Rephonic
Artwork for Ludology
Game Design
Board Games
Tabletop Role-Playing Games
Board Game Design
Education
Aerith Magin
Dungeons and Dragons
Phantom Ink
Game Mechanics
Gen Con
Player Psychology
Tabletop Gaming
Tabletop Role Playing Games
Board Game Industry
Unpub
Emotional Intelligence
Mistwind
Player Experience
Child Development
Theme

Welcome to Ludology, an analytical discussion of the how's and why's of the world of board games. Rather than news and reviews, Ludology explores a variety of topics about games from a wider lens, and discusses game history, game design and game players. Ludology is part of The Dice Tower Network, the premier board game media network.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes702Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesLeisureVideo Games

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Artwork for Ludology

Latest Episodes

Once again, Sen was in la belle province, recording at FLIM when he heard about *another* convention in Montreal! Ludicon offers open gaming, competitions, and merchandise in the heart of the city every November. Alain Fragman and Mario Haché brought... more

This week, Erica and Sen speak with Dr. Marc Engfield and Shawn Roske about the game they co-designed to explore and address issues surrounding managing Chronic Pain. Using Sarah Lynne Bowman's theories of Transformational Play as the backbone, "The ... more

Sen and Erica talk with Steenz (www.oheysteenz.com), a St. Louis cartoonist and professor, about the graphic novel she illustrated, "Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games". In the book, Steenz and co-creator Samuel Sattin take readers on ... more

Erica is just getting back from Japan and Sen is in Montreal for FLIM, so we're going to drop an interview from last year's inaugural Festival Ludique International de Montreal in which Sen speaks with designer, Herb Stanway, about the multi award-wi... more

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Recent Guests

Shawn Roske
Pain clinic game designer and cartoon role-player
Independent designer, co-creator of The Pain Clinic
Episode: Ludology 363 Transformative
Marc Engfield
Pain management physician and game designer
Pain Clinic team
Episode: Ludology 363 Transformative
Herb Stanway
board game designer who created a calibrated-weight dexterity game
Episode: Pros and Cons Ep 19
Marc-Antoine Doyon
One of the organizers of FLIM (Festival Ludique International de Montréal)
FLIM (Festival Ludique International de Montréal)
Episode: Ludology 361 Joie De Vivre!
Jesper Myfors
Original art director for Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering / Wizards of the Coast
Episode: Ludology 360 That Old Black Magic
Kathleen Mercury
Game designer, educator, Gen Con Game Design Academy coordinator
Gen Con
Episode: Ludology 359 I'd Like To Thank The Academy
Yeonsoo Julian Kim
Narrative designer and interactive fiction author
Avatar Legends; Thirsty Sword Lesbians; Choice Of Games
Episode: Ludology 358 What's Your Story?
J. Ray Lee
Author and academic; author of Unsettling Catan
Episode: Ludology 357 Unsettling Catan
Jack Furnival
Designer/ craftsman behind Carrooka
Carrooka (Furnival partnership)
Episode: Ludology 356 Put A Little English On It

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 550 ratings
  • Always Sparks Inspiration

    I've been listening through several hosting iterations and it remains solid and thought provoking as ever

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fin Coe
    United Statesa year ago
  • Casual conversation from serious experts

    I like the episodes the best when Lim’s academic perspective and Bouyouris’s business acumen come to the fore. They approach each guest with candor and curiosity and remember to keep the fun of gaming in of the conversation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jeff in LFP
    United States2 years ago
  • Jacob Geller

    He sent me

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jamez iz cool
    United States2 years ago
  • Really gets into the details of gaming, and understanding them. Highly recommend.

    Podchaser
    5
    George
    3 years ago
  • Turned to junk

    This uses to be a great podcast. Then it became a platform for SJW’s to promote leftist politics. But, I still listened every other week to game tech and anatomy of a board game. Now, 2023, it’s just a wank fest of jargon, pretense, and elitist self-congratulation. Their use of meaningless 50-cent words is beyond worthless and I feel more stupid for hearing it. After hearing the latest self-important mechanism mini-episode I can see it’s time for this designer to get out of here and back to the ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    horgar
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Community-minded discourse and occasional political discussions are noted by some listeners.
Some episodes attract criticism from audiences seeking purely game-mechanics or lighter topics.
The show is valued for education-focused and industry-insight content, though a subset of reactions mention drift toward politics.
Listeners praise deep, design-focused conversations and practical insights into game creation.
Guests are often industry veterans delivering credible, hands-on expertise.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#215
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#166
Italy/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#6
South Korea/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#20
India/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#26
Argentina/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#37
Ukraine/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ludology 363 Transformative
Q: Can this shell or framework be adapted for other health conditions, or is it specific to chronic pain?
The three-act structure and the core idea of shifting perspective through role-play can be adapted for other health scenarios; with proper context and debriefing, it could support learning about various conditions and patient experiences.
Ludology 363 Transformative
Q: Was the design purposely crafted so the doctor character would need to change their viewpoint about chronic pain?
Yes, the doctor's role is designed to reveal that pain is often invisible and that compassionate engagement and listening can be as therapeutic as medical intervention, which required designers to model shifts in perspective within the gameplay.
Ludology 363 Transformative
Q: So Shawn, before we move on to the next question, what was the moment during play testing that surprised you or changed your understanding of what The Pain Clinic could be?
Observing how players expressed their understanding during play, especially in the dream sequence where the tune whispers to the doctor, revealed how powerful direct feedback and creative role-play can be in reshaping perceptions and emotional responses.
Pros and Cons Ep 19
Q: Can you describe the process of slimming a game down?
Herb explains how they iterated on components and rules to reduce complexity and cost, moving from heavier, more expensive molds and multiple weights to a streamlined set of calibrated pieces, simpler shapes, and a card-driven system that preserves strategy while minimizing production costs.
Ludology 360 That Old Black Magic
Q: What's your view on the inclusion of external IPs like Spider-Man in Magic?
I think it dilutes the core experience and weaponizes licenses to boost shareholder value rather than serving players, preferring to see Magic stand on its own IP.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Professions
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Ludology

What is Ludology about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show offers deep dives into board game design, production, and the cultural context surrounding play. Across episodes, hosts and guests explore topics like game mechanics, narrative design, education, and the manufacturing pipeline, often tying practical constraints to creative decisions. The conversations frequently center on methodology, from playtesting and open-beta feedback to mass production challenges, and they tend to highlight how games shape communities, learning, and design education. A standout is the willingness to critique industry practices, discuss ethics in design, and connect scholarly perspectives with hands-on, real-world experiences. Potential listeners who want thoughtful, design-forward discourse about how games c... more

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How many listeners does Ludology get?

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How many subscribers and views does Ludology have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Ludology has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Ludology?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ludology:

1. The Dice Tower
2. So Very Wrong About Games
3. Shut Up & Sit Down
4. Board Game Barrage
5. Board Game Hot Takes

How many episodes of Ludology are there?

Ludology launched 16 years ago and published 702 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Ludology?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Ludology?

Recent guests on Ludology include:

1. Shawn Roske
2. Marc Engfield
3. Herb Stanway
4. Marc-Antoine Doyon
5. Jesper Myfors
6. Kathleen Mercury
7. Yeonsoo Julian Kim
8. J. Ray Lee

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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