Going Analog

Where video game industry veterans introduce great board games to video gamers

Podcast #49: Unique deckbuilders, hobbies that should be games (guests: Leder Games, Terrible Games)

Ever wonder what the difference is between "design" and "development"?

We now know that Leder Games has the ability to take an epic theme (SPQF: leading an animal-based civilization to greatness), make it way more modest (Fort: backyard children making, well, forts), and somehow, come out with a better game in the end.

That's the power of a good developer partnered with a good designer. Nick Brachmann Fort's developer and graphic designer) gave Grant Rodiek's deckbuilding game SPQF a kid-ified makeover without kid-ifying the gameplay. We had a lot of questions about how this all works behind the scenes, so Nick was kind enough to join our show this week to give his insight.

Joining him is guest #2, John de Campos, owner of Terrible Games and co-designer of Token Terrors Battlegrounds (which just funded on Kickstarter and is about to enter the pledge manager stage). Together, we discuss these four new topics:

  1. Mike (podcast editor): Besides Fort, what other unique deckbuilding games do we like? (5:29)
  2. Christina (host): What are the differences between "design" and "development"? (21:48)
  3. Nick Brachmann (guest): What are our other hobbies that we'd like to see brought to life in the tabletop space? (32:50)
  4. John de Campos (guest): Publishing, the artist(s) behind the company, and establishing a visual identity (45:13)

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Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

  • Fort
  • SPQF
  • Root
  • Vast
  • Oath
  • Token Terrors: Battlegrounds

Mike's topic: Unique deckbuilding games

  • Dominion
  • Clank!
  • Promenade
  • Art Decko
  • Magic the Gathering
  • Inis
  • Thunderstone
  • Thunderstone Quest
  • Thunderstone Advance
  • Hardback
  • Paperback
  • Spell Smashers
  • Quiddler
  • Composition
  • Tyrants of the Underdark
  • Puzzle Strike
  • Nowhere Prophet
  • Ascension
  • Shards of Infinity
  • Fort
  • SPQF

Christina's topic: Design vs. development

  • SPQF
  • Fort
  • Yu-Gi-Oh!

Nick's topic: Hobbies we'd like to see brought to life in tabletop

  • Compounded
  • Photosynthesis
  • Formula D
  • Flamme Rouge
  • King of the Roll
  • Combo Fighter
  • Shakespeare
  • Distilled
  • The Pursuit of Happiness

John's topic: Publishers and visual identity

  • The Castles of Burgundy
  • Magic the Gathering
  • Escape the Dark Sector
  • Terraforming Mars
  • Inis
  • Root

Final thoughts

  • Scout!
  • Big 2
  • Luxor
  • Kingswood
  • Fort
  • Oath
  • Nowhere Prophet
  • Calico