Tabletop Gaming Magazine Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tabletop Gaming
The team at Tabletop Gaming chat about board games, card games, miniatures, wargames, RPGs and more! For more from Tabletop Gaming, visit tabletopgaming.co.uk.
We talk about the return of Kingmaker, a board game first published in 1974 with a loyal fanbase. Alan Paull joins us in a nice pub in Cambridgeshire to discuss reworking the game for a new edition to be released by Gibson Games via Kickstarter later in the year.
Kingmaker, originally designed by Andrew McNeil, is a game set in the War of the Roses and uses a flood of modern mechanics we take for granted, such as area movement, mutli-use event cards, asymmetrical forces and a bit of tableau building.
We have a write up on Kingmaker, and many other games new and old in the latest issue of Tabletop Gaming magazine, go get a copy here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming/issue-65
You can pick up many games published by Alan from Surprised Stare Games https://www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk/
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body in the Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/
Airecon 2022 Report: Blitzkrieg Sequel ‘Dogfight’ Announced and Moon First Look
We headed up to Harrogate on Friday to bring you this podcast report from the show.
We get the exclusive announcement of PSC’s third title in the Blitzkrieg line, Dogfight. Dogfight is an innovative but simple aerial combat game that promises you that you can win the fight for the skies in 20 minutes.
Plus, MOON, the new game from Sinister Fish and Haakon Gaarder about building a new moon base, using a pick-and-pass method and some clever interactions.
And we get the scoop on Baseball The Card Game!
We talk to James Naylor about the recent Kickstarter scandals about distributed ledger technology (i.e. blockchain/nft/crypto adjacent stuff) and get his top five "deep" board games (by which we mean, games that he's really played to death over the last couple of years). James is a London based board game designer and publisher who is passionate about product design and its role in creating game experience. James is the creator of Magnate: The First City, a midweight city building/property game released in 2021 to critical acclaim and commercial success. He now works full time building a pipeline of future Naylor Games’ releases including Boardgames: The Boardgame (The Card Game) which is due to hit Kickstarter later in 2022.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/naylorjames
Naylor Games website: https://naylorgames.com/
Magnate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Magnateboardgame
Magnate website: https://magnategame.com/
Producing Fun Podcast: https://anchor.fm/naylorgames
Our music is by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/ This episode we ask you to like and subscribe, over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tabletopgamingmagIf you like the podcast, you'll love the magazine, which you can subscribe to here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
We get your “why 5e?” questions answered. Dark Souls The Roleplaying Game was announced this week by Steamforged Games. We got in touch with the game’s designer, Richard August, to discuss the kind game that it is and how it’s all going to work. The announcement also came with the news that it would use a Fifth Edition compatible system. Many fans of the videogame series complained about this online, partly it seemed because of the natural distaste players have for the world’s most popular roleplaying game (i.e. because popular things are popular to dislike) and the existence of the Japanese Dark Souls Roleplaying Game. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear Richard’s answers to that question in full – but in short: if the biggest problem many have with Fifth Edition is that you only have the verb ‘hit stuff’ in the game, then using it for a game that is, fundamentally, about hitting stuff, makes a lot of sense.We discuss the kinds of adventures we expect players to be going on in the game, and try and unpick the thorny question of how to create new storylines in a world that’s so well defined in player’s minds. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more.BONUS: D6 Adventure Hooks for the Dark Souls RPGAfter talking to Rich, we tried thinking up a few of our own adventure starters. These are, naturally, not sanctioned by Steamforged or FromSoft. Many of these are inspired by the fan theories of Dark Souls 3.1 . Catarina Crusade. The Onion Knights of Caterina have decided to wage a crusade against The Deep. You and your party have to shepherd them through the world on their way to confront Aldritch. Naturally, they’re very good natured, but easily tricked by other characters. A classic ‘herding cats’ adventure.2. Orphanage breakout. Set before the sludge-slugification of Aldritch, when ferrying fresh bodies to the Cathedral of the Deep, players attempt to break into the Cathedral before it was fallen, and stop the grotesque consumption – possibly saving Anri and Horace from their childhood horrors.3. Overdue. In the Undead Settlement players find a powerful spell book in the boarded-up house of a reclusive hermit, along with his body. A final note left by the wizard laments that they never returned the book they borrowed from the Grand Archives. Can the players make it into the archive, and can they return the book without incurring any deadly late fees?4. A Box is a Box. Ludleth, the only remaining Lord of Cinder not driven mad, loves an experiment. While he yearns for the Transposing Kiln, he also has other ideas – mimic experiments. Can the players collect and transport three Mimic chests back to Ludleth so he can perform his strange experiments, without losing their heads?5. Snappy Reunion. The swamps near the Crucifixion Woods have become impassable because of the giant crabs. They’ve gone completely wild. On closer inspection, they appear to be looking for one of their offspring. Can the players find the baby crab in the Catacombs and return it to its parents?6. Greirat Rescue Squad. The thief has gone missing on his most recent mission to Lothric Castle, you suspect he is being held, once again, in a cell somewhere in the castle. Can you find him before it’s too late?Our music is by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/ This episode we ask you to like and subscribe, over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tabletopgamingmagIf you like the podcast, you'll love the magazine, which you can subscribe to here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
We caught up with Chaosium’s Mike Mason and Lynne Hardy to have a double-dip on Rivers of London RPG, Call of Cthulhu and tease a couple of new book coming from the publisher of Lovecraftian horror.
First: Mike Mason tells us about a new six part ‘College of Cthulhu’ campaign that sees investigators start as “spotty college kids” and over the the course of the proceeding years of horror, become grizzled investigators in the local area.
Next: Lynne Hardy talks Regency Cthulhu, briefly, and discusses some of the Sharpe-led inspiration for the new book.
Our music is by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/
This episode we ask you to like and subscribe, over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tabletopgamingmag
If you like the podcast, you'll love the magazine, which you can subscribe to here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Leave a review – this time with your favourite ancient abomination from the Mythos.
We spent the day wandering a busy but safe Dragonmeet chatting. The show is still on today (Sunday 5th) – so head over to Novotel Hammersmith if you're on the hunt for your next gaming fix. Apologies for some of the rough and ready editing here, or: enjoy the ambience!
Find Dragonmeet and buy tickets here: https://www.dragonmeet.co.uk/
Our music is by Body in the Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/
And you can subscribe to the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/store/subscriptions/tabletop-gaming/
Call of Cthulhu is 40 years old – and to celebrate we’ve put together a low-budget low-talent actual play of the solo adventure Alone Against The Tides. We’ve used some ambient noises from ZapSplat to flesh it out, and, to give it that special something, recorded it very tired with a bit of a cold.
We’ll be at Dragonmeet on the 4th December – come say hi. If there’s something you think we should definitely check out, then leave us a review telling us exactly what that is.
NOTE: I say that an extreme success is a quarter of the skill value, when in fact, it is a fifth. Sorry!
We sit down with Chris Bissette to talk about his new Fighting Fantasy style adventure book for Troika, Down in Yongardy. We discuss his motivations for creating the game, and a little bit about the setting and The Law.
We give Troika a light roasting as well as explore its potential and why it has such a large following.
Plus, we talk about Chris’ Random Adventure Jam, using Twine to create interactive fiction, and the Rainy Day Games feature in the magazine, which he contributes to.
(I thought this wend up on Thursday last week actually, no idea which gremlins got involved to eat the file!)
Back Down In Yongardy on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/loottheroom/down-in-yongardy-a-troika-solo-gamebook/description
Follow Chris on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/pangalactic
Buy Tabletop Gaming Magazine:
https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Read our review The Wretched here:
https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/reviews/the-wretched-review/
We chat to Ben Maddox of Five Games For Doomsday about his recent foray into the solo indie RPG Thousand Year Old Vampire. Ben has been recording an actual play podcast of the game with dramatic readings and a touch of audio theatre. We discuss the game and it's usefulness to writing, Ben's experiences of the game, and untangle the idea of 'progress' in a journaling game.
FG4D Website: https://fivegamesfordoomsday.com/
Ben Maddox on Twitter: https://twitter.com/5games4doomsdayBuy the mag: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
There's only a few of our advent calendars yet, and you've only got a week to put your orders in. Don't miss out: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/games-store/advent-calendar/tabletop-gaming-advent-calendar-2021/
Welcome to issue 60, which will be landing in your local shops or on your doormat on the 22nd of October, just in time for Halloween.We’re celebrating this spooky time of year with an exclusive scenario for Vaesen: Mythic Britain. Over 14 pages in the magazine we offer up a full, unreleased scenario for you to get started dealing with the folklore of Britain. Chris and Charlie chat about the scenario, and the opportunities that this kind of roleplaying brings. They also discuss Call of Cthulhu and the excellent Scritch Scratch scenario, just released in paperback form.Next we move on to the world of Necromolds. It’s about smashing play-dough monsters, and it’s exactly as fun as it sounds. Officially Charlie’s favourite wargame ever.Beyond the battlefields strewn with play-dough corpses is the bountiful world of Catan 3D Edition. It’s 300 quid, and was Charlie’s first Catan experience. Is it worth it? We discuss.We take a detour through the roll-and-move mechanic of 7 Moons before coming to our final stop: Pokemon, which one is the most delicious? Charlie has begun a journey to find out which, via the medium of Pokemon trading cards.And finally, we waffle on about what we’d like for Christmas. Your challenge for this podcast is:Write us a review that contains a D6 table for things you might find in abandoned pokeballs discovered in your uncle’s attic.
In this multi-day, multi-location podcast (we ran out of battery and then got kicked out of the studio) we bring you a preview of issue 59, which is in shops now – go get yourself a copy, you can listen to this on the way.
Now you've done that we can also say a huge thank you to all of our nominees and winners in the first ever Tabletop Gaming Awards. Head over to the website to read who won categories like "best way to die in an rpg" and "best board game 2021"https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/news/tabletop-gaming-awards-2021-winners-announced/
We also have a chat about our advent calendar (shout out to the doubters), and it's really as good as we would expect – https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/games-store/advent-calendar/
This episode we ask you to like and subscribe, over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tabletopgamingmag
If you like the podcast, you'll love the magazine, which you can subscribe to here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
We also talk (more) about Oltree, Snakesss, and the cardboard manifesto about whether we can just get better board game art?
We talk to Flavien Loisier from Hachette Boardgames UK about Oltréé, Antoine Bauza's latest masterpiece. We also talk about Hachette's UK expansion and the companies they've been acquiring along the way. Plus, Flavien talks to us about the way board game culture exists in France – which might be mind blowing.
Check out our board game advent calendar: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/games-store/advent-calendar/tabletop-gaming-advent-calendar-2021/ (it includes two Hachette games, including one which will never be released and one you'll be getting four months early.)
Our music is: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/
Chris and Charlie chat about the new issue and a handful of games review therein, including: What Next?, Descent: Legends of the Dark, and Paper Dungeons.
We also talk about going to UK Games Expo, and our favourite parts from the show.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We chat to Pádraig Murphy about The Horned Rat, the latest addition to the Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. We discuss the joys of the Skaven, the under empire, and the structure of the new campaign.Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We roamed the floors of UK Games Expo 2021 on Friday, and here's who we met along the way.Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We talk to Tabletop Gaming’s accidental chess expert, Matthew Vernall about Chess, chess variants, and games that are a bit like chess. Join us for our first external in-person podcast since the before times and experience the slight echo of Chris’ dining room. You’ll learn a lot about chess, and also understand what we mean when we say “bong cloud opening” and “queens go free”.
We discuss Chris McDowall’s d100 chess variants, which can be found here: https://www.bastionland.com/2020/11/d100-chess-scenarios.html – we pick some at random and review them.
We also take a diversion into Matthew’s recently played pile, including Pandemic Legacy Season 0 and mech based RPG Lancer.
We make some Speile des Jahres predictions which ended up being completely wrong, but don’t we sound confident?
Games discussed: Chess, Oh My Goods!, Seven Bridges, Root, Hive, Star Realms, Unmatched, Paris La Cite De Lumiere, Patchwork, Millennium Blades, Botanik and Thrive.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
It's Bloodborne: The Board Game time as we bring you this special edition of the podcast with Chris Eggett and Alex Sonechkina. So grab this issue's painting guide, which is all about the beasties and heroes of Yharnam, as we trickle something like an absolute fan-cast into your ears. We also get a bit confused about Bloodborne/Dark Souls lore, which shows you that, at very least, we've played the games more than we've been on the wiki.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We’re having a party! Join us in the celebratory episode of the Tabletop Gaming Magazine podcast where we chat about the upcoming issue: a 50 Best Party Games Ever special. We dip our toes into the Party Game Safari and talk you through what we love about party games.
PLUS we chat about our in-depth review of Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile by Dan Jolin, and its intricacies. Is Oath everything we expected? Can it possibly live up to the hype?
On top of that Chris chats Vienna Connection and Charlie talks upcoming D&D events.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We sit down with Richard Jansen-Parkes to discuss a whole host of RPGs, new, upcoming and from the past. We discuss Dune: Adventures In The Imperium, Electric Bastionland, Games Omnivorous, Mausritter, Mork Borg, Those Dark Places, AGON, Dungeons & Dragons, Altered Carbon, Ice Fleet and more!
We also chat: why using props is good, why does Chris seem so drawn to light/OSR systems, isn't it going to be weird to play games together and with humans again?
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Tabletop Gaming Magazine Issue 55 is here, and we’re giving you a sneak peek. PLUS we have a bonus clip from our interview with Martin Wallace where we ask the very broad question about what he thinks about the state of games. The answer is broad, and does not disappoint.
Discussed in this podcast: Rocketmen, Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Knock!, Magical Kitties Save the Day, Ten of the Best War-Euros, Ticket to Ride Europe: 15th Anniversary Edition, Hoverboards, Hoverboard Infrastructure, Friendly Local Game Stores, Apparatus, Drowned Earth, Finland, Martin Wallace
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We talk to Lorenzo and Hjalmar of Horrible Guild about their new party game, Sound Box. Being pitched as something like "Pictionary with sounds" the game asks one player to guess which noises the others around the table are making, from a list of cards displayed at the beginning and end of the round. The trick is that everyone is making different noises at the same time, usually with hilarious effect. Join Chris in his chat with the designers and get a chance to hear the strangeness of this game in action.
The Kickstarter goes live today: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/horribleguild/sound-box-kickstarter-edition Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We talk the newly announced Voidfall with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle. We talk about how the game works, what all those Xs mean in 4X, and how to do war in the Euro way.
This was originally recorded as an interview for a written piece, so doesn't have the usual podcast performance aspect. Instead we get a deep dive into how these two incredible designers approach making games – it's a really peek behind the curtains.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Today we talk to Chris McDowall about his, somewhat odd, roleplaying – Electric Bastionland, and his process for making (and breaking) games. Chris has a unique approach to game making which uses the idea of removing things from systems until you have something new as a starting point. We also get Chris’ top five tips for game design and chat about his new 10mm war-game.
Find Chris here, and buy Electric Bastionland: https://www.bastionland.com/
Chris McDowall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bastionlandSubscribe to the Bastionland Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bastionland
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
In this rambling podcast ostensibly about the release of issue 54 we talk about counterfeit games, tricky rulebooks and learning games, detective games (solo, group and for kids!).
PLUS: Flesh & Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Bloody Inn, Tainted Grail, Pokemon Battle Academy, Bloodborne: The Board Game, Chronicles of Crime, Detective: City of Angels, Detective: A Modern Crime Game, Detective Charlie.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetingsLike this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Join Chris and Charlie in a dark and unsoundproofed room (sorry) to discuss issue 53 of Tabletop Gaming Magazine, Cantaloop and answer the question: how many games is too many?We also chat about the Virtual Spring Showcase, join us this weekend (27th and 28th March) on tabletopgaming.co.uk to see a whole host of announcements, playthroughs and even some playtesting!Other:Also, look at this TikTok of the person who made a rental store in their basement: https://www.tiktok.com/@thevideobunker/video/6938585654284586245?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v2 We're running a Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more about that over here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/information/virtual-spring-showcaseOur music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetingsLike this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We're joined by Gaming Rules!'s Paul Grogan to talk about the pleasures and pains of teaching, rule books, rule writing, and a bit of insider chat.
Find Paul below:https://www.patreon.com/GamingRules
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ
https://twitter.com/gamingrulesvids
We're running a Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more about that over here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/information/virtual-spring-showcaseOur music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetingsLike this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Issue 52 is hitting store shelves tomorrow with some free Digimon cards on the cover. In this episode we chat about: Digimon, Holi, Hypertellurians, Necromolds, X-Men: Mutant Insurrection and many more bits in the magazine
If you like what we do on the podcast, have any questions, or know and interesting guest we might like to have on the podcast, reach out to me at Christopher.eggett@warnersgroup.co.uk
In the podcast we talk about our upcoming Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more about that over here. If you want to get involved, just get in touch.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We’ve got a new podcast available for you, right now. In this episode we talk about the business and the emotional rollercoaster of crowdfunding with Game On Tabletop. Laura, the COO of Game On Tabletop takes some time out of her busy schedule of launching games on their gaming focused crowdfunding platform to give us some tips on launching your first campaign.
We talk about what to expect when you take a game to a crowdfunding platform, the things you can learn from failure, and the wild ride that is putting together a campaign after it’s actually finished.
This is episode 18 of Season Two of the Tabletop Gaming Podcast, you can subscribe to the podcast below on pretty much every podcatching service.
If you like what we do on the podcast, have any questions, or know and interesting guest we might like to have on the podcast, reach out to me at Christopher.eggett@warnersgroup.co.uk
In the podcast we talk about our upcoming Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more about that over here. If you want to get involved, just get in touch.
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
We’re joined by Mark Cooke, one of the organisers of Airecon. We talk about running conventions, board game communities online (particularly Board Game Trading and Chat UK on Facebook), and then get Mark’s top five types of games to play at conventions
Games Discussed:Renature
Belgian Beers Race
Ankh: Gods of Egypt
Castel
Sumo Gnomes
Two Rooms and a Boom
Watch The Skies
18XX Games
Battlestar Galactica
Cora Quest
Links:Board Game Trading and Chat UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UKboardgametrade/
Airecon:
https://www.airecon.co.uk/
PSC:
https://www.pscgames.co.uk/
Recording this on the "first day back at school" (returning to work after the Christmas break), which quickly became the last day of school (as Lockdown 3.0 began), we chatted about games we've been playing recently, the way we've been playing them, and what we're going to do next.
For Charlie, this meant playing Pitchstorm over Zoom, and wondering how well it worked, and for Chris, this was playing Wavelength, where we chat about Zoom fatigue and trying virtual tabletops. That's not to say it's not doable - Charlie hasn't stopped talking about playing her weekly D&D game since she started, and how well this works online!
For a wholly different way to play games online, had you thought about playing a game over Twitter? We discussed an article from Miniature Wargames issue 454 called Tweeting with Twits by Conrad Kinch about the turn-based method and benefits to playing a turn-based wargame online, which they added phenomenal drama to, with photographs, flyovers, and more, and consider how this ran similarities to an RPG.
We also discussed solo RPGs, as Chris has been playing The Wretched, where you'll record your experiences as voice notes, creating yourself a memory of what happened. Plus, more solo games that offer us that little bit more, including Thousand Year Old Vampire, Electric Bastionland, Ironsworn, Disciples of Shadow and Bone (and it is said this way around!) and Artefact.
Finally, we chat about the intricacies of Where's Wally turned detective game MicroMacro: Crime City, the release of Wingspan on Switch, and the news about Slay the Spire.
There's plenty packed into this episode, so pop your headphones on and get listening – enjoy!
And if you're looking where to find them, we've got some links below to a few. Pitchstorm: https://amzn.to/2XUp4N6Wavelength: https://amzn.to/3bR055xD&D Essentials Kit: https://amzn.to/3nUoycNSometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products
It's the last day of school and we're doing the equivalent of creating Christmas cards with too much glue and glitter. We chat about issue 50 of the magazine, preview a few features, and talk about some of the mos
We’re joined by Steve Tudor of the Polyhedron Collider podcast to discuss how 2020 went for board games, GM advice for the dreaded shopping experience, and get Steve’s top five most anticipated games of 2021.
We also discuss: David Turczi, Alien RPG and MORK BORG
Visit the Polyhedron Collider here: http://www.polyhedroncollider.com/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We speak to Ross of More Games Please about everything from how he got into the hobby to begin with, how Oliver Twist played a role in what we know now, how to get the best photographs for the 'gram, and how streaming is forming a new digital community.
We also get his top five of the most Handsome Games, which include some really interesting facts you may not know - do you know how hand paints all of their designs? Or which game began in the artists free time as a reskin of Bonanza? You'll find out all that and more in this podcast.
You can find Ross over on https://www.moregamesplease.com/, where you'll also find links to his bi-weekly game streams.
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We settled down this summer with James Wallis to discuss mechanics in games, games writing and award winners.
We also get James' top five Spiel des Jahres winners.
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We’re pleased to announce Virtual Tabletop Gaming Live. In place of our cancelled Tabletop Gaming Live show at Alexandra Palace this year, we’re going to be celebrating all things gaming with an online show instead. Virtual Tabletop Gaming will be two days of curated video content from your favourite games designers, publishers and content creators on our website.
The show will take place on our website from Saturday 26th September and run through to Monday 28th September.
See exclusive videos from your favourite designers, publishers, and online creators as well as hobby tips, interviews and more. Plus, money off offers on your favourite games, and even a virtual goody bag. We think it’s the next best thing to actually being there.
Unlike a lot of virtual shows, we’re not asking you to sign up to a number of services, (just our own if you'd like to receive a virtual goody bag!), or to dedicate a huge amount of energy to ‘being there while not being there’. Instead, we just want to give everyone the chance to relax and enjoy what the hobby has to offer. Over the weekend you can drop in and see what’s being premiered on the main stage, or catch up with video content on the various other stages of the show – finding the part of the hobby that appeals to you the most. You’ll have to be there for the weekend though, as once it’s over, it’s gone.
We’ll start teasing the line ups for each day over the coming weeks – so sign up to our newsletter to get the news first! To get signed up, register for an account here and subscribe to the newsletter.
Want to be involved? Whether you’re a content creator who wants to share their view on the hobby, or you’ve got a game you want to show off, get in touch! We’re here to support the community and the hobby and would love to celebrate your creations. If you want to be part of the show, email the editor at: christopher.eggett@warnersgroup.co.uk and we’ll go from there.Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We speak to Nick Smith of the Ludoquist about the store, reopening under the COVID-19 restrictions, the price of games these days, and getting people into gaming. We also get two top fives: one of Nick's recommendations for people who don't usually play games, and his personal top five.
We had some connection issues early on in the interview, meaning there is a small break as Nick moves from a delightful and sunny courtyard, to an equally as delightful living room.
Facts:
- There's 1.086 millions people in Birmingham, so with Nick's vague numbers, he's probably right about Croydon and the surrounding areas being comparable.
We take a wander through the latest issue of Tabletop Gaming Magazine, talk about gods in RPG (such as Dungeons & Dragons Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Souldbound), simple games, Massive Darkness 2 and our All The Jahres Special.
Grab this issue here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming/tabletop-gaming-issue-45
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We talk to Microgame of the Month creator and curator Anna Blackwell about free games, print 'n' plays and her upcoming game DELVE. We also go on a tour of what Anna has been playing recently, including solo RPG Ironsworn and map-and-worldbuilder Beak, Feather and Bone.
NOTE: there were some issues with the initial recording which means we've had to make a few strange edits. We hope it doesn't effect your enjoyment of the podcast.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We’re interrogating the world of solo gaming with Tristan Hall, creator of Gloom of Kilforth and 1066, Tears To Many Mothers. We get Tristian’s top five solo games and discuss his new game – Veilwraith.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin are the designers by the double Must-Play winning Undaunted: Normandy and Undaunted: North Africa. We talk about abstract war games, abstraction in general, and most importantly, playing games with your brother.
We also get David and Trevor's Top 'Five' (in truth, around seven or eight!) war games – covering everything from block wargames to games of politics and intrigue.
Please note there are a couple of audio hiccups in the recording which we hope will not detract from your enjoyment of the pod.
About the Podcast:
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We talk to Kat from the Whisper collective about Dissident Whispers, an RPG adventure collection created in just under 12 days with proceeds from the sale going to the National Bail Fund Network.
Get the collections from one of the places below:
DriveThruRPG (PDF):
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317424/Dissident-Whispers
Itch.io (PDF): https://tuesdayknightgames.itch.io/dissident-whispers
Melsonian Arts Council (Print, UK):
https://www.melsonia.com/dissident-whispers-226-p.asp
About the Podcast:
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Richard takes us through the world of RPGs, discusses ‘the theatre of the mind’, OSR, D&D and we discuss the joys of GMing. We also get Richard’s top five RPGs that aren’t D&D.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We talk to Ross ‘Wossy’ Gilbert about trading card games, ‘the meta’ and get his top five card games that aren’t The Pokemon Trading Card Game
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Alex Sonechkina takes us through her favourite big messy games and we discuss what draws us to games that just have too many rules and too much stuff (and why we love them)
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We chat to Ivan Brett about folk games (and even play a few of them). We get Ivan’s top five folk games to play over Zoom and discuss what’s important about ‘play’.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
Robin and Pete take us through some of the struggles of wargaming and miniatures painting, as well as giving us a top five games for those of us who don’t have time to play Warhammer.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
We talk to Ellie Dix about creating board gaming families, teaching games and get her top five family board games. We give you tips to get your family playing Terraforming Mars twice a week.
Visit us online: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/
Pick up a copy of the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming
Or subscribe: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions/tabletop-gaming
Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings
If you’re hankering for a quest – issue 40 of Tabletop Gaming is for you. Like a slightly over excited tutorial NPC, we’re offering you so many ways to slake your wanderlust. ?
In the first instance that’s the cover story. We talk to Isaac Childres about Frosthaven and ask whether it was the equivalent of the “tricky second album”. Isaac takes us on a tour of the frosty far reaches of the game, and asks us to work together to build hope in this desolate place. He also hinted at a few of the classes that might currently be under wraps (but not in a spoilery way). To find out what we found you, you’ll need to pick up the mag.
Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom is a neon-punk world from the mind of Sean Aaberg. Aside from the obviously incredibly vivid art, the game offers us a chance to talk about whether games should be read at their mechanics alone, or whether they should be read as fiction. Oh, and if you’re a subscriber, your special subs cover offers a lurid look into that world.
But that’s not all – with a Minecraft game hitting our shelves we talk about making a procedurally generated world work on our tabletops with Ulrich Blum, the game's designer.
Get this issue here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming/tabletop-gaming-issue-40
If you’re hankering for a quest – issue 40 of Tabletop Gaming is for you. Like a slightly over excited tutorial NPC, we’re offering you so many ways to start an adventure.
In the first instance that’s the cover story. We talk to Isaac Childres about Frosthaven and ask whether it was the equivalent of the “tricky second album”. Isaac takes us on a tour of the frosty far reaches of the game, and asks us to work together to build hope in this desolate place. He also hinted at a few of the classes that might currently be under wraps (but not in a spoilery way). To find out what we found you, you’ll need to pick up the mag.
Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom is a neon-punk world from the mind of Sean Aaberg. Aside from the obviously incredibly vivid art, the game offers us a chance to talk about whether games should be read at their mechanics alone, or whether they should be read as fiction. Oh, and if you’re a subscriber, your special subs cover offers a lurid look into that world.
But that’s not all – with the Minecraft: Builders & Biomes game hitting our shelves we talk about making a procedurally generated world work on our tabletops with Ulrich Blum, the game's designer.
Get this issue here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/tabletop-gaming/tabletop-gaming-issue-40
...and we're back! Live on stage at this year's Tabletop Gaming Live convention in London, Matt Jarvis, Dan Jolin, Alex Sonechkina, Sara Elsam and Richard Jansen-Parkes discuss what they've been playing recently, what they're looking forward to for the rest of 2019, erotic dice, overlooked gems and more!
Intro/Outro music: Discover by chasergaming
Tabletop Gaming editor Matt Jarvis is joined by James Wallis and Dan Jolin to see out 2018 with their selection of the games that stood out over the last 12 months and what they're looking forward to in 2019.
Intro/outro music by chasergaming
Tabletop Gaming editor Matt Jarvis is joined by Owen Duffy, Richard Jansen-Parkes and Alex Sonechkina to run through some of the best games that had them coming back to the table time after time this year.
Intro/outro music by chasergaming
Matt Jarvis, James Wallis and Owen Duffy quickly run through what they've been playing at this year's Essen Spiel in Germany, and what they hope to play during the rest of the game fair. Plus, we indulge in quirky dice designs, the joy of wooden blocks and the deluge of roll-and-write Tetris-a-likes!
Matt Jarvis, James Wallis, Richard Jansen-Parkes and Owen Duffy chat on-stage at this year's Tabletop Gaming Live convention about KeyForge, Holding On, Dice Hospital, Forbidden Sky and more! Plus discussion of dungeons (and sometimes dragons), dinner trays of terrorists and other nonsense.
On the last day of this year's UK Games Expo, we once again gather to discuss our favourite picks from the show floor. This time, writer Alex Sonechkina and designer Holly Gramazio let us know what's been interesting them, as well as discussing the experience of actually exhibiting at a convention.
Tabletop Gaming editor Matt Jarvis is joined by writers and reviewers Dan Jolin, Owen Duffy and Sam Illingworth to chat about what's taken their fancy at this year's UK Games Expo. Including discussion of Wildlands; Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr; Fog of Love; 1066, Tears to Many Mothers; DomiNations and more!
Tabletop Gaming editor Matt Jarvis is joined by game design expert and font of Spiel des Jahres knowledge James Wallis, as well as resident RPG master Richard Jansen-Parkes, to discuss what they've seen around the show floor of this year's UK Games Expo so far... plus some other stuff!
Where can you go to play games? How can you make new likeminded friends at a local get-together? Jonny Crawford speaks to founders and members of gaming clubs about becoming part of the community, welcoming newcomers and overcoming stereotypes. Meanwhile, Sushi Go! creator Phil Walker-Harding talks about the use of games to educate. This is the fourth and final part of the History of Tabletop Gaming mini-series.
In the penultimate entry in our four-part look at the history of gaming, host Jonny Crawford speaks to former Games Workshop designer and River Horse founder Alessio Cavatore, as well as Ghostbusters: The Board Game II head designer Vincent Pritchard, about why miniatures have a massive appeal and their transition from wargames to board games.
As our four-part look at the history of gaming continues, Jonny Crawford is joined by Sushi Go! creator Phil Walker-Harding to consider how traditional playing cards evolved into the modern card games we enjoy today.
In the first episode of our four-part series, Jonny Crawford begins our journey through the history of gaming with an in-depth look at one of the oldest games in existence, chess.