Six board game industry podcasts you should be listening to

As an indie board game designer, it’s always good to keep up with the latest news and learn a thing or two about design and crowdfunding. There’s an immense amount of information out there ranging from blog posts, youtube videos, forums, and even books. Today I want to talk about podcasts in particular.

Podcasts are great because they require the least amount of effort to consume. Just download it and hit play during your commute, workout session, or while you’re folding laundry. I personally use Google Play Music to manage my subscriptions which can either tell you when a new episode is available or downloads the episodes automatically.

Here are six of my favorite board game industry podcasts:

Board Game Design Lab

This is a relatively new podcast (started December 2016) hosted by Gabe Barrett. Gabe has done a great job getting the best of the best to guest in each episode, which comes out every Wednesday like clockwork. Swinging for the fences, in 4 short months he’s already hosted big names like Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Scythe), Rahdo (Rahdo Runs Through), Ryan Laukat of Red Raven Games (Above and Below, Islebound), and even Tom Vasel of Dice Tower. Gabe is easy to listen to and provides great commentary. Each episode features a specific topic that matches the guest he has on for the week. Gabe is a game designer himself so many of the questions he asks are the exact same that listeners would ask. Overall top notch podcast!

Funding the Dream

After almost a 2 year hiatus, Richard Bliss’ Funding the Dream is finally back and back in a big way! Richard talks about crowdfunding in general but usually has a focus in the tabletop industry. He has been rapid firing episodes almost every other day since his return. “Sleep is so overrated” is what he says. And surprisingly it’s not a matter of quantity over quality. Each episode is sharp and insightful. You can hear Richard’s inquisitive and curious tone as he genuinely tries to learn as much as he can from each guest.

BJ Shea’s Board Game Alliance

This is a shoutout to a local podcast, created here in Seattle. The Board Game Alliance podcast is (roughly) weekly episode that is actually part of BJ Shea’s Geek Nation podcast. Featuring Chris Walker, Josh Utley, and Sean Epperson of Thing 12 Games. All three of them have lively and quirky personalities. They often talk about current Kickstarter campaigns and news in the board game industry. This show is recorded in a radio station so they have the benefits of all the great equipment, and it sounds great.

Breaking Into Board Games

Hosted by Ian Zang, Gil Hova, and Tony Miller. All three of them have a breadth of experience in game designing, developing, and publishing. Each week they also feature a guest and offer their many perspectives on a variety of topics. They also have this fun two truths and a lie segment at the end where they uncover the deep dark secrets of each guest they bring onto the show.

Board Game Closet

This podcast is another newcomer (January 2017). Hosted by Jimmy Hudson, he talks about a few games he’s played that week and his experience with each one. There’s also a topic of the week and guests as well. I’m excited to see how this one evolves over time.

Board Game Business Podcast

And finally, the Board Game Business Podcast is hosted by Richard New, Jeremy Commandeur, and Brian Henk. Similar to Breaking Into Board Games, the hosts have a variety of roles and experiences and provide insight from both the designer/developer and publisher perspectives. Each episode focuses on a specific topic within the board game business. Sometimes they aren’t glamorous topics, but they are important ones that nobody else is covering, which makes it incredibly useful for anyone who is interested in getting into the industry. I only wish they released episodes more often!

So that’s it. Each one is an interesting show. I highly recommend you give them a listen. It’s hands and eyes-free so whether it’s while you’re washing dishes, eating lunch, or driving somewhere, it’s not hard to find time to put it on and listen.

If I’m missing one of your favorites, feel free to let me know in the comments, and I’ll check it out!