Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Episode | Date |
---|---|
154: Running a first-time game con, going from content creator to retailer (guest: LFG Con)
|
Jul 10, 2025 |
144: Spooky games, indie vs. in-house design work (guests: designers Ben Kepner, Dan Stong)
|
Jul 03, 2025 |
153: Reviews! New games! Expansions!
|
Jun 26, 2025 |
152: The 2025 American Tabletop Awards (guest: What's Eric Playing?)
|
Jun 05, 2025 |
151: We're back! Tariffs, designing science games (guest: Dominic Crapuchettes)
|
May 22, 2025 |
150: The TOP 10 games of all time!
|
Mar 27, 2025 |
149: Film influence and playfulness in game design (guest: Phil Walker-Harding)
|
Feb 20, 2025 |
148: What's hot for 2025? Plus: The state of board game social media (guest: Grant Lyon)
|
Jan 30, 2025 |
147: The 2024 Games of the Year episode (guest: Beneeta Kaur)
|
Jan 14, 2025 |
146: Reviewed! 2 big-box games, 2 small-box games (and 2 in-between)
|
Dec 12, 2024 |
145: The games we loved at BGG.CON
|
Nov 27, 2024 |
143: The best area-control games, the latest from Reiner Knizia (guest: Bitewing Games)
|
Oct 17, 2024 |
142: Let's party (game)!
|
Oct 03, 2024 |
141: Good/bad second-edition board games, designing from theme up (guest: designer Ben Rosset)
|
Sep 19, 2024 |
140: Fancy components, how games delight and surprise us (guest: designer Chris Matthew)
|
Sep 05, 2024 |
139: The 2024 Gen Con Games of the Show (guest: Amanda Panda)
|
Aug 22, 2024 |
138: Gen Con 2024! Our thoughts on the big show and 5 of the games we loved
|
Aug 08, 2024 |
137: Prepping for Gen Con, our thoughts on some new board games (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
|
Jul 18, 2024 |
136: Games for movie lovers (guest: Mx. Tiffany Leigh)
|
Jul 05, 2024 |
135: Fun new word/social games, upgrading your game room
|
Jun 20, 2024 |
134: Nature-themed board games, deluxe/big box editions (guest: Ian Moss)
|
Jun 06, 2024 |
133: 7 new/new-to-us board games (and what we liked/didn't like about them)
|
May 16, 2024 |
132: The best legacy games, exploring Christian themes (guest: designer Ken Franklin)
|
Apr 25, 2024 |
131: The 2024 American Tabletop Awards (guest: What's Eric Playing?)
|
Apr 11, 2024 |
130: Wyrmspan, our fave tabletop events (guests: Elizabeth Hargrave, Connie Vogelmann)
|
Mar 28, 2024 |
129: Social deduction, "getting to know you" games (guest: 1 Minute Board Games)
|
Mar 14, 2024 |
128: Bizarre gaming habits, how we value board games (guest: designer Eric Slauson)
|
Feb 29, 2024 |
127: Games we love (in genres we hate), what some games get right (guest: Peter C. Hayward)
|
Feb 15, 2024 |
126: 2024's most anticipated, hard-to-recommend games (guest: Might I Suggest a Game)
|
Feb 01, 2024 |
125: The 2023 Games of the Year episode (guest: Grant Lyon)
|
Jan 18, 2024 |
124: King of Tokyo vs. King of Monster Island, Tokaido vs. Duo, Kapow! vs. Dice Throne
|
Jan 04, 2024 |
123: Space bees! Plus small party games, "bad play" design (guest: Connie Vogelmann)
|
Dec 14, 2023 |
122: Euros Special, pt. 2! The hot new games of 2023 (guest: The Game Table)
|
Nov 30, 2023 |
121: Euros Special, pt. 1! The best new (and old) remakes/sequels (guest: The Game Table)
|
Nov 16, 2023 |
120: SolForge Fusion, digital to tabletop to digital (guests: Richard Garfield/Justin Gary)
|
Nov 02, 2023 |
119: Her design secrets/inspirations, what we learn from gaming (guest: Elizabeth Hargrave)
|
Oct 19, 2023 |
118: Party time! Co-op vs. team party games (guest: Jacob Way/Friendly Skeleton)
|
Oct 12, 2023 |
117: Video vs board games, why we play co-ops when we don’t like them (guest: Banzainator)
|
Sep 28, 2023 |
116: The Arkham Asylum Files -- a behind-the-scenes look at this most ambitious game
|
Sep 14, 2023 |
115: Post-Gen Con games! Freelancers, Search for Lost Species, Robot Quest Arena + more
|
Aug 24, 2023 |
114: Our top games from Gen Con 2023 (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
|
Aug 10, 2023 |
113: Games! Expeditions, Overboss Duel, Marrakesh, Vaalbara, District Noir, Rauha
|
Jul 27, 2023 |
112: A.I., our hobbies x games, the "Crossroads" system (guest: Plaid Hat Games)
|
Jul 13, 2023 |
111: LGBTQ+ representation, solo games, guilty pleasures (guest: GeekyGaymerGuy)
|
Jun 29, 2023 |
110: The Gloomhaven universe, state of crowdfunding, “dry” Euros (guest: Isaac Childres)
|
Jun 15, 2023 |
109: We went to Japan! (guest: Before You Play)
|
Jun 01, 2023 |
108: May the Fourth be...with your games! (Guest: Corey Konieczka)
|
May 04, 2023 |
107: The 2023 American Tabletop Awards (guests: Eric Yurko, Nicole Brady)
|
Apr 20, 2023 |
106: Great expansions, underappreciated card games, the best gamers (guest: Beneeta Kaur)
|
Apr 06, 2023 |
105: The history of colonialism in board games, co-op interactivity (guest: Resonym)
|
Mar 23, 2023 |
104: Hot games of all sizes!
|
Mar 09, 2023 |
103: Video games X board games, mean content, Asmodee (guests: Plaid Hat)
|
Feb 23, 2023 |
102: American Tabletop Awards, gaming at bars, culling (guest: What's Eric Playing?)
|
Jan 26, 2023 |
101: The 2022 Games of the Year episode (guest: Our Family Plays Games)
|
Jan 13, 2023 |
100: Our 100th Episode! Best games, best moments, and more
|
Dec 30, 2022 |
99: The PAX Unplugged 2022 Wrap-Up Show
|
Dec 15, 2022 |
98: The BGG.CON 2022 Wrap-Up Show
|
Nov 21, 2022 |
97: Too many games! Highlights from a weeklong board gaming binge
|
Nov 03, 2022 |
96: Music pairings and a board game where turns last as long as you can hold your breath (guest: Terrible Games)
|
Oct 13, 2022 |
95: Turing Machine, good/bad rulebooks, artwork (guests: Danni Loe, Scorpion Masque)
|
Sep 29, 2022 |
94: The trouble with heavy games, games that travel well (guests: Ryan Courtney, Bitewing)
|
Sep 01, 2022 |
93: Gen Con 2022 Recap (guest: Amanda Panda/Panda8ngel)
|
Aug 18, 2022 |
92: Best "X meets Y" games, roll & writes, and road-trip games (guest: Peter C. Hayward)
|
Jul 07, 2022 |
91: Playing "bad guys," shortening games, returning to conventions? (guest: Brotherwise Games)
|
Jun 23, 2022 |
90: Escape (not escape room!) and word games, anticipation, and more (guest: Tim Fowers)
|
Jun 09, 2022 |
89: Animal games, gaming lifestyles, rising prices (guest: Board Game Bollocks)
|
May 27, 2022 |
88: More matchups! Namiji vs. Tokaido, G.I. Joe vs. Transformers... (guest: Amanda Panda)
|
Apr 28, 2022 |
87: Hot crowdfunding games, diversity & inclusion in gaming (guest: Our Family Plays Games)
|
Apr 14, 2022 |
86: Libertalia: old vs. new, Dice Tower West, our fave board game cons
|
Mar 31, 2022 |
85: Hidden gems, makeovers, themes our guest should illustrate (guest: Kwanchai Moriya)
|
Mar 17, 2022 |
84: Instant classics, celebs we'd like to game with (guests: The Op)
|
Mar 03, 2022 |
83: Board game match-ups! (guest: Amanda Panda/Panda8ngel)
|
Feb 17, 2022 |
82: Deck building, Kickstarter surprises/disappointments, culling collections (guest: Rock Manor)
|
Feb 03, 2022 |
81: Puzzle Strike 2, video game influences, push-your-luck (guest: Sirlin Games)
|
Jan 20, 2022 |
80: New (and old!) games to look forward to in 2022 (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
|
Jan 06, 2022 |
79: The 2021 Games of the Year episode
|
Dec 23, 2021 |
78: Board Game Arena pros/cons, playing "blind," and more (guest: Emerson Matsuuchi)
|
Nov 18, 2021 |
77: Robots, worker placement, game design jealousy (guest: Peter C. Hayward/Blue Beard)
|
Nov 04, 2021 |
76: Video games going analog, turning theme into gameplay (guests: Level 99 Games)
|
Oct 21, 2021 |
75: Forever games, teaching newbies, coolest marketing (guest: Board Game Barrage)
|
Oct 07, 2021 |
74: Recent co-op faves, crafting in games, & board game "dream teams" (guest: Nikki Valens)
|
Sep 23, 2021 |
73: Partner swap! Two-player gaming with 1 Minute Board Games
|
Sep 09, 2021 |
72: Design inspirations, gaming trends, and trivia! (guest: Reiner Knizia)
|
Aug 26, 2021 |
71: Working with a legend, game length, and fave genres (guests: Bitewing Games)
|
Aug 05, 2021 |
70: Solo games - here to stay? Plus tons of recs! (guest: Jeremy Howard)
|
Jul 22, 2021 |
69: Popping the social bubble, surprise games, publisher woes (guest: James Hudson)
|
Jul 08, 2021 |
68: Gamer origin stories, adjacent hobbies, and Uwe! (guest: Dice Tower Podcast)
|
Jun 24, 2021 |
67: Post-quarantine gaming, elegant designs, content creation (guest: JonGetsGames)
|
Jun 03, 2021 |
66: Real-time board games, games partners disagree on (guests: 1 Minute Board Games)
|
May 20, 2021 |
65: What board games have taught us, themes, online sales (guest: BoardGameCo)
|
May 06, 2021 |
64: 3-course gaming, culling collections, & evolving tastes (guests: Red Raven Games)
|
Apr 22, 2021 |
63: Fave game names, tech in games, and conventions (guests: Rose Gauntlet)
|
Apr 01, 2021 |
62: Board games we changed our opinions on, invested the most in, have a hard time getting to the table (guests: Before You Play)
|
Mar 18, 2021 |
61: Board games that get you HYPED, our backlogs, livestreaming (guest: Paula Deming)
|
Mar 04, 2021 |
60: Learning/teaching pet peeves, favorite animal-themed games, Capstone Games (guest: Board Games in a Minute)
|
Feb 18, 2021 |
59: Separating art from artist, video game licenses, deckbuilding (guest: Boards Alive)
|
Feb 04, 2021 |
58: Fave things to do with board games (besides playing them), best components, and...jigsaw puzzles??
|
Jan 21, 2021 |
57: The 2020 Board Games of the Year episode
|
Jan 07, 2021 |
56: More party games, "old" games that need love, mechanics we seek out or avoid (guest: comedian Grant Lyon)
|
Dec 10, 2020 |
55: Party + gateway games, childhood memories, and house rulin' (guests: Plaid Hat)
|
Nov 25, 2020 |
54: Inclusivity, innovative gameplay, educational games that aren't educational games (guest: Elizabeth Hargrave)
|
Nov 02, 2020 |
53: Top 3 games we're dying to play, the board game café business (guest: Meepleville)
|
Oct 15, 2020 |
52: Spiel des Jahres 2020, Euro vs. Ameritrash...fight! (guest: Roy Cannaday)
|
Oct 01, 2020 |
51: RPGs, video games, and our ideal gaming groups (guests: Jon Gilmour, Ian Moss)
|
Sep 17, 2020 |
50: Best games, genres, and podcast moments -- our 50th episode special!
|
Sep 03, 2020 |
49: Unique deckbuilders, design vs. development, hobbies that should be board games (guests: Leder Games, Terrible Games)
|
Aug 20, 2020 |
48: Points? Who cares? Plus: Fave universes, illustration-based games, and social interactions (guest: Eric Slauson)
|
Aug 06, 2020 |
47: Fave themes, RPG-ish board games, designers' inspirations, cultural appropriation (guests: Sen-Foong Lim, Banana Chan)
|
Jul 23, 2020 |
46: Sleeper hits, games to play outside, genres we dislike (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
|
Jul 08, 2020 |
45: Streamable games, big-name licenses, and that X factor (guest: The Op's Pat Marino)
|
Jun 24, 2020 |
44: Politics, premium bits, and remakes (guest: James Hudson)
|
Jun 10, 2020 |
43: Pirate games, Forgotten Waters, losing interest in the hobby (guests: Plaid Hat, Tim Schafer)
|
May 27, 2020 |
42: 2P/solo games, failing co-op, roll & writes, Uwe Rosenberg (guest: Jamey Stegmaier)
|
May 06, 2020 |
41: Async digital games, designing during COVID, and more (guest: Emerson Emerson Matsuuchi)
|
Apr 22, 2020 |
40: Gaming (and publishing) in a COVID-19 world + The Crew (guests: Deep Water Games)
|
Apr 08, 2020 |
39: Classic games, culling games, and conventions (guests: Board Game Spotlight)
|
Mar 18, 2020 |
38: Is there a board game for everyone? Plus: The LOLest games, board game movies, and Kickstarter trailers
|
Feb 26, 2020 |
37: Mike Young (Plan B) explains why game publishing is so tough! Plus, our fave board game franchises and imports.
|
Feb 12, 2020 |
36: Celebrating 20 years of BoardGameGeek
|
Jan 29, 2020 |
35: The 2019 games of the year...and looking ahead at 2020
|
Jan 15, 2020 |
34: BoardGameGeek drops in to discuss Azul, Abomination, and BGGCON
|
Dec 18, 2019 |
33: John D. Clair (Ecos, Mystic Vale) explains how he designs board games. Also: Our fave Star Wars, deckbuilding, and engine-building games.
|
Dec 04, 2019 |
32: Rob Manuel (Indie Megabooth, ex-G4TV/Geek & Sundry) discusses what it takes to be a successful board game content creator, plus how to talk to non-gamers about board games over the holidays, why there aren't more negative game reviews, and some Ravens
|
Nov 20, 2019 |
31: Jerry Hawthorne (Mice and Mystics) talks world-building, plus kid-friendly family games, how game design taps into dopamine, and leftover legacy game content
|
Nov 07, 2019 |
30: Bebo (Be Bold Games) brings the strangest/coolest topic to date. Also: most anticipated Essen releases, the biggest problems in the industry, and games that are/aren't worth the setup time
|
Oct 23, 2019 |
29: Why are some games so hard to buy? Scott Morris of GTS Distribution explains the manufacturing/distribution process for us -- plus recent faves that we've been playing and some of the best worker-placement games (with a twist).
|
Oct 09, 2019 |
28: Nikki Valens (Mansions of Madness, Quirky Circuits) tells us how she goes from designing horror games to cute and adorable ones, plus our fave co-op games, how legacy games use legacy elements, and escape-room games
|
Sep 25, 2019 |
27: Scott Alden (BoardGameGeek co-founder) asks if there are too many games being published, plus the top 3 non-obvious things we look for in games, the baggage of BoardGameGeek reviews, and a rave about Japanese favorite Wind the Film
|
Sep 11, 2019 |
26: Dan Ackerman (Techlandia) chats with us about the making of his board game, how important winning is, the current state of board game media, and how the indie tabletop scene feels like the indie video game scene from five years ago
|
Aug 28, 2019 |
25: Post-Gen Con 2019! We team up with Board Game Spotlight to announce our games of the show, our favorite early prototypes, why we buy what we buy at the show, and building communities
|
Aug 14, 2019 |
24: Gen Con 2019 preview special! Our favorite Gen Con memories, what to plan for as a first-timer, lesser-known things to do there, and a bonus review of a unique new bidding game!
|
Jul 31, 2019 |
23: A pre-Gen Con Kickstarter glut, games we’ve purchased second (or third) editions of, and Epic Space Games
|
Jul 17, 2019 |
22: Grant Rodiek (Cry Havok, Farmageddon) can only save three games to play forever, plus the trials of an indie game designer, what kind of collectors we are, and Tokyo Game Market
|
Jul 03, 2019 |
21: Origins Game Fair, 2019 (Kenner)spiel des Jahres, and growing up with Steve Jackson Games
|
Jun 05, 2019 |
20: Nicole Amato (Cardboard Fortress) joins our chat! We discuss licensed board games, social deduction (without the lies), what it's like to co-design, and what themes we'd like to see more of
|
May 22, 2019 |
19: The OG crew are reunited, as Shoe celebrates some recent Kickstarter arrivals, Christina takes stock of the rise of the Roll & Write genre, Mike reflects on the role of ‘super filler’ games, and Nick pens a love letter to Castles of Burgundy
|
May 08, 2019 |
18: Our friend Laura Hubbard stops by to talk math in games, plus games about science (naturally), our favorite games to play with our significant others, and how we engage with early game prototypes
|
Apr 24, 2019 |
17: Anna Kipnis (ex-Double Fine) discusses games with uniquely human interactions, plus modern pub games, games that reveal players’ personalities, and how working in video games has influenced our board game preferences
|
Apr 10, 2019 |
16: Theresa Duringer (Shards of Infinity) tells us how board games can help your career, plus board games we only play digitally, the best ones that need an app, and themed snacks!
|
Mar 20, 2019 |
15: Jordan Draper (Tokyo Series) discusses integrating diverse themes into games, plus great travel games, expectations for game length, and how games have changed our lives
|
Mar 06, 2019 |
14: James Hudson (Druid City Games, Skybound Games) joins us to revisit ethics in board game media, plus bad board game art, the importance of story context, and our favorite board game influencers
|
Feb 20, 2019 |
13: Steve Nix (Gen7) discusses his worldbuilding and how game mechanics can trigger emotions, plus worker placement vs. dice placement games, and the pros and cons of game promos
|
Feb 06, 2019 |
12: Emerson Matsuuchi (Century series, Reef) ponders what qualities of board games attract video gamers, plus what makes for a good rule book, giving players meaningful story choices, and designing games to be merged together
|
Jan 23, 2019 |
11: Game of the Year Celebration - Part 2
|
Jan 09, 2019 |
10: Game of the Year Celebration 2018 - Part 1
|
Dec 26, 2018 |
09: Ryan and Malorie Laukat (Above and Below, Megaland) talk board games they’d like to see made into video games, plus the prettiest games around, making open-world games, and using our imaginations
|
Dec 12, 2018 |
08: Best practices for teaching games, a trip to BGG.CON, games that make us yell, and the best party game you’ve never heard of
|
Nov 28, 2018 |
07: Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Scythe) talks Civilization-style games, plus upgrading game components, games that sound lame but are actually great, and why we go to gaming conventions
|
Nov 14, 2018 |
06: Tim Schafer joins us to discuss why so many digital game creators are “going analog,” plus the best gateway games for video gamers, the most innovative components we’ve seen, and gaming as a responsible parent
|
Oct 31, 2018 |
05: Special guest game designer Jon Gilmour talks board game experiences, plus Halloween-appropriate games, being a board game sommelier, and board games everyone loves except you
|
Oct 17, 2018 |
04: The best modern word games, ethics in board game coverage, Western Legends’ cowboy in a box, and Japanese shopping sprees
|
Oct 03, 2018 |
03: Seminal childhood games, gaming with soundtracks, how we organize our collections, and Keyforge
|
Sep 19, 2018 |
02: Our Fav 2-Player Games, Great Gateway Games, Roleplaying with Kids on Bikes, and Keymaster Games
|
Sep 05, 2018 |
01: Gen Con 2018 Highs and Lows, Choosing Your Own Adventure with House of Danger, Oink Games
|
Aug 08, 2018 |