Best Ludological Podcasts (2024)

1
Ludology 334 Let's Call a Spade a Spade 1:06:22

1h ago1:06:22

1:06:22

Sen and Erica welcome Jay Cormier of Off the Page Games to the podcast to talk about his penchant for making puzzley games that make players feel clever while giving them a sense of exploration and adventure, Jay discusses his first time at PAXU as well as his newest releases, Corps of Discovery and Design Your Destiny.…

1
Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #8: Ten Rules of Roleplaying Games 1:43:58

20d ago1:43:58

1:43:58

We return to undertake a challenge. What rules must one adhere to when crafting roleplaying games? We develop a list of ten of them. Listen to follow our journey! Technical note for our listeners: Recording this episode seems to have triggered some mild curse. Christopher appears to have angered some kami of audio, a gremlin of podcasting. Thus the…

1
AP Table Talk: Follow 55:24

1d ago55:24

55:24

AP Table Talk: Follow In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave Eng discuss the concept of the follow mechanic in board games. They begin by relating the concept to platformer games and how follow mechanics let players perform or adjust actions chosen by others. They review games like Tiny Towns and Puerto Rico, recalling their experiences w…

1
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 14 5:47

6d ago5:47

5:47

In this installment of Thinking Beyond Mechanisms, Erica and Sen welcome host Sarah Shipp to talk about failure and how loss can drive gameplay.

1
Chris Carbone on Board Game Academics 34:13

16d ago34:13

34:13

Chris Carbone on Board Game Academics In this episode of Experience Points by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Christopher Carbone, an accomplished career services leader and co-founder of Board Game Academics. They discuss the intersection of academia and tabletop gaming, emphasizing experiential learning and personal development. Carbone s…

1
Ludology 333 Bigger Than A Breadbox 54:20

16d ago54:20

54:20

Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep a FLGS afloat in this age of online retailers and Amazon Prime? Sen and Erica welcome Caleb Wunderlich, Assistant Manager at Millennium Games in Rochester, NY - the biggest game store in the USA - to talk about building community, running events, and catering to customers' needs.…

1
TTRPGKids 18 Arthimagine 7:47

23d ago7:47

7:47

Erica and Sen welcome guest host Steph Campbell to talk about Arithmagine (https://luckoflegends.itch.io/arithmagine), a setting-agnositic TTRPG focused on teaching mathematics, on this episode of TTRPGKids.

1
Ludology 332 The Oldest Trick in the Book 50:11

27d ago50:11

50:11

Sen and Erica welcome former host Scott Rogers back to the show to dive into his latest book, "Your Turn: The Guide to Great Tabletop Game Design" and tell us what he's been up to as of late.

1
What is the Player Journey? 31:25

1M ago31:25

31:25

What is the Player Journey? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What is the player journey? When we play games, we often get caught up in the excitement of the moment—exploring vast worlds, connecting with others, completing quests, and simply enjoying ourselves. But have you ever stopped to consider the journey you take as a player? Thi…

1
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 13 7:04

1M ago7:04

7:04

Sen and Erica welcome special guest host Sarah Shipp for her segment, Thinking Beyond Mechanisms. In this episode, Sarah discusses Game Theory and the importance of studying the design of tabletop games in a more academic manner.

1
Ludology 331Pixelate Those Pieces 1:00:45

1M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Erica and Sen welcome Theresa Duringer to talk about her role as a tabletop game app developer at Temple Gates Games. They discuss what it takes to make an app translation of a tabletop hit, what some differences might be between the physical and digital versions, how the AI opponents are trained, and more!…

1
AP Table Talk: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building 1:11:23

1M ago1:11:23

1:11:23

AP Table Talk: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave Eng discuss the concept of deck, bag, and pool building in board games. They explain that deck building specifically involves players starting with a basic deck of cards, which they enhance throughout the game to achieve specific goals. The episode highligh…

1
Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #7: Players Playing 1:18:20

2M ago1:18:20

1:18:20

Are games truly games without those who play them? In this latest episode of our Ludological Alchemy podcast "The Hypothesis" we discuss the terms, personages, conditions by which we can identify and better understand that which is the most difficult part of any game: the player. Are you a player of games? Surely you must be, but what sort of playe…

1
Ludology 330 Phantom Tax 48:27

2M ago48:27

48:27

Sen and Erica welcome Dr. Mary Flanagan and Max Seidman from Resonym Games to talk about their latest game, Phantom Ink, that has generated a lot of buzz around the industry as it made the SdJ short list for 2024. They discuss design, international licensing, and even the afterlife!

1
TTRPG Kids Ep 17 8:05

2M ago8:05

8:05

Sen and Erica welcome special guest host Steph Campbell who brings you their latest segment, TTRPGKids. This week, Steph talks about how to incorporate math into games in the classroom and at the dinner table.

1
Travis Windleharth on foundry10 17:49

2M ago17:49

17:49

Travis Windleharth on foundry10 In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng chats with Travis Windleharth from foundry10 about games-based learning. Travis, with a background in science education, museology, and information science, focuses on how games shape youth's understanding of STEM concepts. Foundry10, co-founded by Gabe Newell, is explor…

1
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 12 6:59

2M ago6:59

6:59

In this episode of Thinking Beyond Mechanisms, Sen and Erica welcome guest host Sarah Shipp as she takes on the contentious issue of Take That mechanicsms but frames it in terms of player investment to shed light on when the mechanism in question might rub people the wrong way and when it might be exactly what's needed to spice up a game.…

1
What are Progression Systems in Games? 44:28

2M ago44:28

44:28

What are Progression Systems in Games? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What are progression systems in games? One of the most becoming aspects of games is our ability to interact, change, and progress with them. We can progress as individual players; progress against opponents; and progress against the game itself. The formal element…

1
Ludology 329 Puzzle It Out 1:12:59

2M ago1:12:59

1:12:59

Sen and Erica talk to Jonathan Chaffer, designer and illustrator of the Holiday Hijinks series of 18-card puzzle games. We chat about Jonathan's take on puzzle design, his use of technology to drive the component-light system, and his opinion on things like clues vs. hints and the concept of red herrings.…

1
TTRPGKids Ep 16 11:43

3M ago11:43

11:43

Erica and Sen welcome guest host, Steph Campbell, as they talk about how parents and educators can use TTRPGs to foster a love of learning in young students in this 16th installment of TTRPGKids.

1
Episode #6: Ruminations and Consternations under the Shadow of Ursula 1:16:39

3M ago1:16:39

1:16:39

Greetings, alchemists, and welcome to another episode of our humble audio ventures into the unknown: a so-called "podcast", and it is so called "The Hypothesis". We are your Ludological Alchemists, Luke and Christopher. Sam was not with us in body or voice for this recording, but very much so in spirit. He will return for another episode in the fut…

1
Michele Haiken on Gamify Literacy 18:18

3M ago18:18

18:18

Michele Haiken on Gamify Literacy In this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Dr. Michele Haiken, an experienced literacy educator, and middle school English teacher, discusses her journey into gamification for teaching literacy. She shares how an educational conference sparked her interest and how students, es…

1
Ludology 328 The Whole Kitten and Caboodle 55:39

3M ago55:39

55:39

Sen and Erica welcome Daniel Cunningham (AKA Iron Kitten Games) to discuss his role as a mechanical engineer and how he parlays those skills into helping publishers design storage trays, dice towers, and cardboard constructibles for modern tabletop games.

1
Thinking Beyond Mechanisms Ep 11 6:37

3M ago6:37

6:37

Erica and Sen welcome special guest (and new mom!), Sarah Shipp, back to her role on the Ludology Network as the host of Thinking Beyond Mechanisms. In this episode, Sarah talks about the concept of perception and how game designers need to hone their skills in this area, particularly when it comes to playtesting.…

1
AP Table Talk: Mega Topic: Hidden Information 1:23:17

3M ago1:23:17

1:23:17

AP Table Talk: Mega Topic: Hidden Information In this episode of AP Table Talk, the hosts Brian and Dave Eng explore the “mega topic” of hidden information in games. They explore hidden role games and games with hidden information, discussing examples like Battlestar Galactica and Scotland Yard. They touch on games such as Inside Job, Werewords, Du…

1
Ludology 327 Game On in Vietnam 49:59

3M ago49:59

49:59

Erica and Sen talk to Michael Orion of www.rollingwizards.com about his recent move to Vietnam and his thoughts on the country's developing game design scene and, more broadly, the tabletop scene across South East Asia.

1
Episode #5: Golems LIVE at Gen Con 2024 52:23

4M ago52:23

52:23

Dearest listener, This episode of our Hypothesis contains a different outlook than our previous iterations. Herein, we present to you a live recording captured at Gen Con ‘24 of your humble alchemists at their labors. In this experiment, we attempt to play our game, The Alchemist & the Golem with each other and then, as a body, with the audience. I…

1
Sarah Le-Fevre on Play and Impactful Learning 37:14

4M ago37:14

37:14

Sarah Le-Fevre on Play and Impactful Learning In this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Sarah Le-Fevre, a games-based learning professional with expertise in addressing complex organizational challenges and fostering ethical innovation. Le-Fevre uses tools like Lego Serious Play to create immersive learning e…

1
Pros and Cons Ep 10 First Fish 59:54

4M ago59:54

59:54

In this episode of Pros and Cons, Sen talks to Steph, Gordon, and Liam at Origins 2023 as they were getting ready for their biggest Kickstarter to date: Mistwind designed by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu which is currently making a splash!

1
What is the Game State? 30:15

4M ago30:15

30:15

What is the Game State? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What is the Game State? Determining the “game state” is often one of the questions that designers and developers will ask themselves when determining how to take a design or iterate on the development of a game. The game’s state is important to understand from a design perspecti…

1
Pros and Cons Ep 9 59:12

4M ago59:12

59:12

In this interview, Sen talks to Jessica Geyer, President of the Indie Game Developers Network (https://www.igdnonline.com/) at Origins 2023 to find out what the IGDN can do for indie game devs and how that differs from the Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDN) would like to offer members.

1
Pros and Cons Ep 8 59:01

5M ago59:01

59:01

In this episode, Sen interviews Smoox Chen at the Gathering of Friends in 2023, talking about his work with Taiwan Boardgames Design and how he's trying to get more eyes on games by Taiwanese designers.

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