Ridge Kiley, co-founder of Rising Empire Studios, sits down with Zach to discuss their recently announced Alpha Clash comic book series and how the comics allow for a top-down design approach that will completely reshape the Alpha Clash trading card game. Find out more: https://alphaclashtcg.com/news/alpha-clash-comic-book-series-launcheswhere-lore-cards-and-fun-competition-collide Get the comics here: https://cov.link/alpha-clash

Garett Kiley, co-founder of Rising Empire Studios, sits down with Zach to discuss their recent move away from traditional distribution and into direct LGS relationships via their Champion Store program. This is the most honest accounting of what it's actually like working with traditional distributors as an indie publisher, and a must-listen for publishers and players of these games.

Woodrow and Josh, the founders of Kingswood Games, are relaunching the AEG classic card game, Warlord, into the modern era. It's an incredible story of two longtime fans bringing back something that they clearly love, with serious echoes of FFG's Android: Netrunner relaunch. Catch our interview to hear the full story. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kingswoodgames/warlord-saga-of-the-storm

We're back after seven months with one of our favorite creators in the tabletop gaming industry, Andrew Navaro (former Fantasy Flight Games Head of Studio, founder of Earthborne Games), for a deeper look at independent publishing through the lens of someone who has been on both sides of the equation. Recorded in the midst of the second highly successful Earthborne Rangers crowdfunding campaign, Andrew expounds upon the challenges faced since the launch of the game, the influence of distribution on production, and the importance of holding to your vision.

We've been following Alpha Clash since 2022, and have consistently been impressed with the drive and output of the people behind it. Join us for a conversation with Ridge Kiley, founder of Rising Empire Studios and creator of the Alpha Clash TCG, as we learn more about the game, Cirque de Soleil, collegiate wrestling, and the ambitious plans ahead.

A remarkable moment - a random comment on our Nighmare Before Christmas TCG stream turns into a conversation and relationship with its designer, Andrew Parks, who then blows us away with fascinating stories from the early days of tabletop (Z-Man, Ed Beard Jr., Iron Crown Enterprises, NECA, Wizkids, and more). Every conversation brings more context to this industry, how we got here, and where we're going - we hope you'll join us for a listen.

Zach has been taken in by the upcoming Lord of the Rings "Universes Beyond" set of Magic: The Gathering. So much so that he's now learning everything about what to buy, where to buy it, and where to play it. Join us for a conversation about how it has been going, and what things are like for a brand new player - even one quite experienced with TCGs.

Conversations around expandable games and the LGS continue to swirl online, especially amid things like Magic's continued embrace of direct sales, Flesh and Blood's presence (or non-presence) at retail, and Sorcery's "one set a year, play how you want" approach. Join us as we attempt to cut through it all and get down to the basics of how incentives for publishers, distributors, and retailers continue to alter the simple act of getting products to players.

We recently hosted our first big event since COVID shut everything down (technically our biggest to date!). As those of you following for the past few years are certainly aware, we've been fascinated by the competitive v casual paradigm, especially as it relates to local events and our plan for Covenant Tulsa 3.0. We finally got a chance to test a lot of those theories during FuseFest, and in this episode we let you know exactly what we found!