Episode Details

Balance in board games is one of those much-talked-about topics that keeps cropping up. Some people want games to be perfectly balanced, so that players' only advantage comes from their skill and hours of practice and graft. Others relish highly unbalanced games, where it's nigh-impossible to win, but when you do win, it feels amazing. Yet, balance in board games is much more complex and subtle than that. In this article, I want to look at the role that balance plays in board game design.

Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/12/02/losing-balance-the-role-of-balance-in-board-games-topic-discussion/

Useful Links

• Cosmic Encounter Board Game Geek page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39463/cosmic-encounter
• Votes for Women review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/02/10/votes-for-women-digital-eyes/
• Godzilla: Tokyo Clash review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/09/godzilla-tokyo-clash-saturday-review/
• Pandemic review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/01/18/pandemic-saturday-review/
• Root review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2022/02/12/root-a-game-of-woodland-might-and-right-saturday-review/
• [1] Cole Wehrle interview on balancing powerful positions with strategic liabilities, Elevation Games, https://www.elevation.games/blog/interview-with-cole-wehrle-designer-of-root-john-company-and-pax-pamir
• Oath review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2021/11/27/oath-chronicles-of-empire-and-exile-saturday-review/
• [2] Cole Wehrle interview on emergent asymmetry in Oath, Tabletop Gaming, https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/oath-an-interview-with-cole-wehrle/
• Doubt is our Product Board Game Geek page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/401361/doubt-is-our-product

Music

Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Ena, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12224-relaxing-lofi-ena

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Dyo, produced by Sascha Ende
Link: https://ende.app/en/song/12225-relaxing-lofi-dyo

Support

If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:

Ko-Fi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠