Producing Fun

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

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

As well as running what may be the most successful podcast about game design ever - the Boardgame Design Lab - Gabe Barrett has run 10 successful board game-related Kickstarter projects: including a solo-only game that raised more than $65,000. In this episode, we talk about why he started the show, why he stopped, the power of building community, and useful advice for budding creators.

Website: www.boardgamedesignlab.com

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BGDLCommunity

“Robomon” - new game launch: https://gamefound.com/projects/gabe-barrett/robomon

Nick Bentley has been working in the industry for years. But recently, he took up a new role with Underdog Games: a game publisher smashing up conventional wisdom and selling 100,000s games in the process. This week we have the deepest conversation I’ve had before or heard before about *why* people buy one game rather than another. This is an absolute must-listen for aspiring game creators.

Underdog Games: https://www.underdoggames.com/

Nick’s website: https://www.nickbentley.games/

Nick’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nick__bentley

Jay Cormier was already a successful designer, having multiple BGG top 1000 games to his name across a very wide variety of genres. 4 years ago he got into game publishing, launching Off the Page Games, a company producing games based on indie comic books. His first title - Mind MGMT - is already a smash hit. In this episode, we get into how to run a profitable Kickstarter, make clever manufacturing decisions, and the power of branding.

www.offthepagegames.com

www.failfaster.ca

www.youtube.com/c/OffThePageGames

www.bamboozlebrothers.com

Together Jack and Paul are Eurydice Games: A UK game publishing company that - most unusually - actually manufactures all their own games. In this episode, we talk about the financial risks of large print runs, how their in-house manufacturing allows them to do things that would be impossible without very large investments, and their top tips for anyone who’d like to physically make their own games.

Jack: https://twitter.com/jackson_pope

Paul: https://twitter.com/PaulWillcox10

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

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

Blog: https://creationandplay.blogsport.com

Website: https://www.eurydicegames.co.uk

Forthcoming Gamefound for FlickFleet: Xeno Wars: https://gamefound.com/projects/draft/am1zfbwx1bn89fhfxbrko1jlscx

Dina Ramse is a game Marketer from Finland. Dina helps small publishers get their games known and funded, having supported more than 40 launches on Kickstarter. In this episode, we cover the finer points of social media algorithms, how to use different platforms to maximum effect, and choosing the right creators to partner with, among many other topics.

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

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

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

https://earthbornegames.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boarddigby

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheLudoquist

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

Annie Norman is the founder and owner of Badsquiddo Games - a company specialising in making believable female miniatures. In this episode we discuss how she built the business from absolutely nothing, bringing women in history to life, key practical questions about pricing, product quality, when and when not to outsource and how selfies play a surprisingly critical role in the miniature design process. 

Annie's link tree: https://linktr.ee/badsquiddogames

Louis is the Managing Director of CMA Creative Solutions Ltd - a UK manufacturer of resin and metal miniatures. He talks to James about the surprising reliance modern manufacturing still has on skilled manual work, what publishers should do to source good quality components at an affordable price and how Games Workshop created an entire market.

CMA's Website: http://www.cmacsl.co.uk/

Producing Fun is a new podcast about what it takes to get a game published: and the many different people involved in its journey from mind to table.