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Explore every episode of the podcast Ludology

Dive into the complete episode list for Ludology. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–50 of 695

TitlePub. DateDuration
Ludology 350 Beneath The Trees01 Dec 202501:03:08

Sen and special guest host Doug Levandowski (Kids on Bikes) talk with Noxweiler Ignatius Berf (or "Nox" for short) about his work on the storytelling game, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, based on the comic series of the same name. They discuss the game and it's mechanisms, how it stays true to the comic overall, and how it diverges at times. 

Ludology 349 Reindeer Games16 Nov 202500:58:30

Erica and Sen welcome Jordan Goddard of Indy Game Lab to talk about his company's newest product - family games that are packaged inside of Christmas ornaments. Currently on Kickstarter, Jordan discusses why he chose to create games that might only come out once a year.

Pros and Cons Ep 1310 Aug 202500:49:45

Sen speaks to David Gordon at Origins 2024 before all of his games hit shelves in 2025. From Monkey Palace to Floristry, we chat about David's entry into game design and what the future holds for this international man of mystery. Did any of it come true one year later?


TTRPG Kids Ep 427 Aug 202300:06:22

In the fourth installment of TTRPG Kids, Steph talks about how to pick a setting that is engaging for the children that you're gaming with.

Ludology 306 We Survived Gen Con 2023!20 Aug 202300:54:54

Sen and Erica welcome designer and Dice Tower member Roy Cannaday to the show to tell us about his experience at Gen Con 2023 that was made extra special because it was also the official launch of his first game, Last Light.

Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 313 Aug 202300:07:46

Guest host, Sarah Shipp, discusses Artistotle's Classical Unities and explores how unity of action, time, and place can be used to design a more cohesive game.

Ludology 305 Co-Host Catch Up06 Aug 202300:50:35

Erica and Sen discuss their comings and goings over the past few months. Sen attended Origins in June and Erica went to SDCC in July. So before they both head to Gen Con in August, they figured they should touch base and see what each other were up to!

TTRPG Kids Ep 330 Jul 202300:08:24

In this episode, Steph talks about their use of safety tools and how they modified some for use with their son.

Ludology 304 Unboxing Game Design23 Jul 202301:29:21

Erica and Sen welcome designer, author and game studies professor, Gordon Calleja to the show to discuss his book "Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design" from the MIT Press (ISBN 978-0-262-54395-8). Gordon gives a chapter-by-chapter rundown of the book that will be the focus of our first Ludology Book Club event - stay tuned for further information!

Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Episode 216 Jul 202300:07:47

Segment host Sarah Shipp returns to talk about the concept of immersion in tabletop games. Amongst others, Sarah references Gordon Calleja theories on immersion in her discussion - Gordon will be next week's guest on the main Ludology podcast.

Ludology 303 Making HerStory09 Jul 202300:46:31

Erica and Sen welcome Danielle Reynolds and Nick Bentley to the show to talk about how HerStory from Underdog Games was designed.

TTRPG Kids Episode 202 Jul 202300:10:15

Join Steph Campbell of TTRP Kids as they delve into the difficult topic of kids wanting to do "bad" things when playing TTRPGs. How can parents and educators deal with this in a constructive way. Is the child actually being "bad" or are they just inquisitive? How can we determine this and what learning can occur from "bad" behavior?

(Sound Effects from Pixabay)

 

Ludology 302 Line of Insight27 Jun 202300:52:35

Erica and Sen talk to Nicholas Yu, the designer responsible in part for games like Adventure Tactics and the recent release D&D Onslaught. Nick brings a wealth of knowledge about playing and designing tactical war games in the tabletop space. We discuss LOS, competitive wargaming, and more in this episode.

Pros and Cons Ep 1227 Jul 202500:47:19

In this episode of Pros and Cons (where we talk to game industry professionals at conventions), we go back to AnimeNorth 2024 where Sen chats with TTRPG designer and writer, Daniel Kwan about anime, wuxia, martial arts, combat and his project that JUST FUNDED on Kickstarter in 2025 - Wandering Blades!

Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Episode 118 Jun 202300:06:54

This segment features guest host Sarah Shipp of Shippboard Games. For the next year, Sarah will be taking a look at aspects of game design that go beyond the basics of rolling dice or drawing cards. In this introductory monthly mini-sode, Sarah posits that the question of theme first or mechanics first is a false dichotomy.

Ludology 301 Flying Solo11 Jun 202301:16:57

Sen and Erica welcome Morten Monrad Pedersen, founder of the Automa Factory, to the podcast to discuss designing solo modes for tabletop games. Morten has been involved with the solo modes for games such as Scythe, Viticulture, and Gaia Project. 

TTRPG Kids Episode 104 Jun 202300:06:45

Steph Campbell of TTRPG Kids gives parents and teachers some simple, practical tips on how to adapt tabletop role playing games for use with children in the home and classroom. In this episode, Steph talks about how to work with some of the more common aspects of TTRPGs (e.g. randomization, stats, bonuses, etc.) with children as they develop skills in literacy and numeracy.

Ludology 300 Celebrating the Love of Games28 May 202300:41:00

It's a celebration! To mark the 300th episode of Ludology, Erica and Sen invite some of the past hosts (including co-founders Geoff Engelstein and Ryan Sturm, Scott Rogers, and Emma Larkins) to share some of their most impactful memories about the games they loved to play, create, and share with those around them.

Please keep an eye out for the giveaways mentioned in this episode by following us on www.patreon.com/Ludology.

Thanks for sticking with us for 300 episodes and here's to 300 more!

Ludology 299 UX Essentials15 May 202301:08:04

Sen and Erica sit down with Matt Paquette, graphic designer behind many of the games on your shelves, to discuss how he lays out all of the information needed to play a game in a logically flowing and concise visual hierarchy, specifically talking about how good card frame design can improve end user experience.

Ludology 298 Green Team Wins!30 Apr 202301:23:18

Erica and Sen talk with Carlos Flores and Eric Zimmerman about the recently released Green Games Guide, a document chock full of sustainable goodness for those in the tabletop industry hoping to lessen their products' impact on the environment. Find out more about how you can be a part of the movement to improve gaming's sustainability as a consumer, a designer, or a publisher.

Ludology 298 Green Team Wins!30 Apr 202301:23:18

Erica and Sen talk with Carlos Flores and Eric Zimmerman about the recently released Green Games Guide, a document chock full of sustainable goodness for those in the tabletop industry hoping to lessen their products' impact on the environment. Find out more about how you can be a part of the movement to improve gaming's sustainability as a consumer, a designer, or a publisher.

Ludology 297 Steam Up Team Up / Go Bananas16 Apr 202300:49:51

Erica and Sen talk to Pauline-Fate Kong and Marie Wong (Hot Banana Games) about their Ion Award-winning game, Steam Up. They dive into the mechanisms behind this game about Dim Sum and the Chinese customs that informed them.

Apologies in advance for audio quality; our guests were recording on the same device so it negatively impacted on their relative volume at times.

Ludology 296 - Let's Reminisce!02 Apr 202301:06:02

This episode, Erica and Sen take a walk down memory lane with the Podfather of Gaming, Stephen Buonocore, as they reminisce about his time as the founder of Stronghold Games, his current role as a retiree / podcaster, and his future aspirations as a tabletop game designer! Stephen discusses many of the changes he witnessed first hand and talks about his excitement for what the future holds.

Ludology 295 - Relationship Goals20 Mar 202300:45:46

Erica and Sen bring Daryl Andrews onto the show to discuss his role as Head of Talent at Maestro Media, pitching games to publishers in general, and the importance of relationships in the industry. 

Ludology 344 Indie Games Night Market13 Jul 202501:00:12

While Erica is on vacation, Sen takes the opportunity to speak with Daniel Newman about how his love of trick-taking games lead to the inception of the Indie Games Night Market.

If you're interested in selling your games at this year's IGNM at PaxU 25, please check apply at www.newmillindustries.com/ignm

Ludology 294 - State of the Industry 202305 Mar 202301:31:11

Erica and Sen welcome Eric Lang, a self-identified Born-Again Mass Market Guy, to Ludology in order to review what the tabletop industry went through in 2022 and where he thinks it's headed in 2023. Eric brings a wealth of information to the discussion, having a quarter century of experience in the business of making games.

Ludology 293 - Color Me Fascinated19 Feb 202300:58:32

Erica and Sen welcome Tim Devine of Dice Up Games, designer of Color My Quest: A Colour & Cut Roleplaying Game, to Ludology to discuss designing RPGs for families as well as safety and calibration tools for children who roleplay.

Ludology 292 - State of the Art05 Feb 202301:02:33

Erica and Sen welcome artist Kwanchai Moriya to the show to discuss his process, his advice for new artists trying to break into the tabletop industry, his take AI Image Generators, and his New Year's Resolution for 2023.

Ludology 291 - Curiouser and Curiouser20 Jan 202300:54:12

Erica and Sen talk to Michelle Rundbacken and Yacine Merzouk, the fine purveyors of the Society of Curiosities, about their bespoke puzzle experiences that bridge the gap between the physical and the digital as well as their up-coming B&B escape experience!

Ludology 290 There's A Game Designer For That!09 Jan 202301:07:14

Where are some of the places that game design skills come in handy? Erica and Sen talk to Nick Metzler, who has designed games for traditional publishers like Spin Master, murder mysteries in a castle for over a hundred wedding guests, and challenges on reality TV shows like Survivor!

Ludology 289 - Cat's Got Your Tongue11 Dec 202200:48:45

Erica and Sen discuss how "Boop!", a new cat-themed 2-player game, became rethemed from an abstract game with the game's designer, Scott Brady. Scott tells us how the theme was integral in shaping the final product.

Ludology 288 - From the Console to the Tabletop27 Nov 202200:47:40

Sen and Erica talk with Pat Marino, designer behind Cup Head: Fast Rolling Dice Game and other titles from The Op, about translating videogames over to the hobby gaming and mass market gaming spaces.


Ludology 287 - Culture Vultures13 Nov 202201:05:03

Erica and Sen meet up with Jason Perez (Shelf Stories, cultural consultant on Puerto Rico 1897) to talk about cultural consultation, define some of the most prominent terms, and talk about how we can design better games while considering cultural impact.

 

Timestamp

Note

Link

00:00:50

Shelf Stories

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnaZ7055IWOdm8XCJfFRDcw 

00:01:20

Puerto Rico 1897

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/367272/puerto-rico-1897 

00:09:30

Uncle Ben dies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dre4TsXm_68 

00:09:35

Batman's parents get shot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAyxY5hF3ZE

00:12:58

Andreas Seyfarth

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/117/andreas-seyfarth 

00:13:01

Reiner Knizia

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/2/reiner-knizia 

0015:05

Jason's critique of Lost Ruins of  Arnak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU7Mqg3XS4U 

00:15:15

Feast for Odin

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/177736/feast-odin 

00:15:20

Raiders of the North Sea

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/170042/raiders-north-sea 

0016:40

Puerto Rico's Power Outage Issues

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/12/power-outages-puerto-rico-hurricane-fiona 

00:24:15

Cafe con leche

https://www.food.com/recipe/cafe-con-leche-puerto-rican-cafe-latte-114354 

00:24:34

In The Heights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0CL-ZSuCrQ

00:29:21

"I Wish" songs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22I_Want%22_song 

00:29:49

Boriken

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/361178/boriken-taino-resistance 

00:30:01

The Taino people

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/what-became-of-the-taino-73824867/ 

00:32:06

Risk

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181/risk 

00:33:01

Liz Davidson

(Beyond Solitaire)

https://www.youtube.com/c/BeyondSolitaire 

00:33:06

Jason Matthews (Twilight Struggle)

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/3877/jason-matthews 

00:36:43

Chip Theory Games

https://chiptheorygames.com/ 

00:37:53

Unconscious Mind

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329500/unconscious-mind 

00:40:06

Jason's Discussions re: the Designer Diary for Gorinto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNMzATMGYc8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wAgg99O0w

00:46:00

Dicetower's Skymines vs. Mombassa Comparison 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n-vJbGqctE 

00:48:27

Ludology Episode with James Mendez Hodes "Orc-kay Computer"

https://ludology.libsyn.com/ludology-247-orc-kay-computer 

00:49:56

Root

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root 

00:50:16

Tauren and Native American Imagery

https://www.academia.edu/13052741/World_of_Warcraft_the_Tauren_and_Native_American_Imagery 

00:52:01

Owl Pizza Chef

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-owl-chef-pizza-cute-image-white-background-funny-cartoon-vector-illustrations-picture-memes-jokes-image69033436 

00:52:16

The X-Men as :GBT Champions: From Outcasts to Elites

https://rabbitholemag.com/the-x-men-as-lgbt-champions-from-outcasts-to-elites/ 

00:55:02

Bruno Faidutti's article on Postcolonial Catan 

https://faidutti.com/blog/blog/2017/06/02/postcolonial-catan/ 

0055:28

Cascadia

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295947/cascadia 

0056:43

Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw 

00:56:45

Culture Club's "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXGPZaTKik 

00:57:18

The Wedding Singer's rendition of "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB3PdPMjeIY 

00:57:30

Howard Zinn's "The People's History of the United States"

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_of_the_United_States 

00:58:28

The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs 

01:01:24

Tostones

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16768/puerto-rican-tostones-fried-plantains/ 

01:01:33

Maduros

https://www.dulcetscintilla.com/platanos-maduros-aka-fried-sweet-plantains/ 

01:02:39

Greg Loring-Albright

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/89308/greg-loring-albright 

01:03:01

One Stop Co-op Shop

https://www.youtube.com/c/OneStopCoopShop 

Ludology 287 - Comfy and Cozy Designs30 Oct 202200:52:10

Sen and Erica chat with Roberta Taylor about her games, diving deeper into Creature Comforts and the upcoming Maple Valley, specifically. They discuss cozy games and Roberta's philosophy towards design.

Roberta's BGG Page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/12374/roberta-taylor

GameTek Classic 285.5 - The Sweet Spot23 Oct 202200:05:35

Geoff discusses what he calls the "Sweet Spot" in games, and how it can help your design.

Thinking Beyond Mechanisms EP 2106 Jul 202500:07:31

Erica and Sen welcome Sarah Shipp, guest host of the Thinking Beyond Mechanisms segment, to give her take on how we can combat anti-intellectualism using games with intentional design.

Sarah has started to provide transcripts for her segment on her blog, available at https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com 

 

Ludology 285 - Unmatched Making16 Oct 202200:52:37

Sen and Erica chat with Brian Neff, the freelance developer who currently handles the Unmatched System for Restoration Games, about the process he uses for playtesting and balancing a game with an ever-expanding roster that boasts just under 40 playable characters to date. They chat about how both quantitative and qualitative data drive the development process and how the game's loyal community has been an invaluable part of the process.

Timestamp

Note

Link

00:01:05

Restoration Games

https://restorationgames.com/ 

00:01:49

Unmatched Game System

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295564/unmatched-game-system 

00:02:18

Bruce Lee

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/279645/unmatched-bruce-lee 

00:02:19

T-Rex

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284778/unmatched-jurassic-park-dr-sattler-vs-t-rex 

00:04:45

Alice

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/274637/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-one 

00:04:48

Moon Knight

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326933/unmatched-redemption-row 

00:07:00

Cerebus System

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/23550/game-cerberus-engine-heroes 

00:08:03

Star Wars Epic Duels

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3284/star-wars-epic-duels 

00:08:43

Tannhauser

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25261/tannhauser 

00:0901

Magic: The Gathering

https://magic.wizards.com/en 

00:09:02

Yu-Gi-Oh

https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/ 

00:09:03

Hearthstone

https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/en-us 

00:09:13

Mondo

https://mondoshop.com/ 

00:16:36

Noah

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/75911/noah-cohen 

00:16:41

Rob Daviau

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/442/rob-daviau 

00:16:46

Justin Jacobson

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/4083/justin-d-jacobson 

00:17:20

The Invisible Man

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294484/unmatched-cobble-fog 

00:18:21

Dr. Ellie Sattler

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284778/unmatched-jurassic-park-dr-sattler-vs-t-rex 

00:19:10

Beowulf

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/325635/unmatched-little-red-riding-hood-vs-beowulf 

00:19:51

Yennenga

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/335764/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-two 

00:21:11

Little Red Riding Hood

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/325635/unmatched-little-red-riding-hood-vs-beowulf 

00:23:57

Daredevil

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326934/unmatched-hells-kitchen 

00:29:01

Restoration Games Discord Server

https://discord.gg/TcprtQESad

00:30:55

Medusa

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/274637/unmatched-battle-legends-volume-one 

00:30:56

Bigfoot

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/274638/unmatched-robin-hood-vs-bigfoot 

00:31:10

Sherlock

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/294484/unmatched-cobble-fog 

00:32:57

Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Cloak & Dagger

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326936/unmatched-teen-spirit 

00:34:55

Elektra

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/326934/unmatched-hells-kitchen 

00:40:14

Bovine University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlGC8YnfhN8 

00:41:59

Colossus

https://x-men.fandom.com/wiki/Colossus 

00:43:49

Wakka

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Wakka 

00:44:34

Unmatched Maker

https://unmatched.cards/ 

00:46:27

When I Was A Young Warthog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILeWQEDtMw 

00:46:42

Slice & Dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.com.tann.dice&hl=en_CA&gl=US 

00:48:03

Jawn

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jawn 

00:49:25

Willow Nightingale

https://twitter.com/willowwrestles 

00:5024

Juice Robinson

https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Juice_Robinson 

Biography of a Board Game 284.5 - Chill: Black Morn Manor and Betrayal at House on the Hill09 Oct 202200:11:17

In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes a look at how the horror game Betrayal at House on the Hill came to be.

Ludology 284 - Spenser is Missing!02 Oct 202201:08:49

Erica and Sen talk with Spenser Starke about his game, Alice is Missing, and it's jump to the big screen. They discuss how to design cinematic narrative structure into tabletop games, calibration tools, and more!

Timestamp

Note

Link

00:01:05

Alice Is Missing

https://www.huntersentertainment.com/alice-is-missing

00:01:17

Kids on Broom

https://renegadegamestudios.com/kids-on-brooms/

00:01:20

Icarus

https://renegadegamestudios.com/icarus-a-storytelling-game-about-how-great-civilizations-fall/

00:02:51

Dread

https://dreadthegame.wordpress.com/about-dread-the-game/

00:02:53

The Quiet Year 

https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year

00:06:47

Life Is Strange

https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/319630/

00:06:49

Oxenfree

https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/

00:06:50

Firewatch

https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/

00:08:25

Vox article

https://www.vox.com/culture/21656220/alice-is-missing-rpg-text-message

00:10:19

Hollywood Reporter article

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alice-is-missing-movie-1235173092/

00:11:10

Papergirls Cancelled

https://deadline.com/2022/09/paper-girls-canceled-prime-video-one-season-shopped-season-2legendary-television-1235113183/

00:20:14

RPG Safety Toolkit

https://t.co/gA6hV6VKqm

00:28:39

Chapman Film School

https://www.chapman.edu/dodge/index.aspx

00:30:14

Three Act Structure

https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/three-act-structure-in-screenwriting

00:35:51

Joseph Campell's Hero's Journey

https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/the-heros-journey

00:35:59

Dan Harmon's Story Circle

https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/dan-harmons-story-circle-screenplay

00:36:15

Save The Cat

https://savethecat.com/

00:36:44

Hamlet's Hit Points

https://gameplaywright.net/books/hamlets-hit-points/

00:40:25

L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/did-a-silent-film-about-a-train-really-cause-audiences-to-stampede

00:50:59

Ten Candles

https://cavalrygames.com/ten-candles

00:53:09

Battleship

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battleship

00:53:10

Clue

rottentomatoes.com/m/clue

00:54:16

Image Comics

https://imagecomics.com/

00:56:01

Blades in the Dark TV Show Announced

https://www.polygon.com/22652023/blades-in-the-dark-tv-show-announced

00:59:24

Game Night

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/game_night_2018

00:59:43

Dune Imperium

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/316554/dune-imperium

01:02:30

Cash Cab

https://www.bravotv.com/cash-cab

01:03:30

Powered By The Apocalypse is the best way to get started with tabletop roleplaying games

https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/22787981/powered-by-the-apocalypse-tabletop-rpg-explainer

01:04:26

Wingspan

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan

01:04:30

Succulent

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/299372/succulent

01:04:33

Stardew Valley 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332290/stardew-valley-board-game

01:04:59

Scythe

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe

01:05:18

Tales From The Loop

https://www.loop-rpg.com/

01:06:34

Cameron Cuffe

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1949036/

01:06:50

Rupert Grint

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0342488/

GameTek Classic 283.5 - Blue25 Sep 202200:06:10

Geoff takes us through the history of the color blue, namely how difficult it is to make as a dye, and considers if we should value it above all other player colors.

Ludology 283 - Tools of the Trade18 Sep 202201:10:02

Erica, Gil, and Sen discuss some of the tools and processes they use at the various phases of designing a game from their varying perspectives of an in-house designer, a publisher, and freelance designer/developer. 

SHOW NOTES:

00:08:31 DDS is an acronym for Detailed Design Specification

00:11:38 LucidChart browser-based flowcharting and more www.lucidchart.com

00:18:43 Canva free online graphic design tool www.canva.com

00:19:13 Tabletop Simulator is a virtual tabletop (VTT) run on Steam www.tabletopsimulator.com 

00:19:14 Tabletopia is a browser-based VTT www.tabletopia.com

00:21:26 Also known as an MVP - a "Minimum Viable Prototype"

00:21:45 Filemaker Pro is a relational database www.claris.com 

00:21:57 Nandeck is cardmaking software www.nandeck.com 

00:22:05 Component Studio is a full game design suite that is hooked up to the Game Crafter https://component.studio/

00:26:06 Adobe Creative Suite is the industry standard for the industry in terms of graphic design www.adobe.com 

00:27:54 Photopea is an online Photoshop equivalent for raster images www.photopea.com

00:28:29 GIMP is an open source Photoshop equivalent www.gimp.org

00:29:15 Inkscape is a free equivalent of Illustrator for vector images www.inkscape.org

00:29:57 The Affinity Suite is a one-time payment suite of graphic design and illustrative tools https://affinity.serif.com

00:36:46 Fiskars Rotary Cutter is Sen's weapon of choice www.fiskars.com/en-us/crafting-and-sewing/products/rotary-cutters-mats-and-rulers 

00:37:13 Arc punches, square punches and corner punches, oh my! This is an example of a 1" arch punch: www.amazon.ca/General-Tools-Instruments-1271M-1-Inch/dp/B00004T7WH

00:41:36 Midjourney and Dall-e are prompt-based AI Art generators www.midjourney.com / https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/

00:44:58 Some great sources for icons etc. www.flaticon.com https://thenounproject.com https://game-icons.net

00:45:32 Face generating software ThisPersonDoesNotExist https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/

00:48:46 Functional Fixedness is the psychological phenomena when a person cannot see any other use for an item because their initial understanding of how it's used is the only way they think it can be used

00:49:10 Sunk Cost Fallacy occurs when a person will not make a change, even one that is likely to be highly beneficial, due to the perceived amount of time, money, effort, etc.they have already invested in the current strategy

00:55:58 You can record your screen right from Windows https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/record-the-screen-d70508e8-25a3-4b97-b78a-a467b5372e21 and MacOS https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208721

Biography of a Board Game Classic 282.5 - Cluedo11 Sep 202200:11:46

In this classic Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes us through the history of the game Cluedo, better known to Americans as Clue.

Ludology 282 - The Art of Marketing Yourself04 Sep 202200:46:31

Erica and Sen chat with game designer Mondo Davis about how to market yourself in the game industry.

GameTek Classic 281.5 - FPS FTW Part 228 Aug 202200:05:38

Continuing the previous GameTek Classic, Geoff returns to the subject of AI in first-person shooters. Last time, we learned that researchers had engineered an FPS AI that could beat the best humans. This time, Geoff dives into the different strategies the AI tried, how it shifted over time to prefer distinct strategies, and what we can learn from this.

Ludology 281 - I Like Big Games and I Cannot Lie21 Aug 202201:03:18

Gil and Sen meet up with James Hudson of Druid City Games to discuss the pleasure of games that are big, sprawling productions.

Biography of a Board Game 280.5 - Kill Dr. Lucky14 Aug 202200:09:29

Scott takes us through the history of Kill Dr. Lucky, a game where, instead of trying to deduce the murder of a wealthy old man, you're trying to actually do the deed.

Ludology 343 It's Alive!29 Jun 202500:55:05

Erica and Sen discuss some of the games from their childhoods that featured electronic components heavily and wonder if, in this day and age when smartphones are ubiquitous, the hobby is ripe for another wave of games that are facilitated by quirky little bespoke electronic devices.

Ludology 280 - Refuse to Leave the Room07 Aug 202201:28:34

Erica and Sen talk with Dr. Tanya Pobuda about her groundbreaking research of representation in board games, the purpose of journalism, and her work in academia.

SHOW NOTES

2m01s: Emma and Gil chatted with Dr. Mary Flanagan on Ludology 226 - Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo.
7m37s: Two seminal works in the theory behind fun and play are Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens and Roger Caillois' Man, Play, and Games.
27m05s: Analog Game Studies provides an academic, analytic look at non-digital games.
39m12s: Leonard Anetta's research paper The "I's" Have It: A Framework for Serious Educational Game Design.
43m34s: Elizabeth Sampat's book Empathy Engines: Design Games that are Personal, Political, and Profound.

GameTek Classic 279.5 - FPS FTW31 Jul 202200:05:46

In GameTek Classic 275.5 - MENACE, Geoff discussed a simple machine that anyone can build that can learn how to play tic-tac-toe competitively. Here, Geoff continues the conversation, this time with modern researchers using a neural network to teach a machine to play a first-person shooter video game, and the tweak they needed to make to see their AI become competitive with human players.

Ludology 279 - Two Princes24 Jul 202201:05:32

Erica and Gil discuss Erica's time so far working at Spinmaster, making mass-market games for kids and families. How is it different from making games for the hobby market?

SHOW NOTES

0m43s: We recently chatted with Sydney Engelstein of Indie Boards & Cards in Ludology 274 - Indie 500, and with Carol Mertz of Exploding Kittens in Ludology 277 - Combustible Felines.

7m28s: The Rubiks brand of puzzles, toys, and games, centered around the world-famous Rubik's Cube. And the legendary brand of Gund plush toys.

19m04s: Kinetic Sand

33m39s: The marvelous game designer Maureen Hiron.

42m00s: Splendor, 7 Wonders, Sushi Go

56m10s: Busen Memo

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