The Board Game Secret Show

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  Wroth, Wreck & A Little Dice Throne | Manny Trembley | BGSS ep_027 06.08.2026 2ч 37мин

  Manny Trembly had never designed a board game when he made 🎲 DICE THRONE — he was a comic artist who'd just been laid off. Ten years, 40+ heroes and a Marvel licence later, he still draws it, designs it, and now runs his own studio inside Chip Theory building ⚔️ WROTH.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:💼 Laid off ten years ago this week — a prototype in Nate's kitchen two days later✏️ Comic artist first — an Eisner nod for PX, 3D models for MYST🎲 "Too asymmetrical, too many dice" — everyone told him it wouldn't work⚔️ Gavin Brown, Roxley, and the absurd EXCALIBUR box🌈 WROTH — built in 24 hours with his kids🔮 NEXUS and DICE THRONE DIGITAL are coming━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🔗 LINKS🎲 Dice Throne▶ https://dicethrone.com/⚔️ Wroth & Neon Knight Games▶ https://chiptheorygames.com/⚔️ Wreck▶ https://gamefound.com/en/projects/chip-theory-games/wroth-reprint--wreck-expansion❤️ Support My Work — Join Cardboard▶ https://crdbrd.app/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 TOO LONG TO WATCH? THIS IS NOW A PODCAST!🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-board-game-secret-show/id6785378165🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GRnTDINaxqcoJksaCl4🔵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01414914-23bd-4f4c-a29f-50daa231f364━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Cold open00:32 - Who is Manny Trembly?01:27 - Fresh off Gen Con10:20 - Why the small booths are where the magic is11:53 - Winning a Dice Tower Award for Tanglewood16:38 - A Jim Lee comic and the two-page spread that started it21:32 - PX, the Eisner nomination, and dropping the E23:00 - Myst, Cyan Worlds, and 'grandpa who fought in WWII'26:05 - Meeting Nate — and getting laid off the same week30:34 - 'What if we just translate this sucker into a board game?'34:00 - Roxley, Gavin Brown, and the Excalibur box40:25 - 'What you're doing is cool, but it's not going to work'46:32 - The art: what Manny draws vs what Nick Malara draws57:00 - Why dice make better stories1:10:44 - Neon Reign — art that predates Dice Throne1:15:40 - Joining Chip Theory and starting Neon Knight1:28:13 - Wroth: fixing what keeps people off Root1:47:20 - Wreck: boats, cannon dice, and the Exodus2:04:30 - What WROTH actually stands for2:26:11 - Manny's favourite hero of all time2:30:40 - Nexus, Dice Throne Digital, and what's next#cardboard #bgss #dicethrone #wroth
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  From Teacher To KTBG Founder | Helaina Cappel’s Story | BGSS ep_026 25.07.2026 1ч 58мин

  Helaina Cappel turned down more games than she published — and that's why KTBG and Burnt Island look the way they do. Teacher, publisher, and the one who rescued ⚓ ENDEAVOR off Z-Man's shelf and steered it into 🌊 DEEP SEA.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE:🎓 Teacher to publisher — FOODFIGHTERS at the kitchen table⚓ A year convincing Jarratt & Carl to hand her ENDEAVOR🌊 Leaving the colonization theme behind for DEEP SEA🌱 Zero plastic — "but it's flammable"🗝️ LAIRS: $33, three print runs, all sold out🔮 Ten more years of Endeavor━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🔗 LINKS🎲 Kids Table Board Gaming & Burnt Island Games▶ https://www.kidstablebg.com/❤️ Support My Work — Join Cardboard▶ https://crdbrd.app/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 TOO LONG TO WATCH? THIS IS NOW A PODCAST!🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-board-game-secret-show/id6785378165🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GRnTDINaxqcoJksaCl4🔵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01414914-23bd-4f4c-a29f-50daa231f364━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Cold open00:33 - Intro — who is Helaina Cappel01:45 - Before we started rolling02:24 - The teacher, Josh, and Foodfighters08:53 - Funding on day 31 — Kickstarter in 201513:23 - "When did KTBG become a business?"20:08 - Catan, Carcassonne, Caylus — becoming a gamer22:53 - The KTBG DNA: fun, and scalable26:13 - The "family weight" problem32:23 - Cystic fibrosis — an unexpected connection37:03 - Why Burnt Island exists39:38 - Endeavor: from Z-Man's shelf to a year of convincing44:43 - Decolonising Endeavor into Deep Sea53:53 - Zero plastic: the bagasse insert fight59:23 - Age of Sail is out of print for good1:02:53 - Fall of the Mountain King — the one that should have hit1:08:23 - Killing the print ads1:13:23 - "New is better" — the treadmill1:17:23 - Tariffs, Play the North, looking past the US1:25:43 - Lairs — the $33 game she can't print fast enough1:42:23 - How Lairs found her — an Eric Lang post1:47:43 - Gen Con and Essen slate1:49:33 - The future of Endeavor — ten games in ten years1:56:48 - Advice: ask every single question#cardboard #bgss #endeavor #kidstableboardgaming #burntisland
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  Justin Gary is a Pioneer | Magic, Ascension & LOTR | BGSS ep_025 14.07.2026 1ч 41мин

  He won a Magic: The Gathering national championship at 17 — the youngest ever — and got the cards he won with banned. Then he built Ascension in 18 months, bet his life savings on 10,000 copies, and sold out at Gen Con. Justin Gary of Stone Blade Entertainment opens up 15 years of design secrets: why balance is a misnomer, how the One Ring broke his game (and the story moment that fixed it), and what's coming in Ascension: The Lord of the Rings.Guest: Justin Gary — https://x.com/Justin_GaryStone Blade Entertainment: https://stoneblade.comJustin's podcast & book: Think Like a Game DesignerLord of the Rings Ascension Campaign: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/stoneblade/the-lord-of-the-rings-ascension#/section/project-storyTIMESTAMPS0:00 Cold open & guest intro1:07 Welcome + the Tim Ferriss DM story13:53 The Magic pro years & the hacker mentality14:54 $30,000 and two banned cards25:59 Dominion & the deckbuilding boom29:25 Building Ascension: 18 months, 10,000 copies46:35 "Balance is a misnomer"1:07:07 Lord of the Rings Ascension1:24:03 Taming the One Ring1:28:33 Favorite set + what's next1:38:37 The crowdfund + where to find JustinGAMES IN THIS EPISODEMagic: The Gathering — https://crdbrd.app/hub/game/4dd82420-e5a0-4cc4-afaa-3b7d2b60ce97Ascension: Deckbuilding Game — https://crdbrd.app/hub/game/077eee6c-9a23-4f10-b72b-776c45514d2aDominion — https://crdbrd.app/hub/game/0b300d7c-f019-4594-8d4b-ef94c0e26585SolForge Fusion — https://crdbrd.app/hub/game/874e3f7f-413f-47df-bc57-8b603d33937bDiscover every game mentioned on the show: https://crdbrd.app#cardboard #bgss #ascension
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  John D. Clair is UNSTOPPABLE | BGSS ep_024 07.07.2026 2ч 23мин

  He invented card crafting — and he may have just reinvented deck building. John D. Clair designed 🚀 SPACE BASE, 🏴‍☠️ DEAD RECKONING, 🎲 CUBITOS, 🐎 READY SET BET, and 🔮 MYSTIC VALE — and his new "momentum" system in ⚔️ UNSTOPPABLE is the engine behind the smash-hit 👑 DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL board game. In this one, I review Unstoppable to the designer's face for the very first time.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE, WE GO DEEP:🧒 Designing his first game at 9 (thanks, Mom)💰 Quitting the day job — royalties, risk & the AEG deal🃏 Dominion, Ascension & why deck building is a design "cheat code"✂️ Card crafting — why it never spawned a genre⚡ Momentum deck building & the 2009 prototype that waited a decade🎲 Luck vs. agency — why new players blame the dice🌶️ The BGG comments he SAVES & the review that stung🗞️ BREAKING: Floors 5 & 6 in the works for Dungeon Crawler Carl🔮 What's next — Stormlight Archive, Mystic Lands & Electrify👉 If you want to get inside the mind of the most inventive card game designer working today, this one's a masterclass.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🔗 LINKS⚔️ Unstoppable — Renegade Game Studios▶ https://renegadegamestudios.com/unstoppable/👑 Dungeon Crawler Carl: Unstoppable + RPG▶ https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/renegade-game-studios/dungeon-crawler-carl-rpg-unstoppable❤️ Support My Work — Join Cardboard▶ https://crdbrd.app/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 TOO LONG TO WATCH? THIS IS NOW A PODCAST!🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-board-game-secret-show/id6785378165🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GRnTDINaxqcoJksaCl4🔵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01414914-23bd-4f4c-a29f-50daa231f364━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Intro — who is John D. Clair00:52 - Designing his first game at 9 (Monster Cards)05:19 - Maze books & gamifying mazes as a kid13:24 - Going full-time in 2018 & the AEG deal16:52 - Why Unstoppable went to Renegade — the IP bet18:52 - The games he loves (and the two kinds he doesn't)22:59 - Inspiration & giving credit to other designers27:12 - Playing Dominion for the first time30:46 - Why deck building is so addicting34:38 - Ascension's influence & Dead Reckoning's 2D market38:52 - Card crafting — a lateral evolution, not a genre42:16 - The deck building problem card crafting solves46:05 - Deck-driven board games — Dune: Imperium & Arnak47:35 - Unstoppable & momentum deck building50:45 - The 2009 prototype behind Unstoppable58:04 - The magic moment — two dead cards into a combo1:00:27 - Difficulty & learning to pump the brakes1:08:08 - Luck, agency & why new players blame the dice1:17:48 - How many plays before Unstoppable clicks?1:18:46 - What do reviewers owe designers?1:22:03 - BGG comments, Space Base's two bad cards & the review that stung1:31:36 - Fixing the card market — six levels, straight to hand1:41:44 - Has momentum transcended deck building?1:46:01 - The bosses & designing variety1:52:26 - My gripes — sleeving and that theme1:55:06 - The IP vision & the future of the Unstoppable line1:56:36 - Patching a physical game & the new co-op rule2:00:35 - Dungeon Crawler Carl's campaign mode2:04:47 - BREAKING — Floors 5 & 6 expansion in the works2:05:54 - What's new in DCC — looming bosses, races & mana2:13:39 - The "Unbeatable" difficulty & how John playtests2:15:17 - Stormlight Archive: War of Roshar (September)2:17:14 - Mystic Lands & the art problem of card crafting2:21:03 - Mistborn expansion, Electrify & a 2027 auto-battler2:23:01 - Wrap-up━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#boardgames #boardgamedesign #unstoppable #dungeoncrawlercarl #deckbuilding #tabletop #renegadegamestudios #boardgamepodcast
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  From Z-Man to Play-to-Z | 30 Years of Board Game Publishing | BGSS ep_023 30.06.2026 2ч 4мин

  One of the most storied résumés in the entire board game industry. Zev founded Z-Man Games, published 🦠 PANDEMIC and the first English 🌾 AGRICOLA (and basically invented the "animeeple" by deluxing it), signed the original ENDEAVOR, spent seven years exploding the WizKids catalog with ~100 games, and now runs his own publisher — ✨ PLAY TO Z.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE, WE GO DEEP:💰 The real economics of conventions🏆 Why Origins beats GenCon for a premiere🃏 The CCG days & Shadow Fist🤝 Betting on co-op when NOBODY wanted it📦 Under-printing Pandemic🌶️ His (spicy) take on expansions📜 IP licensing headaches & the Middle-earth project🚀 Crowdfunding, paid previews vs. review copies🔮 What's next for Play to Z👉 If you care at all about how the board game industry ACTUALLY works, this one's a masterclass.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🔗 LINKS⚔️ Siege Perilous — LIVE on Gamefound now (through July 14)▶ https://gamefound.com/en/projects/play-to-z/siege-perilous✨ Everything Play to Z has going▶ https://www.playtozgames.com/❤️ Support My Work — Join Cardboard▶ https://crdbrd.app/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 TOO LONG TO WATCH? THIS IS NOW A PODCAST!🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-board-game-secret-show/id6785378165🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GRnTDINaxqcoJksaCl4🔵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01414914-23bd-4f4c-a29f-50daa231f364━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 ▸ Intro — who is Zev Schlasinger00:39 ▸ Origins & how the con has changed03:04 ▸ Why publisher attendance is dropping04:15 ▸ Conventions are marketing — money is gravy05:03 ▸ The ROI secret: premiere something new06:56 ▸ Why release at Origins instead of GenCon🃏 THE CCG YEARS09:07 ▸ From CCGs to board games — the Z-Man origin09:53 ▸ Always a gamer: wargames, Magic & judging11:31 ▸ Grave Robbers From Outer Space changes everything13:16 ▸ Breaking into board games & the "Rio Grande wall"16:40 ▸ How you found games to sign back then18:33 ▸ Selling off Shadow Fist / leaving CCGs23:38 ▸ Would he ever do a CCG again?📈 BUILDING Z-MAN24:49 ▸ When did Z-Man feel like a success? ("one disaster from bankruptcy")28:21 ▸ Under-printing Pandemic & Agricola / print runs33:04 ▸ Lead times then vs. now / the Soothsayers reprint🦠 THE BIG HITS36:01 ▸ Meeting Matt Leacock & signing Pandemic38:03 ▸ Betting on co-op when nobody wanted it42:22 ▸ Play to Z's philosophy: engaging & different43:31 ▸ Signing Agricola, the $70 euro risk & animeeples48:48 ▸ Publishing the very first Endeavor52:40 ▸ Zev's honest take on expansions🏢 Z-MAN, WIZKIDS & IP1:05:00 ▸ Why he sold Z-Man (and kept working there)1:07:28 ▸ The WizKids years — 100 games in 71:11:47 ▸ The reality of working with IP & licensing1:20:54 ▸ The Middle-earth game & Asmodee's curation✨ PLAY TO Z & THE INDUSTRY TODAY1:27:08 ▸ Why start Play to Z — hitting the ground running1:29:40 ▸ Crowdfunding — why he resisted it for so long1:33:02 ▸ Crowdfunding vs. bank loans & publisher risk1:39:37 ▸ Paid previews, review copies & marketing ROI1:47:27 ▸ Social media & staying transparent with the community1:52:29 ▸ Board games vs. digital / BGA & the tactile future🎯 WHAT TO PLAY NOW1:54:40 ▸ Play to Z's lineup — Siege Perilous, 23 Knives & more1:56:52 ▸ The most slept-on Play to Z game2:00:45 ▸ Late-year releases — Dogs of War, Soul Journey2:03:21 ▸ Where to find Siege Perilous & wrap-up━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#boardgames #boardgamedesign #zmangames #pandemic #agricola #tabletop #playtoz #boardgamepodcast
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  Let’s Talk Rolling Deep & More w/ Peter C. Hayward | BGSS ep_022 24.06.2026 3ч 15мин

  Board game designer Peter Hayward (Rolling Deep, Things & Rings, That Time You Killed Me) sits down for a wide-ranging, 3-hour conversation about what actually makes a game fun, why he's stepping back from designing to chase screenwriting, and how he reverse-engineered the feeling of Balatro into a tabletop roguelike.We get into the apex of game design, the difference between fun, satisfaction, and winning, why Flip Seven sparked a friendly fight, the $120k debt that nearly ended it all, the "offer he couldn't refuse," and the absurd timeline that took Rolling Deep from first prototype to Kickstarter in under six months.🎲 Rolling Deep hits Kickstarter June 23rd: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitewinggamesnick/rolling-deep-and-eureka-dice-adventure-roguelike-and-campaign⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open0:42 Designer vs. salesman: the dream nobody warns you about1:37 The real daily grind of a working designer3:02 Willow, his sisters & "external processing"5:27 23 Slack channels with his sister8:44 How does Peter have fun?9:07 Fun vs. satisfaction vs. winning11:02 The apex of game design11:48 Making "dumb apes feel clever"12:32 Puzzles, Sudoku & writing sitcoms15:47 Intrinsic vs. extrinsic joy22:20 Breaking So Clover (and co-op games)23:59 Is Flip Seven even a game?25:29 The threshold of agency26:03 Why Flip Seven might be a top design of 20 years30:34 Being a board game "sommelier"32:30 The Candyland question33:40 Why he's ending the Fun Problems podcast34:50 The screenwriting dream & getting into the US39:02 A "typical" day & external obligations43:12 $120k of debt to a net worth of zero44:32 The offer he couldn't refuse50:14 The ridiculous Rolling Deep timeline51:36 The Cuphead artist & the cover53:42 Why Peter designs mechanics-first55:05 The three hooks: mechanical, component, thematic1:08:42 Falling in love with Balatro1:09:31 What Balatro actually is1:24:08 So what is Rolling Deep?1:30:39 Translating planet cards into mushrooms1:33:08 Turning interest into a real decision1:38:13 Bosses & engine destroyers1:43:41 Jokers become tableau rows1:48:13 Broken combos: feature or bug?1:55:21 "Use the paints already on the tray"2:04:48 Custom dice faces & the rules budget2:19:11 Discovery cards2:28:35 Achievements & roguelike unlocks3:02:00 Going full-time: fuck around and find out3:07:45 Peter's other income streams3:09:40 Building an "engine" on YouTube3:11:17 Wrap up#boardgames #gamedesign #rollingdeep #kickstarter #tabletop #balatro
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  We Talk Board Games & Books w/ ⁨@ZeBoardandShield⁩ | BGSS ep_21 15.06.2026 1ч 48мин

  I need your help to keep this going. The #1 way you can support me is join my community here: https://crdbrd.app/Zeshawn from Board and Shield has played over 500 board games — and he's just as deep in the book world as the board game one. In this episode of the Board Game Secret Show we go all the way down the rabbit hole: how a Game of Thrones version of Risk pulled him into the hobby, why he merged books and board games onto one account, the narrative campaign games worth your table (Dragon Eclipse, Oathsworn, Spire's End), a hot take that might get him canceled (Castles of Burgundy is overrated), and his complete all-time Top 10 — including why Black Rose Wars will NEVER leave the #1 spot.We also cover the board-game-to-book pipeline: what to read if you love Blood Rage, the cozy parallel to CozyStickerville, and the standalone novels every gamer should pick up.🎲 Follow Zeshawn here:@ZeBoardandShield https://www.instagram.com/boardandshield/https://www.tiktok.com/@boardandshieldThe #1 way you can support me is join my community here: https://crdbrd.app/—————————————————⏱️ TIMESTAMPS—————————————————0:00 — Cold open / teaser0:30 — Who is Zeeshan & Board and Shield1:03 — How we connected on TikTok2:34 — Cross-posting TikTok / IG / YouTube + why he hates editing5:08 — Being authentic beats high production6:07 — His first videos: nerves, photos → talking to camera7:53 — Will we ever get long-form? The monthly-recap idea9:29 — The origin story: Game of Thrones Risk changed everything13:08 — Champions of Midgard & his first worker placement14:31 — Getting people into the hobby (the gateway-game problem)16:13 — Top 10 lists & the YouTubers that hooked him18:26 — Books or board games — which came first?18:53 — Between Two Fires: a horror book deep dive21:57 — His reading journey & the deluxe-edition parallel to board games25:01 — Why he merged books + board games onto one account27:21 — Niching down vs. being yourself (and dealing with haters)29:13 — Booktok creators worth following — and how huge that world is31:39 — The golden age of Lord of the Rings board games33:35 — There and Back Again & the "cozy" debate34:22 — Cozy Stickerville obsession37:15 — Corey Konieczka (Twilight Imperium → Cozy Stickerville) & Vantage41:33 — Narrative campaign games: Dragon Eclipse & Oathsworn44:04 — Dragon Eclipse as an arena battler ("I wish it were Pokémon")47:03 — Can board game writing ever match a real novel?48:32 — Tainted Grail & the Spire's End games53:08 — Sponsor break: Cardboard54:01 — Getting board gamers INTO books56:08 — Legends & Lattes: the cozy book pick57:06 — Can a book capture the *feeling* of a board game?59:36 — Standalone book recs (The Sword of Kaigen, Blood Over Bright Haven)1:00:21 — The paid-content & publisher journey1:03:36 — Staying selective + the one publisher he hasn't worked with (Awaken Realms)1:04:40 — Auto-buy publishers & designers: Board & Dice + Stefan Feld1:05:41 — HOT TAKE: Castles of Burgundy is overrated1:08:38 — Favorite Board & Dice game (Teotihuacan)1:09:46 — Windmill Valley & Danny Garcia1:11:20 — More hot takes: Ark Nova & Viticulture1:14:07 — THE ALL-TIME TOP 10 — #10 Marvel Champions1:17:36 — #9 Avalon1:19:09 — #8 Nusfjord1:21:13 — #7 Blood Rage1:22:23 — #6 Primal: The Awakening1:23:31 — #5 Dominion1:26:36 — #4 Santorini1:29:30 — #3 Inis1:30:57 — #2 Spirit Island (is it really cozy?)1:33:01 — #1 Black Rose Wars (the forever #1)1:38:09 — Breaking into the list: Grimm Coven1:44:15 — The future of Board and Shield & where to follow him1:45:20 — How he finds time for all of it1:46:37 — Closing thoughts: the stories behind the hobby#boardgames #boardgamecommunity #tabletopgames #booktok #blackrosewars
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  The Unhinged Takes of ⁨@BigPasti⁩ + Much More | BGSS ep_20 06.06.2026 2ч 50мин

  BigPasti makes $1,000 a month on YouTube, refuses every free game publishers send him, and is building his own game designed to make you miserable. So we sat him down and ran through 20 of the spiciest board game takes on the internet — Earth, Secret Hitler, Zombicide, FOMO, sleeving, AI art, and whether the designer even matters.Agree? Disagree? Drop your own hot take in the comments. 👇🎲 Back his game, SUNLIT'S EULOGY, on GameFound: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/dear-euthyphro-studio/sunlits-eulogy📺 Subscribe to BigPasti: https://www.youtube.com/@BigPastiSupport this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━0:00 Intro2:58 Who is BigPasti3:31 How the channel blew up4:21 He makes ~$1K/month (and won't take free games)13:11 Why he refuses publisher copies18:10 His game: Sunlit Eulogy (the religion game)32:03 How Sunlit Eulogy actually plays49:14 Designed to make you miserable51:09 TAKE: If you bring it, you learn it52:10 TAKE: A game is 90% discovery58:43 TAKE: Bad rulebooks & the 30-second rule1:02:22 TAKE: House rules aren't cheating1:05:37 TAKE: Camel Up is the best game ever made1:08:12 TAKE: Did you even play the game?1:11:34 TAKE: Suboptimal play is still playing to win1:12:45 TAKE: Don't trash a borrowed game1:14:22 TAKE: Sleeving is a waste of time1:18:12 TAKE: "Good mad" is good game design1:30:10 TAKE: Multiplayer solitaire is boring1:33:48 TAKE: Can you trust BGG ratings?1:40:28 TAKE: What even IS a game?1:45:51 TAKE: All games are art1:53:00 TAKE: Looks-maxing wins1:53:52 TAKE: Be honest about player count on the box1:56:15 TAKE: Complexity isn't depth2:02:18 TAKE: Secret Hitler is a baby game2:05:02 TAKE: FOMO is the sin of the decade2:13:42 TAKE: Zombicide is Funko Pop board gaming2:14:35 TAKE: Earth is hollow2:16:16 TAKE: AI art is cringe2:27:26 TAKE: Reveal your income2:31:29 TAKE: Does the designer matter? (Phil Eklund)2:44:26 Wrap-up + the thumbnail A/B challenge━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#boardgames #boardgame #tabletop #hottakes #bgg #boardgamereview #gamefound #kickstarter
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  He Made 40+ Elder Scrolls Videos | BGSS ep_019 04.06.2026 1ч 53мин

  Daniel from@thinkgaming fled his country in 2022 with no job, no money, and no plan. Three years later he's running one of YouTube's most dedicated nerdy strategy channels — 500+ hours into Elder Scrolls, the official How-to-Play creator for Too Many Bones, and somehow he's never missed an upload week.We talked about losing everything in a single day, sleeping on a friend's couch in London, why he treats his channel like a library instead of a newsstand, and what it actually takes to build a niche board game channel without selling out to the algorithm.If you've ever been told "the only way to grow is top-10 lists and preview videos," this episode is your permission slip to ignore that advice.Support this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorillaChapters0:00 — Cold open1:24 — Fleeing Moscow with nothing6:15 — The bus across the border9:14 — Discovering the Global Talent visa10:25 — Falling into board games (Mice and Mystics → Gloomhaven)14:23 — Finding purpose during visa limbo16:11 — The first (failed) YouTube channel20:03 — "A library, not a newspaper kiosk"23:26 — Hobby vs. business: the Ali Abdaal scale31:55 — Ikigai and the why behind the work34:17 — The two things he's most proud of35:50 — Two jobs, never a missed week44:30 — Watching metrics without serving them49:58 — Only covering games he actually loves57:44 — Family, Cheltenham, and the introvert problem1:04:08 — "I have to do this. This is my mission."1:14:15 — Going deep on Grimcoven1:24:03 — Too Many Bones and the Wave 2 wait1:29:15 — Filming the official Too Many Bones tutorial1:32:41 — Elder Scrolls vs. Too Many Bones1:39:17 — Why he still hasn't reviewed Elder Scrolls1:49:03 — Advice for aspiring creators
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  The IV Studio Episode | BGSS ep_018 30.05.2026 2ч 6мин

  @iv-studio-games started making commercials for Nike, Amazon, and Bad Robot. Then one Christmas, Zac invited Austin over to "just make a board game" — for fun, for nostalgia, no plan. That became Moonraker. Six years later, IV Studios is one of the most design-forward indie publishers in the hobby — shipping on 9-to-12-month timelines, running 800-person community tours, and somehow maintaining a reputation for quality across many titles while Austin keeps losing his rondels every time he goes on vacation.We talked about the moment they stopped making ads and decided to make the thing itself, what it actually looks like when three designers with contradictory ideas have to build one game, why they published their press kit publicly, and what Zac wrote a 120-page screenplay for. (It's a board game. It ships next year.)If you've ever wondered how a small team ships beautiful games on time while also designing the next five and running a community tour — this is the blueprint.Check out Altera: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/iv-studio/alteraCheck out Honors End: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ivstudios/honors-endCheck Out Realm of Reckoning: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ivstudios/realm-of-reckoningSupport this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorillaChapters0:00 — Cold open0:34 — Intro1:48 — Animation studio to board games: the origin4:22 — Ten years making ads for Nike, Amazon, and Bad Robot5:34 — "We wanted to make the thing, not the thing talking about the thing"5:59 — The Christmas break that made Moonraker9:29 — "Grossly underqualified" — Austin runs the division anyway13:22 — When did they actually believe this could be real?15:06 — Six months in: "You should stop paying me"18:32 — What happens when the design team disagrees?24:03 — "Don't go on vacation — they'll take your rondel"27:52 — Who leads a project and how does it get handed off?28:46 — "You don't know anything until it hits the table"30:22 — The cutting room floor and the games that came back31:55 — Time to Panic was designed in a weekend (while Austin was traveling)36:16 — Moon Rollers and why it doesn't feel like a small box game38:40 — Toby Arnell and why Tend is a game they couldn't have made themselves43:09 — Tend's complicated Kickstarter — their lowest ever45:30 — How does one small team ship this many games?48:19 — Everyone wears multiple hats (and tariffs killed the hiring plan)49:27 — Direct to consumer, FLGS, and the Amazon experiment53:25 — Would IV Studios survive without crowdfunding?55:41 — What crowdfunding lets them do that nothing else can57:50 — 800 people on the Altera tour and how feedback actually gets used59:50 — How to parse feedback when half the room says opposite things1:01:46 — The playtest mistake Zach had to stop and correct1:03:38 — Danny Garcia barely plays his own games1:05:34 — Where IV Studios stands on AI1:09:22 — Designing for play 1 vs. play 501:11:38 — Why Leder Games impresses Zach as much as it does1:13:23 — "The cover is the most important part of the game" — Zach disagrees1:15:24 — Old Kings Crown and the second-game problem1:17:48 — Do they actually design for the 100-play game?1:19:04 — The guy who played Tend solo through 200 scratch sheets1:20:48 — Why Austin gives every content creator his personal number1:25:40 — Publishing the press kit publicly after the backlash1:28:47 — 100 tens and 100 sevens vs. 100 nines and 100 twos1:31:38 — "The worst thing we could possibly do is bore you"1:34:32 — Mythic Mischief: the outlier1:36:06 — Realm of Reckoning: the pitch1:40:07 — How Moonraker became a co-op game (Honors End origin)1:42:26 — The card-tucking breakthrough1:45:08 — "I'm a quarterback co-op player and I hate that about myself"1:47:16 — 9-to-12-month turnarounds (and why Honors End is late)1:47:38 — Austin wrote a
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  Hangin’ With @BoardGameHangover | BGSS ep_017 23.05.2026 1ч 52мин

  Two Latvian guys, one YouTube channel, zero plans to stop — I sat down with Jānis G and Jānis T from Board Game Hangover to talk about building one of the most creatively ambitious channels in the hobby from Riga, Latvia, going viral with Eternals, refusing publisher money on principle, and what it actually costs to do this full time.We get into the messy reality of running a board game channel you love — failed outdoor videos, box-sliding rituals, child labor allegations, two years without a paycheck, and why they're "cowards" who won't launch a Kickstarter. Plus a lightning trivia round featuring a truly catastrophic guess at the Monopoly man's name.Board Game Hangover: @BoardGameHangover Support this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla— CHAPTERS —0:00 Intro0:32 Meatball & Worker Placement Dad Joke1:18 Their First Board Game Obsessions7:26 How the Two Giannises Met9:16 Latvia's Board Game Scene14:27 Starting the Channel in 202015:44 Evolving Away From Top Ten Lists20:18 Going Full Time22:15 Their Biggest Failures (The Outdoor Video)23:03 David's Camping Disaster ("Nobody at All")27:35 Growth Story & Getting Recognized at Essen32:35 Production Value & The Box Slide → Box Throw39:15 The Team ("Child Labor on Our Channel")40:12 Favorite Series to Make47:33 The Eternals Video Nobody Expected51:09 Covering Older Games vs. Chasing the Hotness55:27 "We Don't Take Publisher Money"1:01:35 Living Off Savings & Finally Getting Paid1:06:13 "We're Cowards" — Why No Kickstarter1:07:05 Review Copies: "Not Really Free"1:13:03 Do You Still Love It? (Follow-Up Reviews)1:18:19 Sons of Anarchy & Never Going Back1:22:13 How Many Plays Before You Review?1:29:49 Responsibility to Publishers1:37:23 TRIVIA ROUND1:48:54 Top Three Channels — "We're Not Leaving Until You Tell Us"1:50:44 Outro
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  Dani Garcia is a Genius | His Rise, Design & Diables | BGSS ep_016 20.05.2026 1ч 17мин

  Danny Garcia has quietly become one of the most thoughtful designers in board games — and in this episode, we go deep on exactly why. We talk about his unconventional design process (he builds entire games in his head before writing a single note), his obsession with action selection, why theme always comes first, and what it means to share your culture through cardboard.We also get an extended look at Diabolus, his upcoming crowdfunding game inspired by the Ball de Diables — a Catalan fire festival Danny has attended over 100 times. It's unlike anything he's designed before.In January, Danny announced he had been diagnosed with ALS. His resilience and dedication to doing what he loves, for as long as he can, make this conversation even more meaningful.Support People Like Dani Here: https://fundaciomiquelvalls.org/es/ela/Support Research Here: https://www.als.org---Go Follow Diables: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/saltandpepper/diablesSupport this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla---00:00 — Intro: Who is Danny Garcia?01:10 — Danny joins / host expresses his admiration01:45 — Is Coming of Age underrated?03:25 — "I was winning 1,995% of the times" — the luck debate04:08 — The frustration mechanic: thematic brilliance explained07:09 — Danny's background: 15 years in the video game industry08:40 — How he discovered Euro games (hint: a table across the room)10:49 — The night Brass changed everything11:23 — Learning to design by watching Rahdo12:28 — Weight preferences: tactical vs. strategic15:16 — "You make the games you want to play"16:34 — Danny's design process: no notes, just thinking17:23 — Building the entire game in his head before prototyping18:34 — Waiting for ideas to arrive (and why forcing it doesn't work)20:14 — Ideas coming at midnight — and redesigning the next morning21:12 — How he had 5 games signed before anyone knew his name23:21 — Getting publishers to take a chance on an unknown designer25:10 — Why he sends "unfinished" games to publishers on purpose26:09 — The mistake most new designers make: over-polishing28:40 — Choosing the right publisher for each game29:08 — Why Barcelona's theme was non-negotiable30:48 — Theme-first vs. mechanics-first: how Danny evolved32:25 — Why theme is now the only way he can generate original ideas34:35 — Diabolus: the game, the festival, the inspiration36:50 — The Ball de Diables explained — and why the drums had to be in the game39:42 — Danny's design signature: action selection41:03 — Why action selection is where originality lives44:42 — How action selection works in Diabolus47:48 — The main board modules and how scoring works51:34 — The social media mechanic — why it's in a medieval fire festival game54:15 — How Diabolus compares to Danny's other designs55:47 — Reinventing yourself with every game (Stefan Feld, Tomas Holik)58:29 — Games with lasting replay value / what Danny returns to01:00:19 — How Danny designs replayability into his games01:01:18 — The Barcelona expansion: does it make the base game better?01:02:16 — On designing expansions: "publishers ask, I prefer something new"01:04:38 — Why Danny never holds back content for future expansions01:05:47 — Does he ever regret a design decision after release?01:06:19 — His recent themes: Catalonia, culture, childhood, home01:07:33 — Using board games to share your culture with the world01:09:47 — What's coming: Gaudi, Windmill Valley dual, an archaeology + time game01:11:29 — Positive interaction as a design philosophy01:13:03 — His obsession with time travel (and a game being designed around it)01:14:15 — Do aliens exist? Does Danny believe in time travel?01:15:39 — Final words on Diabolus01:16:26 — Closing
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  He Left America & Became Asia’s Board Game Expert | @CardboardEast | BGSS ep_015 17.05.2026 2ч 21мин

  Jay runs @CardboardEast one of the most unique channels in the hobby. He spent nearly 20 years living in Taipei, learned Chinese and Japanese, and became one of the best windows into Asian board game design the English-speaking world has. Now he's back in the US as Marketing Manager at Bézier Games.We talked about what drew him to Taiwan, the Tokyo Game Market experience, what Western publishers get wrong, and what the data says about who's actually buying board games.Go Follow @BezierGamesInc and @CardboardEast Support this show by becoming a member: https://www.crdbrd.app/pricingJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla00:00:00 - Intro & "Vendor Boy"00:02:38 - "I've fooled everyone — I'm actually incredibly shy"00:07:36 - How Cardboard East started00:08:24 - "I left America before the iPhone"00:11:28 - Why he moved to a country where he couldn't speak the language00:12:34 - The typhoon story00:17:50 - Day to day life in Taipei00:19:52 - How board games entered the picture00:21:51 - Discovering board game cafes in Taiwan00:24:49 - Taiwan's board game design culture00:29:04 - Why trick taking games never get old00:35:16 - How localization works (the Love Letter story)00:38:11 - The business model of Asian publishers00:40:19 - Tokyo Game Market vs Western conventions00:43:28 - Can an English speaker navigate Tokyo Game Market?00:44:51 - "You just buy on vibes"00:49:55 - What Japanese games have that Western publishers don't00:54:55 - Crowdfunding — where it started vs where it is now01:02:35 - "The cover matters more than the gameplay"01:04:51 - The board game industry is like video games in the 90s01:05:40 - Tariffs and the board game economy01:12:16 - Why he left cybersecurity for Bézier Games01:13:51 - Life as a one-man marketing team01:24:45 - "Every day is the f***ing Super Bowl"01:27:06 - Meet Jessica — who's actually buying board games01:39:19 - Zombie Princess deep dive01:47:21 - Game Makers — Bézier's biggest game in years01:55:28 - Haunted Mouse01:59:13 - Warp 9902:05:01 - Hot takes02:12:47 - One Asian game you need on your radar right now02:18:22 - Outro
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  ❯ Mike is my Co-op Sommelier | BGSS ep_014 | OneStopCoOpShop Conversation 12.05.2026 2ч 38мин

  Mike Kelley of One Stop Co-op Shop sits down to talk the real side of board game content creation — review ethics, publisher horror stories, and much more. Then we break down his framework for what actually makes a great solo or co-op game, using his recent reviews as the lens. Plus: an unannounced mech game reveal you won't want to miss.Subscribe to @OneStopCoopShop Join the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla00:00:00 - Intro00:04:43 - How Mike took over One Stop Co-op Shop00:16:49 - How many plays before you review a game?00:19:27 - The scathing review that was totally wrong00:38:36 - Why he's never taken a dollar from publishers00:40:34 - Calling out channels that do crowdfunding deals00:43:20 - Do personal relationships bias your reviews?00:44:48 - "I was probably nicer than I should have been"00:45:05 - 20+ hours a week on top of a full-time job00:57:56 - Game design origin story00:59:54 - Salvation Road: "I literally sang a song begging for money"01:02:12 - Publisher horror stories01:04:03 - NEW GAME REVEAL: cooperative mech arena01:07:18 - Getting paid (for the first time) to design a solo mode01:10:40 - His best video ever — that he's embarrassed by01:13:16 - "You can't lie on a playthrough"01:14:28 - Salvation Road is getting a fantasy retheme01:20:13 - Spirit Island and the venture capitalist problem01:23:58 - What makes a great solo/co-op game?01:24:18 - Time to table01:33:23 - Luck and randomness01:44:27 - Session length01:47:05 - Replayability and asymmetry01:53:08 - Tactical depth01:58:44 - Automata design02:18:22 - Challenge curve02:19:36 - "Spirit Island often has a boring ending"02:23:10 - Win rate: 20% vs 75-80%02:24:29 - Cooperative tension and the alpha player problem
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  The Man Behind Board Game Bollocks | BGSS ep_013 09.05.2026 2ч 5мин

  The NSFW Episode Beware ;)My @BoardGameBollocks conversation. He is human, hilarious and incredibly thoughtful. Whether you agree with his takes or not I can assure you this conversation shows a side you almost surely have never seen before. If you don't know Bollocks then even more reason to sit down with us and hang out for a while.Join the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorillaFollow Bollocks here: https://www.youtube.com/@BoardGameBollocks TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Board games in a digital world: getting real people in a room0:48 - Fan messages that warm a coal heart1:41 - Running 104 miles (London to Oxford) for charity3:47 - Training for ultras: slow and steady wins the race9:14 - How it all started: Magic Robot and 1970s childhood games11:42 - Defending Monopoly as a gateway game12:15 - Fighting Fantasy game books and spending 2p pocket money14:08 - Discovering D&D at school (1985) — the cool kids played it17:14 - Why 1st Edition AD&D is still the best (and why the DM WILL kill you)22:29 - Games Workshop glory days: White Dwarf, Dungeon Quest, Blood Bowl24:08 - University, a philosophy degree, and coming back to board games25:00 - Discovering board game YouTube / Wil Wheaton's Tabletop26:49 - Why he started his channel: rough naval city, not a posh boy27:45 - First video: iPhone 4, Railways of the World, absolutely horrific29:35 - Getting comfortable on camera and building confidence31:04 - "What if a football hooligan did board game reviews?"33:27 - No paid or sponsored content. Ever.33:54 - Bands, music, and a guitar solo he's proud of34:59 - Getting kids into board games (and why he had them in the first place)36:52 - Games are for human interaction: playing with his 74-year-old mum37:47 - Nemesis and the wife who got eliminated and sat waiting for her lift home39:11 - Three kids: 15, 12, and 9 — all trained correctly42:14 - SU&SD and other channels: respect, but they don't speak to him43:23 - Channel philosophy: nasty, aggressive, funny — walking the tightrope44:47 - Getting banned from Board Game Geek and telling them to do one49:03 - Dealing with critics: "Where's your Godfather?"50:35 - Recognition at UK Games Expo: selfies and people shouting across rooms52:07 - Making videos: film degree, no script, all ad-lib, bullet points only58:53 - Reviews vs top ten lists: where the views actually come from1:00:09 - Are we heading for a board game crash? Market saturation parallels1:05:06 - The Catan moment (1995), Zombicide, and Kickstarter bloat1:06:32 - The psychology of anticipation: why games sit on shelves unplayed1:08:05 - How Kickstarter killed game development: selling you the game in pieces1:10:07 - Expansions: when they work and when they absolutely don't1:13:53 - War Room all-day session and games the wife refuses to touch1:16:59 - Tom Vassal and respecting anyone who puts their face on camera1:19:07 - UK Games Expo press pass drama: Vanguard Tactics can do one1:20:02 - This is a hobby, not a business — and that's exactly the point1:21:41 - Life is cyclical: the board game market will go back to basics1:25:19 - Gary Gygax changed the world, but designers are running out of ideas1:28:49 - Obsession: the last game that truly blew him away (2018)1:33:10 - Kickstarter and the game discovery problem1:35:00 - Best designer of the last 5 years: John D. Clair (Space Base, Mystic Vale)1:38:22 - AI-generated board game content: "Someone went on ChatGPT and made a script"1:40:37 - AI in board games: why the table itself is safe from digital takeover1:43:02 - AI as a tool for indie publishers: if the game's good, who cares?1:44:22 - There's no such thing as originality: Picasso, Van Gogh, and 12 musical notes1:46:11 - Wrapping up: 30 years left and must choose games more wisely
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  This Board Game Channel Is A Hidden Gem | BGSS ep_012 | The Grove 05.05.2026 2ч 4мин

  Eleven friends from college in central Arkansas turned game night into a YouTube channel — and they're in debt doing it. In this episode I sit down with Matt, Eli, and Robert from The Grove Games to talk Twilight Imperium betrayals, why they refuse to trash a game even when it's bad, and what it actually takes to build something real in the niche of all niches.🔔 Subscribe to @TheGroveGames : https://www.youtube.com/@TheGroveGamesJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-show—————————————————————————⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro & cold open0:36 Hot dog hypothetical & desert island game picks2:21 Solo picks: Ten, Void Fall, Cosmic Encounter6:06 Desert island game durability problem8:13 Would you design a game on the island?9:45 Stone Saga & the crafting system that surprised me11:02 Aphantasia, hyperphantasia & how it affects rulebook learning13:02 Visual imagination & reading rulebooks16:23 Meet The Grove — 12 people, one channel17:11 How a 12-person friend group stays together after college19:23 How The Grove all met (college RAs and dorm life)21:43 Taco Bell is ruining us financially24:50 How board games entered the picture27:01 Why you need to play Twilight Imperium IV31:25 The great 5 vs 6 player TI4 debate33:40 14-hour game days, lunch break rules & secret texting35:10 The psychological warfare of TI4 alliances36:41 Galactic nukes and the Embers of Muaat39:35 Holding a secret winning path for an hour (chest pains)40:15 The 3D printed TI4 trophy40:53 Blood on the Clock Tower44:08 Grove game nights: 20 people, custom lights, full immersion45:07 Chris Couch Games & Holiday Hills47:08 Garden Club vs Pedal — the debate48:44 What it means to give a game a 1050:55 "When my brain starts to buzz" — the flow state ten53:50 The Grove's review philosophy57:52 Do you have an obligation to report the bad?1:00:28 How many people are actually in The Grove?1:04:03 Are you compromised by knowing designers?1:05:06 Everyone has a full-time job — this is pure passion1:07:15 The Earth playthrough disaster (6 days, no sleep)1:10:19 How to get noticed by publishers when you're small1:12:57 Algorithm vs. depth — the niche content trap1:15:44 Their worst video has 150,000 views (and they hate it)1:16:46 Why do they actually do this?1:17:39 Bonanza filming sessions & the grind origin story1:22:07 Playing Arcs in 94° heat with no AC1:24:38 Advice for small creators trying to grow1:32:39 How they landed partnerships with major publishers1:33:27 Cold emailing 40 publishers a week1:37:19 Authenticity as the only real strategy1:40:33 The Ivy Studios relationship story1:48:26 Dream publishers they haven't worked with yet1:55:26 What's next for The Grove1:57:33 Eli's big goal: become the go-to How to Play channel1:58:11 Could The Grove and Cardboard work together?2:00:27 How they built a studio in a detached garage2:00:54 Wrap up
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  The Definitive Tom Vasel | He Built A YouTube Empire | BGSS ep_011 02.05.2026 1ч 31мин

  Tom Vassel has been the face of board game media for over two decades — hundreds of written reviews, 21 years of top ten lists, a YouTube channel (@thedicetower ) a podcast and conventions. In this conversation we go beyond the games. Tom talks about what it actually cost him to go full time, what it costs him to stay honest, and what shaped him long before any of it started.Support the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund: https://www.jackvasel.orgJoin the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla0:00 — Introduction & the Dice Tower set2:46 — Desert island game4:45 — Growing up without a TV5:58 — Thrift store hunting & the friend who probably went to jail7:23 — Why board games became his thing8:26 — Starting a board game club in college10:19 — Pride, opinions, and the "Tom is Wrong" inbox13:44 — How the reviews started17:03 — Moving to Korea / the father-in-law he swore he'd never work for19:26 — Turning 50 and thinking about mortality20:06 — From writing to podcasting (2005)21:53 — Launching the Dice Tower / the top ten list origin story24:38 — 9,000+ games played27:44 — The anti-hype problem at Dice Tower29:53 — Board games as job and hobby31:07 — The unplayed games backlog34:59 — The part of the job nobody sees35:48 — The quality vs. quantity debate40:10 — "You guys are just surface level fun"43:07 — When Sam left — lightning in a bottle44:14 — Going full time: the scariest moment44:35 — The $25 YouTube day that changed everything46:42 — The investor who wanted 50% of Dice Tower48:59 — Why conventions?50:13 — What running a convention actually costs55:26 — "I'm here so you have a good time"56:26 — The Dice Tower Cruise59:17 — Have his ratings gotten tougher over time?1:07:31 — Board game weight, complexity, and why BGG gets it wrong1:09:55 — How many plays before reviewing?1:14:28 — The lookback video: revisiting reviews after 20 years1:17:02 — Reviewing games from people you know and like1:19:48 — "I do it and I'm not ashamed of it"1:20:33 — The toughest conflict in this business1:21:58 — Sponsorships canceled / GenCon awkwardness1:24:16 — Losing his son Jack1:26:16 — The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund1:27:47 — His daughter's cystic fibrosis diagnosis1:29:18 — The most traumatic night of his life1:30:13 — Board games as healing1:33:22 — Where to donate / closing
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  The Playthrough King | A Conversation with Canje Studios | BGSS ep_010 29.04.2026 2ч 5мин

  Derek from Canje Plays joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with board games and goes deep into life, loss, and community. We talk about how Derek found his way into the hobby after losing his father, how content creation gave him a new sense of purpose, and what keeps him going despite YouTube's brutal algorithm. Plus: his top game picks, thoughts on solo vs. co-op, and why playthroughs might be the most underrated format on the internet.Sub to @CanjeStudios Join the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorilla00:00 Cold open — Seattle weather and introductions02:22 Getting to know Derek and his channel03:20 How Derek got into board games04:09 Losing his father and discovering Gloom of Kilforth04:59 Finding the wider hobby through a coworker07:33 How the board game community helped him heal10:24 Parenting, breaking cycles, and emotional growth12:25 Losing a parent to cancer — shared stories15:48 Transitioning back to board gaming16:53 Why board games bring people together17:51 Going down the solo gaming rabbit hole18:40 Live streaming vs. recorded playthroughs21:27 D&D, RPGs, and becoming a world-builder22:11 How the hobby changes you24:56 First convention: Dice Tower West and the epiphany27:29 Being your authentic self28:37 GenCon stories and meeting the community30:08 How Derek started content creation (thanks to Rob)31:09 Getting the setup right — lighting and sound struggles33:47 Playing An Trespass Odyssey with Mark34:42 Fear of going live and dealing with bad comments40:29 Handling rules corrections and toxic comments41:47 Why do you make content? Finding your "why"43:43 Dealing with racism in the comments50:32 Long-form playthroughs vs. the YouTube algorithm51:01 Does subscriber count matter?52:43 Stopping the grind and enjoying the hobby again55:24 Why deep-dive channels deserve more attention01:00:57 Punishing games — Robinson Crusoe and hard bounces01:01:46 Donating games to at-risk youth (Potions & Pixels)01:02:23 Born Rangers — better than Arkham Horror?01:03:43 Earthborn Rangers deep dive01:05:38 Mr. President — worth digging out?01:10:42 Iridium — true solo vs. two-handed01:11:43 Games that aren't built for solo players01:14:18 Kin Fire Chronicles: Nightfall first impressions01:24:02 Stone Saga and the crafting system01:27:29 Dice Throne Adventures and Unchained01:32:10 An Trespass Odyssey — is it worth the price?01:34:23 When a game punishes you into a wall01:36:17 Designer intent vs. player enjoyment01:37:50 Too Many Bones and bouncing off games01:39:59 Enormity — the sci-fi space game Derek is most excited about01:40:45 Prototype impressions of Enormity01:42:29 Editing workflow and removing silence
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  The BoardGameCo Conversation | Crowdfunding, Conflicts & Ethics | BGSS ep_009 17.04.2026 2ч 25мин

  Alex Radcliffe is the CMO of GameFound — the platform quietly eating Kickstarter's lunch in tabletop crowdfunding. He's also one of the most watched board game reviewers on YouTube. That's one person. One very uncomfortable conflict of interest.We get into all of it: how GameFound actually handles bad actors behind closed doors, whether crowdfunding is thriving or dying, the ethics of reviewing games when you know the people who made them, and why full transparency in this hobby might be impossible anyway.Also: the Quack breakup, his BoardGameCo origin story, and he admits on camera that he likes GameFound games better than Kickstarter games.Join the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorillaFind @BoardGameCo here: https://www.youtube.com/boardgameco---00:00 Intro — GameFound vs Kickstarter01:31 Meet Alex / starstruck moment05:51 Why this show exists / humanizing creators10:45 Board game origin story22:32 How Wingspan changed everything23:17 Finding board game YouTube / Quack & Root29:33 The Quark situation39:54 Running Board Game Co for 8 years51:31 Closing it down — relief or sadness?54:24 Going full-time YouTube59:28 Toxic commenters & the one dislike01:02:27 His kids / the real impact of content01:03:55 What does a GameFound CMO actually do?01:08:57 Is GameFound taking market share from Kickstarter?01:10:35 GameFound's API transparency vs Kickstarter01:13:43 Stretch pay — GameFound's biggest differentiator?01:18:03 Are publishers running crowdfunding Ponzi schemes?01:21:15 How many campaigns should one creator have open?01:25:28 Should platforms block late creators from launching again?01:29:37 What GameFound does when a creator goes dark01:33:13 Crowdfunding fatigue — real or not?01:39:09 The conflict of interest: CMO who reviews campaigns01:46:32 "You like GameFound games better?" — Clip it.01:50:05 Nuance in reviews / a mini review that bothered him01:52:40 Defending creators — the hobby's most passionate rant01:55:14 How many plays before you call it a review?01:59:33 Are experienced reviewers even relevant to normal players?02:06:01 Do your ratings drift over time?02:10:02 Cardboard's #1 game: Castles of Burgundy (and Slay the Spire?)02:13:23 The videos that cost the host the most money02:16:13 Shallow Sea vs Cascadia — the tile layer debate02:20:42 Layers — expansion money grab or hidden gem?02:23:39 Wrap up
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  The BIG Chip Theory Interview | 20 Strong x AR, Eldre Scrolls, TMB2 & More | BGSS ep_008 14.04.2026 2ч 15мин

  I sit down with Ryan and Salem from Chip Theory Games to talk about the three new Awakened Realms 20 Strong decks — Tainted Grail, Ether Fields, and Nemesis — plus a massive announcement about what's coming next from Chip Theory. We get into the design philosophy behind each deck, how Salem went from customer support to lead designer, and why these three decks are the most different from anything 20 Strong has done before.Join the Secret Club Here: https://www.crdbrd.app/hub/clubs?club=the-board-game-secret-showWant to work together?: https://crdbrd.app/hub/creator/neon_gorillasupport the campaign here : https://gamefound.com/en/projects/chip-theory-games/20-strong-awaken-realms-nemesis@ChipTheoryGames @awakenrealms Topics covered:- Tainted Grail: did they solve deck building?- Ether Fields: a legacy deck that's uniquely yours- Nemesis: the biggest departure in 20 Strong history- Too Many Bones 2 — confirmed- How Chip Theory thinks about luck, dice, and player agency00:00:00 - Intro & Trover origin story00:02:04 - Too Many Bones 2 CONFIRMED00:03:45 - What TMB2 will look like (bespoke characters, cooldowns, evolution)00:06:31 - The stat training problem & how they're fixing it00:12:11 - Chip Theory's customer service philosophy00:15:17 - Why great customer service built a fanbase00:21:50 - Salem's origin: customer support → game designer00:23:28 - Breaking Cloud Spire & writing pages of notes00:26:58 - Redesigning Polaris & getting moved to the dev team00:29:23 - Ryan's origin: lore writer → director of design00:33:33 - Creative ownership at Chip Theory00:37:38 - How 20 Strong revealed itself as an adaptable system00:45:38 - The challenge of compressing giant IPs into 20 dice00:47:49 - Tainted Grail 20 Strong: design breakdown00:49:33 - Ether Fields 20 Strong: the escape room concept00:55:24 - "Your deck is yours. Nobody else has one like it."00:58:58 - The secret boss (and how to find it)01:07:41 - Nemesis: the biggest departure in 20 Strong history01:09:44 - Did they solve deck building?01:12:03 - The one in, one out mechanic explained01:19:17 - The node system & chaining combos01:22:50 - Player agency vs dice luck in 20 Strong01:26:08 - Why luck perception fades the more you play01:29:31 - The backup plan, tenacity, and dice design philosophy01:35:47 - Final thoughts & what's next