If you’ve played the vaunted fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons you’re familiar with Robert Schwalb’s work. He’s got well over a decade of experience in writing and creating games, and has seen the board game industry ebb and flow. We discuss the cycle of board games (we’re including D&D here) as a cultural phenomenon, and his work in the business.
His company, Schwalb Entertainment, makes Shadow of the Demon Lord, which I encourage you to check out. The game is the culmination of his experiences working on D&D and many, many other games. It includes design goals like: short setup time, “run a while a little drunk,” and enjoy a campaign within a reasonable time frame (hours, not weeks). For insight into the business and making games, you won’t want to miss this episode of Both Sides of the Table!