Q&A: Danny Devine and Steven Aramini
Designing

Q&A: Danny Devine and Steven Aramini

Danny Devine (Mob Town, Ghosts Love Candy, Topiary) and Steven Aramini (Yardmaster, Barker’s Row, Grove) are two Nevada based grass roots designers who have broken…

Dice or Cards
Designing

Dice or Cards

Randomness keeps games suspenseful while you’re playing them, and keeps them feeling fresh after repeat plays. Randomness is essential for many games. But there’s more…

Another Perspective From a Game Maker
Designing

Another Perspective From a Game Maker

A few days ago, The Dice Tower (Tom, Sam, and Zee) posted their thoughts on numerous things designers need to stop: “Top 10 Things Designers…

Cannibalizing Mechanics
Designing

Cannibalizing Mechanics

If you’ve played Pandemic, you know how great the infection deck mechanic is: after an outbreak, the discard pile is shuffled and put on top…

Play Games!
Designing

Play Games!

Want to make great games? Play great games! This is a short reminder why it is so important. Play Games!

Instructions: A Game’s Gateway
Designing

Instructions: A Game’s Gateway

Are you a new designer struggling with putting together instructions? Do you routinely have players looking confused and frustrated getting to know your game? This…

What’s Your Puzzle?
Designing

What’s Your Puzzle?

While many tabletop games focus on particular strengths, there are certain things that basically all games need to be successful: a cohesive aesthetic, ways for…

SIMULATION TO EURO – REBOOT PART II
Designing

SIMULATION TO EURO – REBOOT PART II

At the end of my recent article “Is “Reboot” Alive in Board Game Design?“, I mentioned a current design project on my table, which is…

Stealthy Math
Designing

Stealthy Math

If you’re like me, you’re a total math nerd. Not all designers approach games from a mathy perspective, but many do. I love solving the…

How to Design Tie-Breakers
Designing

How to Design Tie-Breakers

There are many ways to win a game. Some are a race ending when one player wins by achieving a desired condition first (Euphoria, Settlers…

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