The podcast

New episodes every other Tuesday

  1. Starfold

    We present to you "Starfold"—our abstract game with a theme! We talk about entering the BoardGameGeek Two-Player Design Contest and how playtester advice pushed us to build a proper Print-and-Play to meet the requirements.

  2. Theme It or Leave It

    We kick things off with a funny misplay in Harmonies and share news about our new sponsor, Spielmas. Then it’s time for a round of “Jason Can’t Possibly Disagree,” where we debate whether our abstract game Currents should have a theme—or stay...

  3. Four Nights of Online Playtesting

    We spent four consecutive nights playtesting online with Protospiel Online and Golden Gate Gamemakers (GGG). We gathered a ton of notes and are busy folding them into the next build of the game.

  4. The Real Gen Con Debrief

    We're back in studio and give a more complete Gen Con debrief and share highlights from playtesting in the First Exposure Playtest Hall. We cover a BoardGameGeek contest we entered and our recent Unpub mentorship program. Plus, we look ahead to the...

  5. Back at Lucas Oil Stadium

    Mark is joined by Mike C. of Brickly Games, live from Lucas Oil Stadium at Gen Con 2025. With Jason out this episode, the two dive into their Gen Con highlights and share insights from testing in the First Exposure Playtest Hall.

  6. Getting Ready for Gen Con

    As we prep for the First Exposure Playtest Hall at Gen Con, we get real advice from designers at the East Bay Board Game Con. We sharpen our elevator pitches and learn what makes a great demo.

  7. The Game of Followers

    We pause our abstract board game design to play the real game: chasing likes, shares, and followers. We’re pulling back the curtain on our marketing—sharing stats, analytics, and what’s working (or not) as we try to build an audience before...

  8. Playtesting in the Wild

    We took our abstract game into the wild—to Golden Gate Gamemakers, to friends, to family—and came back with real feedback and big takeaways. Plus, we debut a new segment on the show called Not A Game.

  9. No Theme? No Problem

    We dig into the mechanics of our abstract strategy game—how tiles interact, the patterns they create, early balance issues, and the ongoing challenge of designing a system for drawing new tiles.

  10. Dark Forest

    A dark forest would be a great setting for Animal Kingdom. However, it has become the basis for a pivot. Listen in to hear about the new direction we are heading as Gen Con and Indianapolis loom over us.