Table Talk 013: A Chat about Gateway Games Taylor and Alice discuss games that got them into the hobby and what makes something a “gateway game” anyway. Games mentioned (so many!): Agueda https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/317515/agueda-city-of-umbrellas Chai https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/253185/chai Nine Tiles Extreme https://boardgamegeek.…

An experimental podcast with only one voice about games getting reskinned. What are your favorite reimplementations? What makes them better than the original? Or, alternatively, worse? Games mentioned in this episode: Curios Wonder Woods Century: Golem Editions Furnace Azul: Master Chocolatier Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ …

After a hiatus of embarrassing length because of a disastrous attempt to record an actual play podcast of the infuriating and deeply beige game De Vulgari Eloquentia, we return triumphantly for our first double-digit show! Taylor and Alice talk about reorganizing Alice’s collection and both best practices and pitfalls around that. Games mentioned: …

Was GenCon 2023 a dumpster fire? Or just a smoldering waste paper basket? Listen on, friends, as Taylor and Alice wax poetical! Games mentioned: Disney Lorcana Cosmic Frog Gartenbau The Finest Fish Habitats Framework Fairy Trails Nova Luna Applejack Ticket to Ride: Europe Undergrove Lacuna Mycelium Wonder Woods Curios Starry Night Sky Quoridor Qawa…

Taylor G and Alice C talk with RPG superstar designer Cezar Capable about design, feelings, colonization, and, apparently, zombie cows. Cryptid: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/246784/cryptid Paint the Roses: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/253759/paint-roses Century: A New World: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/270970/century-new-world…

This week, Alice and Taylor have some strong feelings about house rules for board games. Games referenced in this episode: Curious Cargo New York Zoo Beer and Bread Renature Azul: Queen’s Garden Glass Road Patchwork Monopoly Viticulture Parks Uno Scrabble Mahjong Rummikub Euchre Dominoes Canasta Rummy Shanghai Jenga Tzolk’in Founders of Teotihuacan…

It took us a while to get our meeply asses in gear, but we (Alice, Bailey, David, Taylor, and Victoria) finally managed to get together in one (virtual) place and pay tribute to Klaus Teuber, designer of CATAN (originally The Settlers of Catan) and one of modern Eurogaming’s OG’s. After starting off with the usual “what we’ve been playing”, we shar…

What makes a game replayable a few times? Many times in a row? Something you long to play again? Taylor and Alice give you the definitive answer. Caverna Agricola Frosthaven Shifting Stones Moon Base Greed One Night Werewolf Dominion Undaunted: Normandy The Gallerist Sea Salt and Paper Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar Azul: Queen’s Garden My City Holdi…

Taylor and Alice chat with friend and DWP contributor Bailey D about how she finds off-beat and less popular games. And they’re coming to you live (recorded) from the Edge House’s annual 24-Hour Board Game Marathon fundraiser. Want to support that community? Go to www.edge-uc.org/donate. Games we discussed: The Gallerist Acquire Moon Base Moon Adve…

When you go on vacation, how do you take your game collection? Obviously, you need to take them, you’ll need to play them. But what about all those boxes and bits? What games are good for various situations? Don’t worry, Taylor and Alice have you covered. Surrealist Dinner Party Paint the Roses Exit: The Advent Calendar The Initiative Agricola Azul…

In the grand tradition of annual “best of” lists, Taylor and Alice offer you a list of the best games for extremely specific people. All of which are actually good. Games Mentioned: Fairy Trails The Gallerist Masterpiece (also Mastermind) Taco Bell Party Pack Card Game A Gentle Rain Patchwork SHH Consentacle USPS: Great American Mail Race Down Palm…

Taylor and Alice talk about why they love/hate games about feelings in this meandering and contemplative third episode. What is your experience of games about feelings? Do you tolerate them? Try to get all your friends and family to play them with you? Wish you could instead stay in the land of Beige Traders forever? Games mentioned: Sea Salt and P…

Table Talk 002: A Chat about First Plays When you play a game for the first time, what do you look for? How do you play well? What makes a first play fun? Or, for that matter, a second or 50th? Featured in this episode: new, improved sound quality, two bleeped swears, and the following games: Sea Salt and Paper Sushi Go Azul: Queen’s Garden Azul: S…

Welcome to our conversation, featuring unprofessional bag crinkling and table-smacking! Games talked about in this podcast: Century: Spice Road Viticulture Azul: Queen’s Garden Shifting Stones Town 66 Canopy Great American Mail Race Miyabi Suburbia Quacks of Quedlinburg Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar Parks Settlers of Catan Fog of Love Discussion que…

In this episode David starts out by looking at what we get out of competing vs cooperating in tabletop games... ...and then things take an unexpected turn. All music copyright 2022 by David Weiss. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at…

If game design is an artform--and I believe it is--then it deserves an aesthetic framework and a language to discuss it and its potential. Hence FORMAT. To discover what FORMAT stands for, in all senses, have a listen to Episode 3. All music copyright 2022 by David Weiss. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreo…

If a game is "a machine for telling stories that end with players winning and/or losing", what are its components? And what energy drives it? That's what we're discussing this month. (Which is also a way of saying that new episodes will be dropping monthly.) All music copyright 2022 by David Weiss. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Plac…

Welcome back to The Game Changers. In the first episode, David catches you up on his 2021 and then plunges in to the first Big Question of Season Two: just what is a game? Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theyre_called_victory_points/!…

Yes, that's right. It's taken over a year, but Season Two of The Game Changers is coming! Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theyre_called_victory_points/!Door Sean J.

In the epic finale to Season One, David looks back on what he learned by trying to tell the story of Modern Tabletop, and looks forward to Season Two. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Bach Cello Prelude BWV 1007 perfor…

Wingspan's status as Tabletop most recent Game Changer stems less from its design than its designer. Elizabeth Hargrave's choice of theme, and her outspoken involvement in Tabletop culture, portends a sea-change in the artform's attitudes and norms. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet …

Who could have ever predicted a game about birds would become the monster hit of 2019? Our final Game Changer is Wingspan, and in Part 1 we look at how Elizabeth Hargrave came to design it. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-w…

In this episode we look at four of the most prominent Teutonic designers and their major works: two Germans (Feld; Cramer) and two Austrians (Pfister and Warsch). While Pfister is expanding the narrative vocabulary of the Euro, it is Warsch who has had the most immediate effect on the industry. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placemen…

A new wave of European designers crashed ashore in the 2010's who had grown up playing first-gen Euros and therefore hungered for something more complex. In Part One, we look at various national "styles" that became embodied by talented designers in Poland, Italy, and Portugal. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on …

Isaac Childres had only one published game under his belt when he began dreaming about an open-world RPG-style game. He never intended to produce the biggest Tabletop game (in all senses) of all time: Gloomhaven. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.i…

In Part 2, we look at how the boundaries between role-playing games and "regular" Tabletop got blurrier as the 2010's wore on. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or …

This Episode's Game Changer was the product of two trends cresting in the mid 2010's. In Part 1, we look at how Tabletop becoming big(ger) business began to affect both publishers and gamers.. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/viole…

Love Letter was not the first microgame--but it spurred the creation of many more, and helped open the door for a new generation of Asian designers. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalled…

As the 2010's dawned, games began to appear by designers from the Far East, who brought different sensibilities and design ideas into the Tabletop mix. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Pencil Writing, Close, A.wav by I…

In Part 2 of this Episode, we examine the party game phenomenon that is Cards Against Humanity. What does it, and its story, say about Tabletop culture? Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Links to articles referred to in this episode: https://twitter.com/atheresastewart/status/1269310742450393089 https:/…

Episode Nine's Game Changer traces its roots back through 1970's game shows and 1950's Golden Age Television all the way back to Edwardian England. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Incidental music used in this episode…

Two small games, both released in 1981 by small publishers, were the spiritual parents of the social deduction game that broke through to a wider audience. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyr…

In this episode we trace the history of party games, from ancient drinking games through the boom years of Trivial Pursuit and beyond. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.…

Donald X. Vaccharino's 2008 game Dominion introduced the deckbuilding genre. In the second half of Episode 7, we look at its wide-ranging influence, both in Tabletop and in videogames. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world …

In this episode we tell the story of how in 2008 an unknown designer, Donald X. Vaccarino, sprang onto the world Tabletop stage with Dominion, the first deckbuilding game. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out …

Until 2007, Uwe Rosenberg was known for light card games. Then he changed course and began designing heavy Eurogames, starting with Agricola. In Part 2 we look at how Agricola managed to be both a gateway AND a Kennerspiel, and how it changed Tabletop. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Viol…

How did the rise of BoardGameGeek contribute to the success of Uwe Rosenberg's Agricola? Listen in and find out. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram a…

David takes a look at the long are varied history of war games in this episode of the Game Changers. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://ww…

David takes a look at the long are varied history of war games in this episode of the Game Changers. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://ww…

David examines one fo the most impactful genres in the board gaming industry, Train Games. One specific game changed the way we introduce people to the hobby. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://th…

David examines one fo the most impactful genres in the board gaming industry, Train Games. One specific game changed the way we introduce people to the hobby. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://th…

David continues his examination of board games that changed the hobby. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theyre_called_…

David continues his examination of board games that changed the hobby. Check out David's writing at The Daily Worker Placement. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https://theyrecalledvictorypoints.com/ or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theyre_called_…

David takes a deep dive into a game that revolutionized card games and the hobby in general. Check out part 1 if you missed it, and listen to the second part here. Check out David's work at They're Called Victory Points. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/song/7373/violet-world Check us out at https…

In episode one of Game Changers, David takes a look a card game that was designed almost as an afterthought. It would go on to change the gaming landscape forever and become responsible for some of the single most valuable gaming components ever. Check out David's work at They're Called Victory Points. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet Wor…

Netrunner is a game that has had a few different lives. Despite forming a loyal fanbase, it was discontinued for a second time in 2018. Since then, the players have taken matters into their own hands. Check out the episode for all the details. Check out the blog: http://dailyworkerplacement.com/ Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by A…

David Weiss has been playing games his entire life. From classics, like Chess and Go, to war games, to modern strategy games. In this season of Game Changers, he's looking at 12 games that changed the hobby. Check out his writing at They're Called Victory Points. Support us on Patreon! Intro Music: Violet World by Aquartos - https://artlist.io/jp/s…