Going Analog Podcast
137 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsDifferent board gamers, each bringing a game and unique topic for the group to discuss. Hosted by Christina Ha and Dan "Shoe" Hsu, with new industry guests each episode.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
86: Libertalia: old vs. new, Dice Tower West, our fave board game cons
March 31, 2022 06:30 - 50 minutes - 47.3 MBThe Going Analog gang has recovered from their Vegas trip to Dice Tower West. So how does this convention stack up to their other faves? What did they play? And how's the new remake of one of their fave board games? Topics this week: Christina (host): Our highlights from Dice Tower West and our tips for attending a convention (11:01) Jess (contributor): Comparing our favorite board game cons (23:35) Shoe (producer): Libertalia vs. Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest (37:57)
85: Hidden gems, makeovers, themes our guest should illustrate (guest: Kwanchai Moriya)
March 17, 2022 06:30 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBThe Going Analog Podcast hosts our first full-time board game illustrator, and it's KWANCHAI MORIYA. He even showed up to our house with beef jerky! The prolific and versatile illustrator of many of your favorite games (including Dinosaur Island, Capital Lux, In the Hall of the Mountain King) recently commemorated his 100th piece of board game art, so we had to celebrate with him on our show. Topics this week: Kwanchai Moriya (guest): What are some board games that you consider hidden gems...
84: Instant classics, celebs we'd like to game with (guests: The Op)
March 03, 2022 07:30 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBSome friends from The Op join Christina to swap gaming stories and imagined celebrity gaming stories! Pat Marino (Game Design Manager and designer of Court of the Dead: Mourner's Call and Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game) and Wes Ferrer (Lead Playtest Coordinator), with topics in hand, get on the Going Analog Podcast to discuss: Christina (host): If you could teach a game to any celebrity, real or fictional, whom would you pick? (9:38) Wes (guest): What makes a game an "instant classic"? ...
83: Board game match-ups! (guest: Amanda Panda/Panda8ngel)
February 17, 2022 07:30 - 54 minutes - 51.4 MBAgricola vs. Caverna? We've discussed that hundreds of times, and the obvious right answer is Caverna. But what about 7 Wonders vs. 7 Wonders: Architects? Calico vs. Cascadia? And a more recent classic clash, Funkoverse vs. Unmatched? We brought on Amanda Panda, aka Panda8ngel, board game Twitch streamer and all-around enthusiastic gamer, to give us her opinions, we all agree: Shoe is wrong. Our match-ups on this episode: Shoe (producer): 7 Wonders vs. 7 Wonders: Architects Christina (h...
82: Deck building, Kickstarter surprises/disappointments, culling collections (guest: Rock Manor)
February 03, 2022 07:30 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBMike Gnade, founder/CEO of Rock Manor Games (Set a Watch, Lawyer Up, and the upcoming Seas of Havoc) is our guest this week. The topics we each picked: Christina (host): What deck-building games do we first show to newbies? And then after they need to graduate to something more advanced? Mike Gnade (guest): Which Kickstarter board games pleasantly surprised you? And which disappointed you? Shoe (producer): How do you go about culling your board game collection?
81: Puzzle Strike 2, video game influences, push-your-luck (guest: Sirlin Games)
January 20, 2022 07:30 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBDavid Sirlin, President of Sirlin Games, drops by to do a deep dive into video game influences on his tabletop designs, especially with the new Puzzle Strike 2! We also discuss how push-your-luck mechanisms and designing a board game universe. Our chosen topics this week: David Sirlin (guest): How his game design draws from video game influences Christina (host): Push-your-luck in game design and some favorites in that genre Shoe (producer): Building a board game universe
80: New (and old!) games to look forward to in 2022 (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
January 06, 2022 07:30 - 59 minutes - 56 MBWe're slamming the door on 2021 and looking forward to the new year! Older games we're itching to get to the table, long-awaited games we're anxiously waiting for, and neglected shelf-of-opportunity games that are finally coming due -- we bring back prolific content creator Ruel Gaviola to talk about them all! Topics this week: Shoe (producer): Which older games are we excited to get to the table this year? Christina (host): Which 2022 games are we excited to play? Ruel (guest): Which...
79: The 2021 Games of the Year episode
December 23, 2021 07:30 - 57 minutes - 53.8 MBEven though we've cautiously emerged from our social bubble, we figured we'd bring back our neighbor-friends and former bubble-ers James Hudson (Senior Director of Tabletop Games at Skybound) and Tom Twedell to discuss/argue about the games we played this year! Party Game of 2021 Light Games of 2021 Medium Games of 2021 Heavy Games of 2021 Favorite New-to-Us Games of 2021 What's a medium vs. heavy game anyway? Turns out we obviously don't know! Check out a list of our winners below...
78: Board Game Arena pros/cons, playing "blind," and more (guest: Emerson Matsuuchi)
November 18, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBWe love playing games in-person! But sometimes you want to scratch that board-gaming itch for a few minutes in the middle of the workweek. Or during a "break." Or, well, all the damn time. Playing asynchronously on Board Game Arena lets you do just that...a lot. Just don't tell our bosses. Our BGA play pals Emerson Matsuuchi (designer of the Century series, Specter Ops, Reef, and the upcoming Foundations of Rome) and Jess Yi (frequent Going Analog contributor) join Christina and Shoe to ga...
77: Robots, worker placement, game design jealousy (guest: Peter C. Hayward/Blue Beard)
November 04, 2021 06:30 - 57 minutes - 40.8 MBPeter C. Hayward (founder of Blue Beard & Jellybean Games and designer of quirky games like Scuttle!, The Lady and the Tiger, and the upcoming That Time You Killed Me and Robotopia) joins Christina and Shoe to gush about so many mutually favorite games! Topics this episode: Shoe (producer): What are some of your favorite board games that feature robots? Christina (guest): Which game do you secretly wish you had designed? Peter (guest): What have different games done with the worker-pl...
76: Video games going analog, turning theme into gameplay (guests: Level 99 Games)
October 21, 2021 06:30 - 50 minutes - 36.1 MBYes, our show is called Going Analog, so you know we love our video games -- but how do board games bring in the digital vibe that we love into the tabletop medium? Luckily, we found the perfect guests to ask: Level 99 Games, the publisher of video-game-inspired fare such as the recent Bullet series, BattleCON, and Exceed! Joshua Van Laningham, Production and Design Lead at Level 99, and Ferdinand Capitulo, Head of Media at Level 99 and the Cardboard Stacker himself, join us to discuss whi...
75: Forever games, teaching newbies, coolest marketing (guest: Board Game Barrage)
October 07, 2021 06:30 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBKellen Laker, Red Tank from the popular podcast Board Game Barrage, joins Christina and Shoe to discuss Innovation and...fine, some games other than Innovation, too. Plus, we're old hands at gaming these days, so what do we try to keep in mind when introducing brand spanking newbies to tabletop games? And what stands out to us as the best marketing we've seen in the board game biz? Topics this week: Christina (host): Which games do you consider your favorite "Forever Games"? Kellen (...
74: Recent co-op faves, crafting in games, & board game "dream teams" (guest: Nikki Valens)
September 23, 2021 06:30 - 1 hour - 43 MBDesigner Nikki Valens (Legacy of Dragonholt, Eldritch Horror, Quirky Circuits) drops by Going Analog again to discuss recent favorite co-op games, crafting mechanisms, and their latest project, the ambitious co-op, campaign-based Artisans of Splendent Vale. Plus, which designers and artists would we pair together for our ultimate game-design dream teams? Games mentioned on this show: Intro: Eldritch Horror Mansions of Madness Arkham Horror Legacy of Dragonholt Quirky Circuits ...
73: Partner swap! Two-player gaming with 1 Minute Board Games
September 09, 2021 06:30 - 57 minutes - 40.6 MBHave a bunch of two-player games you want to play? You and your partner can't agree on which ones to play? Try a Partner Swap (trademark forthcoming, and get your mind out of the gutter)! Board game TikTok champions Raina and Phil from 1 Minute Board Games took a random Wednesday off and swapped partners with Going Analog: Phil and Shoe played head-to-head two-player card games, and Christina and Raina played twice as many games together in the same amount of time. Were we still all frie...
72: Design inspirations, gaming trends, and trivia! (guest: Reiner Knizia)
August 26, 2021 06:37 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBFamed board game designer Dr. Reiner Knizia (Tigris & Euphrates, Lost Cities, Modern Art, and tons more) graces Going Analog with his bowtied presence. (You won't be able to hear the bowtie, but trust us that it was there, and it was glorious!) We ask Reiner for some juicy stories about some of his most acclaimed designs and what he thinks about current board game trends...and then we spring a trivia quiz on him at the end -- just a sampling of what we do on The Board Game Quiz Show. How...
71: Working with a legend, game length, and fave genres (guests: Bitewing Games)
August 05, 2021 07:25 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBNew game publisher Bitewing Games has not one, not two, but THREE Reiner Knizia games to offer in their upcoming Kickstarter. How does a brand spanking new publisher sign the famous, prolific (famously prolific?) German designer Reiner Knizia? We invited Nick Murray and Kyle Spackman, cofounders of Bitewing Games, to chat with Christina about how it all went down! Plus, we have opinions about our favorite game genres and game length vs. enjoyment. Topics for this week: Christina (host):...
70: Solo games - here to stay? Plus tons of recs! (guest: Jeremy Howard)
July 22, 2021 08:00 - 52 minutes - 37.7 MBJeremy Howard, solo gaming expert from Man vs. Meeple, joins Christina and Shoe to personally recommend some great solo games and convince everyone that solo gaming is here to stay! But which games need that multiplayer aspect? Topics for this episode: Shoe (producer): What are some good solo games we should check out? Jeremy (guest): Solo gaming during the pandemic...here to stay or no? Christina (host): What do we look for in multiplayer games that solo gaming can’t scratch the itch...
69: Popping the social bubble, surprise games, publisher woes (guest: James Hudson)
July 08, 2021 06:30 - 47 minutes - 34.2 MBAs US game groups start meeting up again, we chat with fellow social bubble-r James Hudson (Skybound Games) about quarantine's effects on us as gamers, which games surprised us, and the unintended effects of COVID on board game shipping and logistics. (Last topic = sad James) Our topics for this show: Shoe (producer): Board gaming outside of the social bubble: what it's been like so far, what's changed, what are the challenges? Christina (host): Games that surprised you over the pandemi...
68: Gamer origin stories, adjacent hobbies, and Uwe! (guest: Dice Tower Podcast)
June 24, 2021 06:30 - 51 minutes - 36.7 MBSuzanne Sheldon and Mandi Hutchinson from the Dice Tower Podcast take some time off to do...another podcast with Christina! Listen for our board gamer origin stories, how we balance other hobbies, and Christina and Suz strongly recommend some games to Mandi from Uwe Rosenberg (one of our favorite designers). The games mentioned in this episode: Intro: Fields of Arle Christina's topic: Our board-gamer origin stories Monopoly Mouse Trap Power Grid Bohnanza Chess Checkers Tro...
67: Post-quarantine gaming, elegant designs, content creation (guest: JonGetsGames)
June 03, 2021 06:30 - 1 hour - 43.1 MBThings are a mess around the world, but many of us are just starting to socialize again. So what will we be playing first with our long-lost gaming buddies? The prolific Jonathan Cox from JonGetsGames joins us to discuss this and more. Our chosen topics: Christina Ha (host): What board games are you most excited to play with your friends, post-lockdown? (2:24) Jonathan Cox (guest): How do we define "elegant design," and what are our favorite examples? (17:20) Mike Zipkin (editor): Wha...
66: Real-time board games, games partners disagree on (guests: 1 Minute Board Games)
May 20, 2021 06:30 - 56 minutes - 39.9 MBAll the cool kids are on TikTok, so Raina and Phil from 1 Minute Board Games make Christina and Shoe honorary Gen Z-ers this week! We discover Raina's allergy to real-time games, Phil's addiction to Android: Netrunner, and Christina needs to shut up about Innovation. Our topics for this episode: Christina (host): Favorite real-time games (3:57) Raina (guest): Which games do you and your partner not agree on? (15:21) Phil (guest): Games that we feel are the epitome of a board game mec...
65: What board games have taught us, themes, online sales (guest: BoardGameCo)
May 06, 2021 06:30 - 51 minutes - 36.5 MBYouTube creator and BoardGameCo founder Alex Radcliffe stops by the show! Our picks for topics this week: Alex (guest): How important is theme? Have you kept mediocre board games purely because of a great theme? And what games do you love despite their theme? Shoe (producer): What are some interesting facts that we've learned from playing board games? Christina (host): How did the pandemic affect online retail sales? What gaming trends popped up during stay-at-home? The games discussed...
64: 3-course gaming, culling collections, & evolving tastes (guests: Red Raven Games)
April 22, 2021 06:30 - 55 minutes - 39.5 MBHusband-wife team Ryan and Malorie Laukat of Red Raven Games (Sleeping Gods, Above and Below, Megaland) stop by with a few gaming topics in hand: Christina (host): Our ideal "3-course meal" of board games Malorie (guest): Culling our collections Ryan (guest): How our gaming tastes have evolved over time The games discussed in this episode: Intro: Above & Below Near & Far Empires of the Void II Eight-Minute Empires Roam Sleeping Gods Megaland Now or Never Surrealist D...
63: Fave game names, tech in games, and conventions (guests: Rose Gauntlet)
April 01, 2021 06:30 - 56 minutes - 40.1 MBIsaac Vega (designer of Ashes Reborn, co-designer of Dead of Winter and Forgotten Waters) and Lindsey Rode (designer of Labyrinthos) take a quick break from managing their new company, Rose Gauntlet Entertainment, to discuss gaaames! Our topics: our favorite board game names, mixing technology with tabletop, and how we feel about attending conventions this year. The games discussed in this episode: Intro: Dead of Winter Forgotten Waters Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn Keys...
62: Board games we changed our opinions on, invested the most in, have a hard time getting to the table (guests: Before You Play)
March 18, 2021 06:25 - 49 minutes - 35.1 MBGreat board game discussions with Monique and Naveen of Before You Play! What games did we change our minds on (either way) after a second play? What games have we invested the most in? And what ones do we find hardest to get to the table...for whatever reason? Here are the games covered in this episode: Christina’s topic: Games you’ve invested the most in Lost Ruins of Arnak Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein Killer Bunnies Dead of Winter Scythe Scythe: Rise of Fenris Wi...
62: Board games we changed our opinions on, invested the most in, have a hard time getting to the table
March 18, 2021 06:25 - 49 minutes - 35.1 MBGreat board game discussions with Monique and Naveen of Before You Play! What games did we change our minds on (either way) after a second play? What games have we invested the most in? And what ones do we find hardest to get to the table...for whatever reason? Here are the games covered in this episode: Christina’s topic: Games you’ve invested the most in Lost Ruins of Arnak Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein Killer Bunnies Dead of Winter Scythe Scythe: Rise of Fenris Wi...
61: Board games that get you HYPED, our backlogs, livestreaming (guest: Paula Deming)
March 04, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 47.6 MBThe always fun, always funny Paula Deming from Things Get Dicey joins the podcast this week to discuss: Board games that really get us riled up (in good and bad ways) The games in our "shelf of opportunity" that we're most excited to get to Why we livestream playthroughs -- or not The games discussed on this episode: Intro: Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time Christina’s topic: Games that get you hyped Dominant Species Targi Twilight Imperium Draw ...
60: Learning/teaching pet peeves, favorite animal-themed games, Capstone Games (guest: Board Games in a Minute)
February 18, 2021 07:30 - 47 minutes - 34.1 MBSarah Shah of Board Games in a Minute slows down just long enough to record a podcast with us. We chat about our favorite games centered around animals, our big pet peeves when teaching (or learning) a new board game, and publisher Capstone Games. The games mentioned in this episode: Christina’s topic: What are some of your favorite games centered around animals? Everdell Ecos: First Continent Gods Love Dinosaurs Evolution Oceans Endangered Calico Isle of Cats Beez Hon...
59: Separating art from artist, video game licenses, deckbuilding (guest: Boards Alive)
February 04, 2021 07:30 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBThis is a special Voltron Podcast episode with Boards Alive's Aaron Cassidy! (Touchy subject) We talk about the recent drama and controversies in the board game biz (and whether we can separate the art from the artists). (And not-so-touchy) On a lighter note, we also discuss video-game-licensed board games and deckbuilding in games we wouldn't call deckbuilding games. Shoe: Board games based on video game licenses that you've enjoyed or are excited about Bloodborne Kingdom Rush: Rif...
58: Fave things to do with board games (besides playing them), best components, and...jigsaw puzzles??
January 21, 2021 07:30 - 46 minutes - 33 MBWe're so obsessed with board games, that we enjoy them...even when we're not actually playing them. What are these "play-adjacent" activities that we love so much? And what are our favorite components? And why on earth are we talking about jigsaw puzzles on a board game podcast? The board games we discuss on this episode: Christina’s topic: your favorite game components Everdell Tidal Blades Honey Buzz Wingspan Wavelength Blockbuster Potion Explosion Portal Dragoon A...
57: The 2020 Board Games of the Year episode
January 07, 2021 07:55 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBParty game of the year! Light game of the year! Medium-weight game of the year! Heavy game of the year! We grab two of our social-bubble gaming crew (James Hudson of Skybound and Shoe's co-worker Tom Twedell), and we all give our picks for the #1 games in all those categories for 2020. Plus: What trends did we see in 2020 (and what might we see in 2021? And how did gaming get us through the rough patches of last year? The games covered in this episode: Intro: Bloodstone Tom’s topic...
56: More party games, "old" games that need love, mechanics we seek out or avoid (guest: comedian Grant Lyon)
December 10, 2020 16:53 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBProfessional comedian Grant Lyon (who also creates board game videos and co-designed Curmudgeon) joins us on the podcast this week. We talk about "old" (pre-2018) games that need more live, mechanics that we seek out or actively avoid, and more party games we love playing. Games mentioned on this episode: Intro: Curmudgeon Christina’s topic: “Old” games that don’t get enough love Love Letter Lost Legacy Grand Austria Hotel Taverns of Tiefenthal High Society Take 5 Take a N...
55: Party + gateway games, childhood memories, and house rulin' (guests: Plaid Hat)
November 25, 2020 18:58 - 1 hour - 46.6 MBPlaid Hat Marketing Manager Niki Shults and Multimedia Director Donald Shults talk board games -- and tons of D&D -- with us. Our topics: 1. What are some new party games you can play over Zoom or within one average household? 2. Is Catan still the perfect gateway game? If not, what is? 3. What are your best childhood memories of playing board games? 4. House rules: How do you feel about them? Here are the games covered on the show: Intro: Forgotten Waters The Settlers of Cat...
54: Inclusivity, innovative gameplay, educational games that aren't educational games (guest: Elizabeth Hargrave)
November 02, 2020 03:33 - 1 hour - 45.4 MBGuest Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan, Mariposas) drops a hint about her next project while we discuss our four new topics: 1. Learning factoids in non-educational games 2. How we can make board gaming more inclusive for everyone 3. Games whose themes have inspired innovative gameplay 4. Designing games and finishing prototypes Games discussed in this episode: Intro: Wingspan Tussie Mussie Mariposas Christina’s topic: How theme can lead to innovative gameplay Wingspan Marip...
53: Top 3 games we're dying to play, the board game café business (guest: Meepleville)
October 15, 2020 06:30 - 55 minutes - 39.7 MBGuest Timm Metivier of Meepleville (a board game cafe in Vegas and a channel for board game content) joins us to discuss the top 3 games we can't wait to get to the table, the business of running a board game cafe (you'd be surprised how he works around COVID), how we discover the games we want to buy, and more. The games talked about on this episode: Timm’s topic: The top games we can’t wait to get to the table Food Chain Magnate Trickerion Pax Porfiriana Telestrations: Upside Dr...
52: Spiel des Jahres 2020, Euro vs. Ameritrash...fight! (guest: Roy Cannaday)
October 01, 2020 06:30 - 55 minutes - 52.1 MBThe big games of the year have been announced. What do we think of them? The Dice Tower's Roy Cannaday joins us to discuss the Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners; if we still use "Euro" and "Ameritrash" to define those genres; video production during quarantine times; and his new, upcoming game, Last Light. The games we talk about on this episode: Intro: Last Light Eclipse Twilight Imperium Concordia Christina's topic: Spiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners M...
51: RPGs, video games, and our ideal gaming groups (guests: Jon Gilmour, Ian Moss)
September 17, 2020 06:50 - 57 minutes - 53.6 MBGame designers Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island) and Ian Moss (Duelosaur Island, Wonderland's War) join us to discuss video games that would make cool board games, what video games have taught them about game design, our ideal gaming group, and how new RPGs make themselves stand out from the crowd. Here are the games covered on the show: Intro Dead of Winter Dinosaur Island Wasteland Express I Dissent Duelosaur Island Wonderland’s War Bunkers and Badasses Ian’s ...
50: Best games, genres, and podcast moments -- our 50th episode special!
September 03, 2020 06:58 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBIt's our 50th episode! We celebrate by discussing: Our top 3 games in BoardGameGeek's top 100 Our favorite genres (and our favorite game in that genre) The best moments from our podcast so far The board game that got us into board gaming Here are the games we mention on the show: Mike's topic: Favorite game in our favorite genre Gloomhaven Hansa Teutonica 7 Wonders Libertalia Campy Creatures R (BraveRats) Orleans Caverna A Feast for Odin Alien Frontiers Shoe's t...
49: Unique deckbuilders, design vs. development, hobbies that should be board games (guests: Leder Games, Terrible Games)
August 20, 2020 06:55 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBTwo guests! Nick Brachmann (Leder Games) and John de Campos (Terrible Games) join us to discuss their upcoming games (Fort and Token Terrors Battlegrounds, respectively) and our four new topics: Deckbuilding games with a unique twist Our other hobbies that we'd like to see brought to life for tabletop gaming The differences between "design" and "development" Establishing a visual identity for a game company Here are the games discussed/mentioned in this episode:
48: Points? Who cares? Plus: Fave universes, illustration-based games, and social interactions (guest: Eric Slauson)
August 06, 2020 06:30 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBWe're talking so many "favorites" today: our favorite games where points don't matter, favorite games that revolve around illustrations (not necessarily drawing), favorite board game universes, and favorite game-induced social interactions. Our guest is Eric Slauson, designer of Tattoo Stories, Nerd Words, and the upcoming MonsDRAWsity. Here's a list of the games discussed on the show: Intro Tattoo Stories Nerd Words: Science! MonsDRAWsity Welcome To... Tumblin' Dice Christin...
47: Fave themes, RPG-ish board games, designers' inspirations, cultural appropriation (guests: Sen-Foong Lim, Banana Chan)
July 23, 2020 06:04 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBWhat do we really mean when we want to play a "storytelling" game? Designers Sen-Foong Lim and Banana Chan join to discuss this as well as the upcoming Jiangshi RPG, our favorite board game themes, and board game cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion Sea of Legends Dune RPG Junk Art Dungeons & Dragons: Rock Paper Wizard The Legend of Korra: ...
46: Sleeper hits, games to play outside, genres we dislike (guest: Ruel Gaviola)
July 08, 2020 07:16 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBUber content creator Ruel Gaviola (Geek & Sundry plus a million other things) joins us this week to talk about under-the-radar games that need more love, games we can play outside that won't get blown away, genres we don't like (and exceptions to them), and online communities. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: Games we can play outdoors Heckmeck Pickomino Q.E. Hanabi Deluxe Shobu Backgammon Dominoes Secrets Wavelength Pinnacle Jenga A...
45: Streamable games, big-name licenses, and that X factor (guest: The Op's Pat Marino)
June 24, 2020 06:34 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBWe talk (non-roll-and-write) board games that are perfect for streaming to your friends, and we delve into how a game company like The Op works with so many big-name licenses (Marvel, Harry Potter, and...um, Golden Girls). Plus, what is that X factor that makes a game really great? And Mike Zipkin gives impressions on Nintendo's Clubhouse Games. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Star Wars: Dark Side Rising Harry Potter: Death Eaters Rising Die Hard: The Naka...
44: Politics, premium bits, and remakes (guest: James Hudson)
June 10, 2020 06:50 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBHow should game publishers and designers respond to recent political events? We also talk about premium components (the business behind them and how we do our own upgrading) and reissued/remade games like King of Tokyo Dark and Kemet: Blood and Sand. James Hudson, senior director of tabletop gaming at Skybound Games (Sorcerer City, Superfight, Tidal Blades) joins us this week for this discussion. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro The Grimm Masquerade Guardian'...
43: Pirate games, Forgotten Waters, losing interest in the hobby (guests: Plaid Hat, Tim Schafer)
May 27, 2020 07:43 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBWe talk about Plaid Hat's new storytelling adventure game Forgotten Waters, our other favorite pirate-themed games, and some of the most memorable characters in board gaming. But...is quarantining slowly killing our love for board games? We have three special guests! Video game designer Tim Schafer (whose work on The Secret of Monkey Island influenced Forgotten Waters), and Forgotten Waters co-designers Isaac Vega and Joe Ellis. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intr...
42: 2P/solo games, failing co-op, roll & writes, Uwe Rosenberg (guest: Jamey Stegmaier)
May 06, 2020 06:55 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBWhat are our favorite two-player, solo, and roll-and-write games? Do you want to restart or fail forward when you lose a cooperative adventure? And we all love designer Uwe Rosenberg! With guest Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Wingspan, Tapestry, Scythe). Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Wingspan Viticulture Scythe Euphoria Tapestry Shoe's topic: What are our favorite two-player and solo games? Lost Cities Hanamikoji Jixia Academy Onitama ...
41: Async digital games, designing during COVID, and more (guest: Emerson Emerson Matsuuchi)
April 22, 2020 07:15 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBWhich games transport us to new places or worlds? What makes a good asynchronous digital game? And how does sheltering in place change how a designer goes about his business? Board game designer Emerson Matsuuchi (Century series, Metal Gear Solid, Specter Ops) joins us to discuss. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Century Metal Gear Solid Foundations of Rome Christina's topic: What are your top board games that help you escape? Tokaido Namiji Tales of ...
40: Gaming (and publishing) in a COVID-19 world + The Crew (guests: Deep Water Games)
April 08, 2020 07:46 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBThe world has changed. How are we playing games now? How has coronavirus impacted the game-publishing business? And why is community more important than ever? We cover these big topics with Nolan Nasser (CEO) and Jacob Way (COO) of Deep Water Games (Welcome To..., Hanamikoji). In lighter news, we go on and on about one of our favorite games of 2020 so far: The Crew. It's so amazing, we guaranteed our guests their money back if they bought it and didn't like it. Here's a full list of ga...
39: Classic games, culling games, and conventions (guests: Board Game Spotlight)
March 18, 2020 16:18 - 1 hour - 45 MBHow do we pick which board games to cull when we move? What is gaming life like in the military? What's considered a classic nowadays? And what's our ideal convention experience -- deadly viruses aside, that is? Lizzy Funkhouser (Board Game Spotlight) and Derek Funkhouser (Skybound Games) join us to discuss! Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Medium Q.E. The Walking Dead: Something to Fear Herbaceous Sprouts Derek's topic: What makes an evergreen or classi...
38: Is there a board game for everyone? Plus: The LOLest games, board game movies, and Kickstarter trailers
February 26, 2020 05:23 - 1 hour - 51.1 MBWhy we'll never get some of our friends to play board games; the best laugh-so-hard-we-always-cry games; board game movies (our faves and the ones we'd like to see); and whether high-production trailers are good -- and bad -- for Kickstarter campaigns. Games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: board game movies -- the good, the mostly bad, and what we want to see Clue Jumanji Battleship The Castles of Burgundy Pandemic Pandemic: Legacy Settlers of Catan One Night Ultimate...