The State of Games, Ep. 129: The One About Bridge Club

The first rule of Bridge Club is you don’t talk about Bridge Club. The second rule of Bridge Club is you don’t talk about Bridge Club. The third rule of Bridge Club is you absolutely talk about board games in which you can talk about anything and everything while playing, including Bridge, Diamonds, Fleet, Vegas, Uno, Cacao, Thurn & Taxis, Ticket to Ride, and a whole bunch more. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 126: The One About Unpub Prime

For seven years now, game designers and plucky playtesters alike have gathered together at the Unpublished Games Festival. Once a small affair held in Dover, Delaware, Unpub has grown exponentially in the last three years, expanding to the Baltimore Convention Center and drawing huge crowds. The fundamentals and fun have not changed over the years, though; Unpub is still the best place for designers to make their unpublished creations the best they can be, and for playtesters to try out the next Big Thing before it hits the shelves! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 112 – The One About Gen Con 2016

The summer is drawing to a close and, with it, so is the season for big conventions. None are bigger each year than Gen Con, and this year was the biggest yet, scattering all four of us from the podcast to the four winds only to see each other sporadically. But, with the distance comes opportunity, as we all get to share very different experiences for all of you to enjoy, dear listeners. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 110 – The One About Mt. Gamesmore

Coming at you live from RuthCon, it’s The State of Games! Jessica and I got a chance to record in person this episode at RuthCon 2016, hosted by our friend Ruth Boyack. It was pretty awesome, and better organized than both Origins and GenCon combined. TC joined us via Skype and we talked about some pretty geeky game design business, but it turned out to be one of our best episodes yet. So get comfy, grab your encyclopedia of classic game design, and crank it up! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 109 – The One About Origins 2016

Hey there, it’s time for con season! Veteran podcast listeners know what to to expect around this time, but also veteran readers know what to expect for Origins Game Fair! That’s right, we love our time at the North Market, eating waffles and crepes at Taste of Belgium, plus naming our favorite ice cream flavors from Jeni’s! Beyond that, you’d best lay back and listen to our best bits from enjoying everything at the Origins Game Fair if you weren’t able to attend. It’ll be like you were there in person. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 106 – The One About the Here and Now

Since we are a podcast all about boardgames, sometimes we all just like to dig into some good discussion of the best and brightest we’ve played in the here and now. We’ve all done our top 10 of all time in the past, but it’s often good to remember that a top 10 is not necessarily a “hot 10”, and some of those classics we love don’t hit the table nearly as much as some more recent, modern classics that definitely deserve some love! Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 105 – The One About Being Alone in the Void with Richard Launius

There comes a time in the life of every podcast when we all just have go our separate ways. Kinda. Since our schedules weren’t matching up for our usual recording we decided to split up into teams and give all of you dear listeners double your pleasure, double your fun! Since Darrell and I aren’t really into solo gaming, TC and Jessica decide to pick up that slack, all while we have some fun down in South Carolina with one of our favorite people in the world, Richard Launius. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 103 – The One About Playtesting

Game design can often be a complex process that involves many people, not just the designer. One of the most important parts of the process is playtesting, and getting the game in front of quality playtesters is paramount. With Unpub 6 right around the corner, we thought it’d be cool to talk about how to get the most out of playtesting on both sides of the process. Oh, and you all should come to Unpub 6. Because it’s cool. Read More  Read More

The State of Games, Ep. 101 – The One About PrezCon 2016

The early part of the year tends to be cold and convention-less, but there is one bright oasis every February – PrezCon! This is the one convention every year where none of us have any responsibilities other than to relax, enjoy time with our friends, and play a whole boatload of games. So that’s exactly what we did again this year, and it was awesome. Come, let us tell you about it. Read More  Read More