Fri, 1 December 2023
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However, it IS true that I have an inner monologue, and it can be frustrated with the aspects of our hobby that I don't like. Even worse, I think those aspects are detrimental to its wide enjoyment and acceptance with many people. You know how I open every episode by saying my podcast is about "family strategy boardgames"? Because that's what I like best, and it's what's most important. They're most important to me, and I'd say the wider success through mass market channels (Target, Amazon), plus increased role of our hobby on the culture...well, those things emphasize that family strategy games are generating the most joy for players and the most success for the industry. |
Wed, 1 November 2023
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After hearing Ken Tidwell in last month’s podcast, both Dave Arnott and I were impressed with his enthusiastic, optimistic, and forward-looking perspective on the boardgame hobby…despite being an old timer like us. Even older, I think! While neither of us can fully match that, it was inspiring and I asked Dave to consider the topic with me in an open discussion for THIS episode.
Direct download: BGTG_221_-_Old_Dogs_New_Tricks_with_Dave_Arnott.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |
Sun, 1 October 2023
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If you entered the hobby as I did pre-2000, you didn't have BGG, podcasts, YouTube, or even a good way to buy games online. You often didn't have English rules in the box for what games you had in your small collection. But what you did have is The Game Cabinet. This was probably the very first boardgame website that ever existed. It was created by Silicon Valley boardgamer Ken Tidwell, who was at the leading edge of the hobby and the Internet. Thanks to Ken's website we had our first access to game reviews, letters columns, information about where to buy games, and online versions of Mike Siggins' famous boardgame zine, Sumo (fullname Sumo's Karaoke Club). I cannot properly convey how important and influential this website was to those of us getting started. Although it was a website, it was presented as an online magazine with numerous "issues" as it was periodically updated with a batch of fresh content. Its last issue was published in 2000. But it's still online! Go visit it at gamecabinet.com. As an oldtimer myself, I've wanted to get Ken on my podcast for many years. Finally I managed to do it. I was delighted and surprised to have Ken tell the story of The Game Cabinet...but it turned out not to be a story stuck in the past. We definitely spend a good chunk of time talking about those early days, but when Ken disappeared online over two decades ago he didn't stop playing games. Not only that, he maintained his fascination with the leading edge of creativity in game design. In a nutshell, he's no curmudgeon like me! He's still got an enormous collection, goes to conventions, plays lots of games, is fascinated with the innovations of the Tokyo Game Market...and even Kickstarter. He's on a number of Discord servers and stays plugged in. He's even up on the indie RPG world that I keep hearing about, too.
Direct download: BGTG_220_-_Ken_Tidwell_and_The_Game_Cabinet.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:24pm PDT |
Fri, 1 September 2023
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Tue, 1 August 2023
Closer: Ennui about the SdJ, which is surprising/disappointing Solo boardgaming is big, and getting bigger. At least, that’s my impression. It’s not something I know a bunch about myself. I’ve dabbled in solo boardgames for many years, and I’ve done solo wargames extensively, but there are euro boardgamers who play a lot of solo boardgames. There’s a whole community for this slice of the hobby, and publishers are serving them. There are games exclusively designed for solo play, and lots of “regular” multiplayer games that have a solo option. On our Discord server I posted some of my explorations and questions with solo boardgames, it got some response, and soon we had a separate discussion channel to continue to conversation. From there I found a few gamers happy to join me on this episode of the podcast to talk about solo boardgaming. In true BGTG style, we name-drop a number of titles, but most of the episode is a higher level meta-discussion about solo boardgaming as a hobby-within-a-hobby. What types of solo boardgames are there, why do you play solo boardgames, and what is the community of solo boardgamers. 1 Player Guild Solitaire Games On Your Table (most recent monthly compilation) 2022 People's Choice Top 200 Solo Games -Mark |
Sat, 1 July 2023
Direct download: BGTG_217_-_Moving_to_New_Places...and_Boardgaming_with_Dave_Gullett.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |
Thu, 1 June 2023
Opener: Ark Nova...on BoardgameArena |
Mon, 1 May 2023
Opener: Votes for Women |
Sat, 1 April 2023
Direct download: BGTG_214_-_Turning_the_Mic_Around_on_Me_with_Steve_Paap.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |
Sun, 26 March 2023
We're just about finished now. Azul emerged victorious from the SdJ division voting, Terraforming Mars from the Kenners, The Crew Mission Deep Sea from the A La Cartes, and Brass Birmingham from the Golden Geeks. Now that I step back and look at those, they seem like wonderful, fantastic, even inevitable champions from each of their respective divisions...not that I was smart enough to predict them all for my bracket. These four champions now face each other, though you'll hear not quite the way I'd originally intended. It all works, though, and before long we'll have the top two vote-getters in the Mark Madness Championship for 2023.
Direct download: BGTG_213E_-_Mark_Madness_2023_The_Final_Four.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:59pm PDT |
Sun, 19 March 2023
This micro-episode shares some overview of the Rounds 1 & 2 voting, such as blowout wins and close calls. I get to share the Sweet 16 and imagine which of the four games in each of the four divisions will emerge victorious to battle against the others. Hint: don't bet against The Crew (any version!) Please remember to keep voting. Each round of voting is open for a few days, and I keep adding to the same geeklist to do it. Scroll down to find it. https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/mark-madness-2023-bgtgs-battle-award-winners?itemid=9636466#9636466
Direct download: BGTG_213D_-_Mark_Madness_-_The_Sweet_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:16pm PDT |
Sun, 12 March 2023
The third micro-episode of the podcast talks about the predictions that are now locked-in and the voting that we're all just starting. Follow the link below and subscribe to that geeklist where it happens. https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners
Direct download: BGTG_213C_-_Mark_Madness_-_Round_1_Voting.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:29pm PDT |
Wed, 8 March 2023
The SECOND micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions & make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames. https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners
Direct download: BGTG_213B_-_Boardgames_To_Go_Madness_Predictions.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00pm PDT |
Fri, 3 March 2023
The first micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions & make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames. https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners
Direct download: BGTG_213A_-_Welcome_to_Boardgames_To_Go_Madness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:17pm PDT |
Wed, 1 March 2023
Please join us on the Boardgames To Go discord server where you can chat online with other podcast listeners.
Direct download: BGTG_212_-_Thrifting_Boardgames_with_Greg_Pettit.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |
Wed, 1 February 2023
Please join us on the Boardgames To Go discord server where you can chat online with other podcast listeners. In between big, national cons like GenCon or BGGcon and your local Games Days are regional conventions. Some folks think these can be the best of all, focused on just playing games in a group all weekend long. EsCon is one of those in my area, held twice a year in EsCondido, California (get it?). Kind of like my own Santa Clarita is north of Los Angeles, Escondido is north of San Diego. I've been a few times, including just last month, and I hope to keep going. The guy behind EsCon, Steve Paap, joins me on this podcast while I pepper him with questions about what it takes to put on events like these.
Direct download: BGTG_211_-_Behind_the_Scenes_at_EsCon_with_Steve_Paap.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |
Sun, 1 January 2023
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Welcome to 2023, which happens to be the 19th season of my little podcast, Boardgames To Go. I'm as surprised as anyone to still be around, still with listeners. I do enjoy this, and greatly appreciate my small & loyal following. I'm thrilled to start the new season with a wonderful guest, Mike Siggins talking about his Sumo picks.
Direct download: BGTG_210_-_Games_of_2022_with_Mike_Siggins.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am PDT |