Episodes

  • 098 – The Secret Formula Behind Successful Card Games

    098 – The Secret Formula Behind Successful Card Games
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode, we explore why some card games thrive for years while others disappear after just a few releases. We break down the key drivers behind long-term success in card games: from metagame evolution and strategic depth to community engagement, competitive play, and emotional connection. And then we make it practical: How can these
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    32 mins
  • 097 – Life of a Game Designer with Chris and Christian Kudahl

    097 – Life of a Game Designer with Chris and Christian Kudahl
    Sep 12 2025
    Welcome back to The Nerdlab, where we transform our love for gaming into powerful game designs and uncover the secrets of what makes games truly shine. In this special episode, things are a little different: Marvin hands over the microphone to Chris, who takes the lead as interviewer. Why? Because today, the spotlight is on
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    58 mins
  • 096 – Nerdlab Games – Behind the Scenes of Publishing Board Games

    096 – Nerdlab Games – Behind the Scenes of Publishing Board Games
    Aug 7 2025
    Chris, a podcast listener and fellow game designer, reached out wondering why there hadn’t been any new episodes lately. He generously offered to take on the role of interviewer for this episode, giving listeners an exclusive behind the scenes look at what’s been happening at Nerdlab Games over the past two years. I am incredibly
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    1 hr
  • 095 – Designer Diary for Mindbug Beyond with Richard Garfield, Christian Kudahl & Skaff Elias

    095 – Designer Diary for Mindbug Beyond with Richard Garfield, Christian Kudahl & Skaff Elias
    Apr 21 2023
    In this episode, I discuss with Richard Garfield, Skaff Elias and Christian Kudahl about the design process of Mindbug Beyond. Support our Current Kickstarter Campaign for Mindbug Beyond: Mindbug Beyond Kickstarter Campaign  
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    51 mins
  • 094 – Mindbug Kickstarter Lessons Learned

    094 – Mindbug Kickstarter Lessons Learned
    Jan 3 2023
    Hello everyone and happy new year. Today we have January 2nd and I have a special guest today. It is my co-designer and friend Christian Kudahl. Hi Christian and welcome to the show. Today we're going to be looking back at the year 2022, and reflecting on our very first Kickstarter campaign for the game,
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    59 mins
  • 093 – A Working Day as a Games Publisher

    093 – A Working Day as a Games Publisher
    May 27 2022
    It's been over half a year since I recorded the last podcast episode. That's definitely far too long. I hope that I will be able to record new episodes much more often in the future. Because I really missed being able to exchange ideas with other game designers and to delve deeply into specific game
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    31 mins
  • 092 – Mindbug – Officially Announced

    092 – Mindbug – Officially Announced
    Oct 5 2021
    A lot has happened in the last couple of months in the Nerdlab. Christian and I got the chance to work with industry veterans Richards Garfield and Skaff Elias on our Game Mindbug. In this podcast episode, I talk about the things I have been working on with regards to Game Design, Game Development and
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    31 mins
  • 091 – The Journey of AracKhan Wars with Robert Palmer

    091 – The Journey of AracKhan Wars with Robert Palmer
    Jul 29 2021
    Today we have a great guest on the show and I am really excited to learn more about his game. He is the designer of AracKhan Wars, a strategy card game that just got successfully funded with more than 100k on Kickstarter last month. It’s a highly strategic game about card placement, positioning, and maximizing
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    1 hr and 19 mins