Finding Games

In Episode 16, I talk with the ever-lovely James Wallis. He has had a fascinating career from journalist to TV presenter to game designer and is now the Studio Manager for Green Board Games (who are the only UK-based game publisher for the Asmodee Group). Along the way, we talk about networking and building links in the community and James even puts out a call for submissions!

Here he is in his own words:

"Since starting his first RPG fanzine instead of revising for his O-Levels, James Wallis has been in most parts of the UK games industry: designer, writer, publisher, reviewer, consultant, lecturer, historian and more. These days he's the studio manager at Green Board Games, the only UK-based games publisher in the Asmodee group."

Just a heads up that we had a few issues with James' audio on this one. We've done the best we can with it but it's still a great listen!

You can follow James on Twitter @JamesWallis

To receive the submission details email [email protected] and he will give you information on their submission procedure.

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" by Kevin MacLeod

“Happy Boy End Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Here's something a bit different for you! In an effort to combat the lockdown blues and remind ourselves that we do still have a life outside work - honest - we've decided to record some podcasts where we talk about things we love outside of tabletop gaming.

In this one, we're talking about Empire LARP, which stole our hearts when we tried it out last year. We can't wait to get back into the field (erm... next Spring, at the very earliest) but we had a great time chatting about it, and why we love it so much.

If you'd like to give it a go yourself, or just read more about it, head over to https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/.

You should also check out the LARP Noobs podcast (James was a guest on there a little while ago!), which lets you follow the progress of a bunch of newcomers to Empire. https://thelarpnoobspodcast.podbean.com/

And if you'd like to buy a ticket, you can use our recruitment code to get £15 off: 10658.19267

Thanks for listening - and if you'd like to hear more We Love Stuff, let us know with a comment or a tweet (@needycatgames).

Has it been two weeks already? It's time for another episode of Finding Games - and once again, if you were supporting us on Patreon, you'd have had access to this one last week! Just back us for a dollar for early access to future podcast episodes, as well as a whole host of game design tips and other goodies. That's www.patreon.com/needycatgames

In this episode, Sophie is chatting to Maisy Hatchard, who we met through the Tabletop Mentorship Program that we talked about in episode 13. In her own words:

Maisy translates board games from Japanese to English full time, with all the hats of localisation, graphics, production, Kickstarter stuff, and whatever else is on the cards! She lives in Tokyo, drinks too many lattes, and is almost 40% glitter. Notable games that will eventually make the foundations of her board game box fort include: Tokyo Sidekick, Dragon Gyas (coming soon), The Last Brave, and Tateruto.

Follow Maisy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Maisykuv

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" by Kevin MacLeod

“Happy Boy End Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

In case you missed the announcement, Finding Games is moving to a fortnightly release schedule. There are currently eight or nine episodes recorded and awaiting editing, and Sophie's recording more every week, so we're really confident about sticking to that. If you'd like to get episodes early - as soon as they're edited! - you can back us for $1 or more over at www.patreon.com/needycatgames.

Anyway, on with the episode! This might be our longest one yet, and it's a goodie.

In Episode 14, Sophie catches up with board games writer and designer Calvin Wong Tze Loon. In his own words: Calvin writes about games and thinks about stories, and he was in a film one time. You can follow Calvin on twitter at @ithayla.

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" by Kevin MacLeod

“Happy Boy End Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It's Episode 13 of the Finding Games podcast, where we talk to people who work in and around the tabletop games industry and find out how they got there.

Mike Belsole (he/him) and Grace Kendall (they/them) are the organizers of the Tabletop Mentorship Program. Both are avid game designers and have worked at many conventions, and now can be spotted working at a board game cafe in Ohio. Grace's game Celestial Stories came out from Inkwell Games this summer, and they have a co-designed riddle-filled party game in the publishing pipeline.

You can find out more about the Tabletop Mentorship Program at https://www.tabletopmentorship.org/, or follow on Twitter @tabletopmentor.

If you'd like to see what Sophie's been up to, check out www.needycatgames.com or follow us on Twitter @needycatgames. If you'd like early access to future episodes of the podcast, head to www.patreon.com/needycatgames and pledge your support - we couldn't make this podcast without it!

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" by Kevin MacLeod

“Happy Boy End Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It's Episode 12 of the Finding Games podcast, where we talk to people who work in and around the tabletop games industry, and find out how they got there.

This time around, Sophie's chatting to Victoria Caña. By day, Victoria is a producer at Wizards of the Coast where she leads a team of game designers in the Magic R&D department. By night, she is an award-winning indie game designer and co-founder of Cat Quartet Games, a boutique publishing company that focuses on bringing fun, fast, and accessible games to the world. Victoria's first board game, Gladius, successfully raised over $96,000 on Kickstarter in March 2020. You can find Victoria on virtually every social media platform at @victoriacana. You can also check out Gladius on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/catquartetgames/gladius

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" by Kevin MacLeod

“Happy Boy End Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Our accelerated release schedule continues with another cracking interview - this time, with AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps, Editor-in-Chief of Girls Game Shelf. In addition to creating media for the table top game industry, she also designs board games and is on the quest for the perfect taco.

They had a great chat, covering - among other things - Jaffa Cakes, AnnaMaria's journey into the industry, and the upcoming online convention Shelf-a-pa-Luza (https://www.shelfapaluza.com/)

Give it a listen, and don't forget to subscribe for more tabletop industry insights coming soon!

It's Episode 10! This time, Sophie's chatting to another one of our Nottingham buds - not that we've seen Ross in the flesh since lockdown began.

Ross (aka More Games Please) is a freelance tabletop photographer and community manager for Alley Cat Games, and has been working in the industry since 2018. His photography has appeared in publications such as Tabletop Gaming magazine and Senet, as well as on countless websites, online stores, and Amazon. He has photographed board games raising over one million dollars on Kickstarter, but big or small he shows all titles the same love and attention. He can be found playing board games on his twice-weekly Twitch live streams, exploring the solo games in his collection, and has a passion for board game art interviewing over 50 artists and graphic designers in the tabletop industry on his website.

Ross' links: https://linktr.ee/moregamesplease

Sign up to the Needy Cat Games Newsletter by going to https://needycatgames.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=38433034fe&u=4cea6bcdeae68790dedb912c2

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" and "Happy Boy End Theme" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Episode 9 is here! We'll get back to a monthly release schedule soon, but in the meantime we're catching up with some quickfire releases.

In this episode, Sophie chats to our Nottingham industry buddy Zachary Cox, who's a genuine inspiration. We both wish we'd had his drive and dedication in our early twenties! (I'll be honest, I wish I had his drive and dedication *now*.)

Zach runs SoulMuppet Publishing, an indie RPG company. He is the writer behind Best Left Buried and A Doom To Speak, and the publisher of books such as Esoteric Enterprises, Rakehell and Stygian Library. He lives in Nottingham, loves kitbashing wargaming miniatures and really likes megadungeons.

Zach's links:

Website: www.soulmuppet.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/soulmuppet

Gumroad Store: www.gumroad.com/soulmuppet

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jellymuppet

Sign up to the Needy Cat Games Newsletter by going to https://needycatgames.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=38433034fe&u=4cea6bcdeae68790dedb912c2

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" and "Happy Boy End Theme" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Boom! Back from our unannounced hiatus, it's Episode 8 of the Finding Games podcast! As ever, we're talking to someone who works in or around the tabletop games industry to find out how they got there... but in celebration of our triumphant return, this episode's a little different.

Sophie Williams is normally our host, but this time around she's moving to the other side of the desk and being interviewed by Needy Cat Games co-conspirator James Hewitt.

Needy Cat Games is a family business that's been running since July 2017, and offers bespoke game design services, runs tabletop industry networking events, hosts a podcast (clue: it's this one) and runs game design courses. Among other things. Basically, we don't stop.

Sign up to the Needy Cat Games Newsletter by going to needycatgames.us17.list-manage.com/subscri…db912c2

Music from filmmusic.io (incompetech.com):

"The Show Must Be Go" and "Happy Boy End Theme" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licence: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)