In most board games ... same number of coins. Even games where players can acquire vastly different powers, they often start off the same. Blood Rage is a good example. But there are some designs ...

TIME spoke with Leacock to learn more about the board game explosion and what it’s like to design them for a living ... This is a rare example of something that you can sit down and play ...

Dealing five cards to each player at the start of the game, for example, brings a bit more ... goal of player elimination ruled American board game design for so long. Sometimes past is bad ...

As a fan of Disney and cats, I would create an adventure-themed board game that incorporated ... Each princess gives one player a unique power in-game. For example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid ...

For an example of the former, take Ticket to Ride. It borrows liberally from older designs, and it’s not a name that’s on the lips of any average person if they’re talking about board games.