I've Been Diced!

Greg Smith, the designer of The Hunters and the upcoming Silent Victory, talks about his games, solitaire wargames in general, his work on computer wargames at HPS Simulations, and why boardgame design can be more challenging than computer wargame design. Plus, Tom gives advice to wargamers visiting Paris, and he proves beyond a doubt that […]

John Poniske, designer of Hearts & Minds, King Philip’s War, and Lincoln’s War, discusses the reasons why he developed a different game system for each of these games. Plus, John tells us about some upcoming designs, including games about the Plains Indians Wars and the Haitian rebellion. (Note: Apologies for the poor sound quality during […]

Jim Day, designer of Iron & Oak and Panzer, talks about these two recently-released games, cross-pollination between miniature and board wargaming, and possible new versions of MBT and IDF. Plus, we look at a key requirement for the success of any tactical wargame. What is it? I’ll lay out the scenario for you. (c) 2014 […]

Kim Kanger, designer of Ici, C’Est La France! and Tonkin, discusses France’s counterinsurgency wars, and how differences between these wars led to different game designs. We also discuss Kim’s upcoming game on the siege of Dien Bien Phu. Strap in for another deep discussion of insurgencies and insurgency-related games. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

John Gorkowski, designer of WWI-based games like Guns Of August, Guns Of Galicia, Red Poppies, and In The Trenches, as well as the upcoming The Great Game. We talk about what fascinates us about WWI, the need to take a fresh look at a conflict before dropping game mechanics on them, and why a future […]

Steve Kendall gives us a brief history of the Ragnar Brothers and the games they’ve produced. Ponder why Angola may have had more successful innovations than any other single game. Hear about the playtest of a new epoch for A Brief History Of The World. Learn why Viking Fury / Fire & Axe is a […]

We’re at Prezcon 2014, where we talk about the games we played, such as A Distant Plain, Theseus: The Dark Orbit, Coup, Cosmic Encounter, Napoleonic Wars, and the recent favorite A Study In Emerald. Plus, wargames that give a little extra historical something. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

Joel Toppen is our guest this episode, here to tell us how he designed Navajo Wars, and give us a sneak peek into his next game, covering the Comanches. Joel also provides useful advice on building Vassal modules (he’s built dozens himself). Finally, Tom gives some recommendations for solitaire wargames. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

We look back on our 2013 in gaming. Best and worst experiences, biggest surprises (good and bad), best fun per dollar, best digital boardgame translation…Vicariously share our action-packed year of gaming. Plus, the Up Front! Kickstarter project’s woes point to some serious risks for boardgames that start as Kickstarter projects. The first podcast of 2014, […]

Tom and Grant Dalgliesh stop by to discuss their successful Kickstarter campaign for Napoleon, and the new Kickstarter for Bobby Lee. Plus, your host has seven reasons why you should be playing more wargames about the American Civil War. (c) 2013 Tom Grant

Remember two episodes, when we discussed noble failures? Now it’s time for ignoble successes, the games that were more successful than they should have been. Plus, Tom gives his list of 10 science fiction boardgames for people who are serious about science fiction. (c) 2013 Tom Grant

Paul Rohrbaugh of High Flying Dice is our guest this episode. If you’re not familiar with this publisher of low-cost, print-on-demand wargames, you should be. Paul and I talk about the company, his game designs, and games as educational tools. (c) 2013 Tom Grant

Many games come oh so very close to being good, or event great, but don’t…quite…make it. That’s the topic for this episode, noble failures. Even if they didn’t completely succeed, from a design or a market perspective, these games deserve respect. Plus, Tom reviews Eclipse, both the new iPad version and the original boardgame. (c) […]

Tom and Grand Dalgliesh of Columbia Games talk about their Kickstarted new edition of the classic block game Napoleon. We also delve into the secret of Columbia Games’ sustained success, the history of the company (including Hârn), some possible new games, and the reasons why the real history of Macbeth would make an awesome game. […]

Tom, TJ, Kevin, and Jason have a therapy session about Descent 2nd edition, with some primal screaming. Why was this game so hard to love? Is it time to break up? Plus, Tom’s belated list of noteworthy games from 2012. (c) 2013 Tom Grant

Volko Ruhnke is our guest, and boy, do we have a lot to talk about. From Wilderness War to Labyrinth, from Andean Abyss to the next games in the counterinsurgency series, we’ve got it all. How do you portray guerrilla warfare and terrorism in wargames? Why haven’t there been more games about the most frequent […]

Jason White, formerly of the Point2Point podcast, chats with Tom about the games we’ve been playing, from No Retreat on the table to Summoner Wars on the iPad. Our game off the beaten path is not one, but two fantasy wargames with a very different backstory. Tom worries that companies porting boardgames to mobile devices […]

Jason Matthews, designer of Twilight Struggle, 1989, Founding Fathers, 1960, and Campaign Manager 2008, drops in for a discussion of his games, the Cold War, and political games. Plus, your host nominates the top 10 modern conflicts that don’t get enough coverage in wargames. (c) 2012 Tom Grant

Martin Wallace talks about his wide, wide portfolio of games, when he got the inspiration for many of them, how he starts the design with a fundamental mechanic, why he doesn’t get train games, and what to expect in his new Doctor Who game. Plus, why the heck would you want multiple games on the […]

Jerry Taylor stops by to discuss his games, Hammer of the Scots, Crusader Rex, and Richard III. What makes the Middle Ages great source material for wargames? How do subtle differences in Columbia block games translate into major game effects? How do you simulate asymmetric situations, such as the Third Crusade and the War of […]