Balancing Family Life and Gaming -Part 1
Gaming

Balancing Family Life and Gaming -Part 1

Maintaining a balance between work, recreational activities, intellectual pursuits, and home life can be a challenge for any family. However, being a dedicated geek, gamer,…

Probability for Game Designers
Feature

Probability for Game Designers

James Ernest explains the basics of probability theory as it applies to game design, using examples from casino games and tabletop games. This article is…

Theme vs Mechanics: The False Dichotomy
Designing

Theme vs Mechanics: The False Dichotomy

Most conversations about theme and mechanics treat games as if those are the only two elements a game has. Some comments make it seem like…

A Brief History of Wiz-War
Musings

A Brief History of Wiz-War

Wiz-War was, as far as I can remember, the first actual game that I tried to design. Since this was in 1983, I would have…

Festivals, Comic Cons & Tradeshows: Thriving Beyond the Gaming Convention
Gaming

Festivals, Comic Cons & Tradeshows: Thriving Beyond the Gaming Convention

Unless it’s devoted to tabletop games, finding tabletop game activities at your local convention can be a scavenger hunt game in itself. Are they in…

Five Things I Learned While Developing SeaFall
Designing

Five Things I Learned While Developing SeaFall

Last summer I had the opportunity to work as the developer for SeaFall, a Legacy game from Rob Daviau and Plaid Hat Games that’s set…

Friends Don’t Let Friends Marry Gamers
Musings

Friends Don’t Let Friends Marry Gamers

Star Trek? When I was a little girl my Dad’s favorite show was Star Trek. I remember sitting in his lap, watching Captain Kirk kiss…

Designing Games to Prevent Analysis Paralysis – Part 2
Designing

Designing Games to Prevent Analysis Paralysis – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the origins of analysis paralysis and five principles to keep in mind while designing. In this installment,…

Exploring Game Configurations with Python Scripting
Technical

Exploring Game Configurations with Python Scripting

I recently did some quick Python scripting to help with a design I’m working on. It’s a board game, not a computer game — but…

Designing Games to Prevent Analysis Paralysis – Part 1
Designing

Designing Games to Prevent Analysis Paralysis – Part 1

— Analysis Paralysis On Wikipedia: “Analysis paralysis is an anti-pattern, the state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is…

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