//podcastplus.net/feed/podcast~df6d812cb8e72986bf22f2d746dd09cd453750911898a0a4deb0d520c0634828 From the dungeons of Gloomhaven and the battlefields of Root, to the shores of Catan and the rails of Ticket to Ride, popular board games couch complex subjects within richly thematic gameplay. Millions of people find joy in the experiences that these games create, but what else do we get from playing them? In this podcast, Steve Gotzler and Jordan Tynes explore the world of tabletop games with people who possess a deep understanding of the various themes, settings, systems, or content that we encounter in them. What does an economist think about while playing Monopoly? What about a quilter sitting down for a round of Patchwork? A planetary geologist and Terraforming Mars? Or a farmer and Agricola? Steve, Jordan, and their guests consider how games communicate information about the variety of subjects they take up. They also ask how games can influence players’ feelings about each other, and the world that they inhabit. From the physical components strewn about the table, to the rules we share while playing, sit down for a round of playful discussion about the cultural relevance of tabletop gaming. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:44:53 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/2000180/smtt/2025_04_24_13_06_05_81f63dc9-94a7-433a-bcf3-27f65592716b.mp3 SMTT sits down with game designer, Jo Kelly, to discuss their newly released Molly House, along with Cole Wehrle of Wehrlegig Games. Tune in to hear more about the inspiration behind Molly House, as well as the process of researching this important -- but often under-represented -- moment for queer history in the UK! Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:06:17 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/2000180/smtt/2025_04_24_13_06_05_81f63dc9-94a7-433a-bcf3-27f65592716b.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/2000180/smtt/2025_04_24_13_06_05_81f63dc9-94a7-433a-bcf3-27f65592716b.mp3 SMTT sits down with game designer, Jo Kelly, to discuss their newly released Molly House, along with Cole Wehrle of Wehrlegig Games. Tune in to hear more about the inspiration behind Molly House, as well as the process of researching this important -- but often under-represented -- moment for queer history in the UK! Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:06:17 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/2000180/smtt/2025_04_24_13_06_05_81f63dc9-94a7-433a-bcf3-27f65592716b.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1842767/smtt/2025_01_11_18_08_16_5a0e3fcf-b615-4435-9c12-e8e4f1b3b460.mp3 In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Corey the Village Dog Walker, to play Bark Avenue, a game about walking dogs in New York City. They discuss dog park etiquette, balancing people skills with pooch skills, and the various pressures, and pleasures, of working with animals on the bustling streets of New York. Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:13:30 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1842767/smtt/2025_01_11_18_08_16_5a0e3fcf-b615-4435-9c12-e8e4f1b3b460.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1842767/smtt/2025_01_11_18_08_16_5a0e3fcf-b615-4435-9c12-e8e4f1b3b460.mp3 In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Corey the Village Dog Walker, to play Bark Avenue, a game about walking dogs in New York City. They discuss dog park etiquette, balancing people skills with pooch skills, and the various pressures, and pleasures, of working with animals on the bustling streets of New York. Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:13:30 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1842767/smtt/2025_01_11_18_08_16_5a0e3fcf-b615-4435-9c12-e8e4f1b3b460.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1800860/smtt/2024_12_13_17_56_24_6c0c1341-918c-40bd-8a99-408510324597.mp3 New Casual Catch-Up episode is now available! In this episode, we discuss our recent trip to Philadelphia for PAX Unplugged. You'll also hear from the designers and developers of several stand-out SM:TT games that we spoke with at the con. Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:56:58 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1800860/smtt/2024_12_13_17_56_24_6c0c1341-918c-40bd-8a99-408510324597.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1800860/smtt/2024_12_13_17_56_24_6c0c1341-918c-40bd-8a99-408510324597.mp3 New Casual Catch-Up episode is now available! In this episode, we discuss our recent trip to Philadelphia for PAX Unplugged. You'll also hear from the designers and developers of several stand-out SM:TT games that we spoke with at the con. Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:56:58 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1800860/smtt/2024_12_13_17_56_24_6c0c1341-918c-40bd-8a99-408510324597.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1703679/smtt/2024_10_15_00_56_40_12b182fd-b1b9-47ca-bcc9-00396462c6fc.mp3 New casual catch-up is out! In this episode, Jordan and Steve spend some time discussing the impacts of settler-colonialism on board games, and celebrating the work of the indigenous designers whose games often cut against the grain of colonial play. Games by Indigenous Creators Dog Eat Dog by Liam and William Burke; Liwanag Press https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/198050/dog-eat-dog https://liwanagpress.com/ Coyote & Crow by Connor Alexander et al.; Coyote and Crow LLC https://coyoteandcrow.net/ https://coyoteandcrow.net/games-accessories/ Wolves by Connor Alexander; Coyote and Crow LLC https://coyoteandcrow.net/wolves/ Potlatch by N.D.N. Players’ Research Group https://www.ndnplayers.com/informaton-resources https://www.ndnplayers.com/ Nunami by Thomassie Mangiok http://www.nunamigame.com/index.php/en/ Burn the Fort by Klee Benally; Indigenous Action https://burnthefort.com/ Further Reading / Viewing No Pun Inc... Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:57:18 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1703679/smtt/2024_10_15_00_56_40_12b182fd-b1b9-47ca-bcc9-00396462c6fc.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1703679/smtt/2024_10_15_00_56_40_12b182fd-b1b9-47ca-bcc9-00396462c6fc.mp3 New casual catch-up is out! In this episode, Jordan and Steve spend some time discussing the impacts of settler-colonialism on board games, and celebrating the work of the indigenous designers whose games often cut against the grain of colonial play. Games by Indigenous Creators Dog Eat Dog by Liam and William Burke; Liwanag Press https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/198050/dog-eat-dog https://liwanagpress.com/ Coyote & Crow by Connor Alexander et al.; Coyote and Crow LLC https://coyoteandcrow.net/ https://coyoteandcrow.net/games-accessories/ Wolves by Connor Alexander; Coyote and Crow LLC https://coyoteandcrow.net/wolves/ Potlatch by N.D.N. Players’ Research Group https://www.ndnplayers.com/informaton-resources https://www.ndnplayers.com/ Nunami by Thomassie Mangiok http://www.nunamigame.com/index.php/en/ Burn the Fort by Klee Benally; Indigenous Action https://burnthefort.com/ Further Reading / Viewing No Pun Inc... Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:57:18 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1703679/smtt/2024_10_15_00_56_40_12b182fd-b1b9-47ca-bcc9-00396462c6fc.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1586317/smtt/2024_07_28_21_41_57_989b2eda-af73-4644-ac61-28f824a843a3.mp3 In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Philip Stern, a historian of the British empire, to play John Company 2nd Edition, a game about the rise and fall of the British East India Company. They discuss the colonial origins of the modern corporation, the complex historical relationship between public and private interests, and the capacity for games to dramatize how an empire happens. Sun, 28 Jul 2024 21:42:56 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1586317/smtt/2024_07_28_21_41_57_989b2eda-af73-4644-ac61-28f824a843a3.mp3 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1586317/smtt/2024_07_28_21_41_57_989b2eda-af73-4644-ac61-28f824a843a3.mp3 In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Philip Stern, a historian of the British empire, to play John Company 2nd Edition, a game about the rise and fall of the British East India Company. They discuss the colonial origins of the modern corporation, the complex historical relationship between public and private interests, and the capacity for games to dramatize how an empire happens. Sun, 28 Jul 2024 21:42:56 +0000 https://content.rss.com/episodes/130220/1586317/smtt/2024_07_28_21_41_57_989b2eda-af73-4644-ac61-28f824a843a3.mp3