Meeple Skills: Recent Episodes
meepleskills
A Tabletop Gaming Podcast of Miniature Proportions. Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default.
The Meeple Skills crew compares the video game Dicey Dungeons to two table top dice rolling games. Arguments ensue. Join us for the fun!
Episode 19: Dice and Dungeons
- Dicey Dungeons - Video game on Steam
- Roll for Adventure - Kosmos Games
- Roll For it - Calliope Games
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Meeple Skills is sponsored by Game Cafe in Independence, Missouri. They support the podcast in the form of providing review copies of games. Please check out their online store at http://www.playgamecafe.com/ and their socials on Twitter and Facebook.
It’s that time of year again and Meeple Skills has suggestions for the perfect games to get you in the Holiday spirit! Jackie, Ethan, and Alyssa discuss food themed games. This episode kicks off with Jackie’s interview with John Compton, Sr. Developer of Starfinder at Paizo, and at the end the group discusses their thoughts on the Starfinder Beginner Box.
Episode 11: Food Fight!
- John Compton Interview
- Point Salad by AEG
- Throw Throw Burrito – Independently Published
- Go Nuts for Donuts! by Gamewright Games
- RPG Corner: Starfinder Beginner Box discussion
- Unboxing: Immersive Battle Maps by Yarro Studios
- We now have t-shirts!
We now stream the recording live on Twitch on the 2nd Thursday of every month on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
Enjoy our interviews and convention coverage? Help us continue to create great content through our crowd funding endeavor!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie, Ethan, and Alyssa discuss spooky games for Halloween. The group also talks about their experiences at Nuke-Con, Omaha’s board gaming convention, and how to make scary adventure for your role playing game campaign. The episode closed out with a special unboxing of Paizo’s Starfinder: Beginner Box.
Episode 10: Spooky Games
- Review of Nuke-Con
- Dead Sprint by Rabble Game Studio
- Monster Crunch! The Breakfast Battle Game by Big G Creative
- Betrayal at House on the Hill by Avalon Hill
- Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game by Plaid Hat Games
- RPG Corner: Making a Halloween event for your tabletop role playing game adventure.
- Unboxing of the Starfinder: Beginner Box by Paizo
- We now have t-shirts!
We now stream the recording live on Twitch on the 2nd Thursday of every month on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie and Ethan discuss not-safe-for-work games. A wide variety of questionable content party games are covered, along with a special interview with Norajane the director of the Nuke-Con board gaming convention.
Episode 9: NSFW Party Games
Interview with Norajane McIntyre the Director of Nuke-Con, the Omaha board gaming convention.
Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Melee at Mushroom Marsh by Cryptozoic Games Sparkle Kitty Nights by Breaking Games Unstable Unicorns: NSFW Expansion by TeeTurtle 5 Second Rule: Uncensored by PlayMonster Badmoji and Ridiculous Expositions by Gray Matter Games
We now have t-shirts!
We now stream the recording live on Twitch on the 2nd Thursday of every month on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie, Ethan, and Alyssa debate the pros and cons of several popular kingdom building games. How will you rule over your fiefdom? We may have realized we aren’t really qualified aristocracy.
Episode 8: Rule Over the plebs! (AKA our saltiest episode yet)
Carcassonne by Zman Games Era of Kingdoms by Michael Erishman Castles of Burgundy by Ravensburger Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker by Paizo Magical Kitties Save the Day by Atlas Games
We now stream the recording live on Twitch on the 2nd Thursday of every month on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie, Alyssa, and Ethan talk about games that are great for traveling. These gems have a lack of bits and are small sized. This was supposed to be our live episode and was first presented at O Comicon, but due to technical difficulties we re-recorded for your listening pleasure.
Episode 7: Traveling? Take a Game!
- Epic by White Wizard Games ~ 6:40 mark
- Welcome to the Dungeon by Iello ~ 21:30 mark
- Rick and Morty: Total Rickall by Cryptozoic ~ 31:00 mark
- Overlight by Renegade Games ~ 41:00 mark
- Tastey Humans by Brandon Rollins ~ 44:00 mark
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie, Ethan, and Alyssa are joined by special guests Chris and Christi from the podcast “Chrises on Infinite Earths” to discuss Super Hero themed games!
Episode 6: “Chrises on Infinite Earths”
- The only podcast within a podcast.
- Hail Hydra
- DC Deckbuilder
- Legendary
- 5 Minute Marvel
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Episode 5.5: Origins Stories
Broken token: Gloomhaven organizer
This company has been around for a while, but this is my first purchase from them.
https://www.thebrokentoken.com/shop
Board game Tables.com:
This company specializes in customized gaming tables, but they do have one standardized order called the Jasper. The Jasper is one of the more affordable options I have seen in a gaming table, but of course comes with limited ordering options.
https://www.boardgametables.com/
https://www.boardgametables.com/products/jasper-board-game-table
Black Oak Workshop:
We got some sweet dice from Black Oak Workshop. (show dice) The have some great gaming accessories and dice boxes.
https://www.blackoakworkshop.com/
Elderwood Academy:
Speaking of gorgeous dice boxes, Elderwood Academy has beautiful gaming accessories. I especially love their spellbook dice boxes.The pieces are made with leather and wood and will really help set the scene for your dungeon crawls.
https://www.elderwoodacademy.com/
Level Up Dice:
Has some of the swankiest dice I have ever seen! We didn’t get any purchased, but if you are in the market for exceptional stone dice, you should check them out!
https://usa.levelupdice.net/collections
Die Hard Dice:
Fantastic dice and accessories. We even picked up this cool dice tray that we will be using for streaming when we play board games on Nerdmeat’s channel. It does this cool thing where when heat is applied it turns colors. I also see on their website that they have glow in the dark dice and that is sweet.
https://www.dieharddice.com/
C4 Labs:
Gaming accessories, but also computer accessories. This company has extremely functional yet gorgeous designs for their dice trays.
https://www.c4labs.com/
GamerMatz:
They make super fancy neoprene games mats of all shapes and sizes and can do custom art as long as it isn’t copyrighted. We bought two!
https://gamermats.com/
Game Toppers:
These were one of the biggest sponsors of the convention and they had a great display set up where you could test out their gaming table toppers. These toppers just sit on top of your existing table and offer a great gaming experience. They are launching a Kickstarter on June 25th. The kickstarter is going to be offering a wood inlay option for the rails, some fantastic new full table neoprene mats, and more. These toppers are super sturdy and for families who don’t have space for a designated gaming space this is a great solution.
https://www.gametoppersllc.com/
Games from Origins
Odam Publishing:
We discovered this publisher for the first time at Origins because their artwork surrounding their booth was gorgeous! They have created a tabletop RPG called “Of Dreams and Magic” and players take on two different identities. A normal person that is awake during the day and has one set of stats, and a different persona that they take on while they are sleeping that has a different set of stats. Along with the RPG they have created some tabletop board games, most are set in the same setting as the RPG including The Shared Dream, which has a variety of expansions. Their newest game appears to be Age of Kingdoms which looks fantastic as it meshes area control, worker placement, and miniature battle. It doesn’t appear to be out yet, but we will be watching for this one.
https://www.odampublishing.com/
Magical Kitties:
Atlas Games is releasing a new RPG with a goal of being fun for the entire family. The theme of this game is that players are taking on the role of adorable kitties who are saving their humans, maybe even their town from supernatural troubles. This game is geared towards very young players, but should be fun for adults as well. Atlas is hoping to launch their crowdfunding in July sometime, so keep an eye on the website or sign up for a newsletter so you will know for sure when it goes live.
https://atlas-games.com/magicalkitties
Steam Kitty Games:
We checked out the UnPub room at Origins and found some promising games in the works. One that really stuck out to us was Steam Kitty Games, a company ran by Matt Williams. This guy has many games in production. We played Oh,Ryleh? Which should go to crowdfunding soon. It was a lot of fun, a quick game that was almost a reverse Uno experience. The idea is that you are an elder god trying to collect cultists. The cards in your hand are the cultists. You are trying to make the other players run out of cards, while keeping your own. The person at the end with the most cards is the winner! Another game he has in development that we weren’t able to get a chance to play is Machines, Monsters, & Madness, which looks like great fun. The idea is that you are building really whacky monsters. The game I saw that I am the most excited about is the Otter Park. It is going to be an asymmetric worker placement that will involve building otter slides. The cuteness level on this game is off the charts and I am very excited to see it moving through development.
http://steamkittygames.com/games/
Captains and Curses:
We went all the way to Columbus, Ohio to meet a local developer. Bossy Games is very close to launching their kickstarter for Captains & Curses. This is a pirate themed, sandbox style, strategy game with some role playing elements. The art on this one is looking great and the mechanics appear to be flowing well. Excited to see this one hit Kickstarter as well.
https://bossygames.com/
Argent Saga:
Argent Saga is a new trading card game produced by Alter Reality Games. It is a two player game where players build their own decks. There are 5 different elements or colored themes for the decks. Instead of mana this game uses shards to generate casting power, but the shards aren’t assigned to a specific color. It looks like the game will play a lot like Commander in Magic: the gathering. This game has an insane amount of support and is ready to launch organized play, tournaments with prize support, and intro decks right out of the gate. Their kickstarter is live now through July 12th and there are some pre-release events happening late July through August.
https://argentsaga.com/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/argentsagatcg/argent-saga-trading-card-game
Shadows of Esteren:
Shadows of Esteren is a medieval gothic themed RPG. Unlike most RPGs where you are adventurers out to save the world, in this RPG you are just a talented person trying to survive in this harsh world. It is considered low fantasy because there is a lack of elves and dwarves. Humans are kind of tribal in nature in this game. One of the really cool things about this game is how well it champions female characters. Even in the lore women are leaders of these different tribes and skilled warriors. The game books are also written in a story book manner, which makes them fantastic reading material. (Show quick start book.)
http://shadowsofesteren.blogspot.com/2012/06/faq-esteren-in-20-questions.html
Restoration Games:
The gaming company that brought you Dinosaur Tea party and Fireball Island has some new releases coming your way. The new social deduction style game Conspiracy is out now and a new game called Unmatched will release at Gen Con this year. Gen Con will also be bringing a Fireball Island Expansion with it.
https://restorationgames.com/
Overlight:
Overlight by Renegade Games. It was very okay. (Jackie will talk about this a bit)
https://www.renegadegamestudios.com/overlight
White Wizard Games:
WE bought Sorcerer!!! Finally! (Show game from shelf) We also got Star Realms and more Epic Cards! (Jackie will talk about the arena game a little bit after we finish talking about the new games we bought.)
https://www.whitewizardgames.com/
PN Announcements
Check us out at O Con Expo, Meeple Skills is doing a live recording.
Jackie is launching a new show on the Project-Nerd Twitch Channel. Basement Dwellers will be a show about friendship and smashing those friends faces in with couch and occasionally board games. The first episode will be July 13th at 10:30 CDT with guest, Nerdmeat!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie, Ethan, and Alyssa discuss Spring time games! It’s a vague theme again. So what? Want to fight about it?
Episode 5: “The Cutest Episode”
- The only podcast that gets the Munchies playing Munchkin.
- Takenoko
- Photosynthesis
- Dinosaur Tea Party
- RPG Corner: Kids on Bikes
- Kickstarter Highlight: The Game Canopy Deep Space
- June Episode: Super Hero Crossover Special!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Jackie and Ethan welcome a new co-host, Alyssa! They talk about all of the Games of Game of Thrones!
Episode 4: “A Song of Dice and Minis”
- The only podcast that knows the best way to wake up Sansa Stark is to Softly Turn Her.
- A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game
- Game of Thrones: The Board Game
- A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch.
- Game of Thrones: Hand of the King
- RPG Corner: A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Game
- Kickstarter Highlight: Gloom of Thrones
- May Episode: Spring is here!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter.
This month, the theme is “Don’t delay build your dungeon, army, or kingdom today!” It’s not the most straightforward theme. You’ll get over it.
Episode 3: “Stabby the Unicorn”
- The only podcast with 6 dump stats.
- Unstable Unicorns
- Boss Monster
- Villainous
- RPG Corner: Strongholds and Followers
- Kickstarter Highlight: Overbattle: The All War, Root: The Underworld Expansion
- April Episode will be all about Game of Thrones!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter.
Jackie and Ethan have opinions on board games, and this month’s episode focuses on children’s games that won’t make an adult want to gouge their own eyes out. They review Hey, That’s My Fish!, Trash Pandas, and Sushi Go!
Episode 1: Who’s Fish Is It, Anyway?
- The Friend or Foe Scale
- Hey, That’s My Fish!
- Trash Pandas
- Background sneezes from an adorable dog
- Sushi Go!
- RPG Corner: Pathfinder v.2 Playtest
- Kickstarter Highlight: Oceans
- Kickstarter Highlight: Tsuro, Phoenix Rising
- An opportunity to psychoanalyze a moderately successful? marriage
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter.
Jackie and Ethan have opinions on board games, and this month’s episode theme is “Get your loved one a rock!” They review Spirits of the Wild, Splendor, and Century: Golem Edition.
Episode 2: Interview with Rob McBride of Syther Gaming
- Bad jokes
- Spirits of the Wild
- Splendor
- Century: Golem Edition
- Kickstarter Highlight: Overbattle: The All War
- Interview with Overbattle creator Rob McBride (Begins at 28 minute mark)
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter.
The Meeple Skills crew is taking social distancing seriously and hasn't been able to game together much. This episode is about all the gaming, digital and tabletop, that we have managed to accomplish. Come hang out!
Episode 18: Lock Down Gaming Recap
- Digital board gaming conventions. Jackie attended Renegade Games Digital Con, what we can expect to see for this new format of convention. (This episode was recorded before Origins Online got canceled, apologies for the reference to it.)
- What we have been playing.
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Meeple Skills is sponsored by Game Cafe in Independence, Missouri. They support the podcast in the form of providing review copies of games. Please check out their online store at http://www.playgamecafe.com/ and their socials on Twitter and Facebook.
The Meeple Skills crew is still social distancing. In this episode we covered digital board games that have no physical counterpart. This analog podcast took yet another step to going digital, at least temporarily.
Episode 17: Digital Only Games
- Armello - League of Geeks
- Eternal Digital Card Game - Dire Wolf Digital
- Mario Party - Nintendo
- RPG Corner - Discussion on tabletop RPGs influence on video game RPGs
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Meeple Skills is sponsored by Game Cafe in Independence, Missouri. They support the podcast in the form of providing review copies of games. Please check out their online store at http://www.playgamecafe.com/ and their socials on Twitter and Facebook.
Social distancing has this podcast crew trying new things... including playing board games by themselves. This episode highlights games with a solo mode option. We also talked to our friendly local game store manager about how the social distancing has affected and will continue to affect your favorite game store.
Episode 16: Solo mode Games
- Brainwaves - Kosmos
- Deadly Doodles - Steve Jackson Games
- Tiny Epic Tactics - Gamelyn Games
- Interview with Game Cafe Manager - Jonathan Reinig
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Meeple Skills is sponsored by Game Cafe in Independence, Missouri. They support the podcast in the form of providing review copies of games. Please check out their online store at http://www.playgamecafe.com/ and their socials on Twitter and Facebook.
This was supposed to be our live at Planet Comicon episode, but like most cons it has been postponed. Due to the complications surrounding social distancing and gaming we threw together a new episode that focused on keeping you at your own home and gaming online. We reviewed board games that have been digitized into cell phone apps!
Episode 15: New Cell Phone Apps Who Dis?
- Terraforming Mars - Asmodee Digital
- Pandemic - Asmodee Digital
- One Deck Dungeon - Handelabra Games
- Terra Mystica - Digidiced
- Fluxx - Looney Labs and Play Deck
- Elder Sign Omens - Fantasy Flight
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Great date night games? Maybe? Well, these are games that will test the strength of your relationship. This episode is all about quality time with your significant other and board games.
Episode 14: Card Games for Two
- Interview with Alex Wolf of Spielcraft Games: Kickstarted For Glory
- Magic: The Gathering - Wizards of the Coast
- Star Realms - White Wizard Games
- Fight Your Friends - Cold War Inc.
- Unboxing of Brainwaves: The Astute Goose - Kosmos
The next episode will be recorded live at Planet Comicon on March 21st at 1:30 PM CST in Room 2505A. Come join us for a live episode, board game trivia, and prizes.
We have t-shirts!!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Meeple Skills is now available on all your favorite podcast apps. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
Our first top ten lists! We reviewed ranked the games we played in 2019 and picked our favorites. It turns out we had way more than 10 favorites, and we don’t always agree on which games were best.
Episode 13: 2019 Review
- Top 10 games reviewed by Meeple Skills
- Top 5 favorite games of all time
- RPG Corner: Tabletop RPG Etiquette
- Unboxing of Fight Your Friends, Ultra Tiny Epic Galaxies, and Ultra Tiny Epic Kingdoms
We stream the next episode live on Twitch on the Thursday, February 13th at 8:00 PM CST on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
We have t-shirts!!
Enjoy our interviews and convention coverage? Help us continue to create great content through our crowd funding endeavor!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.
So the holidays are kind of busy and can be stressful. For this reason we took it easy for episode 12 and took this opportunity to celebrate completing our first year as a podcast. We did this by giving you (the listener) a more detailed glimpse at who your hosts are.
Episode 12: The Lazy Episode
- The origin story of your hosts
- Favorite Game of all time
- Why we love board games
- Unboxing of Tribes: Dawn of Humanity
- We now have t-shirts!
We now stream the recording live on Twitch on the 2nd Thursday of every month on twitch.tv/ProjectNerdBlog.
Enjoy our interviews and convention coverage? Help us continue to create great content through our crowd funding endeavor!
Meeple Skills is Project-Nerd’s only tabletop gaming podcast which makes it the best by default. You can follow the Podcast on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Ethan on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. You can follow Jackie on Twitter. You can follow Alyssa on Instagram.