Danielle Reynolds - Podcast Details

Shows

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 130 - 3 ChaptersIn episode 130 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Joe Hout about his fairytale-themed trick-taking game, 3 Chapters, accessibility in gaming, and his design journey. Joe shares how his path into game design began by tweaking games he loved and then took off after completing a passion-project game he self-published via Kickstarter. We break apart 3 Chapters and how the creation of the game was a culmination of favorite mechanics and key moments from various games he’s designed over the years. This episode covers common barriers to entry in board games, fro...

2025-12-1643 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 115 - Piles!In episode 115 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with game designer and co-founder of Lost Boy Entertainment, Cameron Ring, covering everything from the value of short form video and social media marketing in the tabletop industry, to the importance of making games you find fun. Danielle and Cameron talk about Lost Boy Entertainment's roots as a family business, leaning into the inspiration of classic game mechanics to develop something new, having fun with wacky game themes (Piles! makes laundry fun!), teaching playtesters gaming vocabulary, and bribing your friends and family with food a...

2025-05-2026 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 114 - The Case of the Curiously Correct BlueprintsIn episode 114 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ace Ellett, half of Bluefish Games - the company he and his wife Anna founded as a result of their love for escape rooms and puzzles. Danielle and Ace talk about what went into the fictional world of Hincksville and the character Bluefish created as a mechanism to drive their puzzle/mystery series. They discuss how to playtest escape room games, the art of hiding clues in plain sight, the importance of including a balance of different puzzles to keep everyone playing entertained, ho...

2025-05-0646 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 111 - FloristryIn episode 111 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with TAM about his game, Floristry, which is the first release by UP Games - a new publishing company in the tabletop space that he is a co-founder of! Danielle and TAM talk about how game design has always been a passion (growing up without easy access to games led to inventing games to share with family and friends), the rise of 2-player date/cafe games, important things to consider when incorporating an app into your game, and distributing games in other languages.

2025-03-2541 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 110 - Season 5 RecapIn episode 110 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, your friendly neighborhood editor, Amanda Rivera, takes over as host once again as we recap the fifth season and catch up with Danielle! They talk about this season’s guests, their games, and reflect on some of the amazing advice they shared for new and aspiring game designers. Danielle talks about her upcoming games, the many prototypes she is working on, several exciting nominations, awards, and special guest appearances – oh my! Other interesting highlights from the season five recap: Games as inclusi...

2025-03-111h 06

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 108 - ApiaryIn episode 108 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we chat with Connie Vogelmann about her design Apiary. What started as her journey as a playtester for Stonemaier Games, quickly dominoed into an invitation to a designer day where she showcased Apiary and ultimately led to it being signed. Connie shares the lessons she learned along the way, including the tools she used for prototyping and how tweaking the theme to "bees in space" helped refine the game’s mechanics. Connie and Danielle discuss other topics including the advantages of working with large publishers with access to...

2025-02-1145 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 093 - Emotional IntelligenceIn episode 93 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Julie Chen about her personality type social deduction game inspired by the Myers Briggs test and CLUE. We focus on how learning more about ourselves helped us both in life and in our designing process. She aimed to find a way to help players learn more about the assumptions we make in different situations like "would an introvert or extrovert be more likely to go to a coffee shop?" by building a social deduction game around these choices we’d make depending on the personality types we we...

2024-07-1647 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 092 - Mondrian: Color in MotionIn episode 92 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Joseph Brower, one of the designers of Mondrian: Color in Motion. This Ion Award finalist design brought manufacturing challenges when they had to figure out what materials made the cards stop sliding during gameplay. Learn how they created an abstract game inspired by the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian’s art. Featuring: Joseph Brower - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-07-0132 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 091 - BuruIn episode 91 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Alex Flagg about Crafty Games’ latest release Buru. Learn how a publisher was able to inject more of the theme into a midweight euro-style game using a TTRPG background and cultural consultants. Featuring: Alex Flagg - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-06-1843 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 090 - CatthulhuIn episode 90 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication Danielle talks with Joel Sparks about his cat based RPG titled Catthulhu. Joel moved away from a D20 system to try and create a more accessible game for players who haven’t played many RPGs by leaning into the story telling more than the math. Players take on the roles of cats in this one shot RPG. Listen to him discuss designing/publishing a book for the first printing of the game then the struggles he went through when he added extra things like dice into the manufacturing of the ga...

2024-06-0436 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 089 - Conquest Princess: Fashion is PowerIn episode 89 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Seppy Yoon about his design Conquest Princess: Fashion is Power. This crisis management game was inspired by Sailor Moon and Star Trek. Seppy took his love for strong women like Wonder Woman and created a game that included characters that were trans, non-binary and female. As a queer/minority/vet owned company he found it very important to feature these playable characters but had to deal with hate groups during his Kickstarter campaign. Learn how he brought this game to life after 9 years of working on it...

2024-05-2157 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 088 - Season 4 FinaleIn episode 88 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication Amanda Rivera takes over as the host as she helps recap the fourth season with Danielle. They talk about past guests and their games. Speaking about matching mechanics with IPs and how brands can be split between many different publishers. Danielle talks about her upcoming games Caution Signs and Secret Clue: Cuisines as well as her new job title of Project Director of Wacky Wizard Games and how she’s grown as a designer by starting to do inventor relations. Learning to kill off her designs faster by looking at th...

2024-05-0754 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 087 - Mind MGMTIn episode 87 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Sen-Foong Lim on his comic book IP game Mind MGMT. A game that grows with the players in strategy as well as difficulty. One player controls Mind MGMT and must scour the city for new recruits. They move around on a secret map, trying to visit locations that match one of their three randomly drawn feature cards. They can also use their four Immortals to protect locations from being exposed. Listen to Sen compare working with a creator’s IP versus a company like Viacom or Warner Br...

2024-04-231h 09

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 086 - GartenbauIn episode 86 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with David Abelson about his Mensa award winning game Gartenbau published by 25th Century Games. Initially the game started as a color theory tile placement game but grew into a three-layer tile stacking game of beautifully arranged flowers that gain prestige using a rondel drafting mechanism. Learn how this design grew in development! Featuring: David Abelson - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-04-0229 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 085 - Mission to Planet HexxIn episode 85 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jim Fitzpatrick about his game Mission to Planet Hexx. Inspired by a love of SyFy he designed a hex tile game about exploring space with different abilities triggered by moving your ship around the tiles. He learned through playtesting how to create thematic ties between the flavor text and mechanics of the tiles as well as how to refine his design. Featuring: Jim Fitzpatrick - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-03-1943 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 084 - Mischief (Previously "Fickle")In episode 84 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Glenn Cotter about his design Mischief, formerly Fickle. Learn how he got the game signed and printed first with Bard Games. Then what happened when he received the rights back and got the game re-signed with Smirk & Dagger as Mischief. Listen as he talks through the design changes made in between printings. How the initial bones of the game stayed the same while player count, fairy cards, illustrations and other pieces were tweaked through development. Featuring: Glenn Cotter - Guest D...

2024-03-0539 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 083 - HomeIn episode 83 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Doug Levandowski and Yeonsoo Julian Kim about their co-design Home. Home is an RPG that focuses more on storytelling than dice rolling thanks to Tarot cards that help every player take turns as the “Director” of their scary story. With different modules in the RPG no game will be the same. The game started as Doug's attempt to make a game about his childhood home but with Julie’s help the game grew into what it is today. Featuring: Doug Levandowski - Guest

2024-02-2048 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 082 - MansplainingIn episode 82 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Fertessa Allyse and Mondo Davis about their party game Mansplaining. Learn not only what the term “mansplaining” means but also, learn how they designed a game made not to offend but allow players to feel what it is to have someone over-explain a subject in a humorous way. Learn how they dealt with assumptions made due to the title of the game and how they marketed to help with that problem. Featuring: Fertessa Allyse - Guest Mondo Davis - Guest

2024-02-0645 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 081 - Pirate TailsIn episode 81 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Whitney Loraine the designer of Skybound’s Pirate Tails game. Her inspiration came from the push-you-luck set collection mechanics of Biblios. She took what she liked most from that game and created her own game. Listen to her start as a new designer. How going to a convention allowed her to network and meet publishers nice enough to introduce her to Skybound where she now has two signed games! Featuring: Whitney Loraine - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-01-2345 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 080 - MisconceptionsIn episode 80 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with George Li about his game Misconceptions. His publishing company Rabble was approached by Bud Light Seltzer to create Misconceptions, a game based on debunking other common, but wrong, beliefs. Learn how they worked with Bud Light’s marketing team to design and publish a game in record time using a non-gaming manufacturer in the United States in order to meet the deadlines set by Bud Light. Featuring: George Li - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2024-01-0932 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 079 - MantisIn episode 79 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jeremy Posner and Ken Gruhl about their co-design Mantis published by Exploding Kittens. They talk about how they found each other as co-designers and the many games that have spawned from the partnership. How a failed design of Ken’s inspired Jeremy to adapt the idea into what became Mantis. Listen to how this design team took an old idea and gave it life in a new form! Plus, how they adapted the game into a kid’s version called Best Worst Ice Cream for Exploding Kittens’ new li...

2023-12-2643 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 078 - Diced VeggiesIn episode 78 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Josh, Jory and Rowan Cappel about their co-design Diced Veggies published by KTBG. This design started as a father/son activity that quickly added a niece/cousin to the mix. Starting from a catchy name they quickly created a dice drafting cooking game with a fun chopping component and thematically linked recipe cards. Thought was put into what veggies the dice would represent as well as finding recipes that had those vegetables diced in order to make it! If you’re looking to work with kids on a...

2023-12-1233 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 077 - Holiday HijinksIn episode 77 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jonathan Chaffer, the mastermind behind the 18-card escape room game line Holiday Hijinks published by Grand Gamers Guild. Jonathan discusses how his holiday gift idea has now turned into a line of creatively crafted escape room games that only requires internet and 18 cards. Listen to how he crafts an answer list of words then works backwards to create the puzzles in each of his games. He even illustrates the cards and codes for the electronic parts of this escape room! Learn how to build an escape room...

2023-11-2842 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 076 - Dark DomainsIn episode 76 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jeff Horger about the second edition of Dark Domains! Learn what changes to the rulebook, components and gameplay occurred in the second printing. Listen to where the proposed initial design to make a game that included “skulls and tarot cards” came from. And how a multiple year RPG campaign helped build the lore of the game and characters. Featuring: Jeff Horger - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-11-1433 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 075 - WingspanIn episode 76 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Elizabeth Hargrave about all things birds with her game Wingspan! What started as a game suggestion from her husband turned into a game that has inspired so many women and nature enthusiasts to enter the industry! Hear about how her game evolved through signing it with Stonemaier Games and their development process. Listen as she talks through the different expansions and what issues came up when translating the game over to different languages. Also, get advice on how to design a nature themed game! Featuring:

2023-10-3159 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 074 - CurmudgeonIn episode 74 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Grant Lyon about his party game co-design Curmudgeon. The game lets players come up with their own witty disses and comebacks to hilarious prompts. Grant talks about how his background in comedy and writing has helped him not only design party games but get hired to write card prompts for games like Verses, Would You Rather and Ghosted. Featuring: Grant Lyon - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host And please vote Danielle Reynolds for the TAGIE Risin...

2023-10-1738 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 073 - Exploring GalapagosIn episode 73 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with M & Corinne Yeager on their 18-card game Exploring Galapagos published by Button Shy. Listen to them discuss their initial inspiration from the game SET and how issues came up in the initial printing of the game and how they were able to fix it with only the use of the rulebook! Enjoy this episode all about designing with constraints. And please vote Danielle Reynolds for the TAGIE Rising Star Innovator award at https://peopleofplay.com/toy-game-innovation-awards/2023. Voting is open until October 20th! ...

2023-10-0335 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 072 - Disney Sorcerer’s Arena: Epic AlliancesIn episode 72 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Sean Fletcher the designer behind Disney Sorcerer’s Arena: Epic Alliances as well as so many other IP based games. He talks about how he took his love of Magic the Gathering and applied it to creating this Disney Battle game. From turning classic Disney characters into different archetypes to balancing their deck abilities and powers while keeping them thematic. Hear about how he turned one of the world’s favorite IPs into a board game. Featuring: Sean Fletcher - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Ho...

2023-09-1958 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 071 - Not So NeighborlyIn episode 71 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with sisters Alice and Jessica Hong of FamBam Games about their co-design Not So Neighborly. A light-weight card game of building and destroying a neighborhood. This project started with a need to have another game while stuck in their Covid bubble that turned into a family run company. Learn about things like UNPUB, the Horizon Fellowship and other things that helped them jump head first into this industry! Featuring: Alice Hong - Guest Jessica Hong - Guest Danielle Reyno...

2023-09-0543 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 070 - FossilisIn episode 70 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with David Diaz about his game Fossilis published by KTBG (Kids Table Board Games). The game was initially designed with his son in mind mixed with a personal love of dinosaurs. It quickly developed into a 3-D tile pushing archeology game with set-collecting different dinos and bones. The game started as a lighter kids game then once signed, it was developed into the game you see today at conventions! Featuring: David Diaz - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-08-2245 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 069 - Smug OwlsIn episode 69 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Mike Belsole and Grace Kendall about their co-design Smug Owls published by Runaway Games. What started as a game made for a convention Christmas gift exchange turned into an owl themed game about generating riddles for players to solve. The last player to think of an answer will become the smug owl and judge the round’s answers. Listen to us play a round of the game! Also, hear about what you can add to your contract to make sure you get paid if a publisher gives yo...

2023-08-0842 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 068 - Mission Control: Critical OrbitIn episode 68 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Corey Andalora and Donnie Coleman about their asymmetric space themed co-op game Mission Control: Critical Orbit. What started as a game design challenge inspired by the initial parts of COVID grew into this unique real-time puzzle game you can play with your friends. Listen to how they decided what puzzles to make and how the publishers have marketed the game at Cons. Featuring: Corey Andalora - Guest Donnie Coleman - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-07-2541 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 067 - BarBEARian BattlegroundsIn episode 67 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we kick off season 4 with Julie Ahern the designer of BarBEARian Battlegrounds: Tales of BarBEARia. The reason she chose this design in particular is because it was a sequel to a game designed by Walter Barber and Ian VanNest. These designers were tasked with creating a sequel to the game but weren’t able to make it happen so Julie had to approach the sensitive subject of her working on the game and receiving design credits for it. Learn from her how to approach subjects like credits in a game an...

2023-07-1159 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 066 - Season 3 FinaleIn episode 66 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we recap the third season with guest host Beneeta Kaur. We talk about some fun games from the past season, heartfelt inspirations, interesting systems designed for RPGs and catch up on what’s been going on with Danielle’s career in the gaming industry outside the podcast. We also discuss what’s coming up for season 4 airing on Tuesday, July 11th! Featuring: Danielle Reynolds - Guest Beneeta Kaur - Host

2023-06-2728 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 065 - It’s Kind of a Fun StoryIn episode 65 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pophouse Collective's Josh Kemper and Robert Smith about their getting to know you party game It's Kind of a Fun Story. They talk about how the game was inspired by a Halloween Party game night with salaciously probing questions that they wanted to turn into an experience you could find in a brightly colored box. Through playtesting they moved to make the questions more mass market friendly while keeping to an adult audience. They also worked to create scoring mechanisms as well as different ways to interact...

2023-06-1343 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 064 - Stonewall UprisingIn episode 64 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Taylor Shuss about his asymmetric deck building game Stonewall Uprising inspired by LGBTQ+ History. The mechanics of the game came quickly to him. It was researching events and figureheads from our past that was more difficult. He found it a fun challenge to create a game where people are not only learning but have a visceral feeling from playing the role of “the Man”. Learn about this historically important game as we enter Pride Month! Featuring: Taylor Shuss - Guest Danie...

2023-05-3049 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 063 - Star RealmsIn episode 63 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with two Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famers Robert Dougherty and Darwin Kastle, the designers of Star Realms. They speak about how their love of trading card games and wanting to help Darwin find a job brought the deckbuilder known as Star Realms into reality. Their development process was fueled by wanting to beat each other until they balanced out the cards. Thanks to a friend they created an app for the game that has increased the game’s fan base over the years. Plus, they talk about th...

2023-05-161h 09

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 062 - Deadly DowagersIn episode 62 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Sarah Shipp the designer of Deadly Dowagers. This game started with a theme of generations of people trying to improve their positions in life that quickly became a theme about you playing as a middle-class Victorian woman who would kill to be a duchess. In Sarah’s card-drafting game you will marry, collect money, and murder to improve your status in life. The game beyond being very thematic also includes fun easter eggs! Listen to how Sarah’s first design changed through the development process.

2023-05-0247 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 061 - Lanterns: The Harvest FestivalIn episode 61 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chris Chung the designer of Lanterns: The Harvest Festival. What started out as a game jam design quickly became an evergreen game. With its simplistic rules, unique theme and beautiful artwork. Plus, a fun easter egg that Chris’s grandma was excited to spot in the artwork. Listen to how Chris grew as a designer and turned a nature themed game into Lanterns. Featuring: Chris Chung - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-04-1839 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 060 - Word WipeoutIn episode 60 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Joe Barron from Gray Matters Games about how he teamed up with graphic design students at the College of DuPage to create a word game during the Wordle craze. Through playtesting they not only improved the graphics of the game but realized that their electronic timer could be improved to help the hearing impaired by adding flashing lights. Check out this fun spelling game with a Scattergories twist! Featuring: Joe Barron - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-04-0426 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 059 - Paint the RosesIn episode 59 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ben Goldman the designer of Paint the Roses published by Northstar Games. He talks about designing co-op games and how adding the Alice and Wonderland theme to a previous quilting theme added to the design of the game. From the stacking of roses to grow the Queen’s height and speed to adding the white rabbit to help people understand how the Queen’s movement works. There were a lot of minor changes to the design to make this a challenging, yet fun co-op puzzle game with a ni...

2023-03-2148 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 058 - Hues and CuesIn episode 58 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Scott Brady the designer of Hues and Cues published by the Op Games. Scott was able to use his connections as a reviewer to get in touch with publishers once his color swatch themed party game was ready to pitch. The game was inspired by his printing background that only got better through playtesting. Hear him talk about his unique scoring mechanic and how the game actually works for color blind folks in this episode. Featuring: Scott Brady - Guest ...

2023-03-0745 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 057 - Mazes Fantasy RoleplayingIn episode 57 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chris O'Neill about both his game Mazes and the RPG system he designed for the game called Polymorph. Chris spent years creating a new system based around each player playing as a specific single die. Each character will come with a die and an amount of stars. In the system stars allow players to forgo rolling to achieve what they want to do. The system was heavily inspired by the old days of D&D where most things were possible as long as it made sense. Chris...

2023-02-2155 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 056 - Meeple PartyIn episode 56 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Heather O'Neill about her first solo design Meeple Party. What started out as a logic puzzle for your brain quickly got themed around hosting a party with your fellow roommates. Meeples were given colors and stereotypes that tied into how they moved other party-goers around the modular board. In order to win you had to set up different scenarios and take pictures while avoiding adding stress to you and your roommates. As Heather’s first co-op game she learned a lot about coming up with a win co...

2023-02-0743 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 055 - Lost for WordsIn episode 55 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ami Baio about her first co-design Lost for Words that she worked on with her son. The initial inspiration for the game came from her love of languages and how different words carry different meanings that can invoke memories that are worth sharing. Learn some new words as well as the feelings that can be expressed through this unique party game. Featuring: Ami Baio - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2023-01-2445 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 054 - Relics of RajaviharaEpisode 54: Relics of Rajavihara In episode 54 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Joe Slack about his solo puzzle game Relics of Rajavihara. Starting from an enjoyment of puzzle video games of moving blocks Joe worked to create his almost legacy game themed in an Indiana Jones like world that was suggested by the Solo Board Game Facebook Groups. Joe learned through self-publishing how to develop the game to its best state with cutting down on components and thinking outside the box. Featuring: Joe Slack - Gues...

2023-01-1048 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 053 - Batman: The Animated Series – Gotham City Under SiegeIn episode 53 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Michael Guigliano about Batman: The Animated Series – Gotham City Under Siege. We speak about how he got into the gaming hobby through playing Twilight Imperium then met the designer Richard Launius who’d become his co-designer on the Batman game. The design started as a way to help kids learn simple math equations playing as the Avengers attempting to stop Ultron bots that warped into signing the game with IDW and adjusting all the characters to the Batman Universe. Featuring: Michael Guigli...

2022-12-2744 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 052 - The WolvesIn episode 52 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ashwin Kamath and Clarence Simpson about their game The Wolves, published by Pandasuarous Games. These designers met through the Tabletop Mentorship Program and created this game design in a matter of months during the worst of the pandemic. Utilizing online playtests they were able to iterate quickly even while living in different parts of the United States. Thanks to their unique action selection mechanic of double-sided tiles this game allows players to control and grow packs of wolves! Flip to certain terrains to move, populate and howl...

2022-12-1347 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 051 - Pirate Party: Women of the High SeasIn episode 51 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Marge Rosen about her card game Pirate Party: Women of the High Seas. A card game loosely based on the mechanics of Rummy that took on it’s own character by theming it after historical women pirates! The game offers different gameplays, historical facts in the rulebook and diverse artwork. Plus, if you collect all three mermaids you can sing your siren song into victory! Featuring: Marge Rosen - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-11-2931 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 050 - London Necropolis RailwayIn episode 50 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Daniel Newman about his co-published game London Necropolis Railway. He talks about how a Wikipedia link on a historic event in London inspired this morbidly themed game. Also, how he and his company New Mill Industries work to take interestingly themed games that might have a hard time finding a home and turning them into a reality. Even if it’s an in-house operation with less then a thousand copies of the game. Check out his unique perspectives as a designer and publisher working with other designers in...

2022-11-1546 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 049 - Creature ComfortsIn episode 49 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Roberta Taylor about her game Creature Comforts published by KTGB. This game was initially inspired by the changing of the seasons in Canada. The worker placement with the interesting dice mechanics came shortly after. Roberta talks about her design process, having Helaina Cappel look at her design then sign it after the Gathering of Friends. From the cute woodland creatures to the concept of cozy game design described in video games she was playing, Roberta designed a game that sold out immediately after it was delivered to...

2022-11-0144 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU E048 - Million Dollar DoodleIn episode 48 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Molly Zeff a co-owner of Flying Leap Games and co-designer of Million Dollar Doodle, a semi-collaborative entrepreneurship-themed drawing party game. She took an idea her friends thought up at a restaurant and enhanced the idea by adding additional elements and playtesting. Listen to what she learned about marketing her games and designing party games on this episode. Featuring: Molly Zeff - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-10-1840 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 047 - On the RocksIn episode 47 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Michael Pittre on his co-design game “On the Rocks”. He talks about starting a company around this initial design. How he sourced such premium components and worked through the initial Kickstarter Campaign not going their way. Plus, them deciding to create custom cards for their second campaign! Featuring: Michael Pittre - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-10-0431 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 046 - SupershowIn episode 46 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Steve Resk about his game Supershow. A design that started out as a fix to the TOPs trading card game, it was later turned into a pro-wrestling game. He started by making the first printing out of a local non-game manufacturing company and placing it inside of Chinese food containers to sell at a convention. Now he has a company with multiple employees and a line of different pro-wresting decks. Steve talks about innovating in his own way and finding alternate forms of earning money like creating...

2022-09-2052 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 045 - Hellboy: The Board GameIn episode 45 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with James Hewitt & Sophie Williams about their co-design Hellboy: The Board Game published by Manic Games. This co-op Dark Horse comic book inspired game is filled with minis used to explore ever evolving case based maps. Players are investigating cases while fighting their famous foes playing as BPRD members, such as Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Roger the Homunculus. In this episode the designers discuss how they really captured the feeling of Mike Mignola's world famous comic series. Also, how building in “hooks and levers” into the base game made...

2022-09-061h 21

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 044 - Season 2 FinaleIn episode 44 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we recap the second season with guest host and game enthusiast Natasha “Nat” Iris. Nat interviews Danielle to get her thoughts on the season’s highlights and lessons learned. From designing games based on components to feeling to culture we learned there are many ways to design a game. Plus, take a look at what Danielle has been doing in the industry from job transitions to volunteering for non-profits she cares about. Also, get a sneak peek of season 3! Featuring: Danielle Reynolds - Guest Nata...

2022-08-2345 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 043 - FRIEND or FAUXIn episode 43 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chrissy Fagerholt, one of the designers of FRIEND or FAUX and founder of EAP Toy & Games. Chrissy and her friends took the experience and fun of a girl’s night and created a questions game. They designed levels of questions from tame to spicy in order to help players learn about each other as they grow more comfortable playing the game. The game was funded on Kickstarter then was picked up by Goliath thanks to a Speed Pitching Event at People of Play (POP) formerly Chicago Toy & Ga...

2022-08-091h 00

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 042 - Aeon’s End Legacy of GraveholdIn episode 42 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Sydney Engelstein, one of the designers to take on the challenge of continuing on the Aeon’s End game line! Listen to Sydney discuss the original game, her involvement with the past and current expansions as well as her favorite one she’s worked on, Legacy of Gravehold! We talk about dreams inspiring pieces of the games as well as what made the Aeon’s End games stand out as a deck builder against its competition. Learn how to take over a game line from the original design...

2022-07-2659 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 041 - Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet HallIn episode 41 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Banana Chan a designer on the culturally inspired game Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall. Listen to learn more about how a culture can inspire different design choices from how dice work in the system to adding spirit paper as a component. This game aimed to capture the immigrant experience of the time with a horror twist. Listen to how Banana works to balance out her character's motivations and dreams for the game. As you play, these dreams become covered up as players transition from a family...

2022-07-1256 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 040 - CanvasIn episode 40 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jeff Chin and Andrew Nerger about their game Canvas which was a component first design. Inspired by translucent cards Jeff and Andrew worked to get creative prototyping this beautiful entry-level game that is now being distributed globally. Even the game box being designed to look like a hanging painting was considered when manufacturing this game. Learn tips on prototyping unique components, finding artists on Reddit and resources on how to run a Kickstarter from the co-founders of Road to Infamy Games. Check out t...

2022-06-2846 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 039 - Cheer Up!In episode 39 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Chris Rio the designer of Cheer Up! published by Cheer Up Games. He talks about designing a creative way to make a word game that removes the flaws of the games he saw already on the shelf. Also, how he’s made his branding pop out compared to its competitors. He touches on culling the words on the cards as times change as well as avoiding pop culture references to avoid aging the game. Featuring: Chris Rio - Guest Daniell...

2022-06-1459 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 038 - Slingshot ManeuverIn episode 38 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Josh Kaplan a youtube reviewer and abstract game designer. Josh discusses having a game in print and selling out in a month and what happens to your game when a publisher’s company hits hard times. Plus, tips on how to pitch to publishers you already have a relationship with on the media-side of the industry. Featuring: Josh Kaplan - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-05-3136 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 037 - The Night CageIn episode 37 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Christopher Ryan Chan, one of the co-designers and the illustrator of the Night Cage published by Smirk & Dagger Games. We discuss creating a narrative when designing a horror themed board game using mechanics and art to create a feel that adds to the gameplay. Also, knowing who your demographic is can help shape your game design. Featuring: Christopher Ryan Chan - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-05-1854 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 036 - CascadiaIn episode 36 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Randy Flynn about his design Cascadia published by Flatout Games. This tile-laying puzzle game of building habitats and expanding your wildlife has become so popular that it has been printed in various languages. Randy talks about his experience developing the game with Flatout’s Collab program and growing as a designer through it. Featuring: Randy Flynn - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-05-0446 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 035 - Phantom InkIn episode 35 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Mary Flanagan about her co-design Phantom Ink published by her company Resynom Games. She speaks about her experience starting on the video game side during the “.com boom” in the early 90s to transitioning to tabletop games. Mary is an artist, designer, business owner and so many more things. She designs based on feel which compliments her co-designer who focuses on the mechanics first to build fun games like Phantom Ink and others. She also talks about her experience being a woman in a male dominated industry and...

2022-04-2047 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 034 - SynchronizedIn episode 34 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Amelie Le-Roche a co-designer and artist of Synchronized published by her company Zerua Games. Amelie talks about how they took a suggested theme and turned it into a game. How the “fun” was there from the initial playtest which motivated them to continue working on the game and using Kickstarter to make it a reality. Learn about this uniquely themed memory game and how to get the most out of your box design! Featuring: Amelie Le-Roche - Guest Danielle Reynolds...

2022-04-0632 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 033 - Century: Spice RoadIn episode 33 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Emerson Matsuuchi the designer of Century: Spice Road, Century: Eastern Wonders, Century: A New World and the Golem Editions published by Plan B Games. Emerson talks about one lighting in a bottle game Century: Spice Road, plus designing two follow up games that were both standalones as well as could be combined into a heavier weighted game. This design challenge was something that was both difficult and rewarding for him. See how he introduced new players to popular mechanics in his Century games. Fe...

2022-03-2336 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 032 - PipelineIn episode 32 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ryan Courtney the designer of Pipeline published by Capstone Games. Ryan created an amazing business simulation about the refinement of oil and how it has been a part of the government-controlled energy sector. He talks about making his design incredibly thematic but needing to refine the design to get the time and difficulty down to make it into the product you can currently purchase. Also, how it took many no’s from the publisher before they decided to sign Pipeline. This game went through a lot of ch...

2022-03-0938 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 031 - Blinks SystemIn episode 31 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Move38's Founder & CEO Jon Bobrow about the Blinks System. His system was created as a mash-up between a toy, video game and board game using electronic hexagon tiles that each hold a single game. Each tile will train the others in the system to learn that specific game. Jon has worked with outside designers and his internal team over the past 2+ years to create tons of fun games that can be played using this system. Their most recent Blinks Party Pack will be on Kickstarter starting...

2022-02-2338 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 030 - SummitIn episode 30 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Conor McGoey, the founder of Inside Up Games as well as the designer behind Summit, Vault Assault, Gorus Maximus, and more! Summit was not only his first published game but it had a competitive, cooperative and solo mode attached to it. Learn how he turned the success of this game into a company. Featuring: Conor McGoey - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-02-0957 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 029 - Savage SistersIn episode 29 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Graham Gentz, a writer and designer on "Savage Sisters." He also performs with 9th Level Games as "Fomo" the kobold puppet. Savage Sisters was designed by Adriel Wilson and uses the Polymorph RPG system designed by Chris O'Neill. Learn more about the Polymorph system and what makes Savage Sisters unique in the RPG world! Featuring: Graham Gentz - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2022-01-2636 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 028 - CULTivateIn episode 28 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Austin Foss (Pops) and Jenna Radtke (Bejou) otherwise known as part of the Pops & Bejou team and the designers of CULTivate. Pops & Bejou started as a friendship formed in college that turned into a publisher at the beginning of COVID-19. CULTivate was the first of the games this company is looking to put out as a gateway game with great art and an interesting theme. Learn about their marketing plan of contacting smaller instagram accounts, sending playtest kits over the pandemic and how waiting made their Kickstarter...

2022-01-1232 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 027 - Fire TowerIn episode 27 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Gwen Ruelle, one of the designers of Fire Tower and co-owner of Runaway Parade Games. Gwen talks about taking her love of cooperative game elements and using it to make a fire tower burning game of winds changing and friends working to outlast each other. She speaks about the inspirations for various expansions including fire hawks that use burning branches to scare their prey into traps. From making the decision to self-publish, to signing their first external designer’s game hear about the journey of Runaway Parade Ga...

2021-12-2936 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 026 - Raccoon TycoonIn episode 26 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Glenn Drover, owner of Forbidden Games and designer of Raccoon Tycoon. A game that has players buying and selling goods from a marketplace, doing quick actions, and set collecting adorable animals and their railroads. Glenn was inspired by Catan and Monopoly wanting to create a gateway game that could eventually make its way from Kickstarter to Target shelves and he did! Listen to Glen’s years of industry experience in both tabletop games and videogames in this episode! Featuring: Glenn Drover - Gu...

2021-12-151h 01

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 025 - MediumIn episode 25 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Danielle Deley and Nathan Thornton about their game Medium, an improv-inspired party game that helps players sync minds and search for words that link together to score points. It’s a game that’s as fun to lose as it is to win. Listen to Danielle and Nathan’s interesting marketing idea and how playing games at work turned these two into game designers. Featuring: Danielle Deley - Guest Nathan Thornton - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host

2021-12-0137 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 024 - Sleeping GodsEpisode 24: Sleeping Gods In episode 24 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ryan Laukat, the designer and illustrator of Sleeping Gods, Above and Below, Near and Far, and more. Ryan is the co-owner of Red Raven Games as well as a triple threat of game designer, artist, and storyteller. In this episode, he discusses how art and media play a huge role in his game design. From inspiring him to giving him a visual road map of where an open-world game like Sleeping Gods might lie. Learn more about how to build a...

2021-11-1737 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 023-Greece LightningIn episode 23 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we kick off season 2 talking with Kathleen Mercury, an educator, and board game designer. Her first published design Greece Lightning started with her decision to co-design with Mark Sellmeyer on his space-themed game about black holes. This game developed into a push-your-luck, roll-and-move race in an Ancient Greek regatta. She references the importance of playtesting and how one of her students helped solve a flaw in her design. Plus, her sister's assistance in adding the right amount of mythology to the game. This episode is filled with humor and insight...

2021-11-0347 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 022-Season 1 FinaleIn episode 22 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication Danielle and Denice talk about some favorite moments and lessons learned thanks to season 1’s guest designers. As well as where they are in their current game design journeys. We say farewell to Denice from the show and about the show coming back in late Fall with a refresh for season 2! Featuring: Danielle Reynolds - Host Denice - Host

2021-08-2529 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 021-Abomination VaultsIn episode 21 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we speak with Vanessa Hoskins, our first RPG designer. The Know Direction Network’s own Vanessa talks about RPGs, Pathfinder, and writing part 2 of the Abomination Vaults. Her extensive credits and knowledge on RPGs will help listeners dip their toes into RPG design and gameplay! As well as learn how to get into the business. Featuring: Vanessa Hoskins - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Denice - Host

2021-08-1155 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 020-Dinosaur IslandEpisode 20: Dinosaur Island In episode 20 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Jonathan Gilmour, the designer behind Dead of Winter, Mental Blocks, Wasteland Express Delivery Service, Kids on Bikes, Dinosaur Island and so many other games and expansions! Jonathan is known for his ability to predict what themes or mechanics are going to be popular and become evergreens. Listen to him talk all things dinos and more! Featuring: Jonathan Gilmour - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Ben Moy - Host

2021-07-2850 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 019-KittycataclysmIn episode 19 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk about Bez Shahriari’s game Kittycataclysm. From trimming down the design to make a quicker playing game to interweaving cat puns into a mechanically solid design. We learn about deciding to balance versus leaning into the power of a card. As well as learning empathy for designers/publishers especially in relation to Kickstarter. Featuring: Bez Shahriari - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Denice - Host

2021-07-1454 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 018-StripesIn episode 18 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Maxine Ekl, the designer of Think Ahead, High & Low Poker, Dual Value Playing Cards, and Stripes! Maxine is one of the co-organizers for Chicago's Protospiel and co-owner of Clever Playing Cards. She’s a large fan of designing card games and her game Stripes even got the Dice Tower’s Seal of Approval! Maxine found that her game designs only got better after discovering Protospiels and local game design meetups. Learn how she started her own Protopiel and how patience is a virtue when it comes to taki...

2021-06-3042 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 017-SagradaIn episode 17 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Daryl Andrews designer of Sagrada, BOSK, 7 Summits, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Kodama 3D, Back to The Future Outatime and so many other games. Daryl shares his insights on going from hobbyist to designer thanks to an amazing local community of designers. Learn how he has worked with different design partners, themes, and mechanics becoming almost a swiss army knife of a designer. Daryl embodies the mentality of pay if forward and shows you how far you can go in the industry when you help support fellow...

2021-06-161h 17

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 016-Orphans & AshesIn episode 16 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Ryan Costello the designer of Orphans & Ashes, LFG Storytime with Dick, and a writer for various RPGs. Ryan pitched, designed, and developed Orphans & Ashes for Blind Ferret Entertainment based on their webcomic series Looking for Group. He worked to capture the dark humor and quirkiness of the webcomic characters to build a game designed with the fans in mind. He learned many valuable lessons about manufacturing and creating realistic manufacturing timelines as well as how to curate a board game subscription box while working for Blind Ferret...

2021-06-021h 04

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 015-Cat LadyIn episode 15 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Josh Wood, a developer at AEG and game designer of Santa Monica, the Tiny Towns Expansions, and Cat Lady. Josh talks about the differences between developing and designing games as well as the heartwarming stories from Cat Lady’s design journey. Featuring: Josh Wood - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Denice - Host

2021-05-1938 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 014-BOSKIn episode 14 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Erica Hayes-Bouyouris about her co-design BOSK by Floodgate Games. Erica shares her insights on how to find a good co-design partner and what it was like as a woman diving headfirst into game design with the Canadian “Big Dogs”. Featuring: Erica Hayes-Bouyouris - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Ben Moy - Host Denice - Host

2021-05-051h 07

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 013-LOTSIn episode 13 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Zachary Connelly on his game LOTS: A Competitive Tower Building Game. Zach speaks about designing his game with his son in mind. Plus, mistakes he made over various Kickstarters including the importance of having multiple people spell check your game. He also discusses how designing and redesigning games with component prices in mind can be a huge factor in if a game is going to be publishable. Learn more about being a hobby game designer/publisher from Zach in this episode of Game Design Unboxed. ...

2021-04-2149 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 012-CTRLIn episode 12 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Julio Nazario about his design CTRL by Pandasaurus Games. Julio has worked to make his designs language-independent as well as use his engineering background to design in a 3-D space. Learn about his quick turnaround for CTRL and the lessons he learned as a newer designer. Featuring: Julio Nazario - Guest Danielle Reynolds - Host Ben Moy - Host Denice - Host

2021-04-0740 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 011-Castle PanicIn episode 11 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Justin De Witt, co-owner of Fireside Games and designer of Castle Panic. Castle Panic is one of the most well known cooperative games to this day and is what launched Fireside Games as a company. Justin talks about the base game, expansions, variations and IP based sequels. From talking through starting his company along with his wife to being approached to do IP based game variations like Star Trek and Munchkin Panic. Justin learned a lot about design and running a company through the years and has...

2021-03-2459 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 010-ArchRavelsEpisode 10: ArchRavels In episode 10 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Adam McCrimmon, Jordan Miller and Lauren Nepomuceno of XYZ Game Labs about their newest release ArchRavels, a crafting themed tabletop game. They took a deep dive into the crafting community inorder to fully embed the theme into every pore of their game. Playtesters hugged, crafted and thanked them for making a game that felt like it was made just for them. From their incredibly diverse character art that represents different ages, races, genders and even handicaps, ArchRavels had a lot of time and...

2021-03-101h 20

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 009-The NetworksIn episode 9 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Gil Hova owner of Formal Ferret Games about his game the Networks. During the creation of the Networks he struggled to ditch a mechanism that wasn’t working in the game but once he did the design thrived. Through massive edits during playtesting he created a hit that launched his company through the use of Kickstarter. He speaks about how the Kickstarter platform is changing as larger companies have begun to use it more as a marketing and pre-order platform. Featuring: Gil Hov...

2021-03-1056 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 008-Abandon All ArtichokesIn episode 8 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Emma Larkin on how to design a game based on a name first. Abandon All Artichokes began with a list of funny alliterative names and a few people on social media saying “I’d buy that game”! From there Emma paired the game with a deck building/wrecking mechanic and redesigned over 100 times! Hear her story on how she worked with GameWright and her local design groups to grow this game into a success! Featuring: Emma Larkin – Guest Danielle Reynolds – Host Ben Moy – Host ...

2021-03-1045 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 006-Thug LifeIn episode 7 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we speak with Jason Serrato on how to design and publish a controversially themed asymmetric take-that board game. Going from playtesting to Kickstarter to a documentary the game has been met with many challenges. Listen to Jason discuss all things Thug Life! Featuring: Jason Serrato – Guest Danielle Reynolds – Host Ben Moy – Host To follow Jason’s next Kickstarter Prosperitea go to www.facebook.com/ProsperiteaGame

2021-03-1040 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 006-MisdirectionIn episode 6 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Michael Langford, the designer of Misdirection, a Kickstarter that was fulfilled in 2019. Micheal decided to Kickstart his game after joining many Kickstarter Facebook groups like Board Game Spotlight and learned a lot of lessons between how to market, work with manufacturers in china and what to do when you end up with a crazy amount of bubble wrap on accident. He jokes that if there was a book on what not to do in a Kickstarter his face would be on it. So learn from him if...

2021-03-1044 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 005-Trekking the National Parks & WorldIn episode 5 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Charlie Bink the designer behind the Trekking the National Parks and World games. Charlie and his family worked to Kickstart the original edition of Trekking the National Parks which won a Mensa award in 2015. Charlie later partnered with Underdog Games to create a second edition and spiritual sequel to the game. Charlie took a break in his life to create the original edition including all the artwork and his life hasn’t been the same since. He and his family were featured in the Amazon Prime’s gami...

2021-03-1051 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 004-Hold That FaceIn episode 4 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we talk with Pam Walls about her Hasbro party game Hold That Face which was featured in the short lived Hasbro subscription box. Learn about her experience building the community Board Game Broads, starting up Protospiel Toronto and creating her own opportunities which led her to sign with Hasbro and later other publishers. Featuring: Pam Walls – Guest Danielle Reynolds – Host Ben Moy – Host

2021-03-1029 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 003-Tattoo StoriesIn episode 3 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we talk with Eric Slauson about his party game Tattoo Stories published by Bicycle Games. Eric managed to design not one but two drawing games in the same year that allowed players that had limited art skills a chance to win using creative storytelling and memory. Tattoo Stories uses a combination of 5 elements to make up a tattoo that players will draw then describe to the round’s judge. Bicycle Games saw the potential in Eric’s design and now his game is featured in Target! Fe...

2021-03-0950 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 002-Tiny TownsIn episode 2 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication Danielle, Ben, and Denice talk with Peter McPherson on his first published game, Tiny Towns from AEG. The game was initially inspired by games like Minecraft with a spatial mechanic that is easy to understand but hard to master. Tiny Towns quickly shot up in popularity being one of the most sought after games in 2019. It was up for many of the biggest gaming awards such as the Mensa Award, Spiel der Spiele Hit für Familien, Golden Geek, and others! Peter talks about the success of the ga...

2021-03-0940 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 001-ExpancityDanielle, Ben, and Denice speak with Alex Cutler, designer of Expancity by Breaking Games. Alex also co-designed “Before There Were Stars” by Smirk and Laughter, “Team 3” by Brain Games, and develops games for Pandasaurus. Alex talks about his journey of spending years working on his SimCity inspired game, from prototyping using Legos to learning how to 3-D print his building pieces. Alex took his love of city planning and architecture to design a game that allows players to build from the ground up. Alex shares his experiences of prototyping, finding Breaking Games, reviewing game design contracts and where the game is...

2021-03-0952 min

Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication GDU 000 - Meet UsIn episode 0 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication we meet Danielle, Ben and Denice the hosts of the podcast. They discuss what listeners will come to expect on the podcast in future episodes. They talk about their backgrounds, why they joined the show and what their hopes are for the future of the podcast. Featuring: Danielle Reynolds – Host Ben Moy – Host Denice – Host

2021-03-0534 min