The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast

What is a player's role in worldbuilding? When should a campaign end? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor make moves in Dungeon World.

Bounty hunters, magic rituals, and burning roots. Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor traverse the wilds.

Crazy cows, omens, and magical trails. Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor attempt a side quest.

How often should players level up? Should you split the party? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie roll for initiative in Dungeons and Dragons

Berries of straw, free wine, and priceless vases. Trevor, Charlie, and Ananda meet the villain.

New adventures, squishy rocks, and magical flowers. Trevor, Charlie, and Ananda start a new game.

A world, a villain, and three heroes. In this (true) bonus episode, Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor create an RPG setting from scratch using In This World.

What are the advantages of dwindling options? What information should players have? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda discuss drafting games.

Do drafts always need to be competitive? What should and shouldn't have a name in your game? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor banish the undead in The Banishing.

How do you give players an outlet for resources they don't want? How much hidden information is too much? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda hoard books in Biblios.

How do you scale gameplay across very different player counts? What is the purpose of the wonders? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie build pyramids out of science cards in 7 Wonders.

Which mechanics work well with memory? What is the difference between memory and learning? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss memory games.

How much should you trust your players' abilities? What does creativity look like in memory games? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie string scenes together in Dream On!

What makes the failure of plans fun? How can you let players compensate for their own forgetfulness? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor bake pizzas in Mamma Mia!

How can players ask questions without revealing too much information about their motivations? What happens when players forget? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda fish for sets in Trio.

Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie answer questions from the listeners.

Trevor and Charlie join forces to interview Ananda in this third special episode about your co-hosts.

Trevor interviews Charlie in this second special episode introducing your co-hosts.

Charlie interviews Trevor in this special episode, the first of three introducing your co-hosts.

What influence do default options have on player choices? How can you provide quick feedback on actions that are delayed? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor talk about programming games.

How much do players need to be able to change their programs? What are the benefits of sharing experience? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda smash, burn, and trample their way through Mechs vs Minions.

What is player interaction, really? Do players need the option to reroll their dice? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie roll for the Galaxy.

How do you make the beginning of a game as interesting as the end? Do games always need catch-up mechanics? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor sell $20 lemonades in Food Chain Magnate.

What advantages do colors have over rolling dice for randomization? How is randomness a catch-up mechanic? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor rescue the kingdom from the wicked Lord Licorice in Candy Land.

How far can players stretch communication limitations? What sort of an arc does strict numerical progression create? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor talk about numerical coordination games.