief (2-player)
- PodcastLover2020 - Free shipping in the US
- Eligible November 23rd - 30th 2020
- Order at http://laidback.games/
Hope you can spend (social distanced) time with friends & family ♥️
Charlie McCarron and I get into some fun game concepts including:
- Interning at Fantasy Flight Games
- Exploring the Building Block of Meaning concept
- What are the Four Humours?
His game Four Humours on Kickstarter.
Sam & Ed Stockton and I talk about their game Cult of the Deep. We get into:
- How you can die in a game but still win
- How you can stand out from other games with the same theme
- How many streaming services are too many streaming services
For Black Friday 🛍️ you can get 10 copies of Fry Thief 🍟 for $100 which is $100 off.
I chat with Lori Love & Lea Velocci from People4Goldfish about:
- Their game Word Hustle
- Their game design intentions & how important they are before you create your first game
- And pumpkin spice lattes
David Hayes is an avid board game player who helped me design a game for #26 - The Roll and Write Game Jam. I wanted to explore the idea of game designers who do the occasional design.
I chat with Rob Newton from Coin Flip Games about:
- Flick-and-write games
- Game design software
- And green chili. Om nom nom.
I chat with Joe Slack about:
- Designing puzzle games (including his own Relics of Rajavihara)
- How much content to put into puzzle games
- Replayable puzzles
- and how to escape a real life puzzle
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
I get to check with Aaron Moline & Eric Manahan from @bardsharkgames about:
- Their game Antematter
- Basing a game on poker
- And how to become CEO of a game company when your partner drops their internet connection
https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Pete Jank and I talk about:
- How to make a game in 2-3 weeks. 🤯
- How to make the most of The Game Crafter
- And slime. Lots of slime.
I get to chat with Ta-Te Wu who's designed a ton of games and launched them on Kickstarter. We also get into licensing a game to a publisher after it's Kickstarter launch. And kittens. You don't want to miss kittens do you?
Support the show and help me make more content: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
I get to chat with Cameron Art who created Vowl. We get into:
- Creating word games that do more than just play with words & letters
- Creating a board game magazine
- And why you don't have to launch on Tuesday
Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Learn from Kris Fosh who makes not only game rules but tiny amazing catapults. We get into:
- Toy like aspect of games
- Switching from indie publisher to licensing your game
- And "nonmeats" which is a word I actually said 🤔
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Today for the show I have a special announcement. I'll go into:
- The special announcement
- How it affects the podcast
https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Ben Moy is one of the most optimistic & encouraging voices in the board game community. Learn his:
- Favorite components
- Philosophy
- and break dancing moves
I get to chat with Jon Vallerand about:
- Dice drafting
- What you do when a pandemic cancels your Kickstarter campaign
- and favorite pandemic activities
Malachi Ray Rempen shares his story about launching a game based on his popular comic strip Itchy Feet. We get into:
- Long term audience building
- Should you focus on a monthly benefit (Patreon) or a big one time campaign (Kickstarter)
- and Antarctica.
Learn from Juli Bierwirth & Adrian Kerrihard about how they:
- Designed a 2 player hidden role game
- How you can enter a contest for a showcase
- And why you don't want to own a swimming pool
Help me support the show: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Ralph Rosario tells us how he made The Alpha - a wolf themed worker placement game. He also goes into:
- Pitching at conventions
- Contributing to your local play test group
- How to receive feedback
- And what it's like to play games with me 🙃
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Jonah Kellman tells us about his game Lucent and:
- How he created different art styles for his game
- He shares how important it is to have clear rules
- and the best way to Drive to Work
In this episode I chat with Arron Pfieil. In it we discuss:
- Creating a game out of cloth & wood
- Getting gamers moving around the table
- And where magic comes from
Support the show on Patreon.
Brian Henk from Pull the Pin Games tells us about his Zorro the Dice game and goes into:
- The challenges of working with an established intellectual property (IP)
- Why business fundamentals are important for game designers
- and why his getaway vehicle is an Uber
Support the show to get more episodes like this.
Evan Gibbs shares how you can iterate on a game and finally launch on Kickstarter and succeed - also how I'm brilliant for disagreeing with guests.
Jeff Chin shares how you can design a game with important visuals. We get into:
- Prototyping and manufacturing unique components
- When you should hire an illustrator
- How you can constantly improve your Kickstarter campaigns
Dani and Bill from Escape This Podcast tell us about:
- What it's like to create a game every 2 weeks
- The benefits of a consistent playtester
- and what you can learn by creating a lot of games
Support the show, support indie game designers, and learn from my mistakes:
https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
Kyle Schubert tells us about Mintrospection, his game in the Mint Tin Challenge. As well as
- How to retheme a game after a contest
- What to do when you're furloughed
- and if you should get KALLAX shelving (from IKEA)
I'm sharing my latest game Skyhook on Patreon.
Jonathan Weaver is an enthusiastic game designer who is working on many game ideas at the same time and is also pitching games.
Learn how to participate in game design contests, succeed in a rural community, and jump into GenCan't
Will Thompson & David Thomas from Absurdist Productions tell us all about the meats and how you can make a food (meat) themed board game.
- They share the secret to getting a line of people outside your booth
- If vegetarians would love or hate or a meat themed game
- How to build a local playtest group
I get to chat with Juliana Moreno-Patel and Ariel Ruben from The Wild Optimists.
- We talk about puzzle design vs game design
- Signing with mass market companies
- and working with complex components in manufacturing
I get to chat with Jason Slingerland from Building The Game podcast. In our chat we go over:
- Printing games in the US
- Selling games to friendly local game stores (FLGS)
- Why a designer might move from solo designs to codesigns
Check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/indieboardgamedesigners
I get to chat with Jeremy Lounds about:
- Winning the Social Deduction Challenge on The Game Crafter
- What you should do after you win a contest
- & what game design essays you should read
I get to chat with the incredibly productive Patrick Engro.
- How & why he enters so many games into the Button Shy contests
- What you can do after (not winning) a contest
- And what are some differences between games in Japan vs USA
I get to chat with Brent Critchfield who designed Gruff. We get into:
- Designing trading card games (TCGs)
- Going from full time back to part time
- and what mutant power is best
Join me in my #ShrinkWrapChallenge to play all of the unplayed games in our collections.
It's easy to get depressed watching the world turn upside down. I want to share some things you can do to help you with your board game design as well as your mental health.
I'm able to chat with the amazingly powerful Chris Brooks about:
- How to create entertaining & educational videos for your board games (especially in contests)
- What to do after you win a top placement (but not 1st place) in a contest
- And why 1917 isn't his fav
Follow my process of pitching to publishers & support the show.
I get to chat with Kevin Russ who is a traveling game designer.
- He shares his experience designing games without a playtest group
- What conventions are the most useful
- & what cat breed is best
I get to chat with the very enthusiastic Zach Given the designer of Dragoon and talk about Lay Waste Games and designing games as part of a company portfolio.
We get into:
- Designing multiple expansions for a game
- Working as part of a company to create a portfolio of games
- and whether dragons have separate wings or if they're a part of their arms. The real tough questions.
Follow my game Mintsugi
I get to chat with Thomas Shepherd who runs Toresh Games. We chat about:
- How he made over 6 games in 2 years
- Selling through Amazon instead of Kickstarter
- And the best places to visit in Colorado
In this bonus episode I talk about the results of the Mint Tin Challenge with my game Mintsugi (soon to be called Kintsugi!).
Follow along with Kintsugi (and you'll know about a Kickstarter)
Ken Franklin joins us and shares how he worked his way into the industry just from walking around the halls at Gen Con 2011 and being incredibly kind, friendly, and hard working.
You can learn more about my game Mintsugi.
I chat to the incredibly thoughtful & talented Tim Fowers about all of his games. We go into:
- Why he prefers to sell on his own site instead of distribution
- Why he started Tabletop Network
- Who your audience really is (it's more than "people who like fantasy and games")
- And what crime he'd definitely be arrested for
I met Fertessa Allyse at Tabletop Network and got her to share some of her thoughts on a game she just signed. We chat about:
- Designing one game for a long time
- Tabletop Network
- Emulating (and not stealing) other game ideas
And most importantly: why Scar is the best Disney villain
The amazing Alisha Volkmann tells us all about:
- Winning game design contests
- Designing games for companies
- Illustrating games
- and of course cheese curds
I was able to chat with Eric Alvarado who is a game designer who created Vinyl. And he now works for Talon Strikes Studios. We chat about:
- Designing theme first
- Creating mathematical models for your games
- Creating a streamlined process to generate your cards and import them into a testing program
- and record crates
John Lash joins me and shares:
- His game Cage Match
- His direct to Amazon strategy
- And his favorite martial arts movie
In this episode I chat with Fabian Fischer who tells us:
- Exactly how you design an expansion for a game
- When you should start designing an expansion
- How expansions and previous games affects your sales
- and a ton of resources!
And he also shares why you'd want an ogre as a friend.
Wes Woodbury and I chat about his game Legends of Novus. We also talk about:
- The shared fantasy realm
- Story telling games
- Creating app based board games
- and eye-rollders (like a beholder but an eye)
Lessons learned from PAX Unplugged. It was the first time I went and learned a lot about selling in person. As well as the first time selling Fry Thief.
Christian Kudahl shares his story about his game Unleash which he recently signed. We talk about:
- Finding the one good mechanism in a game
- The best advice on this show
- and ace lawyers
Nikki Valens who designed Quiry Circuits joins us on the show.
We chat about:
- Prototyping minis
- Designing games without winners
- Cooperative roll & writes
- and the upcoming Steven Universe movie
As always, feedback is appreciated.
I was able to chat with Christopher Kaspar a little after he attended his first Gen Con. We chat about:
- His first visit to Gen Con
- Pitching a unique game to publishers
- Created custom shaped dice
- and the best soda known to man
The audio is a little off. Sorry about that. 😕
I chat about my favorite talks at Tabletop Network as well as who I think should attend this event.
My favorite talks:
- OMG My Wife Wants two Play Your Game by Elizabeth Hargrave
- Game Design Workshop by Kathleen Mercury
- Game Design from a Publisher's Perspective by John Coveyou
- The Well-Tempered Theme by Gil Hova
It would mean a lot if you let me know if you like content like this: https://indieboardgamedesigners.com/survey
I get to chat to Jon Merchant (@JonMerchant21) who designed a great little game called Squire for Hire. In this episode we cover:
- When / if you should protect your game ideas
- Note taking for game design (and a pitfall of too much note taking)
- and board game bags
Chris Michaud, moderator of the Flip the Table podcast, joins us. He shares:
- Why he just started designing games
- Why you might want to release a print and play
- How designed Roll Estate
- and why you want to use the "speed die" in Monopoly
If you have a minute could you fill out this survey: https://indieboardgamedesigners.com/survey
I somehow lasted one hundred episodes!
I make this a meta episode about the previous 99.
- Who was on the show
- How many campaigns funded
- What the best resources are
- and of course lots of awkward rambling
Thanks for the first 100 - onto many more! ❤️
Stay tuned with what I'm working on: https://indieboardgamedesigners.com/newsletter
In this episode I chat with David Abelson, who designed WAYK. He shares his advice on:
- How to make high quality games
- Upgrading to high quality paper cutters
- And how to be the king of goat island
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fisherheaton/analog-apps-by-fisher-heaton-games
My game Mintsugi is in Mint Tin Challenge.
Christopher Yoder invented his game Tangl while putting another game back in the box. He shares:
- How to enjoy a new hobby while making games
- How to spend someone else's money on equipment
- And how to fly a paraglider
Laura Irwin shares:
- How to take inspiration from classic games
- Why you might want a Crowd Sale
- And most importantly the correct name for a male witch
Her game Potions Please is up for Crowd Sale over at The Game Crafter.
Cassie Elle is a board game designer, reviewer, and aspiring publisher. She shares:
- What she learned from reviewing board games
- Why she wants to become a board game publisher
- Why you might want to take a social media hiatus
Brigette Indelicato is a graphic designer in the board game world. She shares:
- Her game As The Plot Thickens
- Graphic design tips for self publishing designers
- and Crowdfunding on Indiegogo
Sarah Rowan designed and is launching her first game Soothsayer. She talks about:
- How to design for a specific group
- When/if you can use ideas from another culture
- And what you call a male witch
Ryan Hoye tells us about his game Icy Dice in the roll & write anthology called Dice & Ink. He shares:
- How you can solo playtest in a game design group
- How a game involving gender can sound wrong to passerbys
- How to make a semi-coop roll & write.
- And how princesses can save plumbers
Len Kendall who designed Western Tropic joins us to tell us about:
- Building games from traditional 52 card decks
- and how to take inspiration without stealing an idea
I was able to chat to the inspiring Liberty Kifer who talks about:
- Her design challenge which led to her first game - Crystallo
- Her successful Kickstarter campaign
- And the ensuing imposter syndrome
We also talk about why Harry Potter is overrated. 😱
Chris Rossetti from Rampage Games created 11:59 and Brace for Impact! He tells us all about mint tin games:
- Why they're fun
- Advice for making one (and breaking your game down to the essentials)
- and how to (any why you should) speak like an ogre
Today I get to chat to Jessica Creane who designs immersive experiences as well as games. She designed Schrodinger's Cat and some games for the National Park Service.
She'll tell us about:
- Why immersive experiences are important
- Designing a game for a 3rd party (like the National Park service)
- And why a baby raccoon is the best pet.
In this episode I chat to Michael & Christina Pittre who designed On The Rocks. We chat about:
- How to create high end graphics
- How long you have to iterate until you're happy with a mechanic
- and what glass you should have for your booze collection
Zach Horton revived the ancient game Mehen. He describes his process to reinvent the rules and why it's different from other revivals.
Check out his Kickstarter for this gorgeous game.
Nicholas Yu shares how easy it was to make Adventure Tactics with one publisher Letiman Games) and why he had issues with previous publishers.
We also chat about:
- Insanity mechanics
- 20 page design documents
- and most importantly how many times he played Final Fantasy Tactics (it's more than 10)
Nathan Meunier designed The Blessed Dark, entered it into a contest, and launched it on Kickstarter in just 3 months.
Learn how he moves so fast. Specifically:
- How to add more restrictions to your games
- When to start creating art
- And why Cat Summoning would be the best school of magic.
Cody and I wrap up the Simple Elegance series. We talk about:
- How our entries went
- Our favorite games
- What we'd do on future contests
Julio Nazario is known for creative uses of components and signing a ton of games. I ask him for:
- His secrets about signing games & making sell sheets
- How he learned so much in so little time
- Where his ideas come from
And most importantly... his favorite character in Super Smash Bros.
I share my experience at Origins and talk about three main things I did:
- Publisher speed dating
- Testing in the Unpub room
- Setting up publisher meetings
Ryan Langewisch designed Tasty Humans in a game jam. Learn about game jams, why you might want to enter one, and how to get noticed after the fact.
And as a bonus: what food to eat on the 4th of July (TLDR: all of it).
Jennifer Burkhart had a "failed" campaign for her game Panic Mode! She was so inspired by her community that she made the game anyway and now is doing quite well.
Listen to her talk about:
- Inspiration for the game
- The Kickstarter campaign
- and what inspired her after the campaign
She also loves retro board games and name drops a handful.
Eric Raué shares his experience launching Coevorden. We chat about:
- Multi-use cards
- Marketing a town builder
- And how you can fit playmats in the box!
Cody Thompson and I chat about preparing our entries for the Simple Elegance contest on The Game Crafter.
In this episode we focus on:
- Getting art & illustrations
- SVG cut lines and how impossible they are
- The essential elements on a product page on The Game Crafter
Today I get to chat with Jordan Sorenson who designed By Star and Sea which I was able to play at Protospiel Milwaukee.
He's going to share how you can make so much progress on a game during an event.
And we chat about a LARP we played - don't see those too often!
Today I chat with Darren Terpstra who made Ignite which recently funded on Kickstarter. We chat about:
- How to make giant minis
- How to make games consistent with your brand
- And how a beach bum survives in Colorado
Join Cody and myself as we discuss adding extra details to our games for the Simple Elegance contest from The Game Crafter.
I dig into Bank of the Realms and how a recent playtest confirmed my changes.
Cody shares a previous game idea he had and how he's going to try to get art for it.
I get to chat with Joshua J Mills about his game Big Easy Busking by Weird Giraffe Games.
Tune in to learn what changes really brought the game to life. What happens when you are a finalist in a game design contest. And learn about the best musical instrument as well as Wikipedia holes.
Travis D Hill a podcaster, game designer, and rulebook editor; shares his experience getting into the industry. He tells us about his new game Penny Rails and some of the design challenges with train games & with micro (18 card) games.
A reflection on the first year of my podcast. How well did I do?
- Are you inspired?
- Did you learn something?
Help me decide what content I should make moving forward and how to fund the show. Funding options:
- Podcast extras
- Private community
- Write a book
- Online conference
- Sponsors
- Donations
I’ve put together a survey at: indieboardgamedesigners.com/survey
Cody and I continue talking about our progress towards the Simple Elegance contest. We chat about:
- our prototypes and getting some test games in
- I make an art brief and some coin
- Cody works on removable pieces of the board.
- And we both assign homework to each other
Helana Hope & Jessey Wright talk about their game Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time.
They chat about:
- How they solved the issue of tracking too much data in a tower defense game
- Working in a trio (Helana, Jessey, and Sen-Foong Lim)
- And how they built a game for a very popular intellectual property
Joe Hopkins tells us about his game Endangered and specifically:
- How he pitches a game with a social message to publishers
- The complication of fostering emotions in a game
- And how to add replayability to your game.
Jim Fitzpatrick shares how he decides what cons to go to and what you should do at a con (more than just pitch your game). He also shares:
- How to hear & take action on advice
- Why you might want to focus on one game at a time
- How to handle life's curveballs
Clinton Morris shares:
- How to make a hidden role game snappy
- Give both player the opportunity to play the hidden role
- And why you should build library of components
We also chat about his game Hunt The Ravager.