Brain to Board

Andrew Nathenson

Welcome to Brain to Board, a podcast about how one crazy man designs a game from scratch, and takes you along for the ride. We'll explore the design process and publishing process, and any other things that come up along the way.

  • 11 minutes 22 seconds
    11: Playtesting with Friends and Family

    You don't always get accurate feedback when you playtest with people who are close to you.  In this episode, I share with you some tips I've discovered to figure out how people really feel.

    Music is Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.

    1 March 2019, 6:00 pm
  • 16 minutes 22 seconds
    10: Same Idea, Different Execution

    The past several weeks, I've been working on a new version of my game.  it has the same general idea and core mechanic as the old version, but it plays much more smoothly and is much more appealing when you first play it.

    Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.

    15 February 2019, 6:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 58 seconds
    9: Solidifying a Theme
    This week(s), I thought through several ideas for themes for my new game, which is essentially about political intrigue. Politics, however, are very difficult to portray in the abstract! Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    26 October 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 6 minutes 52 seconds
    8: Drivethru Cards Review
    This week, I review the card prototype that I ordered from drivethrucards. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    5 October 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 35 seconds
    7: Simpler is Better
    This week, I talk about a major change to my game, Representative, that streamlines gameplay and game learning, without sacrificing the core of the game: player interaction. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    29 September 2018, 7:08 am
  • 8 minutes 56 seconds
    6: Cards Are Easier Than Boards!
    This week, I prototype and playtest my new game, and talk a bit about options for on-demand printing. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    21 September 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 15 minutes 37 seconds
    5: Should I Pivot to a Smaller Game?
    This week, I talk about another game I've designed, and consider switching my focus to producing and publishing this game instead of the other, larger one I had been working on. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    14 September 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 16 minutes 7 seconds
    4: Starting to Figure Out the Money
    This week I looked into some of the costs that will be associated with manufacturing and shipping a board game. Also, I talk about making the game more fun to play by making it faster and more consistent. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    7 September 2018, 10:50 pm
  • 18 minutes 37 seconds
    3: Finding the Hook
    This week, I discovered the part of my game that I believe will add the most fun to it, and really make it a unique experience: the player characters. The game also has a name now: The Warlocks. I also talk a bit about my plans for Kickstarting the game in the future, and how I've started talking to some artists about doing art and graphic design for the game. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    31 August 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 15 minutes 3 seconds
    2: Tabletop Simulator
    This week I created a functional version of my game in Tabletop Simulator, a super useful (and fun!) tool for anything tabletop gaming-related. Also, I have loud neighbors now. Music: Breathing Oxygen and Gasoline by TeknoAXE.
    24 August 2018, 5:00 pm
  • 20 minutes 14 seconds
    1: Basic Theme and Game Mechanics
    In the introductory episode of Brain to Board, I talk about the first week or so of designing and playtesting my game. It doesn't have a title yet, but I describe the theme and some basic mechanics. Music by TeknoAXE.
    17 August 2018, 5:00 pm
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