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Breaking Into Board Games

Breaking into Board Games is a podcast about breaking into the hobby game industry. Every week, we interview a person of note, and give tips and tricks to make your way into the business of games. Hosts: Dan Letzring -- Publisher -- @letimangames Dan Letzring has been publishing games through his company Letiman Games since 2014 and is also the co-owner of Galactic Raptor Games. A designer, publisher, and father, Dan lives in Rochester, NY with his family. Ian Zang -- Developer -- @ianzangdesign Ian Zang is the lead developer with Deepwater Games. He has been making games since an early age with his most recent work being in the realms of corporate and educational game design. Ian lives with his wife in Pittsburgh, PA. Tony Miller -- Designer -- @beardedroguegames Tony Miller is the designer of Fire in the Library and is currently pitching other designs that you may see soon. He lives in the Portland, OR area where he continues to furiously get his designs ready for publishers while working at his IT job and taking care of his family.
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All Episodes
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 19, 2018

Tony and Dan talk with Eric Yurko of What's Eric Playing about his work in reviewing and photographing board games.

 

You can reach out to him at the links below:

Twitter: @whatseplaying 

Instagram: @whatsericplaying

www.whatsericplaying.com

 

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting our Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/breakingintoboardgames

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Dan - Publisher - @letimangames

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dec 5, 2018

The host talk with Helaina Cappel of Kids Table Games and Burnt Island games about her work in publishing. If you're at all interested in starting to publish board games, start here!

You can reach out to Helaina on twitter: @kidstablebg

kidstablebg.com

burntislandgames.com

 

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting our Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/breakingintoboardgames

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Dan - Publisher - @letimangames

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nov 21, 2018

Jonathan Liu joins the hosts to talk about being a reviewer in the board game world. He is a lead games editor at geekdad.com, a prominent geek review site.

You can reach out to Jonathan on twitter: @jonathanhliu

 

If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting our Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/breakingintoboardgames

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Dan - Publisher - @letimangames

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nov 7, 2018

Dan Letzring joins as our regular publisher host as we say goodbye to Gil. Before he leaves, he has a TON of great stories for us. 

You can reach out to Gil on twitter: @gilhova

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Dan - Publisher - @letimangames

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Oct 24, 2018

The hosts talk to Ted Alspach, designer, publisher, and owner of Bezier Games. We discuss his entry into the business, and how he has grown his small company over the past several years. Listen in for pitfalls to avoid, and what TO do when creating a company. 

You can reach out to Ted on twitter: @beziergames

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Oct 10, 2018

The hosts chat with Alice Davis, designer of Thieves Den and Kitten Clash, about her design process of rapid prototyping and development. She offers some great tips about how to get a design from idea to published!

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sep 26, 2018

In a "just us" episode, we talk about the tips and tricks we've picked up in authentic networking. Not just "here's my business card" networking. Take a listen and join the discussion on twitter! @breakingintobg

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sep 15, 2018

Tony, Ian, and Gil talk to Gerald King of Ultimate Team Up about his work with conventions. He started in video games, and has had many jobs getting him to this point. Listen in to hear his story!

 

You can reach out to Gerald on twitter: @UltimateTeamUp

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Aug 29, 2018

Tim Blank, the Vice President for Tabletop Games at BostonFIG and designer of Bumuntu and Oh My Gods talks to our hosts about his various roles in the hobby. Tim is a multi-tasking fiend, listen in to hear how he balances everything!

You can reach out to Tim on twitter: @TimMakesGames

You can check out BostonFIG at www.bostonFIG.com

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Aug 15, 2018

In a "just us" episode, Tony interviews Gil and Ian about their work at GenCon. Lots of great things happened, and we tend to gush. :)

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Aug 1, 2018

Catherine Stippell designed Nyctophobia, published by Pandasaurus Games. She details her path to success through designing for accessibility and designing for the sake of the creating something for one's self or others. 

 

You can reach out to her on twitter: @playnyctophobia

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jul 18, 2018

Peter Wocken, cofounder of Maple Games, and graphic artist extraordinaire came on to talk about his path through the industry. Beginning with an unpaid internship, to starting his own company, he provides some great ideas as to how to do things right. 

You can reach out to him on twitter: @peterwocken

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jul 4, 2018

The hosts talk to Levi Mote, the developer behind Daily Magic Games, designer of Horizons, and game tinkerer extraordinaire! Listen in for a discussion about how developers have to walk a fine line between publisher needs and designer desires.

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jun 20, 2018

Ian, Gil, and Tony talk about their experiences at the 2018 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova

 

"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jun 6, 2018

Dan Letzring of Letiman games sat down with Tony and Ian to talk about the independent publishing wing of the industry. How to balance family, work, and the hobby in a way that works! 

You can reach out to Dan on twitter: @letimangames 

letimangames.com

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

May 23, 2018

We return after a hiatus with John D. Clair, designer of Mystic Vale, Edge of Darkness, and Downfall. We discuss prototyping weird pieces, pitching for publishers when you're a new designer, and working with as a full-time game designer.

You can reach out to John on Twitter:

@johndclair

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Apr 26, 2018

Tony, Gil, and Ian interview Adrienne Ezell, graphic designer, game designer, game publisher, and everything else. She is the brains behind Dreadful Games and Shogunate. 

We talk about art direction especially around intellectual property and her path through the industry.

 

You can find her on twitter: @DreadfulGames

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Apr 11, 2018

We talk about our experiences at Unpub 8, most of which are fantastic. We also discuss some of the issues that came up throughout, and how they are being addressed.

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mar 29, 2018

We talked to Kwanchai about working as an artist in the board game space. We were specifically interested in how he got noticed and progressed once publishers started to take note. You'd be surprised what a windy path it was!

You can reach out to Kwanchai on twitter: @kwanchaimoriya

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Feb 28, 2018

Tony, Ian, and Gil talk to Chris Kirkman of Dice Hate Me Games and Greater than Games about his work creating a company, merging a company, and managing... taxes? It's a great episode, trust us! 

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Feb 14, 2018

Tony, Ian, and Gil take listener questions about the industry.

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jan 31, 2018

Tony, Ian, and Gil talk to Kathleen Mercury, designer of the upcoming Dirty Dragons from Kolossal Games, and gifted teacher for some lucky students. Kathleen has been working on improving her students skills through game design challenges. You can reach out to her at the locations below.

kathleenmercury.com

@mmmmmmmercury

 

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jan 17, 2018

The hosts review their predictions from last year's episode, and make their new predictions for 2018.

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova


"There It Is", "Balloon Game" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jan 3, 2018

The hosts talk to Carla Kopp of Weird Giraffe Games about starting a game company and developing a following of people that love your games!

We also talk about designer/publisher relationships and how to go through development while maintaining the designer's original vision.

Carla is on twitter @weirdgiraffes

 

Hosts:

Tony - Designer - @beardedrogue

Ian - Developer - @ianzangdesign

Gil - Publisher - @gilhova



"There It Is" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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