In episode 135 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with freelance game designer Kristen Mott, whose game design journey began with creating games for her kids to play at home to supplement homeschooling.

Featuring: 

Reed Ambrose - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 133 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer and Creative Director Paul Salomon about his innovative worker placement and tile-laying game, Honey Buzz. The conversation covers the creative path that led him from math, music, and juggling into tabletop game design, the balance between aesthetics and mechanics, designing with math in mind, and why a strong elevator pitch that clearly defines your game’s core theme and mechanics is essential when pitching.

The episode also includes a thoughtful discussion on collaboration and co-designing, the differences between game designers and game developers, and the sometimes awkward conversations that can come with crediting creative work.

Featuring: 

Paul Salomon - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 132 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, Amanda Rivera returns from behind-the-scenes to behind-the-mic as a guest host to chat with Danielle about GDU's sixth season. They talk about how thematic season 6 was, recall insights about arguably one of the most common questions in game design (to pitch or self-publish), share how designers make games accessible and approachable, comment on the power of networking in the tabletop community, and share more about the amazing games and guests who were featured this season.

Danielle also shares previews of her upcoming games and expansions, discusses the trials and tribulations of the gaming industry in 2025, and highlights trends she's noticed on the horizon.

Other interesting highlights from the season six recap:

Featuring: 

Danielle Reynolds - Guest

Amanda Rivera - Guest Host

In episode 131 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Matt Leacock about his “infamous” game Pandemic.

Matt explains how his path into game design was shaped by watching his artsy uncle create games as a hobby and by growing up surrounded by "bad" games from the 1970s that he couldn’t help but try to improve. We discuss how overly competitive family game nights pushed him toward cooperative play, and how his first true co-op game inspired him to design experiences where players succeed or fail together. That philosophy, paired with an interest in chain reactions and the cultural relevance of disease in the early 2000s became the foundation of Pandemic.

We talk about the thought process behind the game’s map, designing with real-world locations, drawing from existing game mechanics, and the value of diverse and remote playtesting. We also discuss working on game expansions, legacy design, teamwork, and how strong design skills support better prototypes and long-term vision.

Featuring: 

Matt Leacock - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 130 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer Joe Hout about his fairytale-themed trick-taking game, 3 Chapters, accessibility in gaming, and his design journey.

This episode covers common barriers to entry in board games, from rule overload to games that are difficult to teach, and why familiar themes like fairytales can make learning feel intuitive. Joe and Danielle discuss how storytelling can help teach and pitch games - especially trick-taking games - which can feel frustrating or intimidating to players who are new to certain mechanics.

Featuring: 

Joe Hout - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In this festive episode 129 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with sister duo Anya and Irina Kagan - game designers and the founders of Gifts Galore - about their Hanukkah-themed party game, Gelt Galore.

They talk about how magical childhood traditions inspired them as adults to bring new energy to holiday gatherings and how a simple homemade game — originally crafted from post-its, stickers, and family trivia — turned into a full-fledged board game.

We discuss several unique design challenges including how to compile authentic and accurate historical info for trivia questions and how to strike the right balance between questions that are easy/fun and questions that are deep or educational. 

Featuring: 

Anya and Irina Kagan - Guests

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 128 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with game designer (publisher, art director, illustrator, and more!) Ammon Anderson about Twinkle, Twinkle, a game born from his lifelong fascination with space.

We discuss the origin of the game’s gorgeous translucent acrylic tiles, its “out of this world” space themes and expansions, and the new scoring app Allplay is developing. Ammon shares how Twinkle, Twinkle being featured at PAX Unplugged streamlined it through the pitching process, and what it’s like navigating publisher timelines and offers.

Other episode highlights include: celebrating completed projects, illustration costs, paying your kids tax-free to help your business, why he loves crafting high-quality prototypes, the importance of a well-written rulebook, and important lessons learned (like always bringing a friend to help you table at conventions).

Featuring: 

Ammon Anderson - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 127 of Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication, we chat with game designer, publisher, and trauma psychotherapist Galen McCown about how getting involved with the Syracuse game design community helped him grow as both a creator and collaborator.

We also discuss his love for solo and two-player games, his fascination with post-apocalyptic themes, and how compact “mint tin” games make great travel companions. Galen dives into his process of collaborating with artists to bring worlds to life, drawing inspiration from 90s arcade classics, and incorporating catch-up mechanics to keep players engaged.

The episode also highlights how games can serve as powerful tools for therapy and learning, the value of niche historical themes, the challenges and rewards of both pitching and publishing, how game design contests can motivate completion, and how documenting his Kickstarter journey through a blog provided transparency and insight for others in the community.

Featuring: 

Galen McCown - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host

In episode 126 of Game Design Unboxed, we chat with John D. Clair about his journey from gamifying mazes to becoming a full-time tabletop designer. He shares how setting clear goals, focusing only on games he is excited about, and reworking mechanics from games that inspire him shaped his design approach.

John shares how he reimagines mechanics from games he loves, making luck-based designs more dynamic by eliminating “nothing” turns, working with publishers—specifically creative control—rulebook FAQs, data from digital platforms like Board Game Arena, designer inspiration cycles, second editions, and the definition of a true 2v2 game.

Featuring: 

John D. Clair - Guest

Danielle Reynolds - Host