Board Game Binge

James Staley

Do you love board games? I do! But do you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes? How do meet-up groups get organized? What is the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign? How do publishers get their games to market? How are people reaching their market in an ever more competitive market? What type of social media personalities are springing up in support of this industry? James interviews experts from across the industry and takes a peak under the hood in his quest to understand this far reaching community. Each episode is bite-sized, clocking in around 30 minutes, so you can take nibbles, or binge several episodes at once. read less
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Episodes

Episode 310: Will & David, Absurdist Productions
4d ago
Episode 310: Will & David, Absurdist Productions
Absurdist Productions is an indie board game studio in Oklahoma City, owned by Will Thompson and David Thomas. They pride themselves in creating games with unique themes that are well-researched, beautifully produced, widely accessible, and above all, fun to play.Will Thompson (Cherokee Nation) is a professional game designer, writer, instructional designer, and co-founder of Absurdist Productions. Will’s designs include several published games including PaleoVet, several RPGs, educational video games, and other applications.Winter Rabbit is Will’s second published board game for general release, and he couldn’t be more excited to share his culture. For Will, this game represents years of hard work developing the craft of game design to create something he can be truly proud of.In his spare time (which is far too infrequent), Will researches obscure lore, pines to get lost in the forest, and paints tiny spacemen.David Thomas is attracted to old and strange things. Antique tools, pulp magazines, pictures of dogs in military regalia. Similarly, he leans towards games with more esoteric themes like filling curio cabinets, working as a telephone operator, or fighting over food at a restaurant. In that last vein, David is the creator of Absurdist Productions’ first game, Churrascaria: A Cutthroat Game of Gluttony and has been co-author on both solo RPGs Transformation and Seven Murders til Midnight.For Winter Rabbit, David focused primarily on playtesting, streamlining mechanics, and balance as the game developed, as well as encouraging Will to inject as much Cherokee culture into the game as possible. The end result he hopes is a game that is authentic, engaging, and widely accessible.You can check out the Kickstarter for Winter Rabbit here:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/941694206/winter-rabbitFOLLOW US ON: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamebingeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardgamebingepodcast/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/boardgamebingeWHERE TO FIND OUR PODCAST:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RJbdkguebb3MSLAatZr7riHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-board-game-binge-72500104/Tune In: https://tunein.com/embed/player/p1344218/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYm9hcmRnYW1lYmluZ2U=Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/board-game-binge/id1522623033Visit Our Websites: Board Game Binge: https://boardgamebinge.com/Tin Robot Games: https://tinrobotgames.comElixir Board Games: https://www.elixirboardgames.com/our-games
Episode 309: Michael Faciane, Fun First Productions
27-08-2024
Episode 309: Michael Faciane, Fun First Productions
Michael Faciane’s love for tabletop games began with the joy of bringing people together through play. Starting as a tinkerer and evolving into an in-house game designer in 2008, he gained experience across all aspects of game development. After stepping away from the industry, his passion for creating games never wavered. Now, alongside his daughter Shyne, Michael has launched Fun First Productions. Their debut game, Triple Scoops, isn’t just a game—it’s the gateway to Fun Town, a community-driven world where everyone has a place. With Triple Scoops ready to be shared, Michael is excited to welcome players into this vibrant, collaborative universe.You can pre-order Triple Scoops Here: https://www.funfirstproductions.com/buy-triple-scoopsFOLLOW US ON: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamebingeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardgamebingepodcast/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/boardgamebingeWHERE TO FIND OUR PODCAST:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RJbdkguebb3MSLAatZr7riHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-board-game-binge-72500104/Tune In: https://tunein.com/embed/player/p1344218/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYm9hcmRnYW1lYmluZ2U=Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/board-game-binge/id1522623033Visit Our Websites: Board Game Binge: https://boardgamebinge.com/Tin Robot Games: https://tinrobotgames.comElixir Board Games: https://www.elixirboardgames.com/our-games
Episode 305: Bill & Scott, BSGames
29-07-2024
Episode 305: Bill & Scott, BSGames
BSGames is a collaboration of 2 longtime friends who share a similar passion for gaming but different outlets for their creativity. Scott asked Bill for his graphics expertise to make an educational tool look better, and they realized together that they had the potential to make some really cool stuff. Thus, the idea of BSGames was born. About Bill:Bill’s love of art and design drew him to the Humber College Advertising and Graphic Design program. After graduating, he mostly did art projects for his interest, while working at Games Workshop. There he used his skills for some graphic and art projects, including a satirical magazine with Scott. This began a long-standing relationship of mutual benefit, as Bill could create Scott’s ideas graphically, and Scott could help Bill develop his ideas grammatically.About Scott:Already a fan of science fiction and fantasy, Scott was introduced to the larger world of gaming when he first played Dungeons and Dragons at age 9. In high school he discovered Warhammer 40,000, and eventually found employment with Games Workshop in Canada where he met Bill and began a partnership in creativity. There he combined his interests in games and words by editing promotional materials and creating games for events such as Games Day and the local Conflicts.Sinoda:Sinoda is an abstract strategy game for 2-6 players in which players attempt to win by taking each other’s pieces. However, it’s not the number of pieces that matters, but the point value of those pieces. Sinoda is available for preorder here: https://bsgames.ca/product/sinoda/FOLLOW US ON: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamebingeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardgamebingepodcast/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/boardgamebingeWHERE TO FIND OUR PODCAST:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RJbdkguebb3MSLAatZr7riHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-board-game-binge-72500104/Tune In: https://tunein.com/embed/player/p1344218/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYm9hcmRnYW1lYmluZ2U=Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/board-game-binge/id1522623033Visit Our Websites: Board Game Binge: https://boardgamebinge.com/Tin Robot Games: https://tinrobotgames.comElixir Board Games: https://www.elixirboardgames.com/our-games
Episode 302: Ori Kagan, Kagan Productions
09-07-2024
Episode 302: Ori Kagan, Kagan Productions
Ori Kagan leads Kagan Productions, a renowned agency that specializes in producing high-quality animated trailers for board games. With a career marked by aiding campaigns that have collectively raised over $19 million in crowdfunding, Ori is dedicated to collaborating with both established publishers and ambitious first-time creators.As a former daydreaming kid who once directed Star Wars fan films in the backyard, Ori's journey evolved from dreaming of directing blockbuster movies to merging filmmaking with his passion for board games. This unique niche allows him to work and play in the fantastic worlds he once only dreamed about, working on videos for IPs like Skyrim, D&D and Dune.In addition to his work at Kagan Productions, Ori has also founded Kagan Duckademy, a specialized program designed to empower board game publishers with advanced marketing strategies. Known for helping publishers level up their marketing to reach crowdfunding success, Kagan Duckademy offers tailored workshops and consultations that guide creators through the complexities of launching successful campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter and Gamefound. Today, Ori and his team not only create visually striking trailers but also provide comprehensive marketing strategies that empower game creators to launch successful campaigns.Check out his website here: https://kaganproductions.com/Check out his Duckademy here: https://kaganproductions.com/lp-kagan-duckademy/FOLLOW US ON: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamebingeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardgamebingepodcast/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/boardgamebingeWHERE TO FIND OUR PODCAST:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RJbdkguebb3MSLAatZr7riHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-board-game-binge-72500104/Tune In: https://tunein.com/embed/player/p1344218/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYm9hcmRnYW1lYmluZ2U=Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/board-game-binge/id1522623033Visit Our Websites: Board Game Binge: https://boardgamebinge.com/Tin Robot Games: https://tinrobotgames.comElixir Board Games: https://www.elixirboardgames.com/our-games