We talk about the return of Kingmaker, a board game first published in 1974 with a loyal fanbase. Alan Paull joins us in a nice pub in Cambridgeshire to discuss reworking the game for a new edition to be released by Gibson Games via Kickstarter later in the year. Kingmaker, originally designed by Andrew McNeil, is a game set in the War of the Roses and uses a flood of modern mechanics we take for granted, such as area movement, mutli-use event cards, asymmetrical forces and a bit of tableau buil...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Airecon 2022 Report: Blitzkrieg Sequel ‘Dogfight’ Announced and Moon First Look We headed up to Harrogate on Friday to bring you this podcast report from the show. We get the exclusive announcement of PSC’s third title in the Blitzkrieg line, Dogfight. Dogfight is an innovative but simple aerial combat game that promises you that you can win the fight for the skies in 20 minutes. Plus, MOON, the new game from Sinister Fish and Haakon Gaarder about building a new moon base, using a pick-and-pass ...
Mar 12, 2022•55 min
We talk to James Naylor about the recent Kickstarter scandals about distributed ledger technology (i.e. blockchain/nft/crypto adjacent stuff) and get his top five "deep" board games (by which we mean, games that he's really played to death over the last couple of years). James is a London based board game designer and publisher who is passionate about product design and its role in creating game experience. James is the creator of Magnate: The First City, a midweight city building/property game ...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min
We get your “why 5e?” questions answered. Dark Souls The Roleplaying Game was announced this week by Steamforged Games. We got in touch with the game’s designer, Richard August, to discuss the kind game that it is and how it’s all going to work. The announcement also came with the news that it would use a Fifth Edition compatible system. Many fans of the videogame series complained about this online, partly it seemed because of the natural distaste players have for the world’s most popular rolep...
Feb 04, 2022•44 min
We caught up with Chaosium’s Mike Mason and Lynne Hardy to have a double-dip on Rivers of London RPG, Call of Cthulhu and tease a couple of new book coming from the publisher of Lovecraftian horror. First: Mike Mason tells us about a new six part ‘College of Cthulhu’ campaign that sees investigators start as “spotty college kids” and over the the course of the proceeding years of horror, become grizzled investigators in the local area. Next: Lynne Hardy talks Regency Cthulhu, briefly, and discus...
Dec 21, 2021•28 min
We spent the day wandering a busy but safe Dragonmeet chatting. The show is still on today (Sunday 5th) – so head over to Novotel Hammersmith if you're on the hunt for your next gaming fix. Apologies for some of the rough and ready editing here, or: enjoy the ambience! Find Dragonmeet and buy tickets here: https://www.dragonmeet.co.uk/ Our music is by Body in the Thames: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/ And you can subscribe to the magazine here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/store/subsc...
Dec 05, 2021•3 hr 27 min
Call of Cthulhu is 40 years old – and to celebrate we’ve put together a low-budget low-talent actual play of the solo adventure Alone Against The Tides. We’ve used some ambient noises from ZapSplat to flesh it out, and, to give it that special something, recorded it very tired with a bit of a cold. We’ll be at Dragonmeet on the 4th December – come say hi. If there’s something you think we should definitely check out, then leave us a review telling us exactly what that is. NOTE: I say that an ext...
Nov 19, 2021•33 min
We sit down with Chris Bissette to talk about his new Fighting Fantasy style adventure book for Troika, Down in Yongardy. We discuss his motivations for creating the game, and a little bit about the setting and The Law. We give Troika a light roasting as well as explore its potential and why it has such a large following. Plus, we talk about Chris’ Random Adventure Jam, using Twine to create interactive fiction, and the Rainy Day Games feature in the magazine, which he contributes to. (I thought...
Nov 15, 2021•31 min
We chat to Ben Maddox of Five Games For Doomsday about his recent foray into the solo indie RPG Thousand Year Old Vampire. Ben has been recording an actual play podcast of the game with dramatic readings and a touch of audio theatre. We discuss the game and it's usefulness to writing, Ben's experiences of the game, and untangle the idea of 'progress' in a journaling game. FG4D Website: https://fivegamesfordoomsday.com/ Ben Maddox on Twitter: https://twitter.com/5games4doomsdayBuy the mag: https:...
Oct 28, 2021•40 min
Welcome to issue 60, which will be landing in your local shops or on your doormat on the 22nd of October, just in time for Halloween. We’re celebrating this spooky time of year with an exclusive scenario for Vaesen: Mythic Britain. Over 14 pages in the magazine we offer up a full, unreleased scenario for you to get started dealing with the folklore of Britain. Chris and Charlie chat about the scenario, and the opportunities that this kind of roleplaying brings. They also discuss Call of Cthulhu ...
Oct 19, 2021•53 min
In this multi-day, multi-location podcast (we ran out of battery and then got kicked out of the studio) we bring you a preview of issue 59, which is in shops now – go get yourself a copy, you can listen to this on the way. Now you've done that we can also say a huge thank you to all of our nominees and winners in the first ever Tabletop Gaming Awards. Head over to the website to read who won categories like "best way to die in an rpg" and "best board game 2021"https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/ne...
Oct 01, 2021•56 min
We talk to Flavien Loisier from Hachette Boardgames UK about Oltréé, Antoine Bauza's latest masterpiece. We also talk about Hachette's UK expansion and the companies they've been acquiring along the way. Plus, Flavien talks to us about the way board game culture exists in France – which might be mind blowing. Check out our board game advent calendar: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/games-store/advent-calendar/tabletop-gaming-advent-calendar-2021/ (it includes two Hachette games, including one w...
Sep 07, 2021•28 min
Chris and Charlie chat about the new issue and a handful of games review therein, including: What Next?, Descent: Legends of the Dark, and Paper Dungeons. We also talk about going to UK Games Expo, and our favourite parts from the show. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Aug 24, 2021•59 min
We chat to Pádraig Murphy about The Horned Rat, the latest addition to the Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. We discuss the joys of the Skaven, the under empire, and the structure of the new campaign. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions...
Aug 23, 2021•33 min
We roamed the floors of UK Games Expo 2021 on Friday, and here's who we met along the way. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https://bodyinthethames.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-meetings Like this? Subscribe to the magazine: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/Store/Subscriptions
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 32 min
We talk to Tabletop Gaming’s accidental chess expert, Matthew Vernall about Chess, chess variants, and games that are a bit like chess. Join us for our first external in-person podcast since the before times and experience the slight echo of Chris’ dining room. You’ll learn a lot about chess, and also understand what we mean when we say “bong cloud opening” and “queens go free”. We discuss Chris McDowall’s d100 chess variants, which can be found here: https://www.bastionland.com/2020/11/d100-che...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 19 min
It's Bloodborne: The Board Game time as we bring you this special edition of the podcast with Chris Eggett and Alex Sonechkina. So grab this issue's painting guide, which is all about the beasties and heroes of Yharnam, as we trickle something like an absolute fan-cast into your ears. We also get a bit confused about Bloodborne/Dark Souls lore, which shows you that, at very least, we've played the games more than we've been on the wiki. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which yo...
Jul 06, 2021•55 min
We’re having a party! Join us in the celebratory episode of the Tabletop Gaming Magazine podcast where we chat about the upcoming issue: a 50 Best Party Games Ever special. We dip our toes into the Party Game Safari and talk you through what we love about party games. PLUS we chat about our in-depth review of Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile by Dan Jolin, and its intricacies. Is Oath everything we expected? Can it possibly live up to the hype? On top of that Chris chats Vienna Connection and...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 19 min
We sit down with Richard Jansen-Parkes to discuss a whole host of RPGs, new, upcoming and from the past. We discuss Dune: Adventures In The Imperium, Electric Bastionland, Games Omnivorous, Mausritter, Mork Borg, Those Dark Places, AGON, Dungeons & Dragons, Altered Carbon, Ice Fleet and more! We also chat: why using props is good, why does Chris seem so drawn to light/OSR systems, isn't it going to be weird to play games together and with humans again? Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In ...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Tabletop Gaming Magazine Issue 55 is here, and we’re giving you a sneak peek. PLUS we have a bonus clip from our interview with Martin Wallace where we ask the very broad question about what he thinks about the state of games. The answer is broad, and does not disappoint. Discussed in this podcast: Rocketmen, Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Knock!, Magical Kitties Save the Day, Ten of the Best War-Euros, Ticket to Ride Europe: 15th Anniversary Edition, Hoverboard...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 15 min
We talk to Lorenzo and Hjalmar of Horrible Guild about their new party game, Sound Box. Being pitched as something like "Pictionary with sounds" the game asks one player to guess which noises the others around the table are making, from a list of cards displayed at the beginning and end of the round. The trick is that everyone is making different noises at the same time, usually with hilarious effect. Join Chris in his chat with the designers and get a chance to hear the strangeness of this game...
May 18, 2021•25 min
We talk the newly announced Voidfall with David Turczi and Nigel Buckle. We talk about how the game works, what all those Xs mean in 4X, and how to do war in the Euro way. This was originally recorded as an interview for a written piece, so doesn't have the usual podcast performance aspect. Instead we get a deep dive into how these two incredible designers approach making games – it's a really peek behind the curtains. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: h...
May 11, 2021•40 min
Today we talk to Chris McDowall about his, somewhat odd, roleplaying – Electric Bastionland, and his process for making (and breaking) games. Chris has a unique approach to game making which uses the idea of removing things from systems until you have something new as a starting point. We also get Chris’ top five tips for game design and chat about his new 10mm war-game. Find Chris here, and buy Electric Bastionland: https://www.bastionland.com/ Chris McDowall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bas...
Apr 26, 2021•50 min
In this rambling podcast ostensibly about the release of issue 54 we talk about counterfeit games, tricky rulebooks and learning games, detective games (solo, group and for kids!). PLUS: Flesh & Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Bloody Inn, Tainted Grail, Pokemon Battle Academy, Bloodborne: The Board Game, Chronicles of Crime, Detective: City of Angels, Detective: A Modern Crime Game, Detective Charlie. Our music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, which you can find here: https:...
Apr 19, 2021•50 min
Join Chris and Charlie in a dark and unsoundproofed room (sorry) to discuss issue 53 of Tabletop Gaming Magazine, Cantaloop and answer the question: how many games is too many? We also chat about the Virtual Spring Showcase, join us this weekend (27th and 28th March) on tabletopgaming.co.uk to see a whole host of announcements, playthroughs and even some playtesting! Other: Also, look at this TikTok of the person who made a rental store in their basement: https://www.tiktok.com/@thevideobunker/v...
Mar 22, 2021•46 min
We're joined by Gaming Rules!'s Paul Grogan to talk about the pleasures and pains of teaching, rule books, rule writing, and a bit of insider chat. Find Paul below:https://www.patreon.com/GamingRules https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIWBOfYGXYQQQORhjAJKCQ https://twitter.com/gamingrulesvids We're running a Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more about that over here: https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/information/virtual-spring-showcaseOur music is Cloud Meetings by Body In The Thames, whi...
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr
Issue 52 is hitting store shelves tomorrow with some free Digimon cards on the cover. In this episode we chat about: Digimon, Holi, Hypertellurians, Necromolds, X-Men: Mutant Insurrection and many more bits in the magazine If you like what we do on the podcast, have any questions, or know and interesting guest we might like to have on the podcast, reach out to me at [email protected] In the podcast we talk about our upcoming Virtual Spring Showcase, you can find out more abou...
Feb 25, 2021•2 hr 33 min
We’ve got a new podcast available for you, right now. In this episode we talk about the business and the emotional rollercoaster of crowdfunding with Game On Tabletop. Laura, the COO of Game On Tabletop takes some time out of her busy schedule of launching games on their gaming focused crowdfunding platform to give us some tips on launching your first campaign. We talk about what to expect when you take a game to a crowdfunding platform, the things you can learn from failure, and the wild ride t...
Feb 18, 2021•35 min
We’re joined by Mark Cooke, one of the organisers of Airecon. We talk about running conventions, board game communities online (particularly Board Game Trading and Chat UK on Facebook), and then get Mark’s top five types of games to play at conventions Games Discussed: Renature Belgian Beers Race Ankh: Gods of Egypt Castel Sumo Gnomes Two Rooms and a Boom Watch The Skies 18XX Games Battlestar Galactica Cora Quest Links: Board Game Trading and Chat UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UKboardgamet...
Jan 25, 2021•51 min
Recording this on the "first day back at school" (returning to work after the Christmas break), which quickly became the last day of school (as Lockdown 3.0 began), we chatted about games we've been playing recently, the way we've been playing them, and what we're going to do next. For Charlie, this meant playing Pitchstorm over Zoom, and wondering how well it worked, and for Chris, this was playing Wavelength, where we chat about Zoom fatigue and trying virtual tabletops. That's not to say it's...
Jan 18, 2021•45 min
