Victory Pointers Victory Pointers Team

 
In this episode:
It's a big crossover podcast for Action Points and Victory Pointers as we all got together on the last day of PAX Aus 2016 to chat about the expo, the games we enjoyed, the panels we attended and other cool stuff we saw.
Feel free to send us any feedback at mail@theactionpointspodcast.com. You can also follow us on Twitter as @action_points and @victorypointers, and on Facebook and Google+. You can also find us on Twitter as @ehronlime, @adam_holdswater, @MostStrange, @pinkytweets and @melodatron. For Victory Pointers, you can follow @syelon and @goodgamespub.
Music: Theme for Harold (var. 2) and Overworld by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a CC Attribution 3.0.
Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://needledrop.co
Links for the things we talked about:
Tabletop Game Designers Australia
Dungeon League
The American Dream
Swordcraft
Ticket to Earth
Mini Metro
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Nintendo Switch
Steppy Pants
Bramblelash
Objects in Space (which we also covered in our GX Australia episode)
 

We were at PAX Aus 2016 and had a chat with some local creators about their projects, with the organizers behind the TGDA, and chat about connecting with the local RPG design community.
Kim Brebach – @secretbasegames / Good Games Publishing
Aaron Lim - @ehronlime / theactionpointspodcast.com
Sye Robertson - @syelon / syelon.com
 
Feel free to send us any feedback or questions for the show at mail@theactionpointspodcast.com (for now). You can also follow us on Twitter as @victorypointers.
What we talked about
1:22 - Interview with Allan "Chesh" Chesher of Kingdom of Aer: Kingmaker
7:29 - Interview with Alex Wynnter and Wesley Lamont from Tabletop Game Designers Australia
23:30 - Interview with Sam Appleby of Final War from Games Lab
31:01 - Interview with Michael "Barantas" McIntyre, designer of the Hand of Fate board game and Sugoi Bento
48:22 - Interview with Steve Dee of Tin Star Games
 
Links to what we talked about
Kingdom of Aer: Kingmaker Tabletop Game Designers Australia Tabletop DevCon 2016 Dice Hard (check out the episode I was on here, where we made games based on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) Final War Hand of Fate, and Hand of Fate 2 Rule & Make and Defiant Development announced the Hand of Fate board game Rule & Make and Table Tyrant Games announce partnership Penny Arcade The Game: Gamers vs. Evil Barantas Games Tin Star Games D-constructions Wild Cards Roleplaying Game Designers of Australia  
Games we mentioned

Nippon Thornwatch Phoenix: Dawn Command Marrying Mr. Darcy Sheriff of Nottingham Fiasco Fragged Empire Crucible  
 
Music: Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at h

 
We are joined by Sean Carroll of 93 Made Games to chat about Gen Con 2016 from the perspective of a publisher attending for the first time.
Sean Carroll - @93MadeGames / 93 Made Games
Kim Brebach – @secretbasegames / Good Games Publishing
Aaron Lim - @ehronlime / theactionpointspodcast.com
Sye Robertson - @syelon / syelon.com
 
Feel free to send us any feedback or questions for the show at mail@theactionpointspodcast.com (for now). You can also follow us on Twitter as @victorypointers.
What we talked about
0:44 - Introducing Sean Carroll of 93 Made Games
2:20 - The power and beauty of spreadsheets in designing games
10:30 - How UI design affects how people play games
12:05 - Considering emotional highlights in balancing games
14:10 - The Kickstarter for Unfair just launched after GenCon
15:05 - Learnings from running Kickstarters: You can't please everyone all the time and maintaining communication
17:50 - What is a "murder board", and why should you have one?
21:40 - Exhibiting games is difficult
23:45 - The importance of taking time off
28:58 - GenCon 2016, first time experience at the convention as publishers
41:32 - Response from American audience to smaller publishers
44:50 - Giant versions of games
51:10 - Getting help with local demos through Envoy and the Indie Game Alliance
55:05 - Meetings happening around GenCon
Links to what we talked about
Gen Con Paperize Unfair on Kickstarter Good Games Publishing and CMON announce strategic relationship Grail Games Thylacine Games Man vs. Meeple The Envoy Program The Indie Game Alliance  
Games we mentioned

Viewpoint Unfair Bamboleo  
Music: Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://needledrop.co
 

We are joined by guests Phil Walker-Harding and David Harding (in a rare back-to-back appearance) to chat about their different paths taken in designing and publishing games, getting your foot in the door with publishers, game design competitions, theme in games, and second editions of games.
Phil Walker-Harding - @AdventurelandG
David Harding - @grailgames / Grail Games
Kim Brebach – @secretbasegames / Good Games Publishing
Aaron Lim - @ehronlime / theactionpointspodcast.com
Sye Robertson - @syelon / syelon.com
Feel free to send us any feedback or questions for the show at mail@theactionpointspodcast.com (for now). You can also follow us on Twitter as @victorypointers.
What we talked about
2:58 - How did you start designing?
14:30 - How did crowdfunding platforms impact your experience designing and publishing games?
17:38 - Getting your name out there at the start
19:27 - Setting a design goal based on a publisher's catalogue/style
21:00 - Breaking in and pitching to publishers
26:20 - Advice for budding designers wanting to get published - getting your name out  there and submitting to design competitions
32:22 - The Grail Games approach to Kickstarter, and going beyond crowdfunding
40:37 - Factoring in production costs in designing games
42:26 - Changing themes/settings for games, collaboration between publishers and designers
53:45 - Seeing games being published after a long time
55:15 - Second editions of games
1:02:25 - The 2016 Spiel des Jahres nomination for Imhotep and the impact of a nomination
1:10:15 - What's it like working with Reiner Knizia?
1:14:55 - The best game(s) Phil thinks he's designed so far
Links to what we talked about
Our previous interview with Phil on the Action Points Podcast Spiel des Jahres 2016 Nominees Games we mentioned

Elevenses Sushi Go! The Mad Magazine Game Test Match Park and Shop Cacao Imhotep Archaeology, Archaeology: The Card Game and Archaeology: The New Expedition Pirates of the Spanish Main: Shuffling the Deck Automania Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization and Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 51st State and 51st State: Master Set Codenames Medici Sushi Go Party! Music: Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://needledrop.co

We were just in Albury for BorderCon, an annual board game convention that attracts plenty of board gamers from the surrounding states.  While we were there, we caught up with fellow game designers/publishers Joel Finch and David Harding to chat about what they've been up to.  We also talk about games that we played at the con, setting up consecutive playtests and other conventions coming up where you might find us.
Joel Finch - joelfinch on BGG / Unfair
David Harding - @grailgames / Grail Games
Kim Brebach – @secretbasegames / Good Games Publishing
Aaron Lim - @ehronlime / theactionpointspodcast.com
Sye Robertson - @syelon / syelon.com
What we talked about
1:14 - Chatting with Sye about BorderCon and games we played there
10:38 - How the presentation of a game affects the expectations of the game length/weight
14:03 - Interview with Joel Finch, designer of Unfair
23:00 - Interview with David Harding, game designer and publisher at Grail Games
24:45 - Upcoming games from Grail Games
44:48 - Three types of playtesters, and playtesting consecutive games
55:00 - Promotional cards for playtesters
56:55 - Upcoming conventions
Links to what we talked about
Spiel des Jahres 2016 Nominees The Obligatory $1 Pledge Level Board Game Cheapass Games Gen Con 2016 LFG 2016 at Bankstown PAX Aus 2016 The Lamont Brothers of Fragor Games PandaCon, July 1-3 2016 ConCentric Games Games we mentioned

Between Two Cities Monarch Karuba Imhotep Grand Austria Hotel Tiny Epic Galaxies Unfair The Gallerist Paperback Elevenses Medici Medici: The Card Game Rome: Imperium Guns & Steel: Renaissance Cat Box Circus Flohcati Elevenses for One + Bowling Solitaire One Zero One IKI Cuisine a la Card Pictomania Mombasa Matcha Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King COGZ Music: Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://needledrop.co

We are joined by consummate game designer, Philip duBarry to talk about designing games around experiences, working with intellectual property, getting games published in the era of Kickstarter, playtesting on Tabletopia, and designing with kids. We also chat about searching out uncommon themes, editing content as part of game design, and what happens when someone else makes the game you were also designing.
Philip duBarry - @pdubarry / Phantasio Games
Kim Brebach – @secretbasegames / secretbasegames.com
Aaron Lim - @ehronlime / theactionpointspodcast.com
Sye Robertson - @syelon / syelon.com
What we talked about
2:01 - Variants in games and publisher changes
4:05 - Looking out for uncommon game themes
10:08 - Getting into the thought processes behind Codenames
13:23 - Epic failure moments in games
14:24 - Editing content for games
20:26 - Letting go of game designs when someone else designs a similar game
25:18 - Inspirations and sources of ideas for games
28:23 - Graphic design for Spirits of the Rice Paddy
30:19 - How do you design for a specific game experience?
35:09 - Designing games within existing settings and intellectual properties
40:30 - Designing and publishing games in the era of Kickstarter
45:20 - Do considerations for stretch goals influence game design?
47:51 - Have game contracts changed with considerations for Kickstarter?
49:00 - Black Orchestra, using pre-orders vs crowdfunding
53:51 - Making Black Orchestra available on Tabletopia
57:03 - Playtesting games on Tabletopia
1:05:48 - Caravan will be released in two different versions, but with the same game mechanics
1:08:00 - Designing games with kids
Links to what we talked about
Threadsteading is a game played with a sewing machine Laputa: Castle in the Sky Porco Rosso Schwarze Kapelle (Black Orchestra) Pre-orders for Black Orchestra Tabletopia Games Laboratory Incubator Tabletop Simulator Caravan is a game that will be released in two different versions, but the same gameplay Games we mentioned

Revolution! Marrying Mr. Darcy Chief Inspector Codenames Codenames: Pictures Dixit The Big Book of Madness Skyway Robbery Spirits of the Rice Paddy Canalis Courtier Eminent Domain: Battlecruisers Kingdom of Solomon Monstrous Unfair Black Orchestra Caravan Tiger Stripes Music: Something Small (Instrumental) by Minden is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://needledrop.co