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Send us a text Brazilian designer and publisher Renato Simões (FlipToons, Piratas, OZOB: A Cyberpunk Board Game) joins me to talk about the importance of finding the hook in game design. We discuss his journey from King of Tokyo fan to publishing Brazil’s best-selling card game, how FlipToons went from idea to contract in just a month, and why OZOB became a $1,000,000+ crowdfunding success. Renato also shares insights into collaboration, the Brazilian market, and why networking is just as vital as design.  Support the show

Send us a text  I chat with designer David Gordon (Floristry, Finspan, Making Monsters) about co-designing, filtering feedback, pitching to publishers, and crafting tense, elegant mechanics like Floristry’s Dutch auction. We also dive into his process, inspiration, and lessons from working with top publishers like Stonemaier Games.  Support the show

Send us a text In this episode of the Player Lair Podcast, we sit down with Cole Smith, designer of Tanuki, 3 Magi, and Sauros, to talk about his journey from pandemic hobbyist to published game designer. We dive into his roots in childhood rule-bending, how being a graphic designer informs his prototypes, and why sometimes it's better to shelve a game, or fight for it. Cole shares insights on pitching, playtesting, balancing creativity with feedback, and why quick overview videos might be more important than your rulebook. We also explore his latest game Sauros, a clever blend of trick-taking and puzzly tile placement… with dinosaurs. Whether you're just getting into game design or looking to refine your pitch process, this episode is packed with honest advice, practical tools, and a good dose of creative encouragement. Support the show

Send us a text Zev Shlasinger has been in the hobby game industry for almost 30 years. He founded Z-Man Games in 1999, sold it in 2011, then worked for the new owners until mid-January 2016. At the end of January, he took the position of Director of Board Games with Wizkids. Some of the titles you might be familiar with are: Pandemic, Fantasy Realms, Agricola, Sidereal Confluence, Clash of Cultures, Merchants & Marauders, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Shadow Hunters, Arboretum, Tragedy Looper, Grave Robbers from Outer Space, Tournament at Camelot, Super Skill Pinball, and a host of others. Check out Zev's new publishing company Play to Z here! Support the show

Send us a text Ori Kagan is the creative force behind Kagan Productions, a renowned agency specializing in high-quality animated trailers for board games. With a proven track record of helping campaigns raise over $19 million, Ori collaborates with both established publishers and first-time creators to bring their tabletop games to life with captivating storytelling and marketing expertise. Main Kagan Productions website: https://kaganproductions.com/ Kickstarter Health Scorecard: https://ori-y8ghfgfd.scoreapp.com/ Kagan Duckademy Waitlist sign up: https://kaganproductions.com/lp-kagan-duckademy/ Support the show

Send us a text Andrew Bosley is one of the co-designers of Planecrafters by Paisley Board Games and the artist behind Everdell, The River, Mission: Red Planet, and Citadels. He is a freelance illustrator, game designer, and writer working primarily in the board and video game industries. Support the show

Send us a text Richard Garfield is a game designer and mathematics professor known for creating the immensely popular card game Magic: The Gathering. In our conversation, we delve into topics such as game design, discovering fun where we don't initially feel it, playtesting, auto battlers, and much more! Additionally, we explore some of his other games, including Keyforge, Treasure Hunter, The Hunger, and, of course, Magic. Support the show

Send us a text Andrew is an American game designer and co-host of the Tabletop Submarine podcast. His new game Wine Cellar is coming to Kickstarter in April 2024. Support the show

Send us a text Daniel is a former Magic: The Gathering external developer and designer of Radlands. He also writes illuminating board game design articles, which can be found at daniel.games.  "This (referring to daniel.games) is an excellent resource for people who want to get into game design; it is filled with great language for them to learn the craft, and the hard truths of getting something to be worth publishing." - Richard Garfield, designer of Magic: The Gathering. Support the show

Send us a text Chris Backe (rhymes with hockey) is the founder of Entro Games. His games typically play in under 30 minutes, feature a wide variety of player counts, and a diverse range of themes. The thing they all have in common: they're easy to learn, easy to play, and offer plenty of strategy and replayability. Chris is the co-creator of No Box Games alongside Kristian Fosh and Roque A. Deleon, and Virtual Playtesting alongside Ian Brocklebank. He also runs Tabletop Publishers, a database of publishers to help designers pitch their games better. Support the show

Send us a text Daryl is a game designer and a member of the Game Artisans of Canada (GAC). He has published over 30 board games, actively visits conventions, offers consultations, and much more! Twitter: http://twitter.com/darylmandrews Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darylandrews/ Website: http://www.darylmandrews.com/ Support the show

Send us a text Brett and Trevor are both board game designers, who have an amazing portfolio of games.  Mandala, Undaunted, Guild of Merchant Explorers are all games one or both of them have worked on. In this episode, we talked about their community of game designers, and how they design and co-design games. If you listen closely you're sure to hear some well-kept secrets of board game success. Support the show

Send us a text Check out Mayan Curse on Kickstarter! Joe Slack is the designer and publisher of Relics of Rajavihara and the Montalo's Revenge expansion, the designer of King of Indecision and Zoo Year's Eve, and the co-designer of Four Word Thinking, and Kingdom's Candy: Monsters. Many of his current designs are on display at www.crazylikeabox.com. Joe is also a game design instructor and author of 4 books on game design, including the #1 best-seller, The Board Game Designer's Guide. He previously taught at Laurier University in the Game Design & Development Program and now runs his own online course for new game designers, The Board Game Design Course. Support the show

Send us a text Scott Rogers has helped design many successful video games including: Pac-Man World, the Maximo series, God of War, Drawn to Life series and Darksiders. A former Disney Imagineer and VR designer, Scott currently teaches game design at the New York Film Academy and the University of Southern California's interactive media department. His segment "Biography of a Board Game" can be heard on the award-winning Ludology Podcast (and back episodes of the Dice Tower Podcast). Link to Scott's Amazon page. Be sure to check out Scott's new book "Your Turn! The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design" Support the show

Send us a text Adrian Adamescu has been designing games for the last decade! He is known for designing light-to-midweight games with clean mechanics. He co-designed Sagrada, Dice Theme Park,  Mistwind, and so many more great games! Enjoy the conversation! Check out my games! : 99 Ninja - Currently on Kickstarter! Rise of Babel - Coming Q1-Q2 2024 Support the show