Table Talk

So you get excited for an expandable game, buy in, and fall in love. Each new expansion opens up new, unexplored ways to play. Time passes, players come and go, and then suddenly you find yourself sitting down to play and realizing that you don't really enjoy it much anymore. Something about the game just isn't what it used to be, and you long for the magic of those first moments.

Sound familiar? Join us for a discussion about one reason this happens - a breaking of the "first principles" that make a game what it is.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Collectibility is usually a divisive topic - with some claiming the format is predatory and ethically dubious. But what happens when you view the model as something more productive than a convoluted and expensive way to get everything? Lessons from the past may well cause a realignment of expectations, and a much more enjoyable - and sustainable - approach to a game like Flesh and Blood. Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Publishers and retailers face a big challenge in onboarding players, the former typically leading the charge through the products that they make. Having recently experienced the classic, random cards approach of the 90s, as well as the somewhat revolutionary, "brand new system and expandable line" approach of Infinity CodeOne, we discuss starter products with a newfound appreciation.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

After eight weeks of cooperative campaign play through Arkham Horror's Path to Carcosa, there's simply no comparison to the experience. This might be the best that cooperative tabletop can be.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Earlier this week, Origins Online was cancelled after a significant number of content creators and hosts walked away from the event. We discuss what happened, what it means, and what it teaches about the greater realities of tabletop gaming culture.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

The Star Wars LCG, with one of the innovative Eric Lang designs shaking up the scene at the time, instantly threw Star Wars fans into yet another furious debate about the proper way to recreate the "magic of Star Wars". For some, it was too abstract. For others, it was an entirely fresh way to experience a card game. After revisiting it this week on the stream, we give our thoughts.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Games from all genres thrive when they provide players a point of connection when not playing with others - whether through solo play, deck-building, painting, or even collecting. These elements might be more important than any of us fully realize, especially as COVID has forced us to appreciate them.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Following in the footsteps of Origins and others, Gen Con has officially canceled their in-person convention, replacing it with an online variant. What could these kinds of disruptions mean for businesses and players who viewed Gen Con as a "no-brainer" every year? Forced reflection and introspection abounds in the age of COVID.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Theme and mechanics should always strive for harmony, but what happens when a wild wrestling match turns into an analytical challenge full of unexpected complexities? For some, the greatest game ever made. For others, confusion.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Continuing a series of reflections spurred by our revisit to a number of classic CCGs, we try to pin down the mechanical style that makes certain games exhausting. It's a lot more than the number of decisions being made.

Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products, on our website: https://teamcovenant.com