Jeff and Lee chat with designer Matt Loomis on Kickstarter, pitching to publishers, and more.

On this episode:

We talk with Nathan Cornelius from Cosmic Wombat Games. We discuss things like why to become a board game publisher, the final results of Kickstarting Stones of Fate, what he thinks needs to change in the industry.

Company updates:

We have t-shirts coming! More details soon.

Jeff, Lee, and Kyle welcome you to the fifty seventh episode of the Happy Mitten Podcast.Topics for this episode include the board games they're currently playing, the recent Aether Magic update, and their recent call to action to those interested in promoting their game or brand by sponsoring the Happy Mitten Podcast.

MTGHeadQuarters

In this episode…

Jeff and Kyle are joined by Jeremy Hambly, founder and host of MTGHeadQuarters. MTGHeadQuarters is a Magic the Gathering YouTube channel that engages a following of over eighty thousand subscribers through content focused around product openings, news, and strategy. Jeremy’s love for the gaming community and knowledge of MTG is evident through his rapidly evolving channel and more recently, his creation of Gamefindr, a free MTG/Tabletop networking app you can begin registration for now.

While there are undeniable similarities between the tabletop and Magic the Gathering community, they do feel like completely separate worlds. Those worlds feel a bit closer with Jeremy on the podcast where we discussed the history/growth of MTGHeadQuarters, the feeling you get when you open a three dollar pack with a $800+ card in it, and the collectible card game industry. (Booster-pack-ization-erific!)

In this episode… We interview actress, model, host, YouTuber, and avid lover of all things geek, Trisha Hershberger! Twitter is our favorite social network because it provides a tiny window into the lives of people that interest us, and an opportunity to cross paths with those we never would have otherwise. It was through Twitter […]

In this episode…

Happy Mitten Games is joined by friend and board game designer, Matt Worden. When Happy MItten began accepting game submissions for our debut game, Matt’s prototype, “For Goods and Honor,” stood out among the rest due to the games rich player interaction and approachability. After demoing the game with friends, we knew we had a special game and with Matt’s guidance, slowly refined the prototype into “Aether Magic,” On Kickstarter Now. Since the launch of Aether Magic’s kickstarter, Matt has gone the extra mile with what he’s obligated to do. Matt wrote about “The Magic Sauce” of Aether Magic and Aether Magic's "Clever Spell-Casting" on his website, and took the time to design a proper two player variant for the game when backers demanded it. Partnering with a talented designer that is able to help with game promotion and continuously add value to the project has been a best case scenario. We’re excited to have Matt on our 54th episode of the Happy Mitten Podcast to discuss Aether Magic, board game design, and Matt’s upcoming projects.

Company Updates

Aether Magic is on Kickstarter now! Check out the project HERE and make sure to share!

In this episode…

Jeff and Lee change things up a bit. Instead of interviewing someone directly from the industry, we interview Rich Mulholland, a very successful business dude and board game enthusiast. Richard is an ex-roadie for bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, international public speaker, and owner of Missing Link.

Richard offers incredible insight as both a business person and hobbyist.

Feature: Richard Mulholland

Richard shares valuable insight on topics like:

-His professional background and why his opinion matters.

-What areas of the board game industry are doing well and what areas need improvement.

-Why it's important for the board game industry to look for inspiration outside of itself.

-His magical experience being a lighting roadie for a Whitney Houston concert.

-Game designers should be millionaires.

In this episode…

James Ernest, president of Cheapass Games joins Jeff and Lee to discuss the Cheapass business model, his opinions on game design and publishing, and his former life as a magician and juggler.

Feature: James Ernest

James shares valuable insight on topics like:

The premise and changes of his business model after operating for over 20 years in the industry.

How to cut through all the noise as the industry continues to grow.

The importance and roll of game conventions on Cheapass Games.

How Kickstarter has changed his business model.

His previous lives as a juggler, magician, and card shark.

Company Updates:

Aether Magic is on Kickstarter now! Check it out here: HappyMittenGames.com/kickstarter.

In this unique episode...

The three of us are literally working on finalizing things the night before we launched, and you're in the moment with us. We were up super late into the night making sure everything was ready to go. Then, cut to the day of launch and Kyle joined us via speakerphone while we hit the LAUNCH button. Later that day we reconvened to talk about how we were feeling so far. Enjoy this unusual episode as a fly on the wall during our Aether Magic Kickstarter launch.

In this episode…

The three of us were interviewed by Grand Con's co-founder, the creator of Grand Game Academy, and friend, Marc Specter. At a time when Jeff, Lee, and I were new admirers of board games, we were fortunate to get introduced to Marc. Marc invited the three of us to be a part of the Grand Gaming Academy and through that organization, we were properly introduced to the board game community and plenty of incredible board games. Throughout the Happy Mitten Podcast, we have been lucky to talk to a fraction of the awesome people in our industry, but never have WE been interviewed. Marc expressed interest in interviewing us in the past and the opportunity felt right for our fiftieth episode and upcoming game. Marc asked thoughtful questions and is clearly a natural speaker. We hope you enjoy getting to know more about Happy Mitten and the "road" we took to get Aether Magic on Kickstarter this February.