It’s the latest episode of Brainwaves! Join Iain and Jamie as they dive into the world of tabletop industry news to bring you the glistening pearls and dank seaweed from across the globe. Headlines Hasbro cuts 3% of workforce https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/hasbro-cuts-3-its-total-workforce-wsj-reports-2025-06-17/ Dungeons and Dragons designers end up at critical role https://darringtonpress.com/welcoming-chris-perkins-and-jeremy-crawford-to-our-team/ DrivethruRPG hates rebels h...
Jun 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 200
The team of three are back to bring you the latest tabletop news. This episode we have fresh stats from UK Games Expo, companies setting fire to their IPs, ebay busting unions, and the Spiel des Jahres nominations. Headlines UK Games Expo figures https://bsky.app/profile/ukge.bsky.social/post/3lqkkfgaem22y https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/06/03/uk-games-expo-now-fully-on-the-world-stage-of-mega-cons-as-record-breaking-event-surpasses-gen-con-for-trade-hall-size/ Union Busting Escalation ...
Jun 09, 2025•34 min•Ep. 199
Oliver and Iain are the dynamic duo this week as we bring you a packed show full of the usual controversy, the bizarre, and worthwhile celebrations. Headlines Games Workshop on Rampage https://spikeybits.com/warhammer-40k/games-workshop-freezes-assets-amid-world-wide-seller-takedown/ World Warhammer Championship boycotted by some players https://www.rascal.news/players-boycott-the-world-championships-of-warhammer-because-of-trump/ Goodman Games works with Fascists https://www.enworld.org/threads...
May 19, 2025•38 min•Ep. 198
It’s just the Scottish team behind the mics this week as we bring you updates on tariffs and Diamond looking particular rough alongside all the latest industry news in Brainwaves Episode 161. Headlines Stonemaier Games sues the president Stonemaier Games blog post: https://stonemaiergames.com/we-are-suing-the-president/ Lawsuit press release from Pacific Legal: https://pacificlegal.org/press-release/board-game-company-files-lawsuit-challenging-constitutionality-of-trump-tariffs/ CNN news video c...
May 05, 2025•34 min•Ep. 197
It’s been a little longer between episodes but the whole team are back to tackle the only news that matters on the latest episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Trump tariffs turn tabletop topsy turvy https://us8.campaign-archive.com/?u=036529e593805041d1127c76d&id=c7c5d971eb https://rowanrookanddecard.com/what-the-new-usa-tariffs-mean-for-us/?v=7885444af42e https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/04/04/board-game-industry-reels-as-trump-tariffs-threaten-job-losses-company-extinctions/ https://ww...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 196
It’s been a while but we are back with all the latest tabletop news. From profit warnings to big projects being cancelled, tune in to the only tabletop podcast that brings you the stories that really matter. Headlines CMON Issues Profit Warning https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/03/13/board-game-crowdfunding-major-cmon-issues-profit-warning-says-losses-could-exceed-2m-for-2024/ https://www.cmon.com/project-status/#crowdfunding Is Magic losing its sparkle? No of course not. https://icv2.com...
Mar 24, 2025•32 min•Ep. 195
The team are back to scour the corners of the world for the best in Tabletop Gaming News. This episode we cover mergers, departures, destruction, and we have an interview with those Rascals. Headlines Steve Jackson merges with Possum Games https://www.rascal.news/possum-creek-games-wanders-to-a-new-home-with-steve-jackson-games/ https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2025-02-11?ref=rascal.news Mythic crumbles https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/02/06/end-looms-for-mythic-games-as-company-gives...
Feb 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 194
It’s another bumper episode of Brainwaves as we bring you news from across the Tabletop globe. Diamond is in the rough, Asmodee avoids a hug, lawsuits get settled, and Iain gets to go off on one about ethics. All this, and more, on episode 157 of Brainwaves. Headlines Diamond files for bankruptcy https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/58618/diamond-files-reorganization-under-chapter-11-bankruptcy https://bsky.app/profile/deadlyfredly.bsky.social/post/3lgbg6e7np22o Asmodee may not Embrace https://bo...
Feb 03, 2025•46 min•Ep. 193
The whole team is back for the first Brainwaves of the year. Join us as we dive into the latest tabletop gaming news from Hasbro rolling the dice on gambling to chess clashing with the wrong trousers! All this and more on episode 156 of Brainwaves. Headlines Hasbro rolls the dice https://igamingbusiness.com/company-news/games-global-unveils-exciting-partnership-with-hasbro/ It’s the wrong trousers, Magnus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98lkrdkz70o?at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_campaign_ty...
Jan 13, 2025•25 min•Ep. 192
This podcast contains all the interviews that I conducted during Dragonmeet 2024. Thanks so much to everyone that took the time to talk to me. The interviewees are: Jason, Always Checkers Publishing Chris, Beyond Cataclysm Mike, Planet Smasher Games Shaan, RPG Taverns Finbar and Gary, Game Therapy UK Our Links Thanks very much for listening. If you like what you’ve listened to then the best way to help us out is to share the podcast and drop us a review and rating on itunes. You can also follow ...
Jan 06, 2025•31 min•Ep. 191
It’s the last cast of the year and we have a full team in the studio to bring you the latest tabletop gaming news. From people taking off their masks, to copyright disputes, and awards news. Listen to the only cast to bring you the really important industry news. Headlines Has Powerboats been taken for a Joyride? Joyride vs Powerboats thread https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3412685/powerboatspowerships-joyride Geoff Engelstein https://gametek.substack.com/p/copy-paste Episodes where we have cove...
Dec 16, 2024•57 min•Ep. 190
It’s a cast of finances, awards, lawsuits, and political games as Oliver and Iain cross the world in the episode 154 of Brainwave to bring you the best in Tabletop Gaming News. Headlines Tariffs and Trade Rules Tax Tabletop Publishers https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2024-11-10 https://www.compliancegate.com/general-product-safety-regulation/ https://bsky.app/profile/badsquiddogames.bsky.social/post/3lb7r4n7eni22 https://www.rascal.news/new-legislation-impacts-games-sales-to-the-european-unio...
Nov 25, 2024•30 min•Ep. 189
It’s been a mix of huge stories and not much else in the last few weeks. Iain and Jamie bring you the lowdown on what is going on at World of Game Design, who is bagging awards, hasbro’s financials, and what size of country the population of D&D Beyond could establish. All this, and more, on episode 153 of Brainwaves Headlines WOGD investigation by Rascal https://www.rascal.news/former-world-of-game-design-employees-claim-tabletop-company-exploits-workers-and-clients/ Zac Goins Facebook post...
Nov 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 188
In this special edition of Brainwaves we present the interviews that we carried out at Tabletop Scotland 2024. Thanks so much to everyone who spoke to us. People and Organisations Tanya Floaker Edinburgh Indie Gamers Hive Mind Games Village on Stilts Hall or Nothing Kayla Dice - Rat Wave Game House Laurie O’Connell Phil Harris Games mentioned DrievthruRPG links are affiliate links Dead Air Be Seeing You Connection Machine Solstice The great Martian tripod race Wise Women Conspiracy & Reality...
Oct 28, 2024•30 min•Ep. 187
Iain is taking this cast off so Jamie and Oliver are at the helm. This episode they cover further troubles at Mythic, companies being saved and consolidating their lines, controversial giveaways and more on episode 152 of Brainwaves. Headlines Mythic Games France liquidates https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2024/10/17/no-mythic-games-hasnt-gone-into-liquidation-but-its-fate-should-be-decided-by-the-end-of-the-month/ https://annonces-legales.leparisien.fr/annonce/23cba43f-8a82-48c1-8f57-6a2285e...
Oct 21, 2024•44 min•Ep. 186
This special episode of Brainwaves is all the interviews I conducted at Gothcon earlier in the year. Gothcon is Sweden’s premier convention with games across all genres of the hobby and it was my privilege to be invited across. You can read all about my time there in the posts below and listen to the wonderful RPG community I had the pleasure of being involved with https://giantbrain.co.uk/2024/03/30/gothcon-2024-arrival-and-day-1/ https://giantbrain.co.uk/2024/03/31/gothcon-2024-day-2/ https://...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 185
While Jamie is off in that there London, Iain and Oliver are once more behind the mics to bring you the latest tabletop news. In episode 151 we cover Wizards taking over Commander, CMON losing board members, the usual smattering of awards, and a good few stories about unions. All this and more on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Commander Format Firestorm https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/on-the-future-of-commander https://www.rascal.news/finance-bros-and-harassment-force-mtgs...
Oct 07, 2024•37 min•Ep. 184
We have a longer than usual cast for your this week as we take a look at the controversy around Simon Lavender, a UK board game influencer. It is our only headline this week, but we still cover the business of the industry with new hires at Restoration Games, Asmodee, financial hits at CMON, a series of competitions and more! Headlines Influencer Simon Lavender accused of bad practices https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3352419/a-simon-lavender-review-what-to-do-with-dishonest/page/1 The accusatio...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 183
Jamie is off seeing some shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, so Oliver and Iain are behind the mics this week to report on the latest tabletop news. From poisoning and sexual harrasment in chess to astonishing numbers, we bring you the news that really matters. Headlines Chess Poisoning & Sexual Harassment https://www.chess.com/news/view/russian-chess-player-suspended-after-allegedly-poisoning-her-rival https://www.polygon.com/gaming/440094/international-chess-scandals-2024 Lego and Asmodee build...
Aug 26, 2024•32 min•Ep. 182
With Oliver back from the Spiel des Jahres we have interviews with the winners, chat about the controversy, dive into finances, and lift up awards. Just another day at GB HQ as we bring you the best in tabletop gaming news. Headlines Spiel des Jahres 2024 awards ceremony controversy https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/preisverleihung-kennerspiel-des-jahres-2024/ Matteo Statement https://medium.com/@baddeo/why-i-wear-55cb9459d8e7 Hasbro Earnings https://www.fastcompany.com/91163137/hasbro-earnings-re...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 181
Oliver is off at the Spiel des Jahres ceremony and Brettspiel so it is up to Iain and Jamie to bring you the latest tabletop news. From Facebook scams to new presidents we bring you the news that really matters across the tabletop world on episode 147 of Brainwaves. Headlines Scam takes in major publishers https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2024/07/08/multiple-board-game-publishers-fall-prey-to-scammers-impersonating-80000-member-board-game-facebook-group/ Ennie Awards open https://vote.ennie-a...
Jul 22, 2024•33 min•Ep. 180
In a quieter couple of weeks for the tabletop industry the team still endeavors to bring you the industry news that really matters. From data breaches to big anniversaries it’s all here in Brainwaves episode 146 Headlines Roll20 data breach https://help.roll20.net/hc/en-us/articles/24620372778775-Data-Security-Incident-July-3rd-2024-FAQ 2018 breach https://blog.roll20.net/posts/conclusion-of-2018-data-breach-investigation/ 2024 WiT Wonder Women Awards Nominations https://www.womenintoys.com/nomi...
Jul 08, 2024•38 min•Ep. 179
The team of 3 are back again like a renegade master. Only up to date references on this show. It’s another bumper cast as we cover the Spiel des Jahres, trademarks you won’t believe exist, and people on the move in the industry. All this, and more, on episode 145 of Brainwaves. Headlines Spiel des Jahres Nominations https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/nominierte-spiele-2024.html https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/162128/spiel-des-jahres-nominations-for-2024-captain-flip Martina Fuchs Interview https...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 178
Hello everyone, In a break from our usual cast, this is a set of interviews I carried out at UK Games Expo 2024. I’ve provided links to all the folk mentioned and more besides in the show notes. Hope you enjoy! Folks we mention on the cast Soul Muppet Publishing Leyline Press Mousehole press Paverson Games Black Chantry Null Signal Orbital Blues Slightly Reckless Games Wanderer’s Tome Burn After Running Boardgamewire UK Tabletop Industry Network Arcs Darington Press - Candela Obscura UK Indie RP...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 177
The whole team are back together covering a bumper crop of news. Mergers everywhere, UK Games Expo expands (and we were there), awards, controversies, and of course we tell you if Ryan Dancey is accountable. The answer will not surprise you. Headlines Steamforged bought Privateer Press rights https://steamforged.com/en-gb/blogs/brands/sfg-acquires-iron-kingdoms https://home.privateerpress.com/2024/06/03/privateer-press-the-next-phase/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2PzhzcDq_j5L7gg_0Esd1OvoKskXDomYpe...
Jun 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 176
Oliver and Iain are back in the studio as Jamie continues to travel Scotland. This episode they bring you up to date news on the winners of the Cardboard Edison Award, look at the finances of our overlords, and ask “Is Ryan Dancey accountable?”. Tune in to find out the answer. Headlines Cardboard Edison Awards https://cardboardedison.com/ https://cardboardedison.com/award Asmodee financials and Embracer Write Down https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/56967/embracer-writes-down-asmodee-dark-horse ...
May 28, 2024•39 min•Ep. 175
Jamie is on tour around the islands of Scotland so it falls to Oliver and Iain to bring you the latest episode of Brainwaves. They look at the finances of CMON, support for designers in the US and UK, and cover some interesting programmes from the folk behind the Spiel des Jahres. Headlines CMON sales https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/56802/cmon-sales-flat-2023 Tabletop Games Designers Association https://www.ttgda.org/ IWBG Union welcomes tabletop members https://iwgb.org.uk/en/post/iwgb-tabl...
May 13, 2024•26 min•Ep. 174
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the tabletop industry, but never fear. The Brainwaves team are here to bring you all the latest news both big and small from across the globe. Headlines Embracer splits up https://embracer.com/releases/embracer-group-announces-its-intention-to-transform-into-three-standalone-publicly-listed-entities-at-nasdaq-stockholm/ https://embracer.com/releases/asmodee-secures-financing-agreement-of-eur-900-million-as-part-of-separation-deleveraging-the-remaining-embracer...
Apr 29, 2024•26 min•Ep. 173
Hi folks, This is another special from my time at Gothcon in Sweden. This is a panel I lead where the panellists and I talk about the state of RPG criticism in 2024 and how we go about reviewing RPG products. The Panellists Thanks to the panellists for joining me and discussing this interesting topic! Andreas Lundström - Sweden Rolls https://www.swedenrolls.com/ Hjlmar Norden - Red Moon Roleplaying https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/ Michael Ericson - Äventyrarna Rollspelspodd https://www.facebo...
Apr 22, 2024•49 min•Ep. 172
Brainwaves is a whole 6 years old! We would like to thank all our listeners for their support and encouragement over the time we have been running the show. The whole team are back this episode to bring you the return of Golden Bell, the defence of Hasbro by Chris Cocks, more plagiarism in Magic: The Gathering and much more! Headlines Webcomic Name creator sued by Golden Bell https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/56568/oh-no-suit-sends-webcomic-name-creator-alex-norris-back-gofundme?fbclid=IwAR157...
Apr 15, 2024•35 min•Ep. 171
