The Cardboard Court

Start your engines! Cardboard Court is hitting the highway with Jamboree Games!

In Episode 22 of Cardboard Court, we welcome Alan Babb of Jamboree Games to talk about their upcoming board game, Kings of the Road!

🚛 Learn more about Jamboree Games and Kings of the Road:

https://jamboreegames.com/

Join CHESBORN™ as we talk with Alan about the journey of creating and publishing a board game, the importance of playtesting, and how Kings of the Road has evolved from its early prototypes.

We even share stories from our own experiences playtesting the game and seeing how player feedback helped shape its development!

🚛 On the Docket:

🎲 Meet Alan Babb of Jamboree Games

🚚 What is Kings of the Road?

🧠 How playtesting shaped the game

🔄 Changes made from player feedback

🎲 Dice, movement & unexpected challenges

🛣️ The connection to real-world trucking

📦 The road to production and release

❤️ The story behind Jamboree Games

One of the most exciting parts of this interview is hearing how a game changes during development—and how listening to players can make a good idea even better.

And when your game is about trucking across America, the road to publication is quite the journey itself!

💬 Have you ever dreamed of designing a board game? And are you ready to hit the highway with Kings of the Road? Tell us in the comments!

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If you could only own 100 board games…could you build the PERFECT collection?

For Episode 21 of Cardboard Court, we’re putting a limit on the game shelf and asking a surprisingly difficult question:

Can you create the perfect 100-game board game library?

One hundred games sounds like a LOT—until you start deciding what actually deserves one of those precious spots!

Do you fill your shelves with your absolute favorites, or does the perfect library need a little bit of everything?

⚖️ On the docket:

• 🎲 Is 100 games enough?
• ❤️ Favorites vs. variety
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and party games
• ⚔️ Thematic and adventure games
• 🔄 Do expansions count toward the 100?
• 🏆 Which games are absolutely untouchable?
• 👋 What great games would still have to leave the collection?

And then comes the really hard part: What happens when game #101 arrives? 😱

Does something have to leave? Do you break your own rule? Or is the idea of a “perfect” 100-game library impossible from the beginning?

💬 We want YOUR verdict! Could you limit your collection to 100 games? What games would be absolutely guaranteed a spot on your shelf?

Join us for Cardboard Court Episode 21 and tell us how YOU would build the perfect 100-game library!

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Pull up a chair. There’s always room at the table.

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Cardboard Court Ep. 20: Expansion or New Game? 🎲 | Which Would You Rather Have?

Podcast Description: 🎲 You’ve got money for ONE box. Do you expand a game you already love—or bring home an entirely new game?

In Episode 16 of Cardboard Court, we tackle a question every board gamer eventually faces: Would you rather buy an expansion or an entirely new board game?

Expansions can breathe new life into an old favorite, adding new characters, maps, mechanics, strategies, and ways to play. But a brand-new game gives you a completely fresh experience—and maybe your next favorite game!

⚖️ In This Episode:

• 📦 Why we love board game expansions
• 🆕 The excitement of discovering a completely new game
• 💰 Where would we rather spend our gaming budget?
• 🔄 Can expansions keep a favorite game fresh?
• 😬 When does a game have TOO many expansions?
• 🗄️ The shelf-space problem
• 🎲 Would we rather have more content or more games?
• ❤️ Expanding a game we already love vs. taking a chance on something new
• 🏆 Which option would each of us choose?

And, of course, there may be a little disagreement around the Cardboard Court table!

💬 Now we want YOUR verdict: If someone handed you enough money for either one expansion or one brand-new board game, which would you choose?

Tell us in the comments—and let us know which expansion or new game you’d buy!

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🎙️ Is a board game really finished when it first hits the table—or can it grow and change over time?

In this episode of Cardboard Court, Al, Dawn, and Jon tackle an interesting question: Do board games evolve? 🎲🌱

Think about a game you’ve owned for years. It may have started as a single box, but today it could have expansions, revised rules, upgraded components, new characters, additional maps, promotional content, or even an entirely new edition.

And then there are the changes players make themselves.

🎲 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• 🌱 Can a board game actually “grow” over time?
• 📦 Expansions that add more to the original experience
• 🔄 Revised and updated editions
• ✨ Deluxe, collector's, and upgraded versions
• ➕ Add-ons, promos, modules & extra content
• 📖 Rule changes and clarifications
• 🏠 House rules that become part of the way your group plays
• 👥 How gaming groups can change the experience of the same game
• 🧠 Whether designers learn from players after a game is released
• ⏳ Games that feel different after years of additional content
• 🤔 When does adding more make a game better—and when is it just too much?

Some games remain essentially the same for decades. Others seem to develop a life of their own.

An expansion might fix something players didn't love about the original. A new edition might streamline the rules. Additional content can completely change your strategy. And sometimes a simple house rule becomes so ingrained that your group forgets it wasn't an official rule in the first place! 😂

So where do we draw the line?

Is it still the same board game—or has it become something different?

💬 We want to hear from you!

What board game in your collection has changed the most since you first bought it?

Do you prefer the original game, or do you have one that you never play anymore without its expansions?

And what's your favorite house rule—especially one you've used for so long that you almost consider it official?

Join us in Cardboard Court as we put board games themselves on the stand and ask:

⚖️ Do board games grow up?

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🎙️ What happens when you can’t find the kinds of board games you want to play? You start designing them yourself!

In Episode 18 of Cardboard Court, Al, Dawn, and John sit down with Emily Vincent, board game designer and founder of Pink Hawk Games, for a fun and fascinating conversation about designing games, becoming a publisher, and turning creative ideas into games people can actually put on their tables.

Emily shares how a lifelong love of games eventually led her into modern tabletop gaming—and how her professional background in usability and user-interface design helped give her the confidence to say, “I design stuff. Maybe I could design a game.”

And she jumped in with both feet, working on nine different designs during her first year!

Here is a link to Pink Hawks upcoming kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pinkhawkgames/good-kitties-super-chonk

Pink Hawks Youtube Channel and Website

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

https://www.pinkhawkgames.com/

🎲 In This Episode:

🎨 How Emily went from lifelong gamer to game designer

🧶 The story behind Knitting Circle

🏴‍☠️ Creating and publishing Pirates of the High Teas

🌸 A look at Perennial and its “crunchy cozy” puzzle

💗 Why Emily founded Pink Hawk Games

🐱 A preview of Good Kitties, a cooperative strategy game about cats taking over the house

😸 Super Chonk, where cats have one very important objective—get chonky!

Emily also gives some terrific insight for aspiring designers considering self-publishing. Having creative control sounds wonderful—but you're also taking on the responsibilities of running an actual business.

And, naturally, the conversation eventually turns to cats. Lots of cats. 😹

Emily reveals that Good Kitties and Super Chonk are scheduled to launch together on October 20, with players able to pick them up separately or as a bundle.

This was such a fun conversation about creativity, design, publishing, accessibility, cozy games, crunchy puzzles, conventions, cats, and the people behind the games we love.

🎧 Pull up a chair and join us in Cardboard Court as we get to know Emily Vincent of Pink Hawk Games!

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Pull up a chair for Episode 16 of Cardboard Court! This time, we’re joined by John Muennink, game designer and publisher behind Retro Plus Games, to talk about creating board games and the journey from an idea on the table to a finished game.

John takes us behind the scenes of Dracula’s Curse, his procedurally generated asymmetric dungeon crawler that successfully came to life through Kickstarter. The campaign drew 3,707 backers and raised $301,203, turning an eight-year design journey into a published game.

We also look ahead to Hedge, Retro Plus Games’ upcoming tile-placement game where players create their own hedge maze. We talk design, publishing, crowdfunding, lessons learned from Dracula’s Curse, and what John has planned next.

If you enjoy hearing directly from the people who actually design, develop, and publish tabletop games, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎙️ Cardboard Court — Episode 16

Guest: John Muennink

Retro Plus Games

Topics: Game Design • Publishing • Kickstarter • Dracula’s Curse • Hedge • Behind the Scenes

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Chesborn — Stories • Games • Community

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Welcome back to Cardboard Court, the CHESBORN podcast where we pull up a chair and talk about all things board games!

In Episode 16, we're joined by Kiersten Heyl for a special behind-the-scenes conversation about NEA Game Fest, the Northeast Arkansas charity board game convention that has become an annual tradition for us.

What's it really like to build and run a board game convention? Kiersten takes us behind the curtain to talk about the history of NEA Game Fest, how the convention has grown and changed over the years, and the enormous amount of work that goes into creating a weekend of tabletop gaming.

Kiersten is also one of the founders of the NEA Gamers Guild, and we discuss the role the Guild has played in building a local tabletop community and bringing gamers together throughout Northeast Arkansas.

🎙️ In this episode:

🎲 The origins and history of NEA Game Fest

🎟️ What it takes to organize a board game convention

❤️ The charitable mission behind the event

👥 Building and supporting a local gaming community

🏆 Events, Play & Win games, and convention activities

🎮 The story behind the NEA Gamers Guild

📈 How NEA Game Fest has evolved over the years

🔮 What's ahead for the convention and local gaming community

As longtime attendees, we're excited to share the story of the people and passion behind a convention we look forward to every year.

Have you attended NEA Game Fest? Tell us about your favorite memory—or the game you discovered there!

Subscribe to Cardboard Court by CHESBORN for conversations about board games, conventions, designers, publishers, the tabletop industry, and the people who make this hobby special.

NEA Game website http://www.neagamefest.com

NEA Game Fest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/neagamefest/

NEA Gamers Guild https://www.neagamersguild.org/

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⚖️ Court is now in session!

In this episode of Cardboard Court, we’re tackling a decision almost every board gamer faces sooner or later: Do you back the Kickstarter now, or wait for the game to hit retail?

Crowdfunding can be exciting—deluxe components, exclusive content, stretch goals, expansions, and the chance to support a game before it ever reaches store shelves. But it can also mean higher prices, expensive shipping, long waits, and the risk that the finished game may not live up to the hype.

Meanwhile, waiting for retail gives you the chance to see reviews, learn how the game was received, and potentially pay less—but will you miss out on content you can never get again?

🎲 In this episode, we discuss: • Kickstarter exclusives and FOMO • Deluxe editions vs. retail editions • Shipping costs and the REAL price of backing • Waiting months—or even years—for fulfillment • The risks of crowdfunding • When we think backing early is actually worth it • Why waiting for retail might be the smarter choice

⚖️ Now it’s your turn to render a verdict!

Are you Team Kickstarter or Team Wait for Retail? What makes you hit that pledge button—and what makes you walk away?

Tell us in the comments!

🎙️ Cardboard Court – where we put board gaming’s biggest questions on trial.

#CardboardCourt #Kickstarter #BoardGames #BoardGameKickstarter #Crowdfunding #BoardGaming #TabletopGaming #BoardGamePodcast #Gamefound #Chesborn #FellowshipOfGames

Welcome back to Cardboard Court, the podcast where we gather around the table to talk about everything board games!

In Episode 14, we're tackling a question every tabletop gamer has asked at some point: What really makes a board game memorable—the game itself or the people you're playing with?

We've all experienced it. A mediocre game becomes an unforgettable night because of the laughter around the table, while an award-winning masterpiece can fall flat with the wrong group. So, which matters more?

Join us as we discuss how game groups, player personalities, table chemistry, and game design all come together to create unforgettable gaming experiences. We'll share personal stories, debate different perspectives, and explore whether the "perfect game" can overcome the wrong group—or if the right group can make almost any game a hit.

In this episode:

🎲 Does a great group make any game fun?

👥 How player personalities shape the experience

🤝 Finding the right games for the right people

😂 Some of our most memorable game night stories

🏆 Can an amazing game overcome a bad table?

💬 Our final verdict: Which matters more?

Whether you're a casual gamer, a hobby enthusiast, or the one who always hosts game night, this episode is sure to spark discussion at your own table.

What do you think? Is it the game that creates unforgettable moments, or is it the people you play with? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share your opinions in the comments or connect with us on social media.

Subscribe to Cardboard Court for more conversations about board games, game nights, industry news, reviews, conventions, and everything happening in the world of tabletop gaming.

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Welcome back to Cardboard Court, the podcast where we gather around the table to talk about everything board games!

In Episode 13, we're tackling one of the biggest questions in the tabletop hobby: Is Gen Con really worth the trip?

Whether you're a first-time attendee or a convention veteran, Gen Con is often considered the ultimate destination for board gamers. But with the costs of travel, hotels, badges, food, and the temptation of the exhibit hall, is the experience worth the investment?

Join us as we share our firsthand experiences from Gen Con, discuss what makes the convention so special, and break down both the advantages and the challenges of attending one of the largest tabletop gaming conventions in the world.

In this episode:

• 🎲 What makes Gen Con unique
• 💰 Is the cost worth the experience?
• 🛍️ Shopping, demos, and the Exhibit Hall
• 🎮 Open gaming, events, and tournaments
• 🤝 Meeting publishers, designers, and fellow gamers
• 📋 Tips for first-time attendees
• ⭐ Our final verdict: Should every board gamer go at least once?

Whether you're planning your first Gen Con adventure or deciding if it's time to return, we'll help you determine if this legendary convention deserves a place on your gaming bucket list.

Have you been to Gen Con? We'd love to hear about your favorite memories, biggest surprises, or best convention tips! Join the conversation by leaving a comment or connecting with us on social media.

Subscribe to Cardboard Court for more conversations about board games, conventions, game design, reviews, industry news, and everything happening in the world of tabletop gaming.

#CardboardCourt #GenCon #BoardGamePodcast