Claim OwnershipThe Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast
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℗ & © 2023 Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, Trevor Muller-Hegel
Description
Join game designers Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, and Trevor Muller-Hegel as they analyze published games from a game developer's perspective. Each month, they pick a new game mechanic and three games to play in that genre. Each episode is 20 minutes of pure game design nerdiness!
130 Episodes
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Should mechanics call out specific cards by name? Why would a player use a weaker attack instead of a stronger one? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor gotta catch 'em all in the Pokémon TCG.
1Do keywords make deckbuilding approachable? How do you spotlight certain cards? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda tap their lands for mana in Magic: The Gathering.
How do thresholds differ from spending? Are there any genres set collection doesn't work with? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie talk about Set Collection.
When should all actions be mandatory? How can turn structure foreshadow interactions? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor get out the popcorn in Spooktacular.
When should players be encouraged to make trades? What is the point of charging players for a third plot if everybody buys one anyway? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda grow beans in Bohnanza.
How do you balance wildcards while still making them appealing? Can mechanics serve as mnemonics? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie dig up gems in Splendor.
When do you end the game? Why does urgency matter? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss engine-building games.
How do you keep players engaged when it is not their turn? Should you use faction-specific disadvantages? Charlie, Ananda, and Trevor spin their gears in Sprocketforge.
What makes for a good Winston draft? How can you make wildcards strategically interesting? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor cram for finals in Studies in Sorcery.
How do you create long-term goals for players? Can one-shot cards progress your engine? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie excavate lairs in Wyrmspan.
How much theme can an abstract strategy game have? What makes abstract strategy games replayable? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor talk about multiplayer abstract strategy games.
Can supply limits define a game? How do you define spatial relationships without a board? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor destroy stars in Homeworlds.
How do you design zero level heuristics for abstract strategy games? What are the benefits of limiting how many actions a player can perform? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda break the ice in Hey, That's My Fish!
What is better, strategy or tactics? How does attack-left benefit multiplayer games? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie manipulate nature in Element.
Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie run the 2025 Iron Designer Challenge, a game jam event.
How do you get players to value things differently? What styles of auction are there? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie talk about Auction games.
Where should the money from an auction go? Does research need to be complicated? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor merge companies in Indonesia.
How do you encourage players to lead with their best bid? Why are catchup mechanics so important in auction games? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda petition the gods in Cyclades.
Should currency be hidden? Why is liquidity so powerful? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie pass the buck in No Thanks!
How do you make a game fun when players lose most of the hands they play? Should cards have effects when played? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie talk about trick takers.
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