What actually makes a tabletop game successful? According to Roll for Combat publisher Stephen Glicker, creating a great game is only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

Sean sits down with Stephen to unpack nearly five decades of gaming experience and the lessons he’s learned building Roll for Combat and Battlezoo into major third-party publishers for Pathfinder, D&D, Shadowdark, and now Deathbringer. Stephen shares how his background in publishing, advertising, video games, and even studying casino psychology shaped the way he approaches game design and marketing.

They also dig into the realities of running a tabletop publishing business—from printers, fulfillment, NDAs, and structured playtesting to the growing challenge of proving artwork wasn't AI-generated. Stephen explains why understanding the mechanics behind a game matters more than simply playing hundreds of games, and why designers need to learn how to deconstruct what makes games work.

Guest Bio:

Stephen Glicker is the publisher of Roll for Combat and the creator behind the Battlezoo line of tabletop roleplaying products. Roll for Combat publishes material across multiple systems, including Pathfinder, D&D 5E, Shadowdark, and Deathbringer.

Stephen has been playing tabletop RPGs since 1977 and brings decades of experience across gaming, publishing, design, and marketing. Before working full-time in tabletop publishing, he ran Skyscraper Studios, producing websites and interactive projects for Fortune 500 companies, and studied print publication and design at Carnegie Mellon.

Roll for Combat originally began as an actual-play podcast before Stephen experimented with publishing his first Battlezoo Bestiary. When COVID disrupted his original plans to sell the book at conventions, he took it to Kickstarter instead—where the first campaign raised more than $300,000.

Today, Stephen works alongside game designers and creators on products including Battlezoo Bestiary, Eldamon, Battlezoo ancestries, adventures, dragon-focused products, and Deathbringer with Professor Dungeon Master. He also co-hosts Roll for Combat's weekly show, discussing tabletop game design, publishing, crowdfunding, fulfillment, and the business behind the industry.

Connect with Crowdfunding Nerds:

Website: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crowdfundingnerdspodcast

Game Design & Marketing With Stephen Glicker | Ep. 300

Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Game Design & Marketing With Stephen Glicker | Ep. 300