The Spiel

Markus Nikisch is the creative director for HABA. We chat about the loud and crazy process of developing dozens of new titles for kids. We also discuss Spookies, Karuba and Adventureland, a new line of family games geared toward older children and adults.

Small companies, big fun. We review two small press games: Lift Off & Letter Tycoon. In Lift Off you use rockets & trampolines to get aliens off an exploding planet. In Letter Tycoon you build words to earn money & buy letter patents so you can cash in.

Play long and prosper. We review Star Trek: Five Year Mission - a co-op dice game where you play as the crew of the Enterprise - and Medieval Academy - a card drafting game where you play as squires training to be knighted by King Arthur.

We wrap-up this year's GenCon coverage with a chat about our experiences and impressions of the convention.

Todd Rowland drops by to talk about several new and upcoming games from AEG: Dice City, Smash Up: Munchkin, and Valley of the Kings: Afterlife.

Ignacy Trzewiczek chats about his 2nd book and 2 new games: Rattle, Battle, Grab the Loot, a pirate dice game where players build mini cardboard ships and Tides of Time, a card drafting game where players guide a civilization through prosperity & collapse

Kevin Cook owns the largest dice collection in the world. We chat about his latest haul of dice from this year's convention (over 900 new dice!) and get an update on the size and future of the collection.

Paul Imboden chats about Paradox, a puzzle-based strategy game that uses the Match-3 concept (think Bejeweled). You play a scientist manipulating the time matrix to save the past, present and future of 15 different worlds threatened by a cosmic Quake.

From the height of silliness, a 1 minute bluffing game called Meow, to the beautiful but brain burning Mottainai, Asmadi Games has something for every player. Owner and designer Chris Cieslik chats about a bevvy of new and upcoming titles.

Flying Frog Productions prides itself on building game worlds with detailed backstories and characters. Brothers Scott and Jason Hill join us to chat about new releases for two recent horror-themed game worlds: Shadows of Brimstone and Dark Gothic.