Producing Fun – Details, episodes & analysis

Dan Thurot, writer of Space-Biff!, is one of my favourite reviewers and may be the most respected critic in games. In this episode, we dive into the economic function of the game reviewer, the nature of game criticism vs review and Dan’s unique historical perspective on games.

• Space-Biff!: https://spacebiff.com/
• The Space-Biff! Space-Cast!: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MKGea62ikdZn7JWOwR52J?si=ccbe4fd2e749

Until recently Chris was a pediatric doctor - now he’s a full time game developer and - indeed - our very first on the show. In this episode we talk about what game developers do, working with famous game designers and organizing the UK’s first protospiel.

• Protospiel Nottingham on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProtospielNotts
• Protospiel Nottingham website (and tickets): https://protospielnottingham.co.uk/
• 10 Minute Design Chat Podcast: https://tenminutedesignchat.podbean.com/
• Paper Fort Games: https://linktr.ee/PaperFortGames
• Cosmoctopus Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paperfortgames/cosmoctopus-the-board-game

Personal Tabletop IG Acount: https://www.instagram.com/tabletopapprentice/

Matthew Dunstan is a Prague-based game designer with more than 30 published titles to his name, including Elysium, Monumental, and the Adventure Games series from Kosmos. In this episode, we talk about how Matthew uses product thinking to make better games, the power of long-term collaborations, and the rise of “detailed familiar” themes. 

Producing Fun returns with Gaëtan Beaujannot, CEO of ForgeNext: a game agency where he and his team act as a literary agent for board games and their designers. It's a nearly unique business that draws heavily on Gaetan’s extensive experience as a true game industry veteran,: with experience as a game designer, publisher and even creator of the first digital tabletop game platform: Vassal. In this episode we talk about how the modern game market came to be, how publishers can select the right games to publish and the man he believes is the Steve Jobs of Boardgames.

Andrew Navaro is the former Head of Studio for Fantasy Flight Games where he was responsible for leading the aesthetic execution (illustration, graphic design, even story) of their famously gorgeous looking titles. Now he runs Earthborne Games, a new studio setting out to Kickstart Earthborne Rangers: a sci-fi, environmentally themed card game in the mould of Arkham Horror that embodies its sustainable values in its physical production and manufacturing. In this episode we talk art direction, licensed artwork, building story rich card games and the business challenges of creating environmentally sustainable products. 

https://earthbornegames.com/

David Digby is a game designer and developer based in the UK. As a developer, he specialises in developing solo modes for existing game designs. Within only a few years he's established a very strong reputation for his work, collaborating with a string of famous names (including Martin Wallace and Reiner Knizia) to create 1 player versions of their games. In this conversation we do our best to cover all the critical elements of creating a compelling solo game product. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boarddigby

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidDigbyBoardGames

Sophie and James run Needy Cat Games - a tabletop game studio based in Nottingham, UK. As a studio they have a nearly unique model - designing games on demand for clients with IPs, miniatures and other assets rather than pitching their work to publishers. In this conversation we talk about how the studio model works, the so-called Kickstarter treadmill, how creativity arises from well constructed project briefs and the future of the game market. 

Needy Cat Games website: http://www.needycatgames.com

Indian-made games YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ53LAVUXT-lFeQWSGJYKea8ZOwAzKXBX

Duncan Cowan is a convention director of Tabletop Scotland - a mid-size UK tabletop game convention that launched to a hugely successful debut in 2018, garnering more than 1000 unique attendees. In this episode we talk about creating a convention designed to reach out to new audiences, how to best use space to craft the ultimate convention experience, the impacts of Brexit and Covid and what practical things the game community can do to support conventions in a difficult time. 

Website: www.tabletopscotland.co.uk

Facebook: https://facebook.com/TabletopScotland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabletopScot

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabletopscot

David Weiss is the managing editor of Canadian boardgame review site the Daily Worker Placement as well as the creator of scripted tabletop game podcast the Game Changers; a 26 part history of tabletop games. In this episode we get under the skin of key issues in games and how they're marketed: the evolution of game genres, why people use certain language to describe games, the emergence of "AAA" boardgame titles and tips for getting media coverage for your game. 

The Daily Worker Placement: www.dailyworkerplacement.com

The Game Changers: https://dwp.buzzsprout.com

Nick Smith and his wife Carrie are the co-owners of the Ludoquist boardgame cafe in Croydon, London: a hugely successful venue which won the global award for best retail store at GAMA in 2020 and has been featured multiple times on UK television. In this episode we get stuck into the economics of game cafes, his ambitious and inclusive vision for a café where everyone is a gamer and managing a hospitality business in the age of Covid. 

Ludoquist's website: https://www.theludoquist.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheLudoquist

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theludoquist