Podcast · Leisure & Travel

The BoardGameGeek Podcast

by BoardGameGeek · English · Leisure & Travel

Fortnightly casual conversations with passionate gamers who geek out about board games, the mechanisms behind them, and the people who create them.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 1 hr 20 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 37 min

Episode 105: Lizzy, Ben, & Josey - Where Game Mechanics Meet Art - Top 3 Games for Bookworms - Fun weekend plans

Episode 105: Lizzy, Ben, & Josey - Where Game Mechanics Meet Art - Top 3 Games for Bookworms - Fun weekend plans Meet the designers and artist behind Bookwrym from Sword and Rose Press. We talk about how mechanics influence the art and vice versa in their game. For the book lovers, there’s a few game recommendations. And then we end with our fun weekend plans. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:29 Get to know my guests 00:00:41 Lizzy Ives 00:01:28 Ben Kepner 00:01:53 Josey Tsao 00:04:48 How d...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E104 · 25 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 104: Tina Burns & Dr. Amelia Herbst - Geek Girl Con - Women in Gaming - Finding Community
Episode 104: Tina Burns & Dr. Amelia Herbst - Geek Girl Con - Women in Gaming - Finding Community Tina and Amelia from the board of Geek Girl Con joins me to talk about the con, femme presenting designers, artist, and musicians in gaming, and how finding your community makes all the difference. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:28 Get to know Tina Burns 00:01:48 Get to know Dr. Amelia Herbst 00:02:48 Backgrounds and Perspectives on Gaming 00:05:05 What types of games do they like to play? 00...
E103 · 11 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 42 min
Episode 103: Curt Covert (Smirk and Dagger) - Exhibiting at Conventions- Games we’ve been playing lately (not from Smirk and Dagger)
Episode 103: Curt Covert (Smirk and Dagger) - Exhibiting at Conventions- Games we’ve been playing lately (not from Smirk and Dagger) Join me as we get to know Curt Covert, the owner of Smirk and Dagger games. We discuss what goes into exhibiting at conventions. While we go through a lot of information, it’s definitely not everything. But it might help someone starting out or might be an interesting peek behind the curtain. Then, we talk about 5 games we’ve been playing lately. And of co...
E102 · 28 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 22 min
Episode 102: Peter Vaughan - Crowdfunding Tips and Tricks - Top 5 Bag and Deck Building Games - Con Memories
Episode 102: Peter Vaughan - Crowdfunding Tips and Tricks - Top 5 Bag and Deck Building Games - Con Memories Peter, one of the owners of Cardboard Alchemy, takes time away from his big Kickstarter for Whisperwood, to talk about what he has learned about crowdfunding, his favorite bag and deck builder, ending with some good memories from conventions. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:37 Who is Peter Vaughan? Cardboard AlchemyWhat the FoodFlamecraftAndromeda's Edge00:03:14 Whisperwood on KS 00:04:35 Mai...
E101 · 14 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 4 min
Episode 101: Ilka Luza - How to Behave at the Table. - Top 5 Games We Like to Play on Repeat - A Surprise Gift and White Water Rafting.
Episode 101: Ilka Luza - How to Behave at the Table. - Top 5 Games We Like to Play on Repeat - A Surprise Gift and White Water Rafting. Grab a drink and maybe some snacks because this is a longer episode. My super talented friend, Ilka Luza, joins me to discuss an important topic that’s not necessarily said out loud, some of our favorite comfort games, something that made us smile lately, and lots and lots of stories. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:40 Who is Ilka Luza 00:08:11 Prevention Theater Ep...
E100 · 31 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 100: Lainie - Convention Planning Insights and Tips - 5 Games from BGG's top 100 that we love - Board Game Con Friends
Episode 100: Lainie - Convention Planning Insights and Tips - 5 Games from BGG's top 100 that we love - Board Game Con Friends Happy 100th Episode to the BGG Podcast! Let’s peek behind the scenes of Board Game Geek events and conventions with someone who helps run them, Lainie! Then we look at BGG’s top 100 games via user ratings to talk about 5 we love. And share some joy in finding friends through conventions. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:18 Get to know Lainey 00:05:12 Convention Planning Insights ...
E99 · 17 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 54 min
Episode 99: Dutch Yoda - Gen Con vs Spiel - Top 5 BGG Gen Con Preview List 2026 - World Cup and the Beach Boys
Episode 99: Dutch Yoda - Gen Con vs Spiel - Top 5 BGG Gen Con Preview List 2026 - World Cup and the Beach Boys My friend, Dutch Yoda, joins us all the way from around the globe to talk about the differences and similarities between the 2 biggest board game conventions in the world, Gen Con and Spiel. Then we had a hard time picking our Top 5 games from the BGG Gen Con Preview list for 2026. We then talked about how the World Cup and the Beach Boys brought a little joy in our lives. I hope y...
E98 · 3 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 20 min
Episode 98: Aaron B. (Game Enthus) - The Remaster’s Era - Top 5 Games We Like to Teach - Lunch Time Gaming & Getting Recognized
Episode 98: Aaron B. (Game Enthus) - The Remaster’s Era - Top 5 Games We Like to Teach - Lunch Time Gaming & Getting Recognized Hey everyone! I’m excited to introduce Aaron, also known as Game Enthus on social media, who’s joining me to chat about all those games that are getting remastered, remade, updated with a second edition, brought back, or republished with some tweaks. We’re gonna try to nail down what exactly defines the “Remaster’s Era” of tabletop gaming. Then, we’ll share our...
E97 · 19 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 23 min
Episode 97: Cole Smith - Games that Combine 2 Mechanisms well - Top 5 Area Control Games - A Frame Job & Good Food
Episode 97: Cole Smith - Games that Combine 2 Mechanisms well - Top 5 Area Control Games - A Frame Job & Good Food Canadian board game and graphic designer, Cole Smith, joins me to talk about his current published games, games that combine 2 mechanisms well, and his favorite mechanism, area control, games. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:21 Get to Know Cole Smith and his games Tanuki Sauros 3 Magi 00:05:58 The Journey of Game Design 00:08:23 Cole's Favorite Mechanism or Game that ...
E96 · 5 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 34 min
Episode 96: Arwen Kathke - Vision Accessibility in Board Games - Top 5 Food-Themed Board Games - Hanging out with loved ones and friends
Episode 96: Arwen Kathke - Vision Accessibility in Board Games - Top 5 Food-Themed Board Games - Hanging out with loved ones and friends The amazing Arwen Kathke joins me to talk about her Cardboard Time podcast and her passion to increase vision accessibility in board games. We get hungry talk about our top 5 food themed games and going down some rabbit holes. Ending with good memories of hanging out with loved ones and friends. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:29 Get to know Arwen 00:01:49 How did ...
E95 · 22 May 2026 · 1 hr 28 min
Episode 95: Emily Vincent - Usability & UI Design in Board Games, 10+ Hidden Small Box Gems, Libraries, and cats calling in the Spring
Episode 95: Emily Vincent - Usability & UI Design in Board Games, 10+ Hidden Small Box Gems, Libraries, and cats calling in the Spring Please come join me and meet this wonderful human and talented designer, Emily Vincent. We connect about cats, what makes a sandwich, and fonts. We discuss how UI design and accessibility design concepts are implemented in board games. Then we talk about 10+ small box games that we think fell under the radar or don’t get enough love. And end with cats, l...
E94 · 8 May 2026 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode 94: Ambie Valdés- How Life Changes affect Board Games - Top 5 Kids Games, sort of - Loving on Family and Friends
Episode 94: Ambie Valdés- How Life Changes affect Board Games - Top 5 Kids Games, sort of - Loving on Family and Friends Ambie Valdés from the Board Game Blitz podcast joins me to talk about how different stages in life change what and how we play board games. I talk about 5 games that are made for kids but adults also enjoy while you get a peek into what games Ambie’s twins enjoyed throughout the years. Ending with happy memories with friends and family. Happy 10 year anniversary to the Bo...
E93 · 24 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 39 min
Episode 93: Mark Peebles - Types of Solo Modes - Top 5 Games with Great Solo Modes - Cooking and Gardening
Episode 93: Mark Peebles - Types of Solo Modes - Top 5 Games with Great Solo Modes - Cooking and Gardening My Twitch streamer friend, Mark, joins me to talk about different types of solo modes, our favorite games with great solo modes and a couple of things that brings us joy, cooking and gardening. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:20 Get to know MP aka Mr. Peebles aka Mark and HIs hobbies 00:07:21 Solo Games - Different Types and Modes 00:08:01 Discussing - Beat Your Own Score Mode 00:11:25 Automation /...
E92 · 10 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 92: Banzainator - How to sell culled games - Top 5 Games that will never leave our collections - Running and Rainbows
Episode 92: Banzainator - How to sell culled games - Top 5 Games that will never leave our collections - Running and Rainbows Banzainator joins me to talk about selling our games, the games we will never sell, and enjoy running and rainbows. 00:00:00 Intro BGG Podcast Episode 6300:04:08 The Art of Selling and Culling Games Pirate Ship00:15:45 Have you heard of Whatnot? Banzainator’s ProfileBanzainator’s Referral link00:21:45 Top 5 Games That Will Never Leave Our Collection 00:21:57 Takeno...
E91 · 27 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 32 min
Episode 91 - Ashwin Kamath and Rob Newton - The Journey to hatch Chicken Fried Dice - Favorite Blank and Writes - Good food, cute heavy game, and a trip to Japan
Designers and owners of Urban Professional Games, Ashwin Kamath and Rob Newton joins me to talk about the journey of getting Chicken Fried Dice from inspiration to crowdfunding. We then talk about 15+ Blank and write games that we enjoy. And share some happy moments with good food, good friends, good games, and a trip to Japan. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:17 Meet the Designers: Ashwin and Rob Urban Professional GamesCoin Flip Games00:06:24 The Journey of Chicken Fried Dice Chicken Fried Dice00:28:...
E90 · 13 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
Episode 90: Roberta Taylor - Canadian Board Game Scene - Top 5 games we don’t get played nearly enough
Roberta Taylor joins me to talk about her games and the Canadian board game scene. We discuss games we wish we could get to the table more often. And we are looking forward to more warmth to our days and meeting up with friends to game. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:15 Getting to know Roberta Taylor 00:05:25 Exploring the Canadian Board Game Scene Eric M. LangSen-Foong LimDaryl AndrewsChristopher ChungLuke Parnell - Kerf Cut GamesBryan Bell(Please note that not all of the designers were mentioned bu...
27 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
Episode 89: Marcus Ross - New York Toy Fair - Roll and Move Games Challenge - Robots taking over but you still gotta get good food.
Designer and Publisher, Marcus Ross, joins me to talk about his experience at the Toy Fair in New York. He challenges me to come up with a list of fun Roll-and-Move games. Ending with us talking about robots and wontons. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:37 Getting to know Marcus Ross 00:03:35 Marcus's Favorite Game 00:09:41 Marcus's experience at the Toy Fair in New York 00:26:33 Top 5 Roll and Move Games BGG’s Roll, Spin, and Move list 00:30:33 Thunder Road: Vendetta 00:33:39 Fireball Island: The Curs...
E88 · 13 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 28 min
Episode 88: Justin Bell, Contributor with Meeple Mountain - Kitting out your Board Game Experience - Top 5 Games of 2025
Justin Bell is back! He joins me to discuss all of the extra stuff we buy to make our board game experience better. This can be everything from upgrading bits from cardboard to wooden components to the perfect bags to always have on hand. Also, how much we love player aids. Then we discuss our top 5 games of 2025. Ending with how everyone should touch grass and bring baked goods to conventions. 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:03 Justin's Journey in the Board Game Industry BGG Podcast Episode 30 The Fi...
30 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 87: Andrew Stiles - His experience and tips for designers working with publishers - Top 5 games we take everywhere
Episode 87: Andrew Stiles - HIs experience and tips for designers working with publishers - Top 5 games we take everywhere Get to know Andrew Stiles and his incredible journey to being a published designer. We talk tips for meeting with publishers, pitches, and sell sheets. Then we talk about 5 games that we usually will have with us, just in case. Then end with celebrating meeting people, other board gamers, and the next generation of gamers. 00:00:00 Introduction to Andrew Stiles 00:01:...
16 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 86: Daniel Newman - Indie Game Markets, Trick Takers that stood out to us and connecting with the younger generation
Get to know Daniel Newman, board game designer and owner of New Mill Industries. We discuss the indie game markets that have been popping up at conventions over the last couple of years. They are a wonderful place to find unique games that only have very small print runs. And you get some insights on what the Tokyo Game market is like. We then talk about trick taking games that stood out to us from Japan and America. Some games might be hard to get but they might be interesting enough to you ...
2 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 85: Going Analog- Goals not resolutions for 2026, aesthetically pleasing Euro games, and buttering up the host.
Happy new year! And welcome to the 1st episode of 2026. Christina and Dan “Shoe” are the hosts of Going Analog. They join me to talk about our gaming goals for 2026. We talk about our top 5 pretty / not ugly euro style games. And then Shoe gets a little sappy in the moment of positivity while Christina gets hungry. Let us know if you think any of these games are not euros and let us know your gaming goals / resolutions for the new year! 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:30 Who is Shoe & Christina? 0...
19 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 84: Steph Hodge - Getting to know her. And games we bring to holiday gatherings.
Let’s get to know who Board Gamer Steph is. We talk about our top 5 games that we love to bring to holiday or family gatherings. And let’s celebrate something that we are really excited about coming up in the new year. 00:00 Intro Board Game Geek - Holiday Gift Guide 01:19 Steph Hodge: Plays All the Games! https://linktr.ee/boardgamersteph https://boardgamersteph-shop.fourthwall.com/ 05:11 Gift Ideas for Board Gamers 06:51 Steph’s ...
E83 · 6 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 83: AnnaMaria Jackson Phelps - Why do we play tabletop games? And games we recently played.
The wonderful AnnaMaria Jackson Phelps, the owners of Violet Daisy Games, joins me to discuss why we play games and some of the games we played together over the weekend. Introduction / How we metGirls Game ShelfPivoting to the publishing side of the industryViolet Daisy GamesWhat do we get out of gaming? What compels us to play tabletop games?PhelpsConOur gaming highlights of the weekendCrokinoleElectropolisSurfosaurus MaxSail or Die (that Shark-Butt game)Ghost LiftBrian Boru: High King of I...
E82 · 21 Nov 2025 · 1 hr
Episode 82: Dave Luza - Spiel & Tabletop Games on Live Streams
Dave Luza of Luzapalooza and This Game is Broken Podcast joins me to talk about our Spiel experience together and games we love to play on our Twitch Live Streams. IntroductionOur 2025 Spiel experienceMy top 5 types of games I like to play on my Twitch Live streams with examplesAkropolisWelcome To (and Sagrada)Point Galaxy (and Final Girl)TargiThe White Castle Duel Dave's top 5 games he's played on his Twitch live streamsTrails of TucanaLetters from WhitechapelIsle of CatsCodenamesMy Cit...
7 Nov 2025 · 54 min
Episode 81: Jay Bernardo, Talk Conventions + Games by Asian Publishers / Designers
Jay Bernardo is back to talk about conventions we go to and games from Asian Publishers / Designers. Please note that this episode was recorded before Spiel 2025 but released after Spiel 2025. Introduction - Jay BernardoAnticipation for Essen and other Board Game Conventions we go toExploring Asian Board Games (Amanda talks about 5 of her favorite games from Asian publishers / designers and Jay talks about 5 games that were recently fulfilled from crowdfunding that are from Asian publishers/ ...
24 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 80: John D. Clair, Card Crafting & Deckbuilders
Amanda Panda is excited to host John D. Clair, who shares insights about his upcoming game, Mystic Lands, launching soon on Kickstarter. Together, they also highlight their favorite deck-building games. Check it out! IntroductionAmanda welcomes John D. Clair to the podcastJohn talks about card crafting and and how he came to develop itInspiration for card crafting and being inspired by game components Kinetic design and how he uses it to solve ideas in his gamesHow he works on mult...
E79 · 10 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Episode 79: New Host, Essen Tips + Games We've Recently Played with Nikki
Update: Hey everybody, Aldie here. I just wanted to let everyone know that Candice is moving on from BGG and we wish her the best in whatever endeavor she chooses to undertake in the future. Candice is responsible for bringing the BGG Podcast back to life after being defunct for ~20 years. She is one of the most talented game explainers I've ever met - and I really appreciate the passion she brought to the podcast. Nikki Pontius introduces the new host of the BGG Podcast, Amanda Panda, tells...
E78 · 27 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 43 min
Episode 78: 3rd Anniversary + SPIEL Essen '25 Anticipation, with Aldie
It's our third anniversary! BGG Owner Scott Alden (aka Aldie) joins Candice to catch up on the past year and discuss SPIEL Essen '25 games they're most excited to play. 00:00:00 Introduction00:02:37 Pinball Happenings00:05:27 BGG Booth 4-J200 (BGG IPA Gameshop Online)00:10:38 Thank you for your support!00:16:23 Fresh Plays00:16:50 Vantage00:26:07 Startups00:32:48 Jungo00:36:53 Imperium: The Contention00:46:22 SPIEL Essen '25 Games We're Most Excited to Play00:47:22 Reflecting on our Top 5 SPI...
E77 · 12 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 36 min
Episode 77: Worker Placement Games We Love, with Starla from OFPG
Starla from Our Family Plays Games joins Candice to discuss some of their favorite worker placement games. 00:00:00 Introduction00:04:14 Fresh Plays00:04:44 Rebel Princess00:08:28 Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space00:17:45 Castle Combo00:21:56 Antiques Ghost Show00:31:00 Worker Placement Games We Love00:35:33 Alpujarras00:38:05 Dilluvia Project00:43:20 Stone Age00:48:40 Whistle Mountain00:55:25 Cities (also mentioned Tower Up)00:59:43 Argent: The Consortium01:07:07 Creature Comforts01:11:2...
E76 · 29 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 76: Hot Takes on Board Games, Art, and Pickles?! with Kwanchai Moriya
Board game illustrator Kwanchai Moriya and Candice kick it for a super casual chat about games he loves playing in between beautifying board games, as well as pickles and board game art he appreciates most. 00:00:00 Introduction00:03:34 Fresh Plays00:04:50 Vantage00:10:11 Forest Shuffle + Alpine expansion00:11:55 Primal: The Awakening00:16:00 Quacks00:17:17 Kwanchai's Favorite Games00:21:38 Suburbia00:24:20 Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small00:27:16 The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation...

About The BoardGameGeek Podcast

Fortnightly casual conversations with passionate gamers who geek out about board games, the mechanisms behind them, and the people who create them.

The BoardGameGeek Podcast is a English leisure & travel podcast from BoardGameGeek. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BoardGameGeek
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 1 hr 20 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1647840134

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