PODCAST · leisure
Nerdlab Podcast
by Marvin Hegen
The Podcast about board game design and card game design! Together we will explore the secrets of different game mechanics and grow as a game designer!
Episodes
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101 – Inside Board Game Marketing at Nerdlab Games
In this episode, I talk about a fundamental shift in our marketing strategy at Nerdlab Games. We’re moving away from focusing primarily on short-term, ad-driven clicks and putting much more emphasis on building long-term fans and communities around our games. I’ll share why I believe this shift...
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100 – 100 Episodes of Making Games
100 episodes! In this special anniversary episode, I take a look back at the journey that started in 2018. From nervously recording my first interviews to building Nerdlab Games and working on games like Mindbug, Agent Avenue, and Final Titan. I’ll share some things I’ve never talked about…
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099 – Mindbug Survey – How you saved us from making Mindbug worse
In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the results of a Mindbug survey we ran last year, and explain how those insights shaped some of the most important design decisions we made for the future of Mindbug. This is a great example of why I believe it’s incredibly important to involve…
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098 – The Secret Formula Behind Successful Card Games
In this episode, we explore why some card games thrive for years while others disappear after just a few releases. We break down the key drivers behind long-term success in card games: from metagame evolution and strategic depth to community engagement, competitive play, and emotional connection....
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097 – Life of a Game Designer with Chris and Christian Kudahl
Welcome back to The Nerdlab, where we transform our love for gaming into powerful game designs and uncover the secrets of what makes games truly shine. In this special episode, things are a little different: Marvin hands over the microphone to Chris, who takes the lead as interviewer. Why?…
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096 – Nerdlab Games – Behind the Scenes of Publishing Board Games
Chris, a podcast listener and fellow game designer, reached out wondering why there hadn’t been any new episodes lately. He generously offered to take on the role of interviewer for this episode, giving listeners an exclusive behind the scenes look at what’s been happening at Nerdlab Games over…
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095 – Designer Diary for Mindbug Beyond with Richard Garfield, Christian Kudahl & Skaff Elias
In this episode, I discuss with Richard Garfield, Skaff Elias and Christian Kudahl about the design process of Mindbug Beyond. Support our Current Kickstarter Campaign for Mindbug Beyond: Mindbug Beyond Kickstarter Campaign
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094 – Mindbug Kickstarter Lessons Learned
Hello everyone and happy new year. Today we have January 2nd and I have a special guest today. It is my co-designer and friend Christian Kudahl. Hi Christian and welcome to the show. Today we’re going to be looking back at the year 2022, and reflecting on our very first Kickstarter campaign for…
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093 – A Working Day as a Games Publisher
It's been over half a year since I recorded the last podcast episode. That's definitely far too long. I hope that I will be able to record new episodes much more often in the future. Because I really missed being able to exchange ideas with other game designers and to delve deeply into specific...
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092 – Mindbug – Officially Announced
A lot has happened in the last couple of months in the Nerdlab. Christian and I got the chance to work with industry veterans Richards Garfield and Skaff Elias on our Game Mindbug. In this podcast episode, I talk about the things I have been working on with regards to Game Design, Game…
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091 – The Journey of AracKhan Wars with Robert Palmer
Today we have a great guest on the show and I am really excited to learn more about his game. He is the designer of AracKhan Wars, a strategy card game that just got successfully funded with more than 100k on Kickstarter last month. It’s a highly strategic game about card placement, positioning,...
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090 – Designing Slay the Spire – The Boardgame – with Gary Dworetsky
Today we have a great guest on the show. Gary Dworetsky is the designer and publisher of the very successful game Imperium: The Contention. The game has an incredible 8.1 rating on board game geek and is a 4-X card game about deploying fleets, moving ships into the right position, and then…
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089 – The Design Philosophy of Riftforce with Carlo Bortolini
This week I had the chance to talk to Carlo Bortolini, a fellow game designer (Memoarr and Riftforce). Riftforce is a dueling card game that involves factions, drafting, combos, and different strategies. All the good stuff I love so much about card games. So I was very happy to talk to Carlo...
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88 – The Game Design Process of Bruno Cathala
This week I have the incredible honor of hosting one of the best game designers in the world. He has designed countless games and it doesn’t seem like he is going to stop And the majority of them are incredibly successful. For example he designed Kingdomino, Five Tribes, Seven Wonders Duel…
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87 – Victory Points and Player Agency with Tom Lehmann
This week I have the honor of hosting Tom Lehmann, one of the best game designers in history. I wanted to talk to him for quite a while and am very happy that I now have the chance to do so. He has been designing many many games over the last 20 years. What makes his games special and unique for…
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086 – How to Start an E-Mail List as a Game Designer
This week follow up on the topic of E-Mail Listbuilding as a Game Designer. Last week I talked about why you should start an E-Mail List. This week the focus is on how to do it. In the podcast, I cover the high-level process of: Creating a Lead Magnet and a nice Pitch Setting up a Landing Page...
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085 – Why you need an E-Mail List as a Game Designer
This week we tackle a very important topic. Last week I talked about why it is important to pput yourself out there and be active in the board game community. This week I am going to talk about why I think it is super important to create a relationship with the people you get in touch with....
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084 – The Importance of Getting Involved in the Board Game Community
This week I talked about the importance of being part of the community and why it is so important to give without asking for anything in return. These are some of the topics we talked about on the show: Why I started the podcast and the nerdlab community What I got back from the community Some…
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083 – Richard Garfield on Physical and Digital Card Game Design
If you want to join our Nerdlab Game Design Mastermind Groups, you can apply here: Join a Mastermind Groups This week I have the honor of hosting one of the best game designers in history. Without overstating, I can say that he and his games are the reason I got interested in game design in the...
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082 – Creating Expansions with Bruce Glassco, Designer of Fantasy Realms
Fantasy Realms on Boardgamegeek Fantasy Realms on Wizkids Today we have a great guest on the show. One of his earlier games is an industry highlight and has won a Gamers’ Choice Award for the Best Board Game in 2004. One of his newer creations is a super cool fantasy-themed card game with an...
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081 – Blue Ocean Strategy in the Board Game Industry – Part 2
This is the second part of me applying the Blue Ocean Strategy to Board Game Design. In this week I go through the methodology step by step and try to explain how to come up with innovative new ideas for the board game industry. Do you want to use the Blue Ocean Strategy for your Game? Check out...
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080 – Blue Ocean Strategy in the Board Game Industry – Part 1
Do you want to use the Blue Ocean Strategy for your Game? Check out the Slides I prepared for you In today’s episode, I asked myself: Why are new games developed? How does it start? And how do the groundbreaking successes differ from less successful games? I think many games are created because...
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079 – Preliminary Print and Play Kickstarter Campaigns
Today’s episode will be a bit different from the other episodes. Usually, I interview experienced game designers or do a lot of research about a topic before I cover it here on the show. Today it’s more of a discussion I’d say. But since I’m alone today calling it a discussion is kind of weird...
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078 – Point Scoring Mechanics
Today’s episode is about point-scoring mechanics. I went through different games like Sushi Go, Cat Lady, Point Salad or Go nuts for donuts. What do those games have in common? They all have some form of card distribution mechanic and a final scoring at the end. Since I am working on an...
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077 – The Design of Radlands with Daniel Piechnick
Please take a look at Radlands on Kickstarter. I honestly think the game looks amazing. And I don’t only mean the astonishing art, but also the gameplay and mechanics. I just backed it myself and am looking forward to adding it to my collection. (and no, I don’t get paid for saying that...
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076 – The Interplay of Hidden and Visible Information in Magic’s new set Kaldheim
In today’s episode, I analyze the new keywords and mechanics of the Magic the Gathering set “Kaldheim”. Especially “Foretell” and “Boast” which are very different. One has a lot of clear visible information and asks a very precise and direct question to your opponent, while the other is adding...
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075 – How to Learn your Customer’s Language?
In today’s episode, I explain my method of learning the language of my target audience? In order to do so, I asked people over at Reddit about what they like about Dueling Strategy Card Games and identified their answers and especially the words and language they used. The goal is to later adopt...
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074 – Designing Heart of Cthulhu with Patrick Kelleher
Important Links for this episode: Heart of Cthulhu on Instagram Heart of Cthulhu Video Today we have a fellow game designer in the Nerdlab. I can remember that I followed his Instagram profile a time ago because I was impressed by the art of the game. It is hard to explain on a podcast without…
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073 – The Evolution of Deckbuilding with Andrew Parks, Designer of Core Worlds
Important Links for this episode: Quixotic Games Website Core Worlds on Facebook Core Worlds Nemesis (on BGG) Today I have the honor to talk to a very experienced and very successful game designer. I don’t think I know anyone else who has worked with so many super exciting IPs . This includes...
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072 – Elegance in Game Design with Dario and Fabian of Crimson Company
Important Links for this episode: Crimson Company Website Upcoming Kickstarter Expansion of Crimson Company Today we have two special guests in the Nerdlab. And if it weren’t for Corona they might even be physically in the Nerdlab right next to me because we live very close together. But not only...
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071 – 2020 in Review and Goals for 2021
Today I would like to talk a bit about the highlights and pitfalls of the past year to derive my new goals for 2021. If you haven’t set your own goals for 2021, I recommend you listen to Episode 8 of the Nerdlab about Goalsetting. In this episode, I describe my 4 step approach to setting goals as…
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070 – License Agreements & Game Design Contracts
For many independent board game designers, licensing their game to a publisher is the best way to see their creation getting out there into the wild. But most aspiring designers and aspiring publishers alike do not have a lot of experience with licensing contracts. The terms can be confusing and...
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069 – Designing & Publishing D&D Content with Frank Tedeschi
Connect with Frank Tedeschi: Deadbox Games Instagram Account (<– check this out if you are a DM!) Adventurers Guild Admissions Office on the DM`s Guild Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter...
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068 – Design Diary of Duelist, the first Nerdlab Co-Design with Christian Kudahl
I have been asked several times which game design projects I am personally working on and I sometimes mention them here on the podcast, but today I would like to take the opportunity to present one of my projects in more detail. And since this is not a solo project, but cooperation with another...
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067 – How to lead a Playtest by asking the right Questions
Get the free Playtesting Questionnaire Template Join the Nerdlab Discord to get access to Mastermind Groups and monthly playtesting events. Playtests are helpful in every game design phase, but most of the time you want to get very specific feedback as a game designer. This form of desired…
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066 – Combining Game Genres in Dinn TCG with Gabriel and Hayley
Connect with Gabriel and Hayley of Dinn: Dinn Website Dinn on Instagram Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Nerdlab on Twitch Today I am not alone in the Nerdlab.…
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065 – How to write a Board Game Rulebook
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Nerdlab on Twitch What is the Purpose of a Rulebook The two main purposes of rulebooks are: teaching new players how to play the…
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064 – 10 Common Mistakes of new Game Designers
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Nerdlab on Twitch Today I have a list of 10 common mistakes of new and aspiring game designers for you. The goal of this list is to...
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063 – Diverse and Innovative Attributes and Stats in Strategy Card Games – Part 2
Upcoming Twitch Game Design Live Stream: Wednesday at 10pm CEST, that’s 1 PM Pacific and 4 PM Eastern time Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Last week we already...
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062 – Diverse and Innovative Attributes and Stats in Strategy Card Games
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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061 – Fun and Frustration in Roguelike Deckbuilding Games like Monster Train and Slay the Spire
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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060 – Set Collection in Board Games
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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059 – Iterate, Iterate, Iterate, Iterate, Iterate … Succeed
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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058 – How to Improve the Time Value Coefficient by Reducing Game Length
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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057 – Keyword Counters and their benefits in Magics new Set Ikoria
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Discord Episode 40 on Keywords in Strategy Card Games Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming...
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056 – How to Design Quest Cards Players won’t forget
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Join the Nerdlab Discord Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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055 – Bloodrage – 11 Exceptional Design Choices and what we can learn from them
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Join the Nerdlab Discord Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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054 – GWENT – 5 Exceptional Design Choices and what we can learn from them
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Join the Nerdlab Discord Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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053 – Simultaneous Action Selection in Ambal Tournament with Bernardo Bittencourt
Connect with Ambal Tournament (Bernardo Bittencourt): Ambal Tournament Website Ambal Tournament Article about Faction/Archetype Design Ambal Tournament on Instagram Ambal Tournament on Discord Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on...
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052 – Interaction in Board Games and Strategy Card Games
Connect with the Nerdlab Community: Join the Nerdlab Community Nerdlab Website Nerdlab Facebook Page Nerdlab on Twitter Nerdlab on Instagram Join the Nerdlab Discord Hello fellow adventurers and welcome to the Nerdlab – Where we transform our gaming passion into incredible game designs and learn...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Nerdlab Podcast have?
Nerdlab Podcast currently has 101 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Nerdlab Podcast about?
The Podcast about board game design and card game design! Together we will explore the secrets of different game mechanics and grow as a game designer!
How often does Nerdlab Podcast release new episodes?
Nerdlab Podcast publishes regularly with 101 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Nerdlab Podcast?
You can listen to Nerdlab Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Nerdlab Podcast?
Nerdlab Podcast is created and hosted by Marvin Hegen.
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