My Favorite Games

030: Victor Shiu

Gelb is joined by Victor Shiu, director of games at LaunchBoom, veteran crowdfunding consultant, and board game designer, to explore his journey from filmmaking and digital marketing to launching successful board game campaigns. Together, they discuss Victor’s inspiration for creating “Hover,” a fast-paced and strategic board game about the surprisingly fierce world of hummingbirds, and dig deep into the realities of crowdfunding, independent publishing, and creative collaboration with his wife. You can find out more about Victor and LaunchBoom here: * LaunchBoom.com * Instagram, Linkedin & TikTok: @launchboom * Youtube: @launchboom_official My Favorite Games is a weekly podcast where your host Gelb sits down with RPG, card game, and board game designers to geek out about the games they like to play, learn from their game design journeys, and chat about the business of how to get your game from idea to published.About the host: Gelb is a game designer and director of the Midnight Trading Co., an Edinburgh-based board game studio that works with creatives around the world. Their first title, HotShot Pickleball is out now. Find out more at: https://www.hotshot-pickleball.com Connect and follow @midnighttradingco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midnighttradingco Want to be on the show? Check out https://mfg.midnighttradingco.comIf you’re interested in board games, board game design, the business of board games, table-top games, ttrpg, ccgs, collectible card games, party games, and other games, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnighttradingco.substack.com [https://midnighttradingco.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

029: Ryan Simpkins

Ryan Simpkins joins Gelb to discuss his journey from designing competitions for shows like Big Brother and American Ninja Warrior to creating tabletop games. Together, they explore the inspiration and development behind Ryan’s new word game "Death by Letters," the challenges of independent publishing, and how Ryan’s experience in television influences his approach to crafting engaging, re-playable games. You can find out more about Ryan and Death By Letters here: * app.staffmeup.com/profile/rrsimpkins * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deathbyletters/death-by-letters My Favorite Games is a weekly podcast where your host Gelb sits down with RPG, card game, and board game designers to geek out about the games they like to play, learn from their game design journeys, and chat about the business of how to get your game from idea to published.About the host: Gelb is a game designer and director of the Midnight Trading Co., an Edinburgh-based board game studio that works with creatives around the world. Their first title, HotShot Pickleball is out now. Find out more at: https://www.hotshot-pickleball.com Connect and follow @midnighttradingco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midnighttradingco Want to be on the show? Check out https://mfg.midnighttradingco.comIf you’re interested in board games, board game design, the business of board games, table-top games, ttrpg, ccgs, collectible card games, party games, and other games, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnighttradingco.substack.com [https://midnighttradingco.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

028: Bonsart Bokel

Bonsart Bokel is passionate about building imaginative worlds and fostering creative collaboration. In this episode, he and Gelb discuss the origins and vision of the Association of Ishtar series, the development of the Night Watch TTRPG, the art of worldbuilding in steampunk, the challenges of independent publishing, and the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for Night Watch. Bonsart shares insights into his creative process, the importance of narrative-driven games, and how his unique approach to worldbuilding shapes both his fiction and game design. You can find out more about Bonsart here: * Reservation/Newsletter Page: https://associationofishtar.com/ks [https://associationofishtar.com/ks] * Kickstarter Page: https://kickstarter.com/projects/bonsartbokel/the-association-of-ishtar-rising-tide [https://kickstarter.com/projects/bonsartbokel/the-association-of-ishtar-rising-tide] * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bonsartbokel My Favorite Games is a weekly podcast where your host Gelb sits down with RPG, card game, and board game designers to geek out about the games they like to play, learn from their game design journeys, and chat about the business of how to get your game from idea to published.About the host: Gelb is a game designer and director of the Midnight Trading Co., an Edinburgh-based board game studio that works with creatives around the world. Their first title, HotShot Pickleball is out now. Find out more at: https://www.hotshot-pickleball.com Connect and follow @midnighttradingco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midnighttradingco Want to be on the show? Check out https://mfg.midnighttradingco.comIf you’re interested in board games, board game design, the business of board games, table-top games, ttrpg, ccgs, collectible card games, party games, and other games, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnighttradingco.substack.com [https://midnighttradingco.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Matt Pini: Dimm City RPG

Matt Pini from Dimm City RPG is passionate about building imaginative worlds and fostering creative collaboration. In this episode, he and Gelb discuss the origins and vision of Dimm City RPG, the importance of community-driven storytelling, the role of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain in tabletop games, their commitment to open source tools, and their upcoming Kickstarter campaign. You can find out more about Matt here: * Website: https://dimm.city/ * Kickstarter: https://presale.dimm.city/ * Dimm City RPG Facebook: bit.ly/45WVn0G * Dimm City Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DimmCity * Matt Pini’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/matt.pini My Favorite Games is a weekly podcast where your host Gelb sits down with RPG, card game, and board game designers to geek out about the games they like to play, learn from their game design journeys, and chat about the business of how to get your game from idea to published.About the host: Gelb is a game designer and director of the Midnight Trading Co., an Edinburgh-based board game studio that works with creatives around the world. Their first title, HotShot Pickleball is out now. Find out more at https://www.hotshot-pickleball.com and connect and follow @midnighttradingco on Instagram: https://instagram.com/midnighttradingco [https://instagram.com/midnighttradingco] Want to be on the show? Check out https://mfg.midnighttradingco.comIf you’re interested in board games, board game design, the business of board games, table-top games, ttrpg, ccgs, collectible card games, party games, and other games, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnighttradingco.substack.com [https://midnighttradingco.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Alexander Goldman: Inventures

Alexander Goldman from Inventures just loves Wingspan. In this episode, he and Gelb discuss game design lessons, stretching play beyond the rules, and creating his own improv-storytelling game. You can find out more about Alexander here: * Instagram: @inventures_game [https://www.instagram.com/inventures_game/] * Website: www.birtlegames.com * Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexandergoldman/inventures * Facebook: www.facebook.com/InventureQuest My Favorite Games is a weekly podcast where your host Gelb sits down with RPG, card game, and board game designers to geek out about the games they like to play, learn from their game design journeys, and chat about the business of how to get your game from idea to published.About the host: Gelb is a game designer and director of the Midnight Trading Co., an Edinburgh-based board game studio that works with creatives around the world. Their first title, HotShot Pickleball is out now. Find out more at https://www.hotshot-pickleball.com and connect and follow @midnighttradingco on Instagram: https://instagram.com/midnighttradingco [https://instagram.com/midnighttradingco] Want to be on the show? Check out https://mfg.midnighttradingco.comIf you’re interested in board games, board game design, the business of board games, table-top games, ttrpg, ccgs, collectible card games, party games, and other games, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnighttradingco.substack.com [https://midnighttradingco.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]