Podcasts by Ludology

Ludology 266 - Getting Out Scott-Free from 2022-01-23T16:55

During our winter break, our co-host Scott Rogers pounced on a new job opportunity that he couldn't pass up. Sadly, this means he has to step down as Ludology co-host. In this episode, we'll cha...

Ludology 265 - Hold Onto Your Hats! from 2021-12-12T16:55

Erica, Gil, Scott, and Sen wrap up 2021 with a roundtable discussion on the hats we wear as game industry professionals. What are all the skills we bring to bear to make games, and how do we fee...

Biography of a Board Game Classic 264.5 - Mystery Rummy from 2021-12-05T16:55

In this re-air of a Biography of a Board Game from July 2017, Scott takes us through the history of former Ludology co-host Mike Fitzgerald's Mystery Rummy series of games.

Ludology 264 - NIBCARD-ed from 2021-11-28T16:55

Gil and Sen welcome game designer, manufacturer, publisher, game cafe owner, and convention runner Kenechukwu Ogbuagu ("KC") of Listen

GameTek Classic 263.5 - Losing Levels from 2021-11-21T16:55

Geoff discusses one of the most feared characteristics of early RPGs: the loss of a level. Why is this mechanism so hated and feared among players?

Ludology 263 - Keepsakes and Tokens from 2021-11-14T16:55

Erica and Sen chat with Shing Yin Khor, game designer, installation artist, illustrator, award-winning cartoonist, and Bunyan-ologist.

Shing Yin is the designer of the game Listen

Biography of a Board Game 262.5 - Risk Legacy from 2021-11-07T16:55

Scott Rogers takes us to the inception of the legacy game, and the one that started it all: Rob Daviau's Risk Legacy. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF A BOARD GAME:

• Listen

Ludology 262 - This Guilty Podcast from 2021-10-31T15:55

Erica and Gil are delighted to welcome designer Amabel Holland of Hollandspiele, known for makin...

GameTek Classic 261.5 - Rent from 2021-10-24T15:55

Geoff explains a mathematical algorithm that can help potential roommates figure out how to split the rent, if an even split would be unfair and the roommates do not value the rooms the same way...

Ludology 261 - Tinner's Tips and Tricks from 2021-10-17T15:55

Gil and Scott are delighted to welcome Martin Wallace back to the show. Martin was first on the show on Listen

Biography of a Board Game Classic 260.5 - Risk from 2021-10-10T15:55

For this week, we're replaying the very first Biography of a Board Game that aired on Ludology. In it, Scott talks about the classic game that got so many fans and designers into the hobby: Listen

Ludology 260 - An App-titude for Game Design from 2021-10-03T15:55

Scott and Gil welcome Nikki Valens, designer of Mansions of Madness: Second Edition, Listen

GameTek Classic 259.5 - P-Hacking from 2021-09-26T15:55

Geoff continues his dive into the probability of Pop-O-Matic dice, this time discussing how experiment results can be misrepresented through P-Hacking. 

Ludology 259 - Wheels Down from 2021-09-19T15:55

Gil and Sen are delighted to welcome Sara Thompson to discuss depictions of disability in tabletop games. Sara is the creator of the Listen

Ludology 258.5 - Quirkle from 2021-09-12T18:26:11

Scott takes us through the history of Quirkle, the smash hit game from Susan McKinley Ross. 

Ludology 258 - Fun with Facehuggers from 2021-09-05T15:55

Scott sits down with Erica, Gil, and Sen to discuss the design and making of his newest game, Alien: Fate of the Nostrom...

GameTek 275.5 - Pop-O-Matic from 2021-08-29T15:55

Geoff harnesses all his mathematical techniques to answer a burning question: are Pop-O-Matic dice truly random?

Ludology 257 - All About That Ace from 2021-08-22T15:55

Geoff (making a one-off Ludology return) and Gil chat with Al Leonardi, designer of the legendary picture-book game Listen

Biography of a Board Game 256.5 - Afrikan tähti ("Star of Africa") from 2021-08-15T15:55

Scott takes us through the history of Afrikan tähti ("Star of Africa"), a legendary Finnish game first released in 1949.  Listen

Ludology 256 - You're Big in Japan! from 2021-08-08T15:55

Erica and Scott welcome game design legend Mike Elliott, creator of innumerable Magic: the Gathering and Pokémon cards, designer of Thunderstone, and co-designer of Quarriors and the Dice Master...

GameTek 255.5 - Global Logistics Woes from 2021-08-01T15:55

In this special GameTek, Geoff and Gil sit down with Justin Bergeron of ARC Global Logistics to discuss the global shipping snarl that's delaying so many board games (among other goods). How is ...

Ludology 255 - The Quiet Game from 2021-07-25T15:55

Gil and Sen are delighted to have RPG/story game designer Avery Alder on the show to talk about her games that show how communities deal with upheaval and change. We also discuss the change that...

Biography of a Board Game 254.5 - Zombies!!! from 2021-07-18T15:55

Scott shambles through the history of the beer-and-pretzels game Zombies!!! He runs us through its various iterations, tells us wh...

Ludology 254 - Make It Count from 2021-07-11T15:55

Erica, Gil, Scott, and Sen have a roundtable discussion about player counts. We go through each of the common player counts, as well as a few uncommon counts, and discuss what's special about de...

GameTek Classic 253.5 - Knitting from 2021-07-04T15:55

Geoff discusses the knitting community, how some knitters make the leap from hobby into entrepreneurship, and how research has shown the one thing that many of these self-employed knitters have ...

Ludology 253 - Reimagined, Revamped, and Restored from 2021-06-27T15:55

Erica and Scott welcome graphic designer, production superhero, and prototype craft wizard Lindsay Daviau to the show. We talk about her experience at Hasbro making (among many other things) fak...

Biography of a Board Game 252.5 - King of Tokyo from 2021-06-20T15:55

Scott rampages through the history of Richard Garfield's hit game King of Tokyo. How was this game made, and what did its standalone sequel King of New York add to it?

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF A B...

Ludology 252 - Crazy Rich Storytelling from 2021-06-13T15:55

Gil and Sen welcome Calvin Wong Tze Loon 黃子倫 to the show to discuss narrative in games. How can we improve a game's narrative through its mechanisms, its components, and even its box size?

GameTek Classic 251.5 - Lotteries from 2021-06-06T15:55

Geoff muses on the combination of two of his favorite topics: loss aversion and the lottery. Why do more people buy lottery tickets when the odds of winning are lower? How does that affect the p...

Ludology 251 - All in the Family from 2021-05-30T15:55

Erica and Scott welcome Ryan and Malorie Laukat, the couple behind Red Raven Games. Ryan is known as the designer and illustrator for games like Listen

Biography of a Board Game 250.5 - El Grande from 2021-05-23T16:00

Scott takes us through the history of El Grande, from its beginnings as a game about the Trojan War to its influence on the curren...

Ludology 250 - Thanks for the Emma-ries from 2021-05-16T16:00

On a special milestone episode of Ludology, Gil Hova and Scott Rogers say goodbye to our beloved Emma Larkins, as she departs as a co-host after 50 amazing episodes. Geoff Engelstein drops by to...

GameTek Classic 249.5 - Battle Royale from 2021-05-09T16:00

Geoff parachutes into the world of battle royale games like Fortnite, and how they eclipsed MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games like Heroes of the Storm. Is there something special abou...

Ludology 249 - Gaming the System from 2021-05-02T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome returning guest Eric Zimmerman, who last appeared on the show on Listen

Biography of a Board Game 248.5 - Pass-out from 2021-04-25T16:00

Scott takes us through the history of the bizarre drinking game Pass-Out, which is arguably a direct predecessor to the modern risqué adult party game. 

(Note: We at Ludology do not condo...

Ludology 248 - Solo-liloquy from 2021-04-18T16:00

Emma and Gil sit down with Carla Kopp of Weird Giraffe Games and Galactic Raptor Games to discuss designing solo modes for games, the merits of "bot...

GameTek 247.5 - Mana from 2021-04-11T16:00

Geoff talks about how games benefit when designers use familiar terms to describe familiar concepts. He also dives into the term "mana," tracing it back to its indigenous origins, and explains h...

Ludology 247 - Orc-kay Computer from 2021-04-04T16:00

Emma and Gil sit down with James Mendez Hodes to discuss his work as a cultural consultant, and the series of "Listen

Biography of a Board Game 246.5 - Quarriors from 2021-03-28T16:00

Scott describes the history of Quarriors!, which became the base system for both the Listen

Ludology 246 - Cornering the Market from 2021-03-21T16:00

Emma, Gil, and Scott have a roundtable discussion in which they discuss the three sales channels, or markets, your board game can be available in: hobby, specialty, and mass. What are the differ...

GameTek Classic 245.5 - Leadership from 2021-03-14T17:00

Geoff looks at a recent study that attempted to find a correlation between participants' actions in a game and how they would score in a survey of leadership skills. How can a game tell us wheth...

Ludology 245 - Play It Again Games from 2021-03-07T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome Emerson Matsuuchi back to the show to discuss his experience designing the Century game...

Biography of a Board Game 244.5 - Alien Frontiers from 2021-02-28T17:00

Scott delves into the history of the first big board game success on Kickstarter: Tory Niemann's Alien Frontiers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF A BOARD GAME

TEXT:

• Listen

Ludology 244 - Games Brought to Life from 2021-02-21T17:00

Emma and Gil chat with Jeeyon Shim, game designer, nature fan, and mushroom enthusiast. Jeeyon's games are about connecting with one's environment, and we discuss what it's like to make games li...

GameTek Classic 243.5 - Beacons from 2021-02-14T17:00

Geoff considers a classic problem: how do two parties in two different locations agree on a random number result, like a die roll? We cover the clever solution wargamers worked out, as well as a...

Ludology 243 - Play Blall! from 2021-02-07T17:00

Emma and Gil chat with Sam Rosenthal and Stephen Bell of The ...

Biography of a Board Game 242.5 - Bingo and Yahtzee from 2021-01-31T17:00

Scott delves into the history of two games released by entrepreneur Edwin Lowe: Bingo and Yahtzee. Both became enormous successes, and are now a part of our cultural fabric. How did they get the...

Ludology 242 - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner from 2021-01-24T17:00

Emma, Gil, and Scott discuss winning in games. What defines winning in a game, and what are the different ways games can handle it?

Also, Emma shares a Big Announcement with us.

SH...

GameTek Classic 241.5 - The Elam Ending from 2021-01-17T17:00

Geoff takes us through what he (and many other people) feel is a flaw in the rules of basketball, and a possible solution that was first implemented by a new league in 2018. Listen

Ludology 241 - A Different Kind of Year from 2021-01-10T17:00

We continue our annual tradition of bringing board game industry veteran Stephen Buonocore, now retired from Stronghold Games/Indie Game Studios and focusing on media and podcasting. We explore ...

Ludology 240 - Are You Receiving Me? from 2020-12-13T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome Adrienne Smith, designer of the card game Blitz Champz and wide receiver for the Boston R...

Biography of a Board Game 239.5 - Dark Tower from 2020-12-06T17:00

Scott takes us through the history of Dark Tower, the legendary electronically-enhanced board game, and its modern spiritual succ...

Ludology 239 - Words at Play from 2020-11-29T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu to the show to discuss the impact of language on play, and how to design games that revolve around the building, modification, and demise ...

GameTek Classic 238.5 - Induction from 2020-11-22T17:00

Geoff discusses the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning, and its impact in board games and beyond.

In this episode, Geoff discusses the games Listen

Ludology 238 - Unraveling Complexity from 2020-11-15T17:00

Emma, Gil, and Scott discuss the idea of complexity in a board game. We explore 6 types of complexity, and discuss their effects on the games we play and design.

SHOW NOTES

0m51s: ...

Biography of a Board Game 237.5 - Which Witch from 2020-11-08T17:00

Scott goes over the history of Which Witch, a game that's been adapted into many other games, including Listen

Ludology 237 - Improv-ing Games from 2020-11-01T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome Karen Twelves, whose straddling of the worlds of gaming and improv led her to write the book Improv for Gamers. What can gaming and improv learn from each other?

Cont...

GameTek Classic 236.5 - Calculus from 2020-10-25T16:00

Geoff compares the design process of the video game Diabolo to… the invention of calculus? Yes, there are surprising similarities, and seeing how the two dovetail leads to a stronger appreciatio...

Ludology 236 - Role With It from 2020-10-18T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Sen-Foong Lim back to the show to discuss the differences—and similarities—between board games and roleplaying games. We go through the perspectives of playing them, designi...

Biography of a Board Game 235.5 - Ouija from 2020-10-11T16:00

In the spirit of Halloween, Scott takes us through the spooky history of the Ouija board: its origins, the legal battles behind the curtain, and how a scientific phenomenon makes it all work.  Listen

Ludology 235 - Rise to the Challenge from 2020-10-04T16:00

Today, we are continuing our series of exploring the design decisions behind our own games! Emma and Scott sit down with Gil to talk about his game High Rise; about how it started life as an auc...

GameTek Classic 234.5 - The Limits of AI from 2020-09-27T16:00

Having previously discussed relatively new advances in AI that allows computers to beat humans at games like Chess and Go, Geoff moves on to games in which AI will have a much harder time being ...

Ludology 234 - Playing with Time from 2020-09-20T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome game designer, developer, solo mode designer, and self-described "grump" Dávid Turczi to the show. We discuss the design of complex games with many interlocking systems, how...

Biography of a Board Game 233.5 - Subbuteo from 2020-09-13T16:00

Scott covers the "beautiful game" of Subbuteo, the tabletop association football flicking game, as well as its predecessor Listen

Ludology 233 - A Sporting Chance from 2020-09-06T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome game designer and publisher Omari Akil to the show to discuss the plight of the sports-themed board game. What kinds of unique c...

Gametek Classic 232.5 - Characters from 2020-08-30T16:00

Geoff ponders a tricky question: how come we get iconic characters from video games, like Mario or Pac-Man, but none from board games?

Ludology 232 - The Show Must Go On...line from 2020-08-23T16:00

In the past few years, Ludology has recorded a live episode at Gen Con. We weren't going to let a global pandemic stop us this year! 

Recorded as part of Gen Con Online 2020, Emma, Gil, a...

Biography of a Board Game 231.5 - Rayguns and Rocketships from 2020-08-16T16:00

This is the 50th Biography of a Board Game episode! To celebrate, Scott takes us through the history of his first board game, Listen

Ludology 231 - STEAM Engine from 2020-08-09T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome game designer, educator, and birder Chidi Paige to discuss how games and play benefit education, how she designed her bird-themed game B...

GameTek Classic 230.5 - Implicit vs. Explicit from 2020-08-02T16:00

Geoff muses on the difference between explicitly calling out the way a game system works, versus letting players implicitly discover how the players discover how the system works. Is one clearly...

Ludology 230 - Design Re-Verb from 2020-07-26T16:00

Emma and Gil invite award-winning game designer, teacher, and not-scholar Sharang Biswas to the show to discuss verbs in games. What actions do we actually perform when we play a game, what acti...

Biography of a Board Game 229.5 - Vinci/Small World from 2020-07-19T16:00

Scott takes us through the rise, fall, and rise again of the game Vinci, which designer Philippe Keyaerts and publisher Days of Wonder...

Ludology 229 - Hit the Deck! from 2020-07-12T16:00

Emma, Gil, and Scott go back to a topic that Ryan and Geoff discussed earlier in the show's history: Deckbuilding! With all that's changed (including Emma having designed a deckbuilder), what ha...

GameTek Classic 228.5 - Fairness and Bag-Building from 2020-07-05T16:28:09

Geoff uses an interesting bag-building example to discuss how a mechanism that is designed to be fair and equitable to all colors in the bag winds up favoring a single color over time. This exam...

Ludology 228 - The Roles We Play from 2020-06-28T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Banana Chan: game writer, larp/RPG designer, board game publisher, horror movie buff, and pop-up museum aficionado. We talk about writing for all kinds of games, how game me...

Biography of a Board Game 227.5 - Twister from 2020-06-21T16:00

Scott takes us through the twisted history of the classic game Twister. How did it overcome its risqué premise to become a perennial favorite?

Bibliography of a Board Game:

• V...
  Listen

Ludology 227 - Respect the X from 2020-06-14T16:00

Emma and Gil moderate a roundtable on safety tools in games, with guests Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk Listen

Ludology 226.5 - Counterfeiting from 2020-06-07T16:00

Geoff discusses the phenomenon of counterfeiting in game production. How prevalent it it, and how badly does it affect game publishers?

Listen

Ludology 226 - Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo from 2020-05-31T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Dr. Mary Flanagan, designer of Monarch, Listen

Biography of a Board Game 225.5 - Mousetrap from 2020-05-24T16:00

Join Scott as he recounts the history of the game that blurred the line between a game and a toy: Mousetrap. 

Bibliography of a Board Game for Mo...

Ludology 225 - A Study in Emma-rald from 2020-05-17T16:00

Today, we put Emma in the spotlight to find out what went into designing her newest game, Abandon All Artichokes...

GameTek Classic 224.5 - Game Balance and AI from 2020-05-10T16:00

Geoff ruminates on the limitations of using AI to balance games. Why can't we use machine learning to fully balance a game experience, and finally make a game that everyone on BGG will find perf...

Ludology 224 - Putting the Fun in Funko from 2020-05-03T16:00

Emma and Gil sit down with Chris Rowlands of Funko Games to discuss the design of IP-based games, and what it's like to design as part of a group collective.

SHOW NOTES

0m00s: Play...

Biography of a Board Game 223.5 - The Game of Life from 2020-04-26T16:00

Scott goes into the checkered history of The Game of Life, which has had many inspirations and incarnations, and is still goi...

Ludology 223 - Kick Out the Jams from 2020-04-19T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Anya Combs and Luke Crane from Kickstarter to discuss how crowdfunding is changing, especially in light of recent events.

Anya: anya@kickstarter.com, games@kickstarte...

GameTek Classic 222.5 - Alpha Zero, Part 2 from 2020-04-12T16:00

Geoff continues the discussion about Alpha Zero, this time pointing out the impact a self-learning AI can have on an established tournament meta, like Magic or Hearthstone.

Show Notes: Listen

Ludology 222 - Johnny Fairplay from 2020-04-05T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome accomplished designer Cole Wehrle, designer of Root, Listen

Biography of a Board Game 221.5 - The Game of the Goose from 2020-03-29T16:00

In today's Biography of a Board Game, Scott takes us through the long history of The Game of the Goose, which became a template...

Ludology 221 - The Pac Less Traveled from 2020-03-22T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Jonny Pac, designer of Coloma and other games set in the Gold Rush West. Our main topic of discussion is multiple paths to victory: w...

GameTek 220.5 - Quantum Computing from 2020-03-15T16:00

Geoff welcomes Dr. James Wootton, quantum computing expert and one of the people behind the digital game H...

Ludology 220 - Adventures in Storytelling from 2020-03-08T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Jennifer Ellis and Keith Baker of Twogether Studios. We discuss their approach for integrating stories into their game, whet...

Biography of a Board Game 219.5 - Trivial Pursuit from 2020-03-01T17:00

Scott leads us through the history of Trivial Pursuit, from its conception from two Canadian journalists after trying to play a game of Scrabble with missing pieces, to a full-fledged global 80s...

Ludology 219 - Professor Scott's Wild Ride from 2020-02-23T17:00

Professor Scott Rogers joins Gil and Emma once again! This time, we're discussing Scott's time as an Imagineer designing games and experiences for Disneyland, and his subsequent work designing V...

GameTek Classic 218.5 - Alpha Zero from 2020-02-16T17:00

Geoff discusses Alpha Zero, a neural net that can play Go, Chess, and Shogi better than anyone in the world. It defeated the best AI in those respective games (each of whom had previously defeat...

Ludology 218 - Building Games, Bit By Bit from 2020-02-09T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome Geoff Engelstein and Isaac Shalev back to the show to discuss their new book Listen

Biography of a Board Game 217.5 - Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots from 2020-02-02T17:00

Scott uncovers the history of the classic game Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, which has been delighting kids (and kids-at-heart) since 1964. He discusses the influences that converged in making the g...

Ludology 217 - What IF? from 2020-01-26T17:00

Legendary Interactive Fiction writer Andrew Plotkin joins Gil and Emma to talk about text-based stories that players can participate in. We explore...

GameTek Classic 216.5 - Path Dependence from 2020-01-19T17:00

In this GameTek Classic, Geoff describes the idea of "path dependence," and discusses how human game players allow their past to affect their present. Should players care about how they got to a...

Ludology 216 - Buonohardcore 2020 from 2020-01-12T17:00

Ludology returns for 2020, with our annual tradition of bringing on board game industry veteran Stephen Buonocore from Stronghold Games/Indie Game ...

Ludology 215 - Table Topics from 2019-12-15T17:00

In this episode recorded at BGG.CON, Scott and Gil tell Emma all about Tabletop Network, a convention about the theory behind game design that happ...

Biography of a Board Game 214.5 - Mafia/Werewolf from 2019-12-08T17:00

Scott gives us a history of the classic social deduction game Mafia, from its origins in a Russian high school classroom to its transformation beneath a full moon into Werewolf. 

Ludology 214 - Escape from Reality from 2019-12-01T17:00

Escape rooms have been providing a new form of play for much of this decade. At the same time, immersive theater has been providing a new form of storytelling. What happens when the two get mixe...

GameTek 213.5 - The Incan Gold Experiment from 2019-11-24T17:00

Back in Ludology 185, Geoff brought up a thought experiment. What if someone rethemed Incan Gold to a firefighting game? Would people play any differently? 

Dr. Stephen Blessing (@cogniti...

Ludology 213 - Your Humble Narrator from 2019-11-17T17:00

Gil and Emma discuss narrative in games. How can narrative improve games? What is the difference between embedded and emergent narrative? And what the are common ways that prototypes of narrativ...

Ludology 212.5 - Naked Baby Photos from 2019-11-10T17:00

In this special episode of Ludology, recorded live at GrandCon 2019, Gil and Geoff go back in time to recount their earliest game designs. Were they as embarrassing? Were they any good? What is ...

Ludology 212 - Inventing Play from 2019-11-03T17:00

Emma and Gil welcome mass-market game and toy inventor Kim Vandenbrouke to the show. How is "inventing" a mass-market game different than "designing" a hobby game? Why is the toy/mass-market ind...

GameTek 211.5 - Cameron Browne from 2019-10-27T16:00

Geoff welcomes digital archaeoludologist Cameron Browne, principal investigator of the Digital Ludeme Project, to find out how we can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to try to d...

Ludology 211 - Pandamonium! Redux from 2019-10-20T16:00

In May 2012, Geoff and Ryan brought Michael Lee, owner of the relatively new company Panda Games Manufacturing, on the show to discuss the art and design of manufacturing games.

Over 5 an...

Biography of a Board Game 210.5 - Wings of War from 2019-10-13T16:00

Scott covers the lineage of games that began in 2004 with Wings of War: Famous Aces. The "Flight Path" system that appeared in this game spawned follow-up titles Wings of Glory...

Ludology 210 - The Way to a Gamer's Heart from 2019-10-06T16:00

Gil and Emma are joined by game designer Jenn Sandercock to discuss her edible games. How do you design a game where the players eat the components? What design challenges does that bring up? An...

GameTek Classic 209.5 - The Vice of Dice from 2019-09-29T16:00

In this GameTek Classic, Geoff covers the history of dice, and the social stigma attached to them. Who were the first civilizations to play with dice, and how did they deal with the way their so...

Ludology 209 - The 6 Zones of Play from 2019-09-22T16:00

Emma, Gil, and Scott discuss a theory Scott is working on that describes 6 distinct physical zones when playing a board game. How does the physical dimensionality of a board game affect its game...

Biography of a Board Game 208.5 - Space Cadets from 2019-09-15T16:00

Scott takes a peek at the history of the frantic real-time co-op game Space Cadets, designed by our own Geoff Engelstein, his daughter Sydney Engelstein, and his son Brian Engelstein. 

Ludology 208 - Playing With Purpose from 2019-09-08T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome the multitalented Hawke Robinson, who discusses his experiences using role-playing games as therapy for at-risk youth and adults. How can games help people gain empathy and ...

GameTek Classic 207.5 - Information from 2019-09-01T16:00

Geoff reviews the concept of "information" from a mathematical perspective, which might be different from the definition you're used to. What real-world implications did this concept lay the gro...

Ludology 207 - Card Advantage from 2019-08-25T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome Justin Gary, designer of Ascension and Shards of Infinity, to discuss card-based strategy games. What makes them so different than other games? How does one handle things li...

Ludology 206.5 - Live at Gen Con 2019 from 2019-08-18T16:00

Gil, Emma, and Geoff field listeners' questions in an episode recorded live at Gen Con 2019 in Indianapolis.

Ludology 206 - Ahead of the Curve from 2019-08-11T16:00

Emma and Gil welcome accomplished designer Tom Lehmann (Race for the Galaxy, Res Arcana, and many others) to discuss game arcs versus story arcs and how an inflection point can...

GameTek 205.5 - Research Triple Play from 2019-08-04T16:00

In this GameTek from August 2017, Geoff goes through three interesting bits of of game design-related research. Is there such a thing as momentum in sports? How does the brain react to the prosp...

Ludology 205 - All's Well That Ends Well from 2019-07-28T16:00

Scott did some research and came up with all the different ways a board game can end. In this super-sized episode, Scott, Emma, and Gil go through this list and share our thoughts on how a game ...

Biography of a Board Game 204.5 - Dune&Rex from 2019-07-21T16:00

Scott covers the history of the seminal board game Dune, its legal tangles with its IP, and its retheming as Rex: Final Days of an Empire.

Ludology 204 - The Eyes Have It from 2019-07-14T16:00

Daniel Solis (@danielsolis) joins Gil and Emma to talk about graphic design from a nuts-and-bolts perspective. What are the elements of graphic design that game designers should be aware of?  Listen

GameTek 203.5 - Asmodee Research from 2019-07-07T16:00

In this special GameTek, Geoff sits down with Micha Le Bourhis of Asmodee Research to discuss how Asmodee scientifically studies people's interactions with board games.

For more informati...

Ludology Episode 203 - Winging It from 2019-06-30T16:00

Elizabeth Hargrave (@elizhargrave) joins Gil and Emma to discuss the design of her hit strategy game Wingspan. We start by discussing engine-building games, but we'll also touch on the benefits ...

Biography of a Board Game 202.5 - Icehouse from 2019-06-23T16:00

Scott tells us about Icehouse, the real-time game that's celebrating its 30th birthday this year, and whose distinctive plastic pyramids launched an entire game system.

Ludology Episode 202 - Forgive Me Not from 2019-06-16T16:00

Jeroen Doumen, co-founder of Splotter and co-designer of games Food Chain Magnate, Antiquity, and Roads & Boats, joins Gil and Emma to discuss the design of unforgiving games. What choices do yo...

GameTek Classic 201.5 - The Yips from 2019-06-09T16:00

Geoff discusses an unusual and somewhat tragic condition in sports called "The Yips." Is it mental, or does it have a physiological basis?

Ludology Episode 201 - Are We Having Fun Yet? from 2019-06-02T16:00

Gil, Emma, and Scott talk about fun and meaning in games. What is fun, and how can we achieve fun in our games? What are games that try to balance fun within a more serious topic? And how about ...

Biography of a Board Game 200.5 - Cluedo from 2019-05-26T16:00

Scott discusses the history of the legendary deduction game Cluedo. 

Ludology Episode 200 - Auld Lang... Engelstein? from 2019-05-19T16:00

After 200 episodes, Geoff has decided to step back from Ludology to focus on game design and book writing. So we've gathered previous co-hosts Ryan Sturm and Mike Fitzgerald, as well as future c...

GameTek Classic 199 - Crystallography from 2019-05-12T11:00

Geoff discusses the art of x-ray diffraction, and how it relates to board games.

Ludology Episode 199 - What's In the Box? from 2019-05-05T16:00

Gil and Geoff discuss uncertainty in games, using Greg Costikyan's _Uncertainty in Games_ as a guide. What kinds of uncertainty are there in games? How do they affect the game experience? 

Biography of a Boardgame 198 - Othello from 2019-04-27T16:14:53

Scott takes a deep dive into the twisted and fascinating history of the game Othello.

Ludology Episode 198 - Inspired from 2019-04-21T11:00

Gil and Geoff are delighted to be joined by Anthony Giovannetti, one of the designers of the popular video game Slay the Spire, a deck-building rogue-like dungeon crawl.

How did the board...

GameTek Classic 197 - Drinking Games from 2019-04-14T17:10:35

Geoff takes a look at the long history of drinking games.

Ludology Episode 197 - Empires Up In Arms from 2019-04-07T11:00

Gil and Geoff welcome Mikael Jakobsson and Rick Eberhardt from the MIT Game Lab to discuss their research into colonial themes in board games, and the game design workshops they run in former co...

GameTek Classic 196 - Apples Against Humanity from 2019-03-31T23:52:41

Scott Rogers is back with a new Biography of a Board Game, this time looking at Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity.

Ludology Episode 196 - Word Up from 2019-03-24T11:00

Gil and Geoff welcome guests Allison Parrish and Tim Szetela, designers of Rewordable, to discuss word games. What particular design techniques are required for this type of game?

GameTek Classic 195 - Ritual from 2019-03-17T11:00

In this GameTek, Geoff explores the connection between Ritual and Play.

Ludology Episode 195 - Value Added from 2019-03-10T11:00

Gil and Geoff discuss valuation within games - what are the different ways of determining resource value? How does value flow and change over the course of play?

GameTek 194 - The Hanabi Challenge from 2019-03-03T12:00

In this new interview, Geoff talks with Nolan Bard from Google Deep Mind and Jakob Foerster from Oxford University about their proposal to use the card game Hanabi as the next frontier in Machin...

Ludology Episode 194 - Lifting the Fog from 2019-02-26T16:05:10

Gil and Geoff are live at ToyFair NY with the designer of Fog of Love, Jacob Jaskov. What was his development process like for this innovative design? What does that tell us about creating narra...

GameTek Classic 193 - Merchant of Venus from 2019-02-16T16:15:02

Scott Rogers is back with the biography of Merchant of Venus!

Ludology Episode 193 - Lean and Mean in 2019 from 2019-02-10T12:00

Gil and Geoff welcome back Stephen Buonocore from Stronghold Games for their traditional annual State of the Industry discussion. What trends did we see in 2018? What do we see for the future of...

GameTek Classic 192 - Ties from 2019-02-03T16:09:14

In this classic GameTek Geoff talks about ties and tie-breakers. What makes a good tiebreaker?

Ludology Episode 192 - Loops I Did It Again from 2019-01-27T12:00

Gil and Geoff talk about Game Loops and how they can be designed to accomplish a variety of goals.

GameTek Classic 191 - Schelling from 2019-01-21T15:28:48

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the work of Thomas Schelling.

Ludology 191 - The Life of the Party from 2019-01-13T12:00

Gil and Geoff welcome Scott Rogers to discuss party games. What features make for a good party game? What are the dos and don'ts for designers?

GameTek Classic 190 - Ameritrash from 2018-12-30T20:32:47

Scott Rogers is back with Part 2 of his Eurogame-Ameritrash series!

Ludology Episode 190 - Diabolus in Ludica from 2018-12-16T12:00

Gil and Geoff discuss the idea of Ludonarrative Dissonance. What is it? How can it sink a game or make it soar?

GameTek Classic 189 - I Cut, You Choose from 2018-12-09T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the criminally under-used "I Cut, You Choose" mechanism.

Ludology Episode 189 - Missing Selinker from 2018-12-02T12:00

Gil and Geoff are joined by game and puzzle designer Mike Selinker to discuss the relationship between puzzles and games.

GameTek Classic 188 - Eurogames from 2018-11-25T12:00

Scott Rogers takes a look at the origin of the term "Eurogames".

Ludology Episode 188 - Unique as a Snowflake from 2018-11-18T12:00

Gil and Geoff welcome designer Corey Konieczka to discuss his new "Unique" game, Discover: Lands Unknown<...

GameTek Classic 187 - Games for the Really, Really Smart from 2018-11-11T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at a recent study about who wants to play games - and why.

Ludology Episode 187 - Balancing Act from 2018-11-04T12:00

Gil and Geoff take a look at game balance. What is it, exactly?

Duration: 54:34

GameTek Classic 186 - Black Morn Betrayal from 2018-10-28T11:00

In a spooky Biography of a Board Game, Scott Rogers takes a look at Chill: Black Morn Manor and Betrayal at House on the Hill.

Ludology Episode 186 - Zombie Apocalypse from 2018-10-21T10:30

Gil and Geoff are joined by Isaac Vega, designer of Dead of Winter and Neon Gods to discuss ways to integrate story into the board games.

Duration: 55:25

GameTek Classic 185 - Libratus from 2018-10-14T17:26:21

In this classic GameTek, Geoff dives into the details of the AI that defeated the top poker players on the planet.

Ludology Episode 185 - Soft Boiled from 2018-10-07T13:45:18

Gil and Geoff discuss hard incentives vs soft incentives. What makes people want to play a game? What makes them have fun? What makes them want to play again?

Duration: 56:12

GameTek Classic 184 - Twilight Imperium from 2018-09-28T17:21:46

Professor Scott Rogers is back with the biography of Twilight Imperium.

Duration: 10:20

Ludology Episode 184 - Between Two Podcasters from 2018-09-24T18:52:23

Gil and Geoff are delighted to welcome Jamey Stegmaier from Stonemaier games. We discuss life after Kickstarter, and Jamey's design philosophy.

Duration: 58:18

GameTek Classic 183 - Input Output Randomness from 2018-09-16T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the relationship between luck and strategy.

Duration: 6:20

Ludology Episode 183 - Mind Your Own Business from 2018-09-08T14:08:09

Gil and Geoff deconstruct the new Wolfgang Warsch game The Mind. What makes it tick? What does it do right, and what does it do wrong?

Duration: 1:02:19

GameTek Classic 182 - Pandemic from 2018-09-03T13:42:24

Scott Rogers is back with a look at the history of Pandemic!

Duration: 5:17

Ludology Episode 182 - The Calm After the Sturm from 2018-08-26T11:00

Gil and Geoff once again welcome Ryan Sturm to recap the development of Trade on the Tigris.

Duration: 1:17:14

GameTek Classic 181 - Talmud from 2018-08-19T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the Talmud, and it's relation to game rules.

Ludology Episode 181 - Indy Rock from 2018-08-12T11:00

Gil and Geoff broadcast live from Gencon with super-special guest Ryan Sturm!

Duration: 51:31

Ludology Episode 180 - Keep Them Doggies Rollin' from 2018-07-29T11:00

Gil and Geoff are joined by special guest Suzanne Sheldon to talk about Roll and Write games! What makes them tick? What special design considerations are there?

Duration: 1:03:49

GameTek Classic 179 - Kill Dr. Lucky from 2018-07-09T21:06:18

Scott Rogers is back with another Biography of a Board Game! This time - Kill Dr. Lucky from James Earnest!

Ludology Episode 179 - Contested Outcome from 2018-07-01T11:00

Contest results! Gil and Geoff wade into an incredibly strong field to pick the top 16 entries in the latest theme/mechanism competition. Who will end up on the top of the heap?

Duration:...

GameTek Classic 178 - Real Time from 2018-06-24T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses design considerations for real time games. Plus a coda!

Duration: 9:11

Ludology Episode 178 - Coin Operated from 2018-06-17T11:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome Volko Ruhnke, designer of the COIN series, about Counter-Intelligence operations throughout history. How do you capture the dynamics of these complex conflic...

GameTek Classic 177 - Agricola from 2018-06-10T20:17:12

Professor Scott Rogers is back with another Biography of a Board Game! This time, Agricola is under the spotlight.

Duration: 11:55

Ludology Episode 177 - AI, AI, Captain! from 2018-06-03T11:00

We welcome Theresa Duringer of Temple Gates Games, developer of the Race for the Galaxy app to talk about the process of developing and incorporating AI, how to make it smarter or dumber or more...

GameTek Classic 176 - Apophenia from 2018-05-27T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about how we see patterns even when there aren't any, and what that means for game designers.

Duration: 8:01

Ludology Episode 176 - Taxonomy Driver from 2018-05-20T11:00

Since there were humans, they've been putting things into categories. What are some of the ways games are categorized? Is this useful, or a distraction?

Duration: 59:56

GameTek Classic 175 - Talisman from 2018-05-13T11:00

Professor Scott Rogers is back with another Bio of a Board Game, taking a look at Talisman!

Duration: 9:28

Ludology Episode 175 - Auld Lang Design from 2018-05-06T11:33:56

Recorded live at the Gathering of Friends, Gil and Geoff have an opportunity to sit down and chat with Eric Lang, designer of Rising Sun, the Dice Masters series, and much more. We talk about hi...

Ludology Episode 174 - Consensual Healing from 2018-04-22T11:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Naomi Clark, professor at the NYU Game Center, and designer most recently of the card game Consentacle. We discuss tackling adult themes in board games...

GameTek Classic 173 - Bang from 2018-04-15T11:00

Professor Scott Rogers is back with another Biography of a Board Game. This episode he heads to the old west to check out Bang!

Duration: 07:55

Ludology Episode 173 - Patternity from 2018-04-08T11:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Isaac Shalev to discuss the idea of Design Patterns for tabletop games. What are Design Patterns, and how are they helpful? What are some examples?

GameTek Classic 172 - Hyperreality from 2018-04-01T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses his experience with a new type of VR.

Duration: 5:40

Ludology Episode 172 - Odd Coupling from 2018-03-25T11:00

Gil and Geoff take a look at the different ways that subsystems of a game can be coupled, and what that means for complexity and player agency.

Duration: 1:05:44

Ludology Episode 171 - Cannata Stop from 2018-03-11T11:00

We are pleased to welcome podcaster, gamer, actor, and all-around great guy Jeff Cannata to Ludology! Jeff can be heard on DLC, Listen

GameTek Classic 170 - Court Cases from 2018-03-04T15:00:56

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at some recent court cases involving games.

Duration: 5:59

Ludology Episode 170 - Questionable Content from 2018-02-25T12:00

Gil and Geoff field a litany of listener questions!

Duration: 1:20:22

GameTek Classic 169 - Scrabble from 2018-02-18T19:26:34

Scott Rogers is back with another Biography of a Board Game, this time focusing on Scrabble! 

KWYJIBO for the win!

Duration: 9:56

Ludology Episode 169 - Raphic Design from 2018-02-11T12:00

Gil and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Raph Koster, author of A Theory of Fun, and video game designer. We talk about a wide range of topics, include MM...

GameTek Classic 168 - Economic Prisoner's Dilemma from 2018-02-04T15:42:21

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the Prisoner's Dilemma facing Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.

Duration: 6:05

Ludology Episode 168 - Kumbaya from 2018-01-28T12:00

Gil and Geoff talk about designing low-interaction games. Sometimes you just want to work on your own little corner of the world - and some players prefer that. What are techniques create engagi...

GameTek Classic 167 - Candyland from 2018-01-21T15:24:35

A sweet surprise! Biography of a Board Game takes a look at Candyland.

Duration: 8:51

Ludology Episode 167 - 18 and Up from 2018-01-14T12:00

Gil and Geoff are joined by Stephen Buonocore from Stronghold Games to discuss the state of the board game industry as we enter 2018.

Duration: 1:12:05

Ludology Episode 166 - Impulse Control from 2017-12-17T12:00

Geoff has an insight about how game structure can keep players engaged, and is excited to share.

Duration 56:39

GameTek Classic 165 - Dunning-Kruger from 2017-12-10T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about how we are really bad at telling how good we really are.

Duration: 6:03

Ludology Episode 165 - Fowerian Slip from 2017-12-03T12:00

Gil and Geoff are delighted to welcome Tim Fowers to discuss player psychology, and how that can be leveraged by game designers.

Tim is the designer of Burgle Bros, Paperback, and more, a...

GameTek Classic 164 - Catan from 2017-11-26T14:27:31

Scott Rogers is back with a super-sized Bio of a Board Game, with the history of The Settlers of Catan!

Duration: 12:14

Ludology Episode 164 - First Steps from 2017-11-19T12:00

Gil and Geoff discuss the very early stages of design and play testing. How much should be on paper, and how much in your head?

Duration 1:05:21

GameTek Classic 163 - Theme, Mechanics, Experience from 2017-11-12T13:38:40

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a different angle on the connection between theme, mechanics, and player experience.

Duration: 6:40

Ludology Episode 163 - A Pain In the Asymmetry from 2017-11-05T12:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome guests Patrick Leader (Vast) and Cole Wehrle (Root, An Infamous Traffic) to discuss asymmetry in games, and the particular challenges it presents to the desi...

GameTek Classic 162 - Scotland Yard from 2017-10-29T11:00

Scott Rogers is back with another Biography of a Board Game! This time, he talks about the history of Scotland Yard, and early SdJ winner!

Duration: 7:25

Ludology Episode 162 - The Ares Project from 2017-10-22T11:00

Gil and Geoff take a deep dive into the design of Terraforming Mars. What makes it tick? What works and what doesn't?

Duration: 1:17:52

GameTek Classic 161 - The Inciting Incident from 2017-10-15T17:15

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at classic story-telling techniques to see how they might apply to game design.

Duration: 05:52

Ludology 161 - What's the Story, Morning Glory? from 2017-10-08T11:00

Gil and Geoff are delighted to welcome Jason Morningstar, designer of Fiasco, The Shab-Al-Hiri Roach, Night Witches, and other innovative RPGs. We discuss how to better integrate story and narra...

GameTek Classic 160 - Uno from 2017-10-01T11:00

In this Biography of a Board Game, Scott Rogers reveals the secret history of Uno!

Duration: 07:45

Ludology Episode 160 - Law and Order from 2017-09-24T11:00

Gil and Geoff take a look at the different ways of controlling turn order in a game. What are the rules of thumb for when to use the different methods?

Duration: 1:23:17

GameTek Classic 159 - High Stakes RPS from 2017-09-17T23:13:23

What would you do if you were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors for $20,000,000?

Duration: 04:42

Ludology Episode 159 - Getting Out Scott Free from 2017-09-10T11:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome Professor Scott Nicholson from Wilfrid Laurier University to discuss Escape Rooms. What are they, how do they work, and what lessons do they hold for game de...

GameTek Classic 158 - Opration from 2017-09-03T11:00

Biography of a Board Game returns with the classic Operation!

Duration: 06:12

Ludology Episode 158 - Gen X from 2017-08-27T14:18:57

Gil and Geoff host the first-ever Ludology live Q&A from Gencon 50!

Duration: 51:39

Ludology Episode 157 - Come Scale Away from 2017-07-28T08:41:22

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Matt Wolfe, to discuss the concept of Decision Scales in games.

Duration 1:10:04

GameTek Classic 156 - Alpha Go from 2017-07-23T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff dives into the details of Alpha Go, Google's Go-playing AI.

Duration: 06:41

Ludology Episode 156 - Surprise! from 2017-07-16T11:00

 Gil and Geoff are joined by the gang from the Flip The Table podcast to talk about Roll & Move games. What works (and doesn't) with this much-maligned mechanic?

Duration: 1:07:00

GameTek Classic 155 - Mystery Rummy from 2017-07-09T14:01:21

Scott takes a look at the history of the Mystery Rummy series, by a designer y'all might know...

Duration: 6:24

Ludology Episode 155 - Model Citizen from 2017-07-02T11:00

Gil and Geoff talk about different methods for using mathematical modeling and simulation during the design process.

Duration: 1:12:12

GameTek Classic - 154 from 2017-06-25T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at the physics behind the coin toss.

Duration 5:39

Ludology Episode 154 - Leave Me Alone! from 2017-06-18T11:00

Gil and Geoff are pleased to welcome Morten Monrad Pedersen, to discuss the art of designing solo games.

Morten has designed several popular solo variants to games, including Scythe and V...

GameTek Classic 153 - Arkham Horror from 2017-06-11T16:13:55

Scott Rogers joins us with a new Biography of a Board Game - Arkham Horror!

Duration: 6:16

Ludology Episode 153 - Tie One On from 2017-06-04T11:00

Gil and Geoff tackle ties in games. How important are tiebreakers? What are good and bad ways to design them?

Duration: 1:18:18

GameTek Classic 152 - Spoilsport from 2017-05-28T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the difference between a cheat and a spoilsport, and what that means for society.

Duration: 05:49

Ludology Episode 152 - The Better Angels Of Our Nature from 2017-05-21T11:00

Gil and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Chris Cobb from Riot Games, creator of the number one online game in the world, League of Legends. Until recently Chris was the technical lead for the Playe...

GameTek Classic 151 - Risk from 2017-05-14T11:00

Ludology welcomes Scott Rogers and his Biography of a Board Game segment! This episode he traces the history of Risk, from the early 20th century to today.

Duration: 09:10

Ludology Episode 151 - High Definition from 2017-05-07T11:00

For their first show as a duo, Gil and Geoff revisit the question posed in the very first episode of Ludology - What is a game? 

The answer may surprise you.

Duration: 1:23:24

GameTek Classic 150 - VirZoom from 2017-04-30T11:00

New Content! Geoff interviews Eric Janszen, the CEO of VirZoom.

VirZoom makes a Virtual Reality exercise bike, that interfaces with all the major VR ...

Ludology Episode 150 - Mike Drop from 2017-04-23T13:35:45

Changes! We bid a fond farewell to Mike, and a big hello to Gil!

Duration: 1:25:22

GameTek Classic 149 - Procedural Narrative Generation from 2017-04-16T11:00

New content! Geoff interviews Rogelio Cardona-Rivera, a researcher at North Carolina State, about Procedural Narrative Generation - systems that can create and manipulate story structure in a ga...

Ludology Episode 149 - Blast From The Past from 2017-04-09T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Justin Jacobson from Restoration Games, to talk about what they've learned from bringing older games back for a modern audience.

Duration: 1:01:35

GameTek Classic 148 - Teamwork from 2017-04-02T13:53:43

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at games that help improve teamwork.

Duration: 05:41

Ludology Episode 148 - Half-Baked from 2017-03-26T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest J.R. Honeycutt, to discuss the role of the Developer in the game design and publication process.

Duration 59:25

GameTek Classic 147 - Estimating from 2017-03-19T19:23:34

In this classic GameTek Geoff discusses some techniques for estimating things in your head.

Duration 6:19

Ludology Episode 147 - Listen Up! from 2017-03-12T11:00

Mike and Geoff field a bevy of listener questions.

Duration: 1:10:21

GameTek Classic 146 - Betrayal from 2017-03-05T12:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at how the language people use can give clues to their treachery.

Duration: 6:32

Double Take from 2017-02-26T12:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome designer Andrew Parks to discuss taking a second shot at a design, whether it's revisiting a mechanic or taking an entire system into a new direction.

GameTek Classic 145 - Red vs Blue from 2017-02-19T12:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at how choosing a color may affect how you play.

Duration: 06:17

Ludology Episode 145 - Six Ways From Sunday from 2017-02-12T15:51:19

Mike and Geoff discuss multi-use cards - their history, and how they can be used by designers.

Duration: 1:03:53

GameTek Classic 144 - Singular They from 2017-02-05T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the use of pronouns when writing rules.

Duration: 06:17

Ludology Episode 144 - The Edge of Seventeen from 2017-01-29T12:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome returning guest Stephen Buonocore of Stronghold Games to discuss the state of the gaming industry going into 2017.

Duration: 1:19:43

GameTek Classic 143 - Nash Equilibrium from 2017-01-22T18:58:33

In this classic GameTek Geoff pays tribute to game theorist John Nash.

Duration: 06:35

Ludology Episode 143 - Two Players! Three Players! Four Players! Bwahahah! from 2017-01-15T12:00

How do different player counts affect the design process? How important is it that a game support a variety of player counts?

Duration: 1:08:06

Ludology Episode 142 - Slots O Fun from 2016-12-11T12:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome slot machine game design Jeremy Hornik. Jeremy has been designing slots for over 15 years, including Money Burst, Willy Wonka, Monopoly, and Baron von Bacon...

GameTek Classic 141 - Game States from 2016-12-04T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff wraps up his discussion of entropy and statistical mechanics by exploring the way that disorder and energy flow through a game system.

Duration: 6:19

Ludology 141 - The Realtime Housewives of New Jersey from 2016-11-27T12:00

Mike and Geoff dive into real time games. What design techniques work for this mechanism? What does it do to the player experience?

Duration: 1:00:50

GameTek Classic 140 - Statistical Mechanics from 2016-11-20T12:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff continues his exploration of thermodynamics by talking about Statistical Mechanics and what it tells us about the world.

Duration: 7:05

Ludology Episode 140 - Training Day from 2016-11-13T12:00

Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome guest Mark Herman to the program. Mark is the designer of a slew of games, including the first Card Driven Game (CDG) Listen

GameTek Classic 139 - Entropy from 2016-11-06T14:59:46

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the scientific concept of entropy.

Duration: 5:32

Fog of Wallace from 2016-10-30T11:00

Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into Martin Wallace's latest game, Via Nebula. They look at all the design choices, from game play to theme to production.

Duration: 1:09:04

GameTek Classic 138 - Lead Changes from 2016-10-23T11:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at lead changes, and some simple mathematical models that reveal some surprising truths.

Duration: 06:31

Ludology Episode 138 - Hug To Win from 2016-10-16T11:00

Mike and Geoff discuss the different ways you can win a game, and how that effects the design and player experience.

Duration: 1:13:29

GameTek Classic 137 - Incompleteness from 2016-10-09T11:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff examines rules as a logical structure, and the way that relates to math concepts of axioms and completeness.

Duration: 06:28

Ludology Episode 137 - A Thorn in the PA from 2016-09-29T20:10:48

Mike and Geoff are thrilled to welcome two of the designers of Thornwatch, Mike Krahulik and Mike Selinker, to discuss th...

GameTek Classic 136 - Hidden But Trackable from 2016-09-25T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses games with 'Hidden But Trackable' information. Is it OK to write things down?

Duration: 06:19

Ludology Episode 136 - Thinking Inside The Box from 2016-09-18T20:16:41

Mike and Geoff discuss the way that constraints, both internal and external, affect the design process. They are pleased to welcome guest Grant Rodiek, designer of Cry Havoc, to discuss his 54-c...

GameTek Classic 135 - Antidosis from 2016-09-11T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the ancient Greek practice of Antidosis, and it's application as a game mechanism.

Duration: 05:34

Ludology Episode 135 - Necessary Evil from 2016-09-04T14:43:46

Mike and Geoff talk about teaching games in convention environments. If you are giving demos of a game in a booth, what are the key things to focus on? How much depth do you go into?

They...

GameTek Classic 134 - The Void from 2016-08-28T11:00

In this all-new content, Geoff interviews Curtis Hickman, Chief Creative Officer of The Void, a company pioneering an immersive extension of Virtual Reality ca...

Ludology Episode 134 - There's No "I" In Team from 2016-08-21T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guests Sen-Foong Lim and Jay Cormier, designers of Godfather: A New Don, Junk Art, and many more games. How does their collaboration work? What are the adva...

GameTek Classic 133 - Scoring Tracks from 2016-07-31T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Scoring Tracks, and how to make them work with your players, instead of against them.

Duration: 06:26

Ludology Episode 133 - The Crying Game from 2016-07-24T11:00

A little window into dinner time at the Engelstein household: Young Brian asks the question "Can a board game make the players cry?" and he ends up on a podcast.

So can they? Mike, Geoff,...

Ludology Episode 132 - Pyramid Scheme from 2016-07-10T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Walter Crist, archeologist and co-author of Ancient Egyptians ...

Ludology Episode 131 - Whaa? from 2016-06-26T11:00

It's another Listener Question episode! Mike and Geoff take on all comers. Can they survive?

Duration: 1:11:21

GameTek Classic 130 - Mental Models from 2016-06-20T00:17:23

In this GameTek, Geoff discusses the role that mental models play in how we interact with objects in the world.

Duration: 06:00

Ludology Episode 130 - All of Us from 2016-06-12T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome Suzanne Sheldon and Sydney Engelstein to discuss the topic of diversity and inclusion in gaming.

Duration: 1:49:42

GameTek Classic 129 - Semi Coop Tournaments from 2016-06-05T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at options for structuring tournaments for semi cooperative games.

Duration: 06:27

Ludology Episode 129 - Fast Money from 2016-05-29T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Soren Johnson. Soren was the lead designer on the computer game Civilization, and recently released Offworld Tr...

GameTek Classic 128 - Semi Coops from 2016-05-22T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at semi-cooperative games, and the particular challenges they create for social dynamics.

Duration: 06:13

Ludology Episode 128 - Why? from 2016-05-15T11:00

Mike and Geoff discuss player motivations. What makes people want to play games? How do you design games to appeal to that type of player?

Duration: 1:16:16

GameTek Classic 127 - Cosmic Encounter from 2016-05-08T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the smart design choices made by the designers of Cosmic Encounter.

Duration: 06:15

Ludology Episode 127 - Inspiration from 2016-05-01T11:00

Mike and Geoff interview a panoply of designers of designers at the Gathering of Friends to hear about what inspires them.

Duration: 46:36

GameTek Classic 126 - Flow from 2016-04-24T14:56:06

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the psychological state called 'Flow'.

Duration: 6:41

Ludology Episode 126 - Player One from 2016-04-17T11:00

Mike and Geoff are thrilled to have special guest Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari games.  What were the game design considerations of the early video game industry? When you are inventing a...

GameTek Classic 125 - The Distracted Mind from 2016-04-10T11:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff discusses a study that looks at how much people enjoy just sitting with nothing to do.

Duration: 05:43

Ludology Episode 125 - Checking Out from 2016-04-03T11:00

Mike and Geoff present the third and final part of the game design checklist. You can download the full checklist from http://cardboardedison.com/, und...

GameTek Classic 124 - Caribbean Cup from 2016-03-27T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at an 'interesting' game from the 1994 Caribbean Cup soccer tournament.

Duration: 06:58

Ludology Episode 124 - Checking It Twice from 2016-03-20T11:00

Mike and Geoff continue their discussion of the Game Design checklist, with questions about game mechanics.

Duration: 01:16:59

GameTek Classic 123 - Zero Risk Bias from 2016-03-13T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the psychological concept of Zero Risk Bias.

Duration: 07:45

Ludology Epiosde 123 - Check Up from 2016-03-06T12:00

Mike and Geoff have been hard at work developing a checklist for game designers, and it is time to go public!  In this first of three episodes, they discuss the questions surrounding creating th...

Ludology Episode 122 - The Name of the Game from 2016-02-21T12:00

In this episode, Mike and Geoff discuss the art and science of selecting a name for your game, and what you should consider.

Duration: 1:13:02

GameTek Classic 121 - Known Unknowns from 2016-02-14T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses what we know, what we don't, and how that affects our psychology.

Duration: 05:13

Ludology Episode 121 - Pandemonium from 2016-02-07T12:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Matt Leacock, co-designer of new #1 game on Board Game Geek, Pandemic Legacy. We get into the spoiler-free details on designing a Legacy game.

...

GameTek Classic 120 - Cloning from 2016-01-31T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at the question of how much you can copy a game and still call it 'new'.

Duration: 06:06

Ludology Episode 120 - State of Games 2016 from 2016-01-24T12:00

For our annual State of Games episode, Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome back Stephen Buonocore of Stronghold games, to discuss the state of the board game industry.

Duration: 1:14:20...

GameTek Classic 119 - Rock Paper Scissors from 2016-01-17T15:05:16

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at research performed in China on Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Duration: 06:02

Ludology Episode 119 - Deck The Halls from 2016-01-10T15:38:54

Mike and Geoff take a look at the Deck Building mechanic.  How has it evolved over the last 

Duration: 1:18:45

Ludology Episode 118 - Knock, Knock from 2015-12-13T12:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome special guest Jamie Madigan, author of the Psychology of Video Games blog, and author of the just released <...

GameTek Classic 117 - Werewolf from 2015-12-06T12:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff takes a look at the math behind the popular game Werewolf.

Duration: 06:35

Ludology Episode 117 - Publish or Perish from 2015-11-29T16:24:35

During BGG.CON 2015, Mike asked several publishers the same question:

How do you decide what games you want to publish?

With the myriad of pitches and submissions ...

GameTek Classic 116 - Gutsy from 2015-11-22T12:00

New Content! Geoff interviews Barry Joseph and Eric Teo about the game Gutsy. Barry is the Associate Director of Digital Learning at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and ...

Bam! Pow! Oof! from 2015-11-15T12:00

Mike and Geoff take a look at "Take That" games. When does this mechanic work, and when does it fail?

Duration: 1:13:34

GameTek Classic 115 - Microbes from 2015-11-08T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the revolutionary studies about the human microbiome, and what that can teach us about playing and designing games.

Duration: 06:13

Ludology Episode 115 - Take Two from 2015-11-01T12:00

What changes are usually made between a first and second edition of a game? And what does that teach us about the design process?

Mike and Geoff are joined by guest Paul Grogan, who was h...

GameTek Classic 114 - Civilization from 2015-10-25T23:46:38

Geoff gives a quick report on his play of Advanced Civilization last week.

Duration: 08:17

Ludology Episode 114 - The Butterfly Effect from 2015-10-18T11:00

Mike and Geoff talk CHAOS! Mike loves it in his games. Can he convince Geoff of its charms?

Duration: 1:04:37

GameTek Classic 113 - Sunk Costs from 2015-10-11T15:11:34

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

Duration: 05:05

Ludology Episode 113 - Crossover from 2015-10-04T11:00

What games cross over into traditional retailers like Target and Barnes and Noble? Mike and Geoff are joined by Andrew Lupp, National Sales Manager of PSI, to learn the ins and outs. Andrew work...

GameTek Classic 112 - Betrayal from 2015-09-27T11:00

NEW CONTENT! Geoff interviews Vlad Niculae of Cornell about his recent research on predicting betrayal via written communications. The foundation of the study? An o...

Ludology Episode 112 - MechaTheme from 2015-09-20T11:00

Mike and Geoff select their top 10 entries from the Ludology contest, and reveal the winner!

Duration: 1:04:57

GameTek Classic 111 - Memory from 2015-08-30T11:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at memory, and how games work with or against it.

Duration: 06:10

Ludology Episode 111 - Silver Ball Playbook from 2015-08-23T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome pinball game designer Keith Johnson, designer of games such as Simpsons Pinball Party, Revenge From Mars, and Lord of the Rings.

What are the special...

GameTek Classic 110 - Luck from 2015-08-16T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about luck and what increases or decreases it.

Duration: 06:13

Ludology Episode 110 - The Battle Begins from 2015-08-09T11:00

Mike and Geoff are pleased to welcome guest Richard Borg to discuss the art of designing war games with mainstream appeal. Mr. Borg is the designer of the Command and Colors series of games, whi...

GameTek Classic 109 - Power from 2015-08-01T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about making the player feel powerful. 

We also launch our part of the big Dice Tower Network contest!

Duration: 7:42

Ludology Episode 109 - We're Listening from 2015-07-26T11:00

Mike and Geoff open up the mailbag and answer difficult and interesting listener questions!

Duration: 1:09:26

GameTek Classic 108 - Ludology v Narratology from 2015-07-19T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at the debate that raged in the 1990's between Narratologists and Ludologists.

Duration: 05:59

Ludology Episode 108 - Level Up from 2015-07-12T11:00

Geoff is pleased to welcome Scott Rogers, designer of video games such as Darksiders and God of War, and author of the books Level Up! and Swipe This!

The discussion centers around the co...

GameTek Classic 107 - Analogies from 2015-07-05T16:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at how a good analogy can dramatically simplify learning a game.

Duration: 06:00

Ludology Episode 107 - Seven Up from 2015-06-28T11:00

Mike and Geoff take a deep dive into the Antoine Bauza game Seven Wonders. What works? What doesn't? What drove the design decisions?

Duration: 01:16:26

GameTek Classic 106 - The Rule of One from 2015-06-21T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Goeff talks about how innovative a game can really be.

Duration: 06:14

Ludology Episode 106 - Hide and Seek from 2015-06-14T11:00

Mike and Geoff welcome guest Emerson Matsuuchi, designer of Specter Ops and VOLT Robot Battle, to discuss hidden and programmed movement in games. Why use these techniques? What are good and bad...

GameTek Classic 105 - Mice and Men from 2015-06-07T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses a game designed to explore the relationship between rules and morality. 

Duration: 6:15

Ludology Episode 105 - Teach the Controversy from 2015-05-31T11:00

Inspired by an article by Matt Thrower, Mike and Geoff talk about games that try to tac...

GameTek Classic 104 - Ways and Means from 2015-05-24T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at what factors make a game 'mean'.

Duration: 06:18

Ludology Episode 104 - Games Seem Mainstream from 2015-05-17T11:00

Mike and Geoff are joined by guest Rich Sommer, host of the Cardboard! podast and star of stage and screen to discuss games receiving mainstream accep...

GameTek Classic 103 - Buddha's Forbidden Games from 2015-05-10T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at an ancient text that lists games that will distract you from achieving enlightenment.

Duration: 06:18

Ludology Episode 103 - House of Cards from 2015-05-03T11:00

Mike and Geoff dive deeper into the world of cards. What is a card? What tools do cards give the designer? What card games exhibit great depth?

Duration: 01:22:22

GameTek Classic 102 - Noise Part 2 from 2015-04-26T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at the way different types of noise mirror different random processes in games, and how these can be tuned for maximum player interest.

Duration: 06:2...

Ludology Episode 102 - State of Games, 2015 from 2015-04-19T11:00

Mike and Geoff are joined by Stronghold Games President Stephen Buonocore, to discuss the current state of the board game industry. Special guests may also pop in!

Duration: 01:20:18

GameTek Classic 101 - Noise Part 1 from 2015-04-12T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff explores the different types of noise.

Duration: 06:21

Ludology Episode 101 - Inferiority Cardplex from 2015-04-05T11:00

Geoff and new host Mike Fitzgerald talk about card games and why they are often treated as second-class citizens in the game world.

Duration: 01:07:00

Ludology Episode 100 - A Ryan Shame from 2015-03-22T11:00

For their 100th episode, and Ryan's last, the guys take a look back at their favorite moments from the show.

Duration: 1:25:13

GameTek Classic 99 - Allan Calhamer from 2015-03-15T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the legacy of Allan Calhamer and his game, Diplomacy.

Duration: 07:02

Ludology Episode 99 - The Game of (real) Life from 2015-03-08T16:29:14

Ryan and Geoff talk about Gamification, the application of gaming techniques to real world tasks. Why do it? What are some good and bad examples?

Duration: 1:21:30

GameTek Classic 98 - Solving Poker from 2015-03-01T17:03:37

In this ALL NEW GameTek, Geoff interviews Dr. Michael Bowling of the University of Alberta. Mike and his team put together computer hardware and software to 'solve' Heads-Up Limit Texas Hold'Em....

Ludology Episode 98 - Gathering the Magic from 2015-02-22T16:38:02

Ryan and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Richard Garfield, designer of Magic: The Gathering, Robo Rally, Netrunner, King of Tokyo and more, along with bonus guest Mike Fitzgerald, whose latest des...

GameTek Classic 97 - Rules Lawyers from 2015-02-15T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at a curious incident at Johns Hopkins University.

Duration: 04:14

Ludology Episode 97 - Rules of Thumb from 2015-02-08T12:00

Ryan and Geoff discuss heuristics, and the way they are used in games. How can designers shape a game's heuristics to increase both depth and accessibility?

Duration: 01:30:34

GameTek Classic 96 - Chess Cheating from 2015-02-01T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the many instances of people cheating in chess tournaments.

Duration: 05:52

Ludology Episode 96 - I Have A Theme from 2015-01-25T12:00

Ryan and Geoff revisit the topic of theme. Specifically how is theme expressed and integrated in games?

Duration: 01:26:58

GameTek Classic 95 - Game Security from 2015-01-18T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at how the physical aspects of a game can be designed to deter or prevent cheating.

Duration: 05:39

Ludology Episode 95 - The Pitch from 2015-01-11T12:00

Ryan and Geoff talk about their search for a publish for "Trading in the Mediterranean", and what the next steps are.

There is also an important announcement about the future of the show,...

GameTek Classic 94 - Cheating, Part 2 from 2014-12-21T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses Reputation as an antidote to Cheating, and how it breaks down as groups grow in size.

Duration: 06:40

Ludology Episode 94 - Hearth of Stone from 2014-12-14T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are thrilled to welcome Ben Brode, Senior Game Designer for Hearthstone, the online card game from Blizzard Entertainment.

Ben joins us to discuss the design considerations...

GameTek Classic 93 - Cheating, Part 1 from 2014-12-07T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff begins a two-part exploration of cheating with a personal admission.

Duration: 6:10

Ludology Episode 93 - The Truthiness of Board Game Themes from 2014-11-30T12:00

With Geoff goofing off, Ryan is very pleased to welcome noted designer Bruno Faidutti to discuss his article Postcolonial Catan, about how boardgam...

GameTek Classic 92 - Incentives from 2014-11-23T12:00

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff explores an experiment that uses loss aversion to create an incentive. Is this a new type of carrot?

Duration: 07:15

Ludology Episode 92 - Envoys of Excellence from 2014-11-16T12:00

Ryan and Geoff welcome Vincent Salzillo to the show! Vincent runs a variety of cons, including Metatopia, for game designers. He also runs the First Exposure Hall at Gencon for new designers to ...

GameTek Classic 91 - Hindsight Bias from 2014-11-09T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the psychological phenomenon of Hindsight Bias, and how it may prevent us from being better players.

Duration: 06:37

Ludology Episode 91 - Olotka Encounter from 2014-11-02T12:00

In this episode of Ludology we are thrilled to welcome Peter Olotka, one of the designers of Cosmic Encounter, Dune, and many other classic games.  We discuss the early development of Cosmic Enc...

GameTek Classic 90 - Expectation Value Revisited from 2014-10-26T14:50:49

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses expectation value, and how it can be used - and misused - in games.

Duration: 05:39

Ludology Episode 90 - Kniziathon from 2014-10-19T11:00

Ryan and Geoff take a close look at the body of work of Reiner Knizia, one of the most influential and prolific designers of the modern era.

What common threads run through Knizia's work?...

GameTek Classic 89 - Quasicrystals from 2014-10-12T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about putting tiles down without repeating any patterns.

Duration: 06:15

Ludology Episode 89 - Bridging the Digital Divide from 2014-10-05T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to welcome guest Jordan Weisman, founder of FASA, Wizkids, and Harebrained Schemes, and designer of Battletech, Heroclix, and the just-released Listen

GameTek Classic 88 - Blind RPS from 2014-09-28T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses a study done on playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with one player blindfolded and one able to see. Who comes out on top?

Duration: 04:41

Ludology Episode 88 - Small Booth, Big Dreams from 2014-09-21T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are pleased to be joined by Travis Chance and Nick Little of Action Phase game, designers of Heroes Wanted.  This was the first time Action Phase has exhibited at Gencon, and we d...

GameTek Classic 87 - AI from 2014-09-14T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses Artificial Intelligence, and how it affects our play.

Duration: 06:15

Ludology Episode 87 - Come On Down! from 2014-09-07T16:30:25

Geoff finally acquiesces to Ryan's wish to discuss game shows. And you know what? It turned out to be a very fertile area for analysis.  What special considerations are there for game shows? Wha...

GameTek Classic 86 - Watson from 2014-08-17T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about IBM's Jeopardy-playing Watson, and how it fits into the history of Artificial Intelligence research.

Duration: 06:10

Ludology Episode 86 - Get Real from 2014-08-10T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by guest Andrew Tullsen of Print & Play productions to discuss prototypes. What are the different types of prototypes? What are the tools and techniques to create them ...

GameTek Classic 85 - Fair Dice from 2014-08-03T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff investigates the true randomness of dice.

Duration: 06:15

Ludology Episode 85 - Lucky Break from 2014-07-27T11:00

Ryan and Geoff dip back into the mail bag to respond to more listener comments and questions about luck and randomness.

Duration: 1:00:31

GameTek Classic 84 - Your Brain On Shogi from 2014-07-20T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses brain imaging studies on shogi players.

For images relating to this story, check outListen

Ludology Episode 84 - The Playtest's The Thing from 2014-07-13T20:41:14

Ryan and Geoff are joined by guest Gil Hova, designer of Prolix and Battle Merchants to discuss playtesting.

What are the different types of playtests? How do you get the most out of your...

GameTek Classic 83 - Tournaments from 2014-07-06T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses tournament structure in sports, and the way that may effect the play of the individual games.

Duration: 06:54

Ludology Episode 83 - All Work And No Place Make Games A Dull Toy from 2014-06-29T11:00

Ryan and Geoff do a deep dive into the world of Worker Placement games. What makes them tick? Why would designers use that mechanism? What are the pitfalls to avoid?

Duration: 01:06:39

GameTek Classic 82 - Inflation from 2014-06-22T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about how games can teach us about economics.

Duration: 07:13

Ludology Episode 82 - Party, Party, Evolution from 2014-06-15T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to welcome Dominic Crapuchettes to Ludology! We discuss designing party games, dealing with mass market retailers, starting a game company, and their recent pivot...

GameTek Classic 81 - Shuffling from 2014-06-08T20:41:45

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about shuffling, big numbers, uniqueness, and the origin of life.

Duration: 07:35

Ludology Episode 81 - Random Acts of Kindness from 2014-06-01T11:00

Ryan and Geoff respond to a random sampling of the listener questions about luck and randomness. Thanks to all who sent in your thoughts, comments, and questions!

Duration: 01:07:06

GameTek Classic 80 - Competence from 2014-05-25T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the psychological property called Competence, and how you can use it to annoy people.

Duration: 06:47

Ludology Episode 80 - Influenza from 2014-05-18T11:00

Ryan and Geoff take one last look at the Most Influential Games of the 20th Century. Do they have any second thoughts? Any overlooked games that should have been included?

They also put o...

GameTek 79 - Willpower from 2014-04-27T22:43:58

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about recent research on willpower.

Duration: 07:00

Ludology Episode 79 - The Magic Circle from 2014-04-20T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are pleased to welcome back Eric Zimmerman, professor at NYU's Game Center and author of The Rules of Play. This episode we discuss the concept of the "magic circle" and how desig...

GameTek 78 - Criticism from 2014-04-13T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the state of game criticisim.

Duration: 10:53

Ludology Episode 78 - Here We Are Now, Entertain Us from 2014-04-06T15:54:25

Ryan and Geoff conclude their survey of the most influential games with the 90's. Which games have cast shadows into the 21st century?

Duration: 01:20

GameTek 77 - Patronage from 2014-03-30T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses Kickstarter, and it's links with the concept of Patronage, in the past and future.

Duration: 06:47

Ludology Epiosde 77 - Board To Bits from 2014-03-23T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to be joined by guest Keith Burgun of DinoFarm games and author of Listen

GameTek 76 - Copyright and Trademark from 2014-03-16T14:23:26

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the different types of intellectual property protection available to authors and companies.

Duration: 06:48

Ludology Episode 76 - I Like Dice To Roll from 2014-03-09T11:00

Ryan and Geoff continue their series on the most influential games of all time, and take a look at the 1980's.  What were the key games when we all weren't trying to unscramble our Rubik's Cubes...

GameTek 75 - 3D Printing from 2014-03-02T18:22:12

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the impact 3D printing technology may have on the game hobby.

Duration: 07:30

Ludology Episode 75 - Gray's Ludology from 2014-02-23T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are very excited to be joined by special guest Mike Gray. Mike has a long history in the game industry, working for Milton Bradley, TSR, and Hasbro.  He designed Fortress America,...

GameTek 74 - Endings from 2014-02-16T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the importance of endings, and the difference between "the experiencing self" and "the remembering self."

One of Geoff's favorites!

Duratio...

Ludology Episode 74 - Boardgame Wonderland from 2014-02-09T15:30

Ryan and Geoff continue their series on the most influential games of all time, and take a look at the 1970's.  What were the key moments in the decade of disco?

Duration: 01:21:58

GameTek 73 - Power Creep from 2014-02-02T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Power Creep. Is it a big conspiracy? Or is there a less nefarious explanation?

Duration: 06:19

Ludology Episode 73 - Icon of Clarity from 2014-01-26T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by JVMF-auction winner Chaz Marler, to discuss the use of icons in games. Why use icons? What games have useful icons, and others not so much?  And what is Geoff's sugg...

GameTek 72 - Playtesting from 2014-01-19T15:27:52

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at playtesting. What are the different types of playtesting, and how do they fall short?

Ludology Episode 72 - Under The Influence Part 1 from 2014-01-12T12:00

And we're back!! Ryan and Geoff kick off the new year with a new series: The Most Influential Games.

Part 1 covers 1900 - 1969.  What are the most influential games from these years?

Ludology Episode 71 - Dude, Where's My Map? from 2013-12-15T12:00

Geoff and Ryan are joined by Steve Kendall of the Ragnar Brothers and designer of History of the World, Viking Fury, and more, to discuss Area Control or 'Dudes on a Map' games. What are the out...

GameTek 70 - Betrayer's Banquet from 2013-12-08T12:00

NEW CONTENT! Geoff talks with Quintin Smith of Shut Up and Sit Down about his recent experience at The Betrayer's Banquet, a Prisoner's Dilemma-the...

Ludology Episode 70 - Risky Business from 2013-12-01T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by Rob Daviau, of Iron Wall Games, and formerly with Hasbro. While at Hasbro Rob worked on a slew of games you know, including Heroscape, Betrayal at H...

GameTek Classic 69 - Wild West Showdown from 2013-11-24T14:58:34

In this classic GameTek, the GameTek players present "Wild West Showdown". Who will win this three-sided gunfight... of doom?

Duration: 07:44

Ludology Episode 69 - Area 69 from 2013-11-17T12:00

Hot on the heels of talking about Set Collection, Ryan and Geoff tackle its cousin, Area Majority, a mechanic which comes wearing many disguises.  How does it differ from Set Collection? What ma...

GameTek Classic 68 - Gamification from 2013-11-10T15:25:48

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff talks about gamification, specifically the way that it is used by fold.it to use game mechanics to sol...

Ludology Epsiode 68 - Game, Set, Match from 2013-11-03T12:00

In this episode Ryan and Geoff discuss Set Collection as a tool for game designers. What attributes can set collection add to a game? What are some of the pitfalls? What games have used it well ...

GameTek Classic 67 - Chaos from 2013-10-27T11:00

In the classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Chaos Theory, and how it is reflected in game design.

Duration: 06:54

Ludology Episode 67 - The Games Robots Play from 2013-10-20T11:00

In this episode, Geoff interviews Frank Merrick from FIRST about using games to get kids excited about science and technology. What are the special consideration...

GameTek Classic 66 - Blindfolds and Boxes from 2013-10-13T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about two recent research results about choice.

Duration: 5:15

Ludology Episode 66 - Please Sir, Can I Have Some More? from 2013-10-06T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Corey Koneiczka of Fantasy Flight Games designer of such classics as Battlestar Galactica, Mansions of Madness, and the upcoming Eldritch Horror. The t...

GameTek Classic 65 - Planetary Dice from 2013-09-29T11:00

How are dice and planets connected? Listen to this classic GameTek and find out!

Duration: 06:47

Ludology Episode 65 - The Envelope Please! from 2013-09-22T11:00

Ryan and Geoff dedicate the entire show to reviewing their top 10 entries to the Dice Tower Network / Cool Stuff Inc contest, and announce the winner!

Duration: 01:00:44

GameTek Classic 64 - Fuzzy Logic from 2013-09-15T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff explores fuzzy logic and how it applies to our attempts to categorize games - and everything else in the world.

Duration: 07:45

Ludology Episode 64 - The ABC's of CCG's from 2013-09-08T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by guest Mike Fitzgerald. Mike is the designer of a variety of card games including the Mystery Rummy series and Hooyah, but also spent many years working on CCGs like ...

GameTek Classic 63 - Interview with Bob Abbott from 2013-09-01T11:30

In this classic GameTek, Ryan and Geoff interview game designer Bob Abbott, designer of classic games like Confusion, Eleusis, and Code 777.

Duration: 09:29

Listen

Ludology Episode 63 - Set Your Phases To Fun from 2013-08-25T11:00

Ryan and Geoff take a very high level look at the structure of games - the phases and turns that make them tick. What structures were there in ancient games? How has this changed over time? How ...

GameTek Classic 62: Flipping Probability from 2013-08-18T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff shares a technique for making it simpler to calculate probabilities in your head.

Duration: 06:06

Ludology Episode 62 - Gone Digital from 2013-08-11T14:40:56

Ryan and Geoff are joined by John Meindersee of Campfire Creations, to talk about the special challenges in creating digital versions of boardgames.  Campfire Creations developed the iOS version...

GameTek Classic 61: Choices from 2013-08-04T11:00

Meaningful decisions are what drive deep strategy games. But can there be too much of a good thing? Can having too many choices hinder our ability to make good, or any, decisions?

Duratio...

Ludology Episode 61 - Listener Spectacularerer from 2013-07-28T11:00

In this third listener question episode, Ryan and Geoff respond to a veritable panoply of user questions, and field them with their usual combination of aplomb and pithy aphorisms.

Durati...

GameTek Classic 60: PokerBots from 2013-07-21T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about PokerBots: How they are programmed, why they're a problem, and how to detect them.

Duration: 04:54

Ludology Episode 60 - How To "How To Play" from 2013-07-14T11:00

Rules! Every game has them, but they are a big source of gamer frustration.  Ryan and Geoff put their heads together to come up with rules for rules.

What makes for a good set of rules? W...

GameTek Classic 59 - Man vs Machine from 2013-07-07T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the difference between playing a human vs an AI opponent. Do we act and feel differently about the game? If so, why?

Duration: 5:58

Ludology Episode 59 - Hey! That's Mine! from 2013-06-30T11:00

As humans we overvalue losing something and undervalue gaining it. This is called Loss Aversion, and is a well studied psychological effect.

How do games incorporate Loss Aversion? How do...

GameTek Classic 58 - Player Engagement from 2013-06-23T15:13:08

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff discusses long games and how to keep players engaged for many hours. What are the different types of engagment, which are effective, and which are mentally...

Ludology Episode 58 - Back to Basics? from 2013-06-16T13:41:12

Ryan proposes a radical change to the mechanics of Trading in the Mediterranean to simplify and smooth our the gameplay, and Geoff wants to talk about it.  Will it throw the baby out with the ba...

GameTek Classic 57 - Endowed Progress from 2013-06-09T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at car washes and the Endowed Progress Effect. How can we use it to get players more engaged in a game?

Duration: 05:30

Ludology Episode 57 - Goal! from 2013-06-02T11:00

Ryan and Geoff tackle the concept of an 'objective' in a game - not just end game objectives, but techniques for building a series of mini-objectives to keep the player engaged and the game movi...

GameTek Classic 56 - Gamification from 2013-05-26T14:56:27

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about how businesses are trying to use games to appeal to customers.

Duration: 07:25

Ludology Episode 56 - License to Thrill from 2013-05-19T11:00

Licnesed games like X-Wing and the upcoming Star Trek: Attack Wing are hugely popular. But how is designing a game with a license different?  Ryan and Geoff are pleased to welcome back guest And...

GameTek Classic 55 - Intransitive Dice from 2013-05-12T17:51:08

In this classic GameTek, Geoff looks at intransitive dice - Dice where die A tends to beat die B, which tends to beat die C, which tends to beat die A.

This was a big topic of discussion ...

Ludology Episode 55 - The Box is Half Full from 2013-05-05T11:00

Ryan and Geoff reivew the status of "Trading in the Mediterranean", their publicly-developed board game. After talking about the current version and how it has evolved, they talk about what's wo...

GameTek Classic 54 - Designing Word Games from 2013-04-28T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff interviews Gil Hova, who designed the game Prolix, about the different concerns in designing a wo...

Ludology Episode 54 - The Long and the Short of it. from 2013-04-21T11:00

Ryan and Geoff discuss the interplay between short and long-term objectives in games. How can designers use these to create a richer game experience? What impact do they have on complexity and t...

GameTek Classic 53 - Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe from 2013-04-14T15:08:59

In this classic GameTek, Geoff continues talking about Entanglement and quantum physics by introducing the game Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe.  C...

Ludology Episode 53 - PAX Ludologica from 2013-04-07T11:00

This special episode of Ludology is a recording of a game design panel Geoff particiated in at PAX East 2013, in Boston. The topic was "Impact of Video Game Design Techniques on Board Games". Listen

GameTek Classic 52 - Entanglement from 2013-03-31T11:00

In this classic Gametek, Geoff talks about Entanglement, Quantum Mechanics, and why our intuition about probability can be woefully incorrect. One of Geoff's favorite episodes!

Duration: ...

Ludology Episode 52 - Let's Make a Deal! from 2013-03-24T11:00

This episode Ryan and Geoff tackle games that feature negotiation, either as a designed-in feature, or a by-product of the player interactions. What features make for a great negotiation game?  ...

GameTek Classic 51 - Regret from 2013-03-17T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff examines regret - why we would rather not make a choice at all, rather than make it and have it not work out.

Duration: 6:26

Ludology Episode 51 - 50 for 50, Part 2 from 2013-03-10T11:00

Ryan and Geoff return with the second half of their new games for 2012. Plus their top picks for the year!

Duration 1:20:55

This episode is sponsored...

GameTek Classic 50 - Monty Hall from 2013-03-03T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff introduces the Monty Hall problem, an old chestnut that never fails to amaze those who have not heard it before.

Duration: 08:25

This episode is spon...

Ludology Episode 50 - 50 for 50, Part 1 from 2013-02-24T16:07

To celebrate the 50th episode of Ludology, Ryan and Geoff talk about 50 games that were new to them in 2012:  The good, the bad, and the design features that stood out.

Duration: 1:10

GameTek Classic 49 - Martin Gardner from 2013-02-17T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about Martin Gardner, who wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American magazine from the mid 50's to the 1980's, and passed away in 2010.

Ludology Episode 49 - The Joke's On You! from 2013-02-10T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by guest Zack Johnson, designer of the online game Kingdom of Loathing, to discuss the use (and misuse) of humor in games. How is humor used in games? Are there special...

GameTek Classic 48 - High Society from 2013-02-03T15:43:01

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a close look under the hood at the Reiner Knizia game High Society, to tease out what makes it such a dynamic and engaging design.

Duration: 6:35

Ludology Episode 48 - Fun with Feedback from 2013-01-27T12:00

No, not listener feedback - Feedback loops. What are the different types of feedback, and how do designers incorporate them into games? Do certain types of games benefit from feedback? Is feedba...

GameTek Classic 47 - Worrying from 2013-01-20T16:23:40

In this GameTek from 2010, Geoff and his son Brian talk about what they are worried about as their game The Ares Project nears publication. Special bonus recap of how on target we were!

D...

Ludology Episode 47 - State of Games 2013 from 2013-01-13T05:00

In our first episode of the new year, we are joined by the godfather of gaming, Tom Vasel, to dissect 2012 and speculate on the direction of the industry in the upcoming year.

Ludology Episode 46 - Getting Down to Brass Tracks from 2012-12-16T12:00

For the final full episode of 2012, Ryand and Geoff are very pleased to welcome Martin Wallace to the program, designer of such classics as Age of Steam, Brass, and Runebound.

We discuss ...

GameTek Classic 45 - Writing Rules from 2012-12-09T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the art of rules writing. Why is it hard? What options are available to the designer?

Duration: 10:15

Ludology Episode 45 - Emergence from 2012-12-02T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to welcome Eric Zimmerman of the NYU Game Center, and author of the book Listen

Ludology Episode 44a - The Rubber Meets the Road from 2012-11-25T12:00

Finally! Ryan corrals his buddies into trying Trading in the Mediterranean, and records their thoughts afterwards. 

Listen

Ludology Episode 44 - All For One and One For All from 2012-11-18T12:00

Ryan and Geoff welcome special guest Christopher Badell, designer of Sentinels of the Multiverse and one of the principals of Greater Than Games.  We have a wide-ranging discussion about startin...

GameTek Classic 43 - Rules for Robots from 2012-11-11T16:24:30

In this classic GameTek from February 2010, Geoff introduces the FIRST Robotics competition and the way the program is structured around games.

Duration: 8:54

Ludology Episode 43 - Twilight Snuggle from 2012-11-04T13:54:37

Ryan stays up past his bedtime as he and Geoff welcome special guest Jason Matthews to the show.  Jason is the codesigner of Twilight Struggle, 1960, Founding Fathers, 1989, and other great poli...

GameTek Classic 42 - Gifting from 2012-10-28T15:28

In this classic GameTek from January of 2010, Geoff discusses the economics of gift-giving, and some games that explore gift exchanges.

Duration: 06:45

Ludology Episode 42a - TradeMed Trade Goods from 2012-10-21T04:00

Ryan and Geoff get down in the weeds to discuss the details of the cards and card mix in Trading in the Mediterranean.  How will the trade goods relate to the ideas? How will they be acquired? H...

Ludology Episode 42 - Speedy Delivery! from 2012-10-14T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Eric Summerer for a deep dive into Pick Up and Deliver games. What are some of the best examples of this genre? What makes them appealing? When do they...

GameTek Classic 41 - Multitouch Tables Revisited from 2012-10-07T11:00

In this GameTek from December of 2009, Geoff discusses advances in 'multitouch table' technology, tech which eventually found it's way into tablets like the iPad.

Duration: 07:45

Ludology Episode 41 - Listener Spectacular 2 from 2012-09-30T11:00

Ryan and Geoff tackle some more listener questions in the aptly named 'Listener Spectacular 2'.

Duration: 55:57

GameTek Classic 40 - Emergent Behavior from 2012-09-23T15:15:10

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at rules. Can you learn everything there is to know about a game just by reading the rules?

Duration: 07:00

Ludology Epsiode 40 - Games Teach from 2012-09-18T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Giles Pritchard to discuss the use of games in the classroom. Both Ryan and Giles teach kids ages 8-11, and have extensively used games to augment the ...

Ludology Episode 39a - The Violence Inherent In The System from 2012-09-09T11:00

Ryan and Geoff continue brainstorming on Trading in the Mediterranean, trying to zero in on how different types of governments and social factors can be incorporated into the design.

Dura...

Ludology Episode 39 - Roll and Move from 2012-09-02T11:00

After a brief summer break, the Ludology team is back!

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff discuss Roll and Move games, including their history, what they do well, and what they do poorly. Wh...

Ludology Episode 38a - Ideas about Ideas from 2012-08-12T11:00

Ryan and Geoff continue their development of Trading in the Mediterranean, working to flesh out how to include 'ideas' in the game.

Duration: 48:00

Ludology Episode 38 - You Are Here from 2012-08-05T11:00

Ryan and Geoff talk about maps, geography, and spatial relations in game design.

Duration: 1:25:15

Ludology Episode 37a - Trading in the Mediterranean from 2012-07-29T11:00

In place of the 'Classic GameTek' segment that we normally post in between full episodes of Ludology, we are posting some bonus content about the design process for Trading in the Mediterranean....

Ludology Episode 37 - The Empty Box from 2012-07-22T11:00

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff discuss different approaches to starting a new game design. And then, they embark on a grand project of their own, designing a game of their own!

D...

GameTek Classic 36 - NP Complete from 2012-07-15T11:00

In this classic GameTek segment Geoff talks about NP Complete problems in mathematics, and the ways that certain problems can be transformed into others.

Duration: 06:00

(Yes, I kn...

Ludology Episode 36 - Case Study: Ticket To Ride from 2012-07-09T02:40:58

Ryan and Geoff take a close analytical look at Alan Moon's Ticket To Ride, and lift up the hood to figure out what makes it tick.  What design decisions set it apart from similar games?  How doe...

Ludology Episode 35 - The Social Milieu from 2012-06-24T12:47:11

In this episode Ryan and Geoff analyze the environment that games create. Some games tend to be very competitive and tense, and others light and social. What pushes gameplay in these directions?...

GameTek Classic 34 - Design and Creativity from 2012-06-17T18:30:14

In this classic GameTek, Geoff and Brian continue to talk about The Ares Project, and the design challenges they faced. They specifically discuss designing with constraints as a way to spark cre...

Ludology Episode 34 - The Good, The Bad, and The Random from 2012-06-10T11:00

Ryan and Geoff take a look at the use of uncertainty and randomness in games. What works and what doesn't? When should you have more randomness and when less?

Duration: 1:09:45

GameTek Classic 33 - Intro to The Ares Project from 2012-06-03T16:09:50

In this classic GameTek, Geoff announces that he is going to publishing a game with Z-Man Games called - wait for it - The Ares Project.  This was originally broadcast in August of 2009 on Dice ...

Ludology Episode 33 - Pandamonium! from 2012-05-27T16:07:20

This episode Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to welcome Michael Lee, founder and co-owner of Panda Games, manufacturer of games like Pandemic and Eclipse, to di...

GameTek Classic 32 - Push Your Luck from 2012-05-20T17:50:42

In this GameTek segment Geoff looks at the math behind Push Your Luck games. When another roll is one roll too many...

This was originally broadcast in Dice Tower episode 143 in March of ...

Ludology Episode 32 - Critical Mass from 2012-05-13T11:00

Ryan and Geoff tackle reviews and criticism. What are the different types? What drives people to write reviews? How do people use them? Do game reviews need to differ from film or book reviews? ...

GameTek Classic 31 - Trading Games from 2012-05-06T11:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about the characteristics of a good trading game. What drives the gameplay? How much does value need to be obscured? Is it better or worse to have stuff wort...

Ludology Episode 31 - Interview with William Attia from 2012-05-05T12:46:18

Ryan and Geoff conduct a 'virtual interview' with William Attia, the designer, most notably, of Caylus.  Ryan declares that Caylus is the "most important game sinc...

GameTek Classic - PBEM History from 2012-04-22T14:51:19

Well before the current wave of online boardgames, both web-based and mobile, Geoff reflected on his experience with PBEM gaming back in the dark ages in this classic GameTek episode.

05:...

Ludology Episode 30 - Listener Spectacular from 2012-04-15T11:00

Geoff and Ryan field several listener questions this episode, weighing in on quite a diverse range of topics. To add to the difficulty, Ryan responds to all questions with the flu.

Length...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Hot and Cold from 2012-04-08T11:00

In this classic GameTek Geoff looks at research linking temperature to social interactions. When should you give your opponents a cup of coffee instead of a soda?

We have also started a n...

Ludology Episode 29 - Sold! from 2012-04-02T01:04:14

Ryan and Geoff continue their discussion of the Auction mechanic. How much should the true value of what you're bidding on be hidden? And how can that be done? Plus, mechanics that really are au...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Visibility from 2012-03-25T14:27:03

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses the concept of Visibility in computer games versus board games, using the PC game Armageddon Empires as a case study. How do board games and computer gam...

Ludology Episode 28 - Going, Going, Gone from 2012-03-18T15:34:54

Ryan and Geoff begin their two-part exploration of auction mechanics. Auctions are a part of many games, sometimes just as a minor role, and sometimes as the star.

What are the advantages...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Graph Theory from 2012-03-12T00:18:29

This classic GameTek was originally broadcast during a Dice Tower episode on Train Games. Geoff explores the connections (get it - connections?) between creating rail networks and the branch of ...

Ludology Episode 27 - Case Study: Eclipse from 2012-03-04T12:00

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff look at the hot new space game Eclipse as a way of revisiting topics from prior shows. How does Eclipse handle issues like multiple strategies, turn sequence, and...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Evolution from 2012-02-26T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff examines games about evolution. Which work, and which don't, and do any of them accurately capture the key concepts of evolutionary science?

Ludology Episode 26 - Epic Games from 2012-02-19T12:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by Dr. Lewis Pulsipher to talk about games that feel epic.  What features are required for a game to feel epic? Can a short game be epic? Is it impossible to make an ep...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Past, Present, and Future from 2012-02-12T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff takes a look at hot streaks, cold streaks, and our predisposition to see patterns in what is actually random data.

Ludology Episode 25 - Sports Spectacular! from 2012-02-05T12:00

Today is Superbowl Sunday, and Team Ludology is tackling sports boardgames with guests Cody Jones and John Richard from Game On with Cody & John.  Are the...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Voting from 2012-01-29T15:54:10

In this GameTek from 2008 Geoff discusses voting in general, and the specific voting system in the United States. Do the rules in the United States lead towards a two-party system? Or is it poss...

Episode 24 - State of The Game Hobby, 2012 from 2012-01-22T12:00

A bit of a departure for Ludology, as we take a more topical look at the state of the gaming hobby as we move into the new year.

To give a business perspective, Ryan and Geoff are joined ...

Bonus Episode - Prospect Theory from 2012-01-15T12:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about how people approach gains and losses differently. This peculiarity of human psychology is the basis for Prospect Theory, developed by Kahneman and Tver...

Episode 23 - Arts and Crafts from 2012-01-08T12:00

We are pleased to welcome special guest Russ Wakelin, from The D6 Generation to discuss graphic design. The graphic design of a game can have a huge ...

Bonus Episode - Expectation Value from 2011-12-18T19:00

Are the kids out of school yet? If so, here's a bonus GameTek that is sure to keep their math skills freshly honed during the break. Geoff discusses how to estimate the 'Expectation Value' and h...

Episode 22 - Games vs Simulations from 2011-12-11T17:02:04

Ryan and Geoff are pleased to be joined by special guest Phil Eklund, designer of many games including High Frontier and Origins: How We Became Human.  

We discuss designing games as simu...

Bonus Episode - Chess Ratings from 2011-12-04T15:03:04

Following up on the last bonus GameTek episode about Regression Towards the Mean, Geoff discusses the USCF chess rating system with it's developer, Dr. Mark Glickman.  How are they calculated? H...

Episode 21 - Innovation vs Reinterpretation from 2011-11-27T14:31:56

It's Thanksgiving in the USA, so everything is bigger than usual. In this supersized 90 minute Ludology, Ryan and Geoff tackle the question of innovation in games. Where does innovation come fro...

Bonus Episode - Regression Towards the Mean from 2011-11-20T17:39:09

Why do we get worse after we get better? In this classic GameTek Geoff explores the concept of 'Regression Towards the Mean', and tries to figure out how we can really tell if we're improving or...

Episode 20 - The Point of Victory from 2011-11-13T14:47:27

In the episode, Geoff & Ryan discuss Victory Points - What are the different ways they are used? What works and what doesn't? Are they a crutch for lazy design or a useful tool in the arsenal of...

Bonus Episode - Group Think from 2011-11-06T23:20:50

In this classic GameTek Geoff talks about Group Think in games - what causes it, and different ways to think about it.

Episode 19 - Two's Company, Three's a Crowd from 2011-11-03T21:06

With Geoff out of commission due to a freak snowstorm, Mark Johnson steps up to the plate to join Ryan in a discussion of two versus three player games. What are the differences? What design cho...

Bonus Episode - Shuffling from 2011-10-23T13:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff discusses shuffling - A little of the math behind it, how online shuffling works, and a brief glimpse into the science of thermodynamics. Not bad for five minutes!...

Episode 18 - Research Through Gaming from 2011-10-16T10:00

Ryan and Geoff interview Dr. Luke Rendell of the University of St. Andrews.  Dr. Rendell's team conducts research on social learning and the spread of ideas and culture throughout society. To as...

Bonus Episode - The Giant Dice Tower from 2011-10-09T14:45

Back in 2009 Geoff interviewed Scott Nesin, builder of a Dice Tower capable of rolling 1.3 million dice per day. What inspired him to take on a project like that?

Check out the video befo...

Episode 17 - Monogamers and Miniatures from 2011-10-02T14:00

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Norbert Brunhuber, who is very active in the Warmachine/Hordes community.  The discussion centers around two topics:

'Monogamer...

Bonus Episode - Social Learning Strategies Tournament from 2011-09-25T15:12:51

Back in 2008 Geoff talked about a tournament to learn about how individuals interact within a social group.  He and his family submitted an entry, but sadly did not win the 10,000 euro prize. Listen

Episode 16 - Cooperative Games from 2011-09-18T11:00

Ryan and Geoff look deep into the heart of cooperative games to figure out why some work and some don't.  What special problems face the designer of a coop?

Bonus Episode - Dice Decks from 2011-09-11T04:00

In this classic GameTek, Geoff talks about streakiness in dice rolling in The Settlers of Catan. How often should it occur? And what effect does a 'Dice Deck' have on the game?

The Subcultures of Gaming from 2011-09-04T15:16:16

Fresh off of their visit to Gencon in August, Ryan and Geoff talk about the subcultures of gaming, their similarities, differences, and the ways they interact.

Bonus Episode - The Cube Tower from 2011-08-28T04:00

Original research from the GameTek Laboratories! Geoff looks at the Cube Tower from Wallenstein/Shogun and experiments to see if there is any pattern to when the cubes fall out. Take your Shogun...

Episode 14 - Roll Again! from 2011-08-21T18:41

Ryan and Geoff finally resolve the cliff-hanger back from episode 12 and reveal the game they think brought dice back into popularity as a design tool not just a randomizer but as an integral pa...

Bonus Episode - Agricola Translation from 2011-08-14T13:41:32

What is involved in localizing a game into a different language? Geoff talks with the team who worked to translate Agricola from German to English and finds out.

Episode 13 - CCGs&DBGs from 2011-08-07T11:00

This episode we are pleased to be joined by Mike Elliott. Mike is the designer of Quarriors and Thunderstone, and also worked for many years with Wizards of the Coast doing design work on Magic ...

Bonus Episode - Beauty Contests from 2011-07-31T11:30

Can you outguess your opponent?  Geoff digs into some experiments that may give the answer in this classic GameTek episode.

Episode 12 - Dice-O-Rama from 2011-07-24T10:00

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff explore dice, and dissect the history of their use in games.

Bonus Episode - Rock Paper Scissors from 2011-07-03T04:00

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at the c...

Episode 11 - Family Games from 2011-06-26T11:00

Ryan and Geoff discuss Family Games - What are they and what makes them work?  Ryan goes back to his educational theory studies to break it down.

Bonus Episode - Abstract Games from 2011-06-19T11:00

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at abstr...

Episode 10 - Complexity from 2011-06-12T11:00

Ryan and Geoff are very pleased to be joined this episode by special guest Scott Nicholson, of On Boardgames, and Boardgames with Scott.  They discuss complexity - different types of complexity,...

Bonus Episode - Fair Dice from 2011-06-05T11:00

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff takes a look at research that was done on the fairness of dice. How 'unfair' can standard off-the-shelf dice get?

Episode 9 - Turn, Turn, Turn from 2011-05-29T11:00

Ryan and Geoff discuss the differences between turn-based and simultaneous-action games. What are the advantages of each type of design?

Bonus Episode - The Ultimatum Game from 2011-05-22T09:00

In this episode, Geoff explores the Ultimatum Game, which is used by social scientists to explore human concepts of fairness, competition, and cooperation.

Episode 8 - Narrative Arc from 2011-05-15T04:00

Ryan and Geoff tackle another angle on story in games - the narrative arc. What creates rising tension, and what game elements can create a dramatic climax?

Bonus Episode - Prisoner's Dilemma (Part 2) from 2011-05-08T04:00

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff talks about the iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, and what it implies about social science and evolution.

Episode 7 - Narratology from 2011-05-01T04:00

Ryan and Geoff are joined by special guest Andy Parks to begin their discussion on how games incorporate story and narrative structure elements.

Andy is a game designer of many games incl...

Bonus Episode - Prisoner's Dilemma (Part 1) from 2011-04-24T15:11:15

In this classic GameTek episode, Geoff talks about the Prisoner's Dilemma and how it applies to board games.

Episode 6 - Finding The Balance from 2011-04-17T11:00

Ryan and Geoff conclude their discussion of balance by looking at a variety of questions:

What does it mean for a game to be balanced?

What are the different types of balance?

Bonus Episode - Triangular Numbers from 2011-04-10T13:48:24

In this classic GameTek segment Geoff takes a look at triangular numbers and the way they are used in game designs. Features a bonus appearance by Alan Moon (sort of)!

Episode 5 - Dominant Strategies - Take 2 from 2011-04-03T17:11:29

Games that seem to have multiple strategies sometimes end up...

Bonus Episode - Multitouch Tables from 2011-03-27T18:17:03

In this classic GameTek episode from 2007 Geoff talks about Multitouch Tables like the Microsoft Surface, and the role they may play in the future of boardgames.

Episode 4 - The Emergence of Strategy from 2011-03-20T14:39:09

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff discuss the difference between strategy and tactics, and the different forms that strategy can take in games.

Episode 3A - The Defense of Power Grid from 2011-03-14T09:00

What, another Ludology episode already?

In episode 3, Catch The Leader, Ryan and Geoff both opined that the turn order mechanic in Power Grid diminishes the overall experience.  This prom...

Ludology Bonus Episode - Reviews from 2011-03-13T09:00

Here is the next classic GameTek episode. This is on one of Tom Vasel's favorite topics - reviews!

This is purely 'bonus' content, and we will still be ...

Episode 3 - Catch The Leader from 2011-03-06T14:00

In this episode, Ryan and Geoff begin their series on balance.  First up: Catch The Leader.

What exactly is Catch The Leader? When is it needed, if ever? When does it work and when doesn'...

Ludology Bonus Episode 1 - GameTek Classic! from 2011-02-27T10:00

Regular Ludology episodes will be released every two weeks.

As an experiment, on the 'in between' weeks we are going to be releasing classic GameTek segments from The Dice Tower.  This is...

Episode 2 - Why Do We Play Games? from 2011-02-20T10:00

In our second episode we take a look at what attracts people to games, and what keeps them coming back for more.  Plus Ryan and Geoff share personal stories about some of their game experiences ...

Episode 1 - What is a Game? from 2011-02-07T14:26

Welcome to Ludology! In this, our first episode, we tackle the question of what is a game, and what isn't.