Hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon walk through how to start, run and grow board game playtest groups; finding people, finding the right location, handling disputes, scheduling games, and balancing in-person vs digital testing. They share real-world examples (Toronto, First Play LA, ProtoTO), safety and inclusivity tips, troubleshooting for long/short games, and best practices for online playtesting tools and communities. https://www.breakmygame.com/ https://virtualplaytesting.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter runs through his regrets over the years from design choices, co-design pitfalls, self-publishing mistakes, failed Kickstarters, and the burnout that followed. Together with AJ they help turn this mistakes into actionable advice to avoid falling into the same traps. Episode starts at 12 min 30 seconds. Paranormal Detectives standalone expansion PNP: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/249601/paranormal-detectives-2-print-and-play Elans Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElanLeeTim Ferriss podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qSUyCrk9KR69lEiXbjwXM https://www.printrunpodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter and AJ dissect Daniel Piechnick's "types of fun" framework, exploring 13 varieties grouped into constructive, excitement, social, and emotional categories. They add personal insights, debate nuances, and more! Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon dig into a common design problem: games that keep scoring until the end don't give feedback to players. They discuss practical fixes to give players earlier, clearer feedback and make learning faster and games more accessible. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon break down action selection systems in games; why constraints and variance make turns interesting and how different systems (worker placement, dice placement, drafting, rondels, time tracks, menus and more) shape player decisions. The episode gives designers practical examples, trade-offs and tips from many published games, plus a publisher note about avoiding thematic overlap, to help you choose the right action system for your game. Mathew Dunstan Elegance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goONo66xVAs Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter announces he’s stepping back from board games to explore new creative projects and explains why the podcast will be winding down. Plus a lot more fun than usual to make up for the downer announcement. Please suggest topics to cover before the show ends! Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon dive into emergent strategy, how to seed subtle interactions, and how to telegraph systems to players. They answer listener questions on market saturation, the future of board games, and personal careers in design. The hosts give detailed playtesting advice—solo testing, public and cold playtests, TTS tips, teaching techniques, and how to use playtesters effectively—plus anecdotes and practical rules-of-thumb for aspiring designers. Music, guest appearances, and candid conversation round out the episode as the hosts share honest industry insight and hands-on tips for creating and testing great games. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

In this episode AJ and Peter dig into core game-design ideas: the difference between strategy and tactics, how scarcity and tough choices make games engaging, best practices for scoring and playtesting, and designing emergent combos that let players discover clever strategies. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

The best game design advice on the internet can be found at https://daniel.games/ – we can't recommend it highly enough! This is part 6 of a series where we explore the game design blog "Daniel.Games," written by Daniel Piechnick. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

This week, we explore the concept of 'childishly simple' games, and how it applies to creating elegant games that seem effortlessly simple but also offer depth. Join us as we share personal anecdotes, dissect both successful and challenging game designs, and discuss the art of simplifying mechanics no matter the weight class of the game. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod

In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and guest Tim Armstrong dive deep into the world of game design and publishing. With AJ Brandon absent, Peter brings on Tim, a designer and friend, to explore how their processes differ as they discuss their 10-year journeys in the board game industry. They unpack strategies for pitching to publishers, the value of sell sheets, and why specific design choices are made. Peter also highlights the challenges of maintaining passion in game design while avoiding burnout. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod

Join Peter and AJ as they take you behind the curtain to explore a week in the busy life of board game designers. They share their daily routines, challenges, and the creative processes involved in crafting engaging board games.  Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod

AJ Brandon, Alex Cutler, and Peter C. Hayward explore what makes an effective sell sheet, providing feedback on listener-submitted examples. Throughout the discussion, they offer actionable advice on how to improve clarity, visual hierarchy, and focus in order to capture the interest of potential publishers.  Sell Sheets: https://tinyurl.com/43r9h7dz Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Today we follow up on an exercise of developing hooks we gave to our community by highlighting the very best we've seen shared in our discord. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

What is says on the tin. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

The best game design advice on the internet can be found at https://daniel.games/ – we can't recommend it highly enough! This is part 5 of a series where we explore the game design blog "Daniel.Games," written by Daniel Piechnick. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.comFacebook/Twitter: @FunProblemsPod Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon explore what makes an effective sell sheet, providing feedback on listener-submitted examples. Throughout the discussion, they offer actionable advice on how to improve clarity, visual hierarchy, and focus in order to capture the interest of potential publishers.  Link to Sell Sheets: https://tinyurl.com/4n85j7vf Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

The episode delves into the importance of understanding player dynamics, how to tackle randomness, the impact of player skills on balance, and the art of choosing fun over perfect equilibrium. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon delve deep into the intricacies of balancing game design. They explore the concept of balance from various angles, including strategic collapse, a test of skill, economies, and more to create engaging gameplay. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!

In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon discuss catch-up mechanisms in gaming, such as rubber banding and blue shells. They also dive into an interesting exercise aimed at developing game design concepts through strong hooks. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.com Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!