Once, in a group of other game designers working to get our first designs signed by publishers (i.e.: unpublished designers), someone asked “what do you all call yourselves, since you’re not published? I’m struggling with what to call myself when peopleRead more → “Award Winning” Game Designer
“Hidden Mechanics” in Video Games — and in Tabletop Games?
Last week, a video game designer I’ve been following on Twitter for a while now, Jennifer Scheurle posted asking game developers to post tricks they use to optimize for fun, versus coding a perfect simulation of an environment: Hey #gamedev,Read more → “Hidden Mechanics” in Video Games — and in Tabletop Games?
Potemkin Empire Designer Diary #2
Potemkin Empire was one of the designs I took with me to Protospiel Ann Arbor earlier this summer; one of my newer designs. It’s been on the table a few times in a previous iteration that crashed and burned spectacularly.Read more → Potemkin Empire Designer Diary #2
Bandwidth
What’s the ideal number of designs to be working on at a time? There’s a lot of wisdom in focusing on one single thing at a time, making it amazing, completing it, then using the completed project as a pillarRead more → Bandwidth
Protospiel Ann Arbor 2017
Protospiel Ann Arbor, the testing event that launched a thousand other testing events, is an easy stop on the annual circuit for me, (though I sometimes end up missing the anniversary party for one of my favorite Colorado breweries 😟), sinceRead more → Protospiel Ann Arbor 2017
Designer Diary: Potemkin Empire
As I continue to grind Valour down into a polished gem ready for publishing, I’m occasionally working in some time on a few smaller designs; it’s nice to have a distraction that feels productive. One of these new designs, I’mRead more → Designer Diary: Potemkin Empire
Origins 2017 Roundup
I got back from Columbus (a tough destination for a Wolverine alumnus…) last week from the Origins Game Fair. Earlier in 2016, I set some ambitious goals for Origins with regards to ‘designs ready to pitch’. I didn’t hit everyRead more → Origins 2017 Roundup
“COVER ME!”: Convenient covers for things you don’t know how to do
This is a second little anecdote about game design I absorbed during undergrad, while studying video games, which I think have some crossover consideration with board game design. See the entry “Bonus!“ for the first. My takeaway from “Bonus!” was that evenRead more → “COVER ME!”: Convenient covers for things you don’t know how to do
Socializing with a purpose
A few weeks ago, Andrea and I were sitting at a brewery discussing the ‘why’ of various things — when she asked: “Well, how often do you stop to think about why you like the things you like?” and she threw outRead more → Socializing with a purpose
“BONUS!”: Clever game deceptions
I’m going to talk a little about video game design today, but think there’s a lesson in it for board game design as well. An anecdote that I think about at least once a month: It’s my senior year at UMich, andRead more → “BONUS!”: Clever game deceptions