Folks- this is a two part episode spliced into one! It begins with a monologue about my history/gaming trip to Edinburgh, Scotland back in June of 2025. The first 45 minutes of the episode is about my experience in the city, and the historical tour I took to Stirling, Bannockburn, and a few other locations. If you don't wanna hear the monologue, fast forward to........

..........the 50 minute mark, where the episode transitions into a chat with the one and only Iain McDonald of "Flags of War". He is arguably one of finest makers of miniature wargaming flags around. Silly me when I realized he was from Scotland, and I could have worked out this interview in person! Regardless, this was a ton of fun to record- many of the experiences I recount happened hours after the actual events. If you get a chance, make your way to Edinburgh!

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Hey Folks! Recently, I sat down with Matthew Farber and Tracy Fullerton to discuss their recent book, "The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully". I've included a description of the book below. Critics have been raving about it, and it such an honor to discuss the purpose of their book, and connection to education. PS- you may notice that this episode still has the old intro/outro- apologies for that!

https://www.thewellreadgame.com/

In The Well-Read Game, Tracy Fullerton and Matthew Farber explore the experiences we have when we play games: not the outcomes of play or the aesthetics of formal game structures but the ephemeral and emotional experiences of being in play. These are the private stories we tell ourselves as we play, the questions we ask, and our reactions to the game’s intent. These experiences are called “readings” because they involve so many of the aspects of engaging with literary, cinematic, and other expressive texts. A game that is experienced in such a way can be called “well-read,” rather than, or as well as, “well-played,” because of the personal, interpretive nature of that experience and the way in which it relates to our reading of texts of all kinds.

The concept of the “well-read game” exists at the convergence of literary, media, and play theories—specifically, the works of Louise Rosenblatt’s reader-response theory, Brian Upton’s situational game theory, Tracy Fullerton’s playcentric design theory, and Bernie DeKoven’s well-played game philosophy. Each of these theories, from their own perspective, challenges notions of a separate, objective, or authorial meaning in a text and underscores the richness that arises from the varied responses of readers, who coauthor the meaning of each text through their active engagement with it. When taken together, these theories point to a richer understanding of what a game is and how we might better value our experiences with games to become more thoughtful readers of their essential meanings.

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Friends- a few weeks ago, Kelly and I had the privilege of participating in an episode of Mark's Game Room, which covered the story of General Dan Sickles, and his infamous move into the Peach Orchard. Not only did we walk the battle with two of my former students (and Mark Fastoso, 11 time Emmy Award Winner), but we got a chance to refight part of the 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg in Mark's studio! It was a fantastic experience. This pair of episodes, dropping at the same time, interview several of the folks we spent the day with. In the case of Episode #104, it's with Austin and Matt- two fantastic gamers and all around great guys. Kelly and I had a great time chatting with them. Enjoy the episode, and if you haven't seen the Gettysburg video, please use the link below to give it a watch. It will not disappoint! And, if you're at Historicon this week, I hope you are rolling plenty of successes in whatever game you're playing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzPRzE8hJI

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Friends- a few weeks ago, Kelly and I had the privilege of participating in an episode of Mark's Game Room, which covered the story of General Dan Sickles, and his infamous move into the Peach Orchard. Not only did we walk the battle with two of my former students (and Mark Fastoso, 11 time Emmy Award Winner), but we got a chance to refight part of the 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg in Mark's studio! It was a fantastic experience. This pair of episodes, dropping at the same time, interview several of the folks we spent the day with. In the case of Episode #105, it's with two of my former students, Carter and Thomas. These guys grew up as gamers, starting in 4th grade and continuing into the present. I'm so proud of how far they've come, and selfishly, they made fantastic guests on the show! We talk about the Gettysburg experience, gaming in general, and what they're doing now! Enjoy the episode, and if you haven't seen the Gettysburg video, please use the link below to give it a watch. It will not disappoint! And, if you're at Historicon this week, I hope you are rolling plenty of successes in whatever game you're playing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzPRzE8hJI

Also- Carter is the CEO of G8R Tech. If you have children looking to play serious sports AND you're worried about the danger of concussions, look no further than the safety and protection provided by Carter's products. I am so proud of the work he is doing. Give the G8R Tech website a look at:

https://g8rtech.com/

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

https://patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC

And, don't forget about our sponsor, BetterHelp! If you're interested in inquiring about what BetterHelp can offer you, please use the link below and get 10% off your first month!

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Friends- Join 20SG for a chat with Alex Sotheran, architect of "Storm of Steel", a Youtube channel dedicated to all things wargaming. Alex and I chatted about his show, love of wargaming, and a bit about his life as an archaeologist. I was particularly intrigued by his WW1 battlefield excavations. In a way, Alex is like a real like Dr. Indiana Jones! Please enjoy the show! Expect to see Alex on again sometime in the fall! Here is a link to his channel- check it out ASAP!

https://www.youtube.com/@StormofSteelWargaming

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Friends- the title of this episode says it all. Sam Mustafa, in my humble opinion, is one of the most important wargame designers of our era. If you've never played one of his games before, or read one of his rulesets, his impact is undeniable on the wargaming world. Here is Sam's bio, courtesy of wikipedia:

Sam Ali Mustafa (born 1965) is an American author and historian, and professor of history in the School of Humanities and Global Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Receiving his B.S. at Virginia Commonwealth University, his M.A. at The University of Richmond and his Ph.D. at The University of Tennessee, Mustafa specializes in German history, the Napoleonic era, military history, and historiography.[1]

Aside from his scholarly and academic work, Mustafa is also the founder of "Sam Mustafa Publishing", which produces historical games such as the "Honour" series, "Lasalle", "Might and Reason", "Grande Armée", and others.

Please enjoy the episode!

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Friends- as I get ready to depart for Edinburgh, Scotland, for a little teaching/podcasting excursion, I hope that you'll enjoy my conversation with Dr. Stephen Henderson. He is the author of the following text on games and education:

Ninja Teaching: Pedagogical Contraband and the Secret to Engaging Social Studies Instruction Paperback – September 9, 2024

We had a lovely conversation. Any time my NASAGA friends reach out and say, "hey, you should talk to this guy", it's a go! Here is Stephen's bio:

Dr. Stephen Henderson joined the William Penn University faculty in 2014. He specializes in Social Studies Education, American History, and Educational Leadership. His research interests include games and simulations and how these pedagogies can be incorporated into college classes.

Dr. Henderson is always trying new and exciting teaching methods in his courses. For example, he once experimented with reading historical fiction, instead of a history textbook, so that his students could grasp the accuracy of the character’s experiences while reading an exciting story. Dr. Henderson also loves teaching history through the use of simulations. Simulations allow students to experience history by immersing them in lifelike problem-solving experiences through role-playing, rather than merely reading about history in a textbook.

Aside from teaching, Dr. Henderson enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, hunting, running, and reading.

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Friends- please enjoy and celebrate 20SG's 100th Episode with us! While part of this episode is some good ole' banter between Cory, Kelly and I about making it to 100, we also interview Kevin Krause, who has a popular youtube channel focusing on "The Krause Collection". He owns the world's largest collection of 15mm figures, spanning all of history, from Sumerians to the 1980s. Cory, Kelly and I connected with Kevin almost immediately, and it was lovely hearing his story of getting into the hobby. The episode felt great to record, and I hope it resonates with all of you. Also notable that our friend Titch White did the intro. All said, we had a blast, and have had a blast bringing all of this content to you. Please enjoy Episode #100!

To check out Kevin's youtube channel, use the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/@thekrausecollection15mmmin53

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Friends- for the first time in the history of the 20SG Podcast, we get to hear from a former student gamer- someone who was gaming throughout his time in school, and who was directly impacted by the work of HMGS Next Gen, Inc: historian, author, and wargamer, Yuhan Kim. I first met Yuhan while running events for Yale's Military History Club, alongside John Spiess and other HMGS folks. Yuhan is bright, savvy, dedicated, and a superb gamer. At the moment, Yuhan is working through law school, and writing books on various topics centered on military history. He has two volumes out on the French marshal Suchet, and an upcoming title on warfare in Korea through the 16th century. It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Yuhan, and I hope as listeners, you get a sense of why gaming can be such a great outlet, hobby, and learning tool for high school aged and college aged students. Please enjoy!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-conquer-and-to-keep-suchet-and-the-war-for-eastern-spain-1809-1814-volume-1-yuhan-kim/1143570935

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

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Folks- this was a special one for me, as I've admired Alessio Cavatore's work for 25+ years! We get into all things Alessio- his start in gaming, his role at Games Workshop, his love for Lord of the Rings, and his current career as a freelance wargames designer. Matt co-hosted the show with me, as we just finished up our own discussion of Red Jungle. Matt couldn't resist the chance to ask Alessio some questions! It was a lovely conversation, and quite insightful when it comes to effective game design. Please enjoy the episode, and be on the lookout for Episode #100, coming soon!

20 Sided Gamified Listeners- if you’re a fan of this show and want access to 12 exclusive episodes that drop on the 30th of each month- shows that are orchestrated and designed by you, join the game at patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC  See you there, and don’t forget your dice!

https://patreon.com/20SidedGamifiedPodcastLLC

And, don't forget about our sponsor, BetterHelp! If you're interested in inquiring about what BetterHelp can offer you, please use the link below and get 10% off your first month!

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