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…

Seth Johnson stops by and we talk about Mechanical Cousins. Different games based around very similar mechanics producing different dynamics and aesthetics. Mechanical Cousins

Lately, I have been working on two heavier designs. One is an upcoming release to come out at GenCon and the other is a new…

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…

About a year ago, I wrote an article starting this series on Game Elements. Since then, I’ve written nine articles covering in detail some of…

Wish it was Sunday… What tabletop games did you play over the weekend? Do you do as I do and think on what makes a…

Today I continue looking at the basic elements that make up tabletop games with Interaction. The previous articles can be found here: Goals, Scoring, Actions,…

Today I continue looking at the basic elements that make up tabletop games with Elimination. The previous articles can be found here: Goals, Scoring, Actions,…

Designers endlessly argue about whether you should start with Mechanics or Theme and which is more important. This is a fool’s errand. Seth Johnson joins…

Today I continue looking at the basic elements that make up tabletop games with acquisition. In case you missed the previous articles, you can see…