Great Big Table: Recent Episodes
Jim and Adrienne Jones
In this return episode of the Great Big Table Podcast, Adrienne and Jim talk about some of the things that they have learned while running a successful community game night for the past seven years. We discuss what it means to be in community around the gaming table and some things that might help you expand the role of gaming in your wider community.
Some of the games we mention in this episode include:
Topiary
Cardline: Animals
Fauna
Download the episode: GBT-EP009-Growing-Your-Game-Night-Community-Final.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: Jim: @greatbigtable
Adrienne: @babytoolkit
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
I've been able to finally resurrect the rest of the audio interviews that Adrienne and I conducted at Gen Con 2014. I really enjoyed some of the insights that the publishers gave into the growth of the industry and how to be good advocates for the hobby.
A case in point is this great interview with Luke Warren, the Public Relations Director for North Star Games. Luke gave us an overview of the games that North Star Games currently has out including its first foray into a the full on strategy game side of the board games market. Luke also gave some insight as to why North Star Games was venturing into this space as well as offering some ideas on why games like Ticket to Ride, by Days of Wonder, and North Star Games' own Wits and Wagers are good games to use to introduce people into our hobby.
The North Star Games titles that we mentioned or discussed in this episode include:
Evolution
Happy Birthday
Crappy Birthday
Wits and Wagers
Wits and Wagers Party
Clubs
Download the episode: GBT-EPGEN14-4-North-Star-Games.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
At Gen Con, we were very fortunate to spend some time with game publishers and designers.
In another of those Gen Con conversations, we spoke with R&R Games' President and CEO, Frank DiLorenzo. R&R Games is known for great gateway games, popular party games (like the Times Up series), and heavier strategy games like Coal Baron and New Haven. They are also the publisher of 2013 Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) winner, Hanabi. We spent some time talking about a wide swath of games offered by R&R Games and had a great time.
The R&R Games titles that we mentioned or discussed in this episode include:
Times Up
Get a Life
Guess the Mess (Board Game Geek Link)
Strike a Pose
Hearts of Attraction
Plucking Pairs
Hide and Seek Safari
Flea Circus
Spectaculum
Igor: The Monster Making Game
Igor: The Life of the Party
Hanabi
R&R Games' version of Deluxe Hanabi - Coming in October
Coal Baron
New Haven
Qin
Home Stretch
1st & Goal
Download the episode: GBT-EPGEN14-3-RnR-Games.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
At Gen Con, we were very fortunate to spend some time with game publishers and designers.
In the second of those conversations, we spoke with Mindtwister USA's National Marketing Director, Jesse Den Herder. Mindtwister is probably best known for its beautifully crafted, five-in-a-row, abstract game, Pentago. We had a great time talking with Jesse about some of Mindtwister's games and really enjoyed hearing his ideas about the possible demographic roots to the recent surge in the popularity of board games.
The Mindtwister USA games that we discussed in this episode include:
Fandooble
Pentago LE
Pentago CE (with travel case)
Pentago (classic wooden design)
Pentago multi player
Download the episode: GBT-EPGEN14-2-MindTwister-USA.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
At Gen Con, we were very fortunate to spend some time with game publishers and designers.
In the first of those conversations, we meet HABA USA President Lea Culliton. This year's Gen Con is HABA USA's first time as an exhibitor. We were delighted to see this iconic family and children's game publisher joining the Family Pavillion.
Join us as we discuss some of the newest games in HABA USA's lineup.
The HABA games that we discussed in this episode include:
Shiver-stone Castle
Animal Upon Animal
My Very First Games: Animal Upon Animal
Animal Upon Animal: Small and Yet Great! (Travel game)
Pizzeria Allegro (Link to HABA USA)
Pirate’s Blast
My Very First Games: Feeling and Touching
My Very First Games: First Orchard
Dancing Eggs
Plucky Pilots
A surprise hit for HABA USA at Gen Con, that we actually didn't cover in our interview with Lea, was Rhino Hero. Rhino Hero is a dexterity game where you build a skyscraper out of cards while moving a rhinoceros superhero up the levels. You are trying to be the player with the fewest cards left in your hand when the whole thing comes tumbling down. Jim has played this in public on a couple of occasions now and it always garners a lot of interest. (Board Game Geek link)
Download the episode: GBT-EPGEN14-1-Haba-USA.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
Come chat with us about charitable gaming during Gen Con 2014 in beautiful Indianapolis! There are only 9(!) tickets left [out of 50, I'm as surprised as you are], so reserve yours today.
Gaming for Good: An Insider's Guide to Playing Games for Charity [SEM1459505]
Friday, August 15 10 AM
Crowne Plaza : Pennsylvania Stn C| Turn your gaming hobby into a force for good. Veteran charity gaming event organizers share their secrets for joining, organizing, promoting & hosting successful fundraisers. | | Panelists will include Jim & Adrienne Jones, organizers of an Extra Life weekend for Riley Children's Hospital, Dan Patriss, organizer of Gamers for Cures, and Jamey Stegmaier, co-founder of Stonemaier Games. [We regret that Bill Corey, Gaming Hoopla organizer, is unable to attend this Gen Con.] |
You know how much we love Gen Con from the podcast, but you may not know about their great partnerships with Indiana charities.
Gen Con, though housed in Seattle, is a great community partner with Indianapolis. Each year Gen Con and its attendees support a local non-profit in the Circle City. This year's charity partner is Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana which "serves more than 350 hunger relief agencies and 250 schools throughout 21 counties in central and southeastern Indiana, providing emergency food and grocery products to thousands of Hoosiers in need."[Gen Con]
Very specifically, the money will go to the BackSacksprogram which "provides healthy food for school children over the weekend. BackSacks serves over 10,000 children at 230 schools in 21 Indiana counties." [Gen Con]
These generous efforts will help feed kids in urban, suburban, and rural communities. As Hoosiers, we thank Gen Con and its attendees for their consistent attentions to the needs of Hoosier families, especially Indiana's kids in need.
We've talked about the family experience at Gen Con on Baby Toolkit, so swing by if you want to take an AMAZING family gaming vacation this August!
The next episode of the Great Big Table podcast (http://greatbigtable.com) will be all about gaming on a budget. Once you've been infected by a deep seated love for board games, you've probably also quickly become aware of how expensive a hobby it can be.
Let's face it, while board gaming is gaining in popularity, with more gamers coming to the table every day, most games are still printed in boutique level batches. A popular game may only have ten thousand copies printed across it's lifetime. There's no economy of scale to help keep the prices down. Add to that the cost of shipping lately and you start to see why games can cost a pretty penny.
So, what's a new or renewed board gamer to do?
How do you get into hobby board gaming without breaking the bank?
What tips have worked for you to help you spend your gaming dollar wisely and get the most bang for your gaming buck?
We've said from the beginning that Great Big Table is a conversation about expanding the board game hobby. Luckily our listeners have stepped up to the table and helped to keep up their side of the conversation.
If you'd like to share some of your tips, post them below. If you post a comment in this thread, we may read it on the show.
Don't want to post a comment? Great, give us a call and leave a voicemail message that's less than three minute's long.
Our phone number is (401) IT IS BIG or (401) 484-7244.
You have more to say than will fit in a three minute voicemail, send us an MP3 audio file that's 5 MB or less in size to podcast@greatbigtable.com and we may use all or part of it in the show.
If you don't like the sound of your voice or don't trust our editing skills, send us an email to podcast@greatbigtable.com and we may read all or part of it in the show.
Thanks.
Jim Jones
co-host, Great Big Table podcast
In this very special episode of Great Big Table, we're joined by one of our favorite gaming podcasts, The Party Gamecast Featuring the Party Game Cast, to spend way too much time discussing the game that started it all for Adrienne and I, Therapy:The Game.
The Party Gamecast was kind enough to send us an audio review of a copy of Therapy that they found lying around and we thought it would be fun to record a DVD commentary style track to intersperse throughout their review.
We had a blast doing it. We also want thank the Party Gamecast for taking the time to record this review. And... we hope you all like it. Look in the feed, soon, for episode 005a which will be the unbroken up version of the Party Gamecast's review of Therapy that they sent us.
Some of the games we mention in this episode include:
Loaded Questions
Say Anything
The Game of Scruples
The Game of Things
Therapy: The Game
Download the episode: GBT-EP005-Therapy-with-the-Party-Game-Cast-Final.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
It's over six months late, but we finally get around to wrapping up our Extra Life weekend long board gaming event that raised money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. We played twenty four hours of board games across three days and raised over two thousand dollars for charity (over $2000!). We're very proud of what we accomplished in our first year and are looking forward to more success as we continue this annual event in our community.
Mostly, Jim spends this episode grasping for that word for the structured play mat that you play cards to in popular hobby games and stages an intervention for Adrienne's recent addiction.
Thank you to all our Extra Life supporters. We have amazing and generous friends, fans, and family members. We wouldn't have been successful without all of your support.
Some of the games we talk about this episode include:
7 Wonders
Action Castle and the other Parsley games (they're like $5 a piece)
Are you a werewolf? (the cheaper, basic verion) / Ultimate Werewolf (the more expensive deluxe version)
Alien Frontiers
Can't Stop
Cosmic Encounter
Downfall of Pompei
Eleminis
Escape: The Curse of the Temple
Fill the Barn
Flash Point: Fire Rescue
Flower Fall
Glory to Rome
Got 'Em!
Liar's Dice
Monopoly Deal
Perudo
Pit
Pitchcar
Race for the Galaxy
Rattle Snake
San Juan
The Secret Garden (out of print, Board Game Geek page)
Therapy
Wits and Wagers: Party
Zooloretto
Download the episode: GBT-EP004-Extra-Life-Wrapup-Final.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
Send us an Email: podcast@greatbigtable.com
Follow us on Twitter: @greatbigtable
Leave us a voicemail: (401) It is big or (401) 484-7244
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
The music for this episode is "Vox vs. Uke" by unreal_dm (featuring Mind Map That!) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. You can hear more of unreal_dm's wonderful music creations at ccmixter.org/people/unreal_dm.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
A tip of the hat to guild member, Art V. (pirateart on BGG) for this upcoming show topic.
So you've just discovered hobby board games and you are now hooked. Maybe you are lucky enough to play with your significant other, spouse or roommate or maybe now you want to expand social circle of hobby game players.
How do you go about finding those other players?
If you are a veteran gamer that now plays with a regular group, how did you go about finding other players?
Any suggestions, tips, or tricks for our next episode?
Update: The episode that partially resulted from this discussion is here: Finding a Game Group
The Great Big Table / Saint Peter's Game Night Extra Life weekend is this weekend. We're playing 24 hours of board games across three days to raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
If you're up for some board gaming in service of Children's Miracle Hospitals and you'll be in the Southern Indiana region (Evansville, IN, to be exact) this weekend, then consider stopping by:
When:
October 19th, 6pm - 9pm CST
October 20th, 7am - 9pm CST
October 21st, noon - 8pm CST
Where:
Saint Peter's (Highland) UCC
7014 Darmstadt Road
Evansville, IN 47710
Phone: 812-867-5271
Email: stpetersdarmstadt@att.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stpetershighland
If you can't make it, please consider supporting one of our Extra Life teams.
Extra Life Teams:
We are coordinating two Extra Life teams this year. The first is affiliated with our Great Big Table board gaming podcast, greatbigtable.com. The second is affiliated with the monthly community game night that's hosted out of our church on the third Friday night of the month from 6pm - 9pm (and where our three days of gaming will be held this weekend).
Great Big Table Extra Life team: http://www.extra-life.org/team/greatbigtable
Saint Peter's Game Night Extra Life team: http://www.extra-life.org/team/stpetersgamenight
Many of our team members are raising money for Riley Children's Hospital in Indianpolis, Indiana. Many of the members of our church have a personal connection with Riley as they have had family or friends that have required its services.
Our own family owes a debt of gratitude to the staff and services of Riley when they saved our infant daughter's life with a cranial reconstruction surgery last Winter. Participating in Extra Life is our way of giving back to this amazing facility.
Good luck to everyone participating in Extra Life events this year and thank you.
It's been a long time coming (sorry about that), but we've finally been able to edit the episode that we recorded over two months ago. In this episode we talk about our new voice mail system (401-ItIsBig), about our Extra Life team, about some of our thrift store finds and flops and we run down some of the games we've played.
The Great Big Table Extra Life team page can be found at www.extra-life.org/team/greatbigtable . Please spread the word about what we're doing, join the team, support a team member or start a team of your own with your family, gaming group, co-workers, church, or friendly local gaming store.
All that and we harness the Internet to brainstorm ways to find, or create, gamers with whom to play more games.
So, saddle up and check out the show.
Some additional links from the show:
The Ted Talk (about the enthusiastic follower) that we discussed: Derek Sivers' How to Start a Movement.
Chris Norwood (aka Gamer Chris): gamerchris.com
Chris' Extra Life team: Exploring Games with Kids
Paul Owen's Man Overboard blog: paulowengames.blogspot.com
Jason Moslander's Games with Two blog: gameswithtwo.blogspot.com
Legends Family and Hobby Games (Vincennes, IN) facebook: www.facebook.com/legendsgames
Some of the games we talk about this episode include:
Battle Line
Can't Stop
Dixit
Dominoes
Double Discoveries (Trap the Cap / Game of Goose) - Out of Print, link goes to Board Game Geek page.
Eleminis
Got 'Em
Hike
Identik
Jungle Speed
Leader 1
Lost Cities
Monopoly Deal
Pit
Rallyman
The Resistance
Reverse Charades
Save the Whales - Out of Print, link goes to Board Game Geek page.
Say Anything
S'getti Scatter
Therapy - Out of Print, link goes to Board Game Geek page.
Times Up: Title Recall
Werewolf
Wise and Otherwise
Witch Trial - Out of Print, link goes to Board Game Geek page.
Wits & Wagers
Download the episode: GBT-EP003-Finding-a-Game-Group-Final.mp3
Subscribe to the podcast: via RSS
Subscribe to the podcast: via iTunes
This episode of the Great Big Table is released under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 license.
The My favorite game console is a table and chairs image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license by Daniel Solis. If you like the image, head over to Daniel's blog, danielsolis.com, and buy the t-shirt. If you buy a t-shirt, tell Daniel that the Great Big Table podcast sent you. Daniel has an amazing blog with many interesting thoughts about gaming. Check it out.
The music for this episode is "Vox vs. Uke" by unreal_dm (featuring Mind Map That!) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. You can hear more of unreal_dm's wonderful music creations at ccmixter.org/people/unreal_dm.
***Great Big Table is a late-night conversation between two Midwestern geeks with dreams of world domination through board games. It's not a great plan, but it's our plan and we're sticking to it. Join as we plot to put a meeple in every pot- or at least on every table. We slipped the bonds of our robot masters, so the only opinions represented here are our own. We are however in league with Amazon, so a percentage of every purchase made through our links goes into our onshore accounts (thanks!). Some games have been provided by publishers for review while we picked up others for a buck or two at a thrift store or yard sale. Others are from our own collections or games we played with friends and strangers. Our church also received donated games to its community game collection from Legends Family and Hobby Games. All of which are disclosed as such in the podcast. Give yourself a pat on the back if you've made it this far. You should be proud of yourself for reading all this small print- we are!
