Mat & Board

In this episode, I dive into the connection between technology and tabletop games. We will look at some historical cases that drove interest in early games and discuss the bold future of things to come.

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

On today's episode, I explore the relationship between travel and board games. I discuss how games can inspire travel, my criteria for finding the right games to pack, how to fit gaming into your itinerary, and ways that games can produce meaningful travel mementos and memories.

Listen to the episode where I was a guest on the Ordinary Sherpa Podcast here (Episode 034 | Games of Adventure): https://ordinarysherpa.com/034/

My criteria for games when packing:

• Size
• Ruggedness
• Complexity

My Favorite Games for Travel:

• Palace (Or a Deck of Cards, in general)
• Cribbage
• Dutch Blitz
• Deadball: Baseball w/ Dice
• Pass the Pigs

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

In this episode, I interview the Managing Partner and game designer Zach (@JellyMuppet) from SoulMuppet Publishing. We discuss what he has learned about creating a community of players and contributors of his products; the role of emotion in RPGs; & lessons to ensure an immersive gaming experience. He also offers up some advice for people new and interested in role playing games.

Connect with Zack & SoulMuppet Publishing

http://twitter.com/JellyMuppet

https://www.soulmuppet.co.uk/

https://soulmuppet-store.co.uk/

Orbital Blues Kickstarter Page

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soulmuppet/orbital-blues

Try Orbital Blues for free here:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/344039/Orbital-Blues

Games Mentioned in the Show:

Maze Rats (by Ben Milton @Questing Beast)

Blades in the Dark

Troika

Mordheim

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today's episode, I explore the use of gamification to apply game design principles into our daily lives to achieve our goals and maintain positive habits.

Games are said to have four main components: Goals, Rules, Challenges, & Feedback. Throughout this episode, I will dive into each of the four aspects individually and provide insights into how each of those attributes can contribute to the gamification of your daily life.

Resources mentioned:

• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear
• “The Bullet Journal Method” by Ryder Carroll
• Habitica.com
• Epic Win
• DuoLingo

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today’s show, W. M. Akers and I discuss his creative process and inspirations for both his games and novels, the ways in which he hopes players connect with his narratives, and his latest project that is live on Kickstarter that fuses his experience as a game designer and mystery writer.

View his latest Kickstarter campaign here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wmakers/critical-hit-a-gaming-mystery

Connect with W.M. Akers:

http://wmakers.net/

https://twitter.com/ouijum

Monster Heart, the RPG recommended by W.M. Akers in the show:

https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/monsterhearts

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today’s show, I welcome a guest who has used the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons as a way to empower his students and explore life skills through play. We discuss how roleplaying games can help students build confidence, empathy, camaraderie, and discover a love of learning.  

Connect with Stefan:

https://www.stefanmcninch.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanmcninch/

https://dnd.dragonmag.com/2021/02/23/dd-after-school/content.html

Resources for starting your own D&D adventure at school or at home:

https://dnd.wizards.com/remote/families

https://dnd.dragonmag.com/2020/04/27/playing-dd-remotely/content.html

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today’s episode, I dive into the top life lessons that games have taught me and how they can change your daily mindset. I’ve played a lot of games in my life from video games to tabletop to sports. But there are a lot of lessons that unite them as tools for personal growth and development. I highlight some of the lessons that I have carried with me and explain where I learned them and how I apply them in my daily life, in hopes you will find value in reframing your own game play.

1. Winning isn't the best teacher
2. Don't let "Tilt" drag you down
3. Be in the present
4. You can't control variance
5. Don't be so focused on the singular outcome
6. Seek those better than you
7. Keep pushing
8. You create your schedule & your space

Please join the discussion via social media and share your top lessons!

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

To be entered into the Tiny Towns giveaway happening next month - just follow on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Discord & Instagram. For each follow, you will receive an entry. Additionally, for listeners that leave a written review on Apple Podcasts, I will give you three additional entries to win. Just take a screenshot of the review and send it to me at [email protected] so I'll know the name you left it under.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today's show I am joined by a researcher in educational game design, Dr. John Binzak, to discuss how the field of education is being transformed by games.

We discuss how digital games can help educators assess and understand critical skills in education and how games can positively change a student's mindset around learning.

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage (matandboard.com) to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

To be entered into the Tiny Towns giveaway - just follow on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Discord & Instagram. For each follow, you will receive an entry. Additionally, for listeners that leave a written review on Apple Podcasts, I will give you three additional entries to win. Just take a screenshot of the review and send it to me at [email protected] so I know the name you left it under.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today’s episode, we hop back in the time machine and explore part two of our brief history of tabletop gaming to get a better glimpse on their impacts on us and society.

In this second episode of a multi-part series, I highlight tabletop games from around last century. I dive into how a professor of entomology advanced war strategy forever, how a poet in the early 1900s accidentally taught us about taxation, & about a card game that you can use to literally build a computer from scratch.

On this episode, I explore the origins and design of war-games, trading card games, and role playing games.

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

To be entered into the Tiny Towns giveaway - just follow on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Discord & Instagram. For each follow, you will receive an entry. Additionally, for listeners that leave a written review on Apple Podcasts, I will give you three additional entries to win. Just take a screenshot of the review and send it to me at [email protected] so I know the name you left it under.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/

On today’s episode, we welcome our first guest - a local game store owner - to give us his insights into gaming in the time of Covid and how to support your local store.

Vic, the co-owner of Slice & Dice Pizzeria in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will shed some light onto his experiences operating a local game store and offer his thoughts on how tabletop board games are continuing to thrive during the pandemic. He also offers some advice into how to support your local game store now and into the future.

You can find more information about Slice & Dice Pizzeria at https://sliceanddicepizzeria.com/

Be sure to follow on social media to be entered into the Tiny Towns board game giveaway. One follow per platform (Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram) will be worth an entry in the drawing. 

Thanks for listening!

I am a cognitive scientist who is interested in the games we play and how they shape us and society. Please visit the Mat & Board Homepage to find out ways to connect on social media and join in on the growing discussion. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Discord, & Instagram.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/442384123644904

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatAndBoard

Discord: https://discord.gg/JudRBANTKK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matandboard/