Board Game Radio

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**Board Game Radio**

Board Game Radio with Doug & Michael is a weekly tabletop gaming variety show. Join us as we explore what makes board games fun, memorable, and truly worth gathering around the table for — through casual conversation, stories, and a shared love of the hobby.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 232 - Joe Hout - Designer of 3 Chapters Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we interview Joe Hout, the designer of 3 Chapters.

01:33 - Joe Hout's Love for Gen Con

02:29 - Joe Hout's Gaming Origin Story

03:36 - Twin City Games and Game Design Journey

05:03 - The Concept Behind 'Animal Espionage'

06:34 - The Transition to Game Design

08:35 - Balancing Game Design with a Full-Time Job

09:53 - The Art of the Pitch at Gen Con

12:45 - The Journey of 'Three Chapters'

14:36 - Self-Publishing vs. Working with a Publisher

20:13 - Pitching 'Three Chapters'

22:11 - Understanding the Game Mechanics of Three Chapters

24:06 - Future Projects and Game Design Aspirations

25:54 - The Appeal of Lighter Games

29:44 - The Importance of Accessibility in Gaming

32:58 - The Joy of Game Design and Community

35:07 - The Unique Value of Tabletop Gaming

36:25 - Celebrating Community and Librarians in Gaming

Episode 231 - Gen Con 2025 Recap Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode we recap our journey at Gen Con in Indianapolis. We discuss games that stood out and our experiences as a whole.

#Gen Con 2025 #tabletopgaming #boardgames #gamereviews

Episode 230 - The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game, Mitigating Churn, Engine-Building Games Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game, our Game of the Week, discuss Mitigating the Churn in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Engine-Building Games! We also Spotlight 3,000 Scoundrels from Unexpected Games!

00:00:00 - Introduction00:09:05 - Spotlight: 3,000 Scoundrels00:19:15 - Game of the Week: The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game00:42:51 - School of Gaming: Mitigating the Churn01:02:34 - High-Five: Engine-Building Games

Episode 229 - Star Explorer, Player Interaction, Route-Building Games Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover Star Explorer, our Game of the Week, discuss Player Interaction in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Route-Building Games! We also Spotlight The Faraway from Pandasaurus!

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:15:11 - Spotlight: Faraway

00:25:20 - Game of the Week: Star Explorer

00:47:52 - School of Gaming: Player Interaction Explained

01:04:12 - High-Five: Route-Building Games

Episode 228 - The Crew: Family Adventure, Rulebooks Or Teach, D Games Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover The Crew: Family Adventure, our Game of the Week, discuss a Good Rulebook or a Good Teach in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Letter D Games! We also Spotlight The Dwarf King from IELLO!

00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness

12:58 - Spotlight: The Dwarf King

20:59 - Game of the Week: The Crew: Family Adventure

43:53 - School of Gaming: Good Rulebook or Good Teach?

57:03 - High-Five: Letter "D" Games

Episode 227 - Zenith, Candyland, Car Games Jul 12, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover Zenith, our Game of the Week, discuss Life After Candy Land in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Games with Cars! We also Spotlight Balderdash from Mattel!

00:00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness

00:11:08 - Spotlight: Balderdash

00:19:06 - Game of the Week: Zenith

00:48:26 - School of Gaming: Life After Candy Land

01:00:45 - High-Five: Games With Cars

Episode 226 - Australis, KOSMOS, Calliope Games Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover Australis, our Game of the Week, feature Kosmos in a publisher spotlight in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Calliope Games! We also Spotlight Line-it from Gigamic!

00:00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness

00:11:31 - Spotlight: Line-it!

00:19:47 - Game of the Week: Australis

00:40:14 - School of Gaming: Publisher Spotlight - Kosmos

01:01:12 - High-Five: Calliope Games

Episode 225 - Episode 225 - Forever Home, Games & Themes, Drafting Games Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover Forever Home, our Game of the Week, discuss Games & Themes in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Drafting Games! We also Spotlight Jewels for the Emperor Penguin from Left Justified Studio!

00:00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness

00:08:24 - Spotlight: Jewels For the Emperor Penguin

00:16:42 - Game of the Week: Forever Home

00:35:56 - School of Gaming: Does Every Game Need a Theme?

00:51:12 - High-Five: Drafting Games

Episode 224 - Castle Combo, Getting Rules Right, Letter "C" Games Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s episode we'll cover Castle Combo, our Game of the Week, discuss Getting Rules Right in The School of Gaming, and wrap it up by revealing our High-Five Letter C Games! We also Spotlight Mega Jackpot from Randolph Games!

00:00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness
00:10:43 - Spotlight: Mega Jackpot
00:19:37 - Game of the Week: Castle Combo
00:39:42 - School of Gaming: Getting Rules Right or Keep It Moving?
01:00:08 - High-Five: Letter "C" Games

Episode 223 - Chronoverse Labs & Flash Point: Golden State Heroes Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Game Schooler podcast, Doug and Michael hosts a discussion with the design team behind Flash Point Legacy and Flash Point: Golden State Heroes, known as Cronoverse Labs. The team of Kevin Rodgers, Chris Leder, and Ken Franklin shares their origin story, the dynamics of co-designing games, and the creative process that leads to fun game design. They delve into the evolution of Flash Point, the challenges of legacy game design, and their interactions with the Flash Point community. The conversation also introduces the new Golden State Heroes game and its innovative Ignition System, while emphasizing the importance of honoring the firefighting community. The episode concludes with reflections on what makes tabletop gaming enjoyable and the significance of shared experiences around the table.

Back the project here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ibcgames/flash-point-golden-state

00:00 - Introduction to Chronoverse Labs

03:53 - The Origins of Game Design Collaboration

06:50 - The Dynamics of Co-Designing Games

09:57 - Navigating Creative Differences

12:47 - Defining Fun in Game Design

15:51 - The Evolution of Flash Point

18:50 - Designing Legacy Games vs. Standard Games

21:46 - Engaging with the Flash Point Community

24:57 - Expanding the Flash Point Universe

27:40 - Introducing Golden State Heroes

30:46 - The Ignition System Explained