We finish the first half of Season 18 with a flourish... a variety show jam-packed with quality conversations and plenty of fun and games!

Episode #425 - Mid-Season Round Up

You are responsible for the economic and social development of a city. Dive into Politics, Industry, and Banking, or encourage growth in Culture and Schools. Each choice will cause ripples. Can you look far enough ahead to avoid unintended results?

Episode #424 - Rise

Velonimo is a modern twist on card climbing and shedding games. Animals race their bikes up five mountains, each higher than the next. The first player to shed their hand in a round, finishes in first place and gets the leader’s jersey.

Episode #423 - Velonimo

Starting from a small town in Belgium, you are a merchant seeking prosperity across the continent. Fulfill contracts, establish trade houses, build cathedrals, and amass a staff of skilled workers. Plan well and you'll profit from the Fair each year.

Episode #421 - Tiletum

The years of training and sacrifice have all lead to this moment - the big chair - your first command of a starship! Each mission will require your leadership and many tough decisions as you explore the vast unknown sectors of space.

Episode #419 - Starship Captains

In Akropolis, you build a miniature city in ancient Greece, scoring points for plazas and districts in five different ways. Akropolis feels like five puzzles in one. Can you layer the pieces to make each part of your city prosper?

Episode #418 - Akropolis

Portugal's poetic soul was best expressed by writer Fernando Pessoa. Visit cafes to gather cards or the bookshop to influence your style. Then linger in the public square to assemble the best poems you can, hoping the stars align with each move you make.

Episode #417 - Pessoa

Scribbly Gum is a flip and write game. Each turn a movement tile is flipped and players direct their larvae by drawing paths through the layers of tree bark, hoping to gather food to complete meals. The most well fed moths will emerge the winner!

Episode #416 - Scribbly Gum

From the Declaration of Sentiments at Seneca Falls, to the protests, rallies, and organized campaigns across the nation, Votes for Women  chronicles the 72 year struggle to ratify the  19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

Episode #415 - Votes For Women

Mr Walton was killed in his study. And all the guests at Walton manor have good reasons to want him dead. With a few leads, you must piece together the crime by asking questions and sharing information.

Episode #414 - Awkward Guests

A show about games and the people who love them

Well written and researched, providing a timely information on the boardgame hobbie.

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The spiel

The Spiel

Cursed Court is a clever auction game that draws its inspiration from stud poker. Each season, you bid on a noble or group of nobles based on hidden and public information. Bid wisely, you'll gain influence at court. Bid poorly, you'll be scrubbing pots!

Episode #292 - Cursed Court

Essen 2019 - Teaching & Learning Board Games

Reiner Knizia

Essen 2019 - Reiner Knizia

Panelists: Bruno Cathala, Antoine Bauza, Friedemann Friese, Rikki Tahta, Smoox Chen

Essen 2019 - The Art & Science of Playtesting

Ming Dynasty China. The Emperor rules from the Imperial Palace, the Gugong. You are the head of a noble family, bribing palace officials with extravagant gifts, hoping to gain power and influence. Four days separate you from glory or disgrace.

Episode #315 - Gugong

5211 is a press-your-luck card game with deep roots in casual classics. It's a modern game that can be as thinky as you want it to be, but it is also a bridge for social interaction, inspired by card nights with family and friends from days gone by.

Episode #335 - 5211

Flotsam Fight is a card shedding game that plays like an old classic. Put as many treasure cards as you can onto lifeboats. Problem is, each treasure only fits onto certain boats. And as they fill up, you don't want to be stuck with an armful of big loot!

Episode #319 - Flotsam Fight

The board game market has grown dramatically over the past two decades. We examine the market today from an industry perspective and look to see where it might be headed. Panelists: Stephen Buonocore, Shari Spiro, Kathleen Mercury, Morgan Dontanville

GenCon 2019 - The Expanding Board Game Market

Detective is a drama-driven game fueled by tragic situations we normally don't associate with fun. It provides an immersive and innovative experience by embracing technology, allowing Detective to expand the boundaries of what games can be.

Episode #327 - Detective

There’s a new wave of drama-driven games fueled by tragic events and topics not often associated with fun. We examine how this new genre redefines the boundaries of play. Panelists: Rory O'Connor, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Michael Fox

GenCon 2019 - Redefining the Boundaries of Play

We examine how games can be a powerful and positive force on many different levels related to mental health with teachers, professionals and players. Panelists: Bebo, Sen Foong Lim, Bruce Voge, Katie Aidley, John Knoerzer

GenCon 2019 - Mental Health and the Power of Board Games

We assemble a group of renowned designers to examine the process and protocol that goes into iterative game design. Panelists: Ted Alspach, Tom Lehmann, Justin Gary, Elizabeth Hargrave, Ben Rosset

GenCon 2019 - Iterative Game Design

How can cardboard, wood, and plastic create such magic? We examine the incredible amount of time and creativity that goes into every bit and how that shapes our experience with a game. Panelists: Beth Heile, Frank Jager, Jean-Francois Gagne, Scott Hill

GenCon 2019 - Thinking Inside the Box

Krass Kariert

Krass Kariert is the free-spirited granddaughter of several beloved classic card games. It combines elements from ladder games like Tichu, trick-taking games like Euchre, shedding games like Uno, and adds a dash of Poker just for fun.

Episode #330 - Krass Kariert

In Heaven &amp; Ale, you are the master brewer at a German monastery in the Middle Ages. Gather hops, water, barley, and yeast and recruit monks to build your brewery. Each decision leads to an innovative scoring system that packs a great cerebral punch.

Episode #299 - Heaven & Ale

High above the clouds, you discover an abandoned station from a lost space-faring civilization. There’s just one problem: a deadly storm is coming. To survive you must create a real electrical circuit and launch the last rocket into... the Forbidden Sky!

Episode #322 - Forbidden Sky

The Coleson-Conway era of The Spiel comes to a close with a celebration of our shared passion and love of trick-taking card games. We review Anansi and Take the A Chord plus we delve into the history of Jeux de Tarot.

Episode #300 - Anansi and Take The A Chord

Holding On offers a game experience like no other. It is a drama-driven game that redefines the boundaries of play. We play through the decisions that define Billy's path. And in doing so, we are invited to reflect on our own.

Episode #326 - Holding On

Walking in Provence is a card-driven map building game. Over ten turns you will create a mini-map and move your photographers to open meadows hoping to create the right mix of flowers and features for the perfect shot.

Episode #350 - Walking in Provence

Join our party of misfit nerds for fun and games, plus plenty of freewheeling conversation spanning the wide world of geekdom. We hope you'll be in a festive mood for the season after listening to some Grade A goofing around.

Episode #339 - Holiday Party

The best podcast episodes on non-current politics. Covering topics such as universal basic income, democracy, poverty & justice and more. For anyone interested in learning more about politics that affect that world, not just now, but in the longer term. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Non-Current Politics Podcasts

The best podcasts about ourselves as well as the world through the lense of Science. Specific topics include things about our brain, emotions to biology, physics and more!