Embracing Variance, Negentropy, and Designing for 540 With Derek Gallen

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Cuberviews

Ian Braverman

51 episodes

1 week ago

Cuberviews is a casual yet insightful podcast where Magic: The Gathering fans explore cube design and drafting. Each episode features a laid-back chat with a guest cube curator about their design choices, favorite cards, and the stories behind their cube. Whether you're a seasoned drafter or new to the format, Cuberviews offers fresh perspectives on cube building, draft strategies, and community-driven design. Tune in biweekly for a fun, engaging journey through the world of cube! My Cubes: cubecobra.com/user/view/5f500537a382126d0760ee45 Art by Tyler Reed, Funnylittleguys.com

Games

Leisure

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All content for Cuberviews is the property of Ian Braverman and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Games

Leisure

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Embracing Variance, Negentropy, and Designing for 540 With Derek Gallen

Cuberviews

52 minutes 41 seconds

1 week ago

Embracing Variance, Negentropy, and Designing for 540 With Derek Gallen

Welcome to the 46th episode of Cuberviews, a podcast where I sit down with friends to explore the world of Magic: The Gathering cube design! Today I’m excited to be joined by Derek Gallen to discuss how embracing variance in your cube design—and experimenting with larger cube sizes—can lead to deeper, more dynamic player experiences. On today's episode we cover topics like when it makes sense to build a 360-card list versus a larger cube, how challenging your players can create more memorable drafts, the concept of negentropy, and much more. Enjoy the conversation and stay tuned for more insights into the world of cube design in future episodes of Cuberviews!

ConnectiCube!

64-person cube event happening February 14–15, 2026 at Pack Rat Gaming, just outside Hartford, CT! We'll be featuring lots of amazing local cubes—plus a special guest cube designed by Judge Bones!

Join the ConnectiCube Discord for more info: https://discord.gg/X5mqx46NZW

4 Packs of Magic: https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/overview/8acace2c-841f-4815-8fa9-30fee6e72500

COGWORK COMBO: https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/overview/CFTSOC

Music By Michael Vekstein: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelJesseMakesMusic

Art by Tyler Reed, Funnylittleguys.com