Hey all! I know we've been spoiling you with with content these last few days, but when Aady told me this one was done, I couldn't help but post it. Enjoy Kelly, Matt and I get wild and crazy over the recent Napoleon movie. We also got a chance to talk a bit about the black hole that is Napoleonic wargaming. It's a good one, so buckle your seatbelts! And, don't forget about our sponsor, BetterHelp! If you're interested in inquiring about what BetterHelp can offer you, please use the link below a...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Friends- Kelly and I are recording live from PAX Unplugged 2023! We got in yesterday, and the whole event has been magnificent thus far. This recording was made last night around 10:00pm. We provide a little context for the convention, discuss our gratitude for being here, and plug some of the really cool vendors we met throughout our walkthrough of the main convention center. Also, this is the first episode we've put out acknowledging our sponsor, BetterHelp! If you're interested in inquiring a...
Dec 02, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Friends! Surprise! This week's pod comes a day early, and is meant to celebrate Thanksgiving and YOU! The 20 Sided team is quite thankful for all the support in 2023, and we wanted to bring you a fun filled (and only sort of cynical) episode that you can listen to in the more quiet moments of the Thanksgiving holiday. Now, should you want to enjoy it with the whole family- do you! It was a ton of fun to record. Ultimately, we mused on many topics, but the one that came up a few times was somethi...
Nov 23, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Please enjoy the conversation I had with Mark Backhouse, author of "Strength and Honour". To me, this is one of my favorite ancient wargames, and one that has the FEEL of the kinds of battles described by authors like Polybius, Tacitus, and Livy. This is in stark contrast with other rulesets focused more on tournament play, list building, min-maxing, etc. Mark is a school teacher like myself, and we hit it off pretty quickly. The talk was informative, interesting, and I hope you get something ou...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 26
While I embarrassed myself confusing Black Sabbath's home city on this podcast (shame, shame, shame), it doesn't mean the conversation wasn't good! Shame aside, I had a lovely talk with Leon Pengilly, owner of Pendraken Miniatures. The company is one of the worlds most important manufacturers of 10mm scale miniatures. Leon walked me through the day in, day out life of a business owner that specializes in miniatures, and it was awesome to hear about the ways in which he runs his enterprise. Leon ...
Nov 10, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 25
On today's episode, Starla and Mik from "Our Family Plays Games" came by to talk about their company's founding, their favorite games, and what they see as their role in the gaming community. To quote my engineer, who listened to this pod last night, "joy was oozing off the audio file". Easily one of my favorite interviews ever. OFPG is truly ensuring that everyone gets a seat at the table, and their message is plastered all over the internet, on their social media pages, and live, in person at ...
Nov 10, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Today on the pod we've got Logan and Kitty from Coyote and Crow Games. I had an absolute blast speaking with them, as they broke down the history, methodology, and mechanics of the popular roleplaying game, Coyote and Crow. This is a Science Fantasy game exploring a major "what if"- what if the indigenous people of the Americas never came into contact with Europeans coming overseas beginning in the 15th century? The kind of dedication, time, and energy that both Logan and Kitty put into the worl...
Nov 03, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Please enjoy this short but great podcast with Dr. Gavin Lawson. He is professor of Biology from Bridgewater College in Virginia, who just so happens to be a gamer, and just so happens to have a ton of experience gamifying education for students. Gavin and I met at Historicon 2023, becoming acquainted quickly. When he reached out regarding the rules I used for my Belleau Wood scenario, I asked him if he might have interest being on the pod. He said yes, and here we are! While the pod was on the ...
Oct 27, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 22
On today's Friendcast, 2 of my good buddies, Titch White and Cory Ring from Cigar Box Battles have come on the show to discuss the age old question in historical wargaming: the big game vs the little game. In other words, what has more merit- the massive miniatures game that requires 14 players and 10,000 miniatures on the table? Or, is there more merit to the smaller game on a 4x4 table with 10 miniatures per side? We debate this question, talk about the hobby, and discuss even more on this Fri...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Hello friends! This week on the pod, I spoke with Dr. Thomas O'Toole. He is the Executive Director of Public Affairs Programming at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, at Cornell University. Tom and I met at Brunswick School, after I a) saw a really cool Cold War Simulation in our printer and b) found out that there was a guest professor running a simulation for some upper school students. I sat in on the game, and needless to say, I immediately said to myself, "I gotta get this guy on th...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 21
For our 20th episode of the pod, I spoke with Dave Taylor. If you don't know who Dave Taylor is (shame, shame, shame!), he came to the US several decades ago to work on Games Workshop's US team. He has been here ever since, and is as prolific as anyone I know when it comes to wargaming, miniatures painting, and publishing. In addition to maintaining his own site, Dave Taylor Miniatures, Dave also writes for Wargames Illustrated, helps HMGS with its painting contests, and all in all, is always "a...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 20
On this edition of everyone's favorite Friendcast, Kelly, Steve and I chat about command systems in wargames. When is a command system so EXTRA that you sit around doing nothing, hoping for your troops to move? When is it too little, where a gamer has little to think about other than how many dice they need to roll? All this and more on Friendcast #2! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 29, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Much as you can tell by the title, I really felt this was a "big deal" kind of podcast. Wayne Arthur Turner has worked for Battlefield Miniatures for a number of years, writing sourcebooks for the standard Flames of War game as well as Team Yankee. He was a blast to talk to- the kind of conversation I wish was happening in person, following by a Flames of War game and possibly a pint or two (sorry kids, role model hat off!). Like I said, it was so much fun to talk with him, which gave me a great...
Sep 29, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Hey there friends! Today on the pod is none other than Ray Kimball of 42ed Games. I first met Ray at NASAGA 2022, where I got the chance to play his Cuban Missile Crisis simulation, which was an absolute highlight for me. Only then did I find about his career in the US Army, along with all the work he has been doing with 42ed Games. We had a robust discussion about gamified education, and talked up the ever closer NASAGA 2024 Conference in St Louis. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did ...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Today on the pod 20 Sided Gamified features two fantastic, interesting, easy to talk to boardgame designers- Kevin Bertram and Tory Brown of Fort Circle Games. Located in/near Washington DC, Fort Circle Games, with CEO and founder Kevin at the helm, is dedicated to designing games that take complex historical events and transform them into easy to learn games. With popular titles like "The Halls of Montezuma" and "Shores of Tripoli", Kevin has designed and curated games that are both educational...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 17
On a "friendcast", I shoot the breeze with friends both near and far on different topics related to gaming. In this particular case, Kelly, Steve and I discuss how much a player's army choice (or character choice in an RPG) is a reflection on them. For example- is a player a "bad" person for playing Germans in WW2, or insurgents in Iraq? If you play a psychotic rogue hellbent on murder in D&D, does that say something about you? Get ready for a rollercoaster of a friendcast! Please enjoy! Hos...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Had an amazing conversation with Jamey from Stonemaier Games. It was one of those "do you want to be on the pod?" conversations that I've had a bunch of times, but never did everything come together as smooth as this one. Jamey was super easy to talk to, and it was nice going back in time to think about the beginning days of Magic. In terms of content, we also spoke a lot about the trials of running a game company, particularly one as successful as Stonemaier. It was, simply put, a lovely chat. ...
Sep 08, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Shawn Taylor is the author of numerous wargaming rulesets, including a personal favorite of mine, Great War Spearhead. In this wide ranging conversation, Shawn and I discussed all sorts of things related to the First World War, as well as more tangential topics such as Games Workshop, Canada, and military service. It was a really fun chat, one that I hope you enjoy as much as I did recording it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 15
On this episode of the pod, I interview Veronica Brown and Jeremy Caddel, two wonderful people who have been knee-deep in planning for NASAGA 2023, being held October 18th-21st in St. Louis, Missouri. NASAGA stands for North American Simulations and Games Association. The organization runs a yearly conference in which game enthusiasts, designers, educators, and people within the corporate world come together for workshops, seminars, and other activities centered around game based learning and pr...
Aug 26, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 14
There are multiple reasons why this particular podcast should be at the top of your listening queue. First and foremost, Eric Farrington is a killer rules writer/author whose titles include "Men of Bronze", "Wars of the Republic", and "Castles in the Sky", all published through Osprey Games. The conversation was really fun, given how much of an expert and enthusiast he is for games and game design. It was one of those conversations where I could easily see myself sitting down to roll some dice w...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 13
What has this guy NOT done??? Sit back and enjoy this conversation I had with the incomparable Matt Rendar, owner of Battle Tribe, and wargamer extraordinaire. I had so much fun talking to Matt about his many life experiences, everything from the tabletop, to real life battles, to art, and everything in between. Easily one of the more humbling pods I've done thus far. Please enjoy! Also, be on the lookout for a little collaboration Matt and I did together, though my role in said collab was as mi...
Aug 18, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 12
On this episode of the podcast, I chat with Dr. Steve O'Rourke, who is a professor of psychology at Westchester Community College. We talked at length about how he arrived at the school, how he implements games in the classroom, and what it's like to build community through gaming. This was a really easy conversation and I could tell quickly that Steve was a kindred spirit, as we had much in common. Please enjoy the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today on the podcast I interview a friend, collaborative partner, and key player within the field of game based learning in the classroom- Professor Trent Hergenrader of RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Trent is, in my eyes, a pioneer of gaming pedagogy. Having seen his work first hand at NASAGA conferences, as well as at some of teaching conferences I ran at Hackley, he is an innovator, and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to gamification, collaborative world building, and teac...
Jul 25, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 10
20 Sided Gamified went live on Saturday night, July 22nd, 2023! Tony and Miles came by to chat about Little Wars TV, Historicon, and what it's like being one of the most popular wargaming groups around. If you have no experience with Little Wars TV, this podcast will give a little insight into who they are and what they do. They are massive promoters of the hobby, and their video episodes and games on location are simply amazing. Over the next few weeks, I hope to have more folks from Historicon...
Jul 25, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Chelsea Viteri is the Program Coordinator and an instructor within Washington University's Global Citizenship Program. We talked about community building, the intersection between games and theater, and the importance of travel to raise student's global awareness. Chelsea is going to be on the presenters at NASAGA 2023, being held October 18-21 in St Louis. For more information, please use the following link: https://www.nasaga.org/2023 Please enjoy the podcast- Chelsea was a ton of fun to talk ...
Jul 07, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Friends! If you've ever sat down to do some gaming, of any sort, and thought to yourself, "I need to upgrade my game mat/felt/tabletop", then this is the podcast for you! Cory Ring, one of the most low key innovators in the gaming community, founded Cigar Box Battle mats many, many years ago. If you're using a highly crafted battle mat with images of fields, asteroids, stars, water features, etc, it's more than likely his! Or, if it's not, whomever you made your purchase from probably got the id...
Jun 19, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Please enjoy this (dare I say) raucous conversation with Martin Goddard of Peter Pig Miniatures. Peter Pig has one of the most extensive lines of 15mm historical wargaming figures- period- end of story. The line is unbelievable and covers a wide variety of figure lines including WW1, WW2, Vikings, Mexican Revolution, etc. Even more interesting are the various rulesets the company has to offer, which Martin has curated over a long period of time. It was a fascinating conversations, and a very per...
Jun 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 6
20 Sided Gamified fans! Today on the pod we've got a real legend within the wargaming community- Barry Hilton of "Beneath the Lilly Banners" fame! Barry is a prolific writer of rules, and a staple in the community. We talked about his start in the hobby, how he became an author, and his thoughts on the state of wargaming in 2023. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with him, and I hope you get something out of the conversation! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Greetings friends! Today on the pod we've got much talked about author Peter van Dop in tow! If you haven't come across Peter's name, he is the owner and rules author of BelloLudi games, a series of supplements that can both stand alone as interesting games themselves, but are also meant to bring in new players to the historical miniatures hobby. I had a blast speaking with him, and I hope you enjoy listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 23, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Today on the pod, we've got Dr. Franklin Rausch from Lander University, which is located in Greenwood, South Carolina. Frank is an award winning professor of history, who also happens to be a big advocate for game based learning in the classroom. His primary area of study is Asian history, with an emphasis on Korea. However, Frank is also well versed in Japanese and Chinese history, as well as interdisciplinary studies such as his course on the history of comic books in both the east and west. H...
Apr 06, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 3
