Author: joeklipfel

My tastes are hard to explain sometimes. I like fantasy.I like adventure.I like dungeon crawl-y settings, exploration and combat.But I don't like dice.Or modifiers.Or the Star Wars sequels. But that's for another time. I've tried and failed in the past to come up with a name for the board game genre I'm into. Euro fantasy?… Continue reading My Favorite Board Game Genre (& the Best Games in it)

In a dream-come-true moment, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by a genuine hero of mine, Gabe Barrett, on his show, The Board Game Design Lab podcast. You can listen to it on his website, or through your preferred podcast app. If you search for it on his podcast, the episode is called [Community… Continue reading Talking Microgames on the BGDL Podcast

I've gone round and round on my opinion of randomness recently. When I was first getting interested in modern board games, it didn't take me long to realize I was not a fan of games with a high randomness factor. For instance, I remember learning about RPGs. A friend was explaining to me how they… Continue reading In Defense of Randomness

I hear talk about "grail games", the idea that everyone has that one game they are looking for that is the Holy Grail of games--at least for them. The game that hits all the right notes. Checks every box. Theme, mechanics, size, playtime, tactility--a choir of components harmonizing perfectly in the eyes, ears and noggin… Continue reading Design Journal: Mistsmall

Lately I've witnessed an incredible surge in interest in micro games in the board game community, mini versions of existing games in particular. Ok, I'm willing to admit it might be just me. I'm really excited about micro games right now. But objectively, I do think I've seen more acknowledgement of micro games from the… Continue reading In a Design Rut? Shrink a Big Game.