The Little Metal Dog Show

Back again! This time around I get to chat with Eric from Japanime Games about their new release on Kickstarter, Krosmaster Arena, as well as the fun and games they've had with Anglicising previous releases such as Tanto Cuore and Kanzume Goddess. Also, will the potentially court controversy when they release Barbarossa later this year? Listen and discover for yourself. Following that, I have an in-depth discussion with Christopher Badell from Greater Than Games. They've enjoyed immense success with their co-operative superhero cardfest Sentinels of the Multiverse but are now moving into a whole new world - or whole new galaxy, if you prefer - with a brand new title called Galactic Strike Force. What lessons has he learned from previous KS experiences? What on earth is an Electro-Celestial War Spectre? And will I owe him a beer at Essen 2013?

Jonathan H. Liu's probably best known for his GeekDad columns over on wired.com, but I don't think anyone ever thought that launching a simple Kickstarter campaign would cause such a stir. What originally started as something of an experiment (admittedly with the overtones of seeing how many people would come in on the joke) became a rather major cause of rage in certain quarters. The Emperor's New Clothes purported to have been developed using ROOS Technology - if you couldn't see it, you obviously weren't a "proper" gamer. Though it was all meant in jest, some took umbrage, and in this interview we talk about the project's development and what Jonathan's thoughts are on the reactions...

Hey everyone - we're back again with a brand new episode! This time around we talk Tabletop with Geek Sundry Associate Producer Boyan Radakovich, as well as see what's the deal with International Tabletop Day. Happening on March 30th 2013, folks will gather together to play the games that we all love... are you going to be part of it? Following that, Michael Mindes from Tasty Minstrel Games joins me to discuss his latest adventure into the world of Kickstarter: Dungeon Roll. Having funded within 24 hours it's gone on to become one of the most successful KS campaigns in boardgaming - and it hasn't even finished yet. Find out what plans he's got for the game and TMG in general!

This one’s quite the epic, comprising of three interviews with designers who tell their stories in very different ways! You’ll be aware of the work of James Wallis, ‘the godfather of indie RPGs’ – with games like Baron Munchausen and Once Upon A Time under his belt, he’s built quite the reputation in the gaming industry. Now he’s back with a blast RPG called Alas Vegas; a tale of amnesia, violence and life in the desert. We talk about the game, his experience with Kickstarter and much more. There’ll also be a few lies in there, but it’s up to you to work out precisely what is true… Colby Dauch of Plaid Hat Games then returns to discuss how the company has expanded in the space of a couple of years from producing only Summoner Wars to having a massive range of titles in their catalogue. With new releases on the way including City of Remnants and a tie-in with the forthcoming Bioshock Infinite video game, Plaid Hat are moving up in style. There are also a few revelations about what they have planned for the future, including a brand new design from Colby himself. Finally, David Malki! from the excellent webcomic Wondermark joins me to talk about a new game he’s co-developed – Machine of Death. Set in a world where the technology exists to reveal the method of your demise, Machine of Death has spawned a book (along with an upcoming sequel) and now a party game of ‘creative assassination’. Brace yourself; this isn’t your average dinner party extravaganza…

The Little Metal Dog Show covers all bases this time around, looking at both mainstream and hobby games with the help of two gentlemen called Phil (well, Phil and Philip). First up, to celebrate the new edition of Monopoly which will see the removal of an old school token to be replaced by a brand new one - something that's not been done since the introduction of the Dog in the fifties - Phil Orbanes, the world's leading specialist on Monopoly, comes on to talk about the world's bestselling game. We discuss what's happening with the game at the moment, talk about some curious happenings in World Championship matches and delve even deeper.  Following that, Philip duBarry joins me to reveal what it's like to design a game set in a world that's not your own (Courtier is set in AEG's Tempest line) and unveils his latest venture: Family Vacation.

And we're back! This time around we're dabbling in a little fun with Time, looking both to the future and the past... First up, journalist Will Freeman joins me to discuss the state of board gaming from a wider perspective. Will is responsible for games coverage in The Observer, one of the UK's leading broadsheet newspapers, and has begun writing reviews of the kind of games we know and love. Will this help bring gaming to the masses? What will happen in 2013? And could there be a negative effect brought on by opening up the hobby to a much wider audience? I then have the pleasure of speaking to Ben Harkins, designer of Legacy: Gears of Time and owner of Floodgate Games. The concept of Time Travel is tricky enough to get your head around, but making it work in a streamlined fashion on your tabletop can prove nearly impossible. How does Ben manage to make it work without destroying the universe and still keep it an entertaining experience?

Wowsers - I never every thought I'd get to fifty episodes of the show, but here we are! To celebrate the half century, I'm joined by people from both sides of the Atlantic to talk - what else - games! First of all, John Moller from Cartrunk Entertainment comes on the show to talk about his fantastic Unpub Conventions held over in the USA. The third annual Unpub takes place in January next year, and it's a place where designers get to take their games and play them with like minded folks. If you want to check out some of the best unpublished designers and what they've got planned for the future, this is the event to attend! That's followed by Danny Hooper, one half of Sopio's design team, who talks about how he and his cousin Alex Day managed to attain underground success with a game that you may well never have heard of... check out what he has to say for yourself!

And so we come to the end of The Little Metal Dog Show's coverage of Essen Spiel 2012! This episode covers the fourth and final day of the show with interviews with some big names in gaming as well as some new faces. From Stronghold Games' Stephen Buonocore to Joost Das from brand new company Fablesmith, you'll feel just like you were there. Or it'll sound like it anyway...

Day Three of The Little Metal Dog Show's coverage of the Essen 2012 Fair. It's another long one, clocking in at just under 100 minutes of interviews straight from the show floor with some of the biggest movers and shakers in the industry as well as newcomers aplenty. Enjoy!

The second of four episodes from The Little Metal Dog Show covering Spiel 2012! This one is massive, clocking in at over 100 minutes of interviews direct from the show floor... enjoy!

The immense Spiel event takes place every year in October in the German city of Essen and sees the release of hundreds of new board and card games (as well as so  much more). This episode is filled with interviews from folks I met during the first day of the fair - enjoy!

While every episode of The Little Metal Dog Show is special, this one has an extra sprinkling of diamonds on top of an already tasty serving. First of all, Jonny Roberts joins me to talk about Organised Play in the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game as well as the forthcoming Nationals tournament. Following on from that, I'm honoured to welcome the Daddy of Deckbuilding, Donald X Vaccarino. Probably best known as the creator of Dominion (amongst so many more games), he's a two time winner of the coveted Spiel des Jahres, including this year for the rather charming Kingdom Builder. We cover his better known titles - of course - as well as other games like Nefarious and the upcoming Gauntlet of Fools.

Back once again, it's another Little Metal Dog Show! This time there are three guests (well, four actually) for you to listen to, all of whom have something splendid to talk about. First up, Robert Groller from Grumpy Owl Gamery discusses his project that will hopefully help gamers transport their gear around in style: The Keep. Angie Hickman then comes along to show off her new story telling game that's suitable for both kids and adults, Story Realms. Finally, Athena Cagle and Jasn Painter pop up to chat about their new game Drunk Quest - a drinking game which has (for once) a focus on the game!

Yes, it's a terrible title. It's the best I could do. Anyway! Episode 43 is here, where I get to (virtually) meet up with a couple of the industry's good guys. First, Todd Rowland (who has been on before) comes along to discuss the new Tempest project from AEG. Tempest, a world in which designers are invited to make whatever game they like using provided assets and stuff, launches in October at Essen with three games - Dominare, Mercante and Courtier - with many more to hopefully follow. Imagine having the ability to create a prototype where the art and templates have already been built for you, then letting your imagination go wild: that's Tempest. After that, I'm joined by Game Salute's very own Dan Yarrington. In a pretty candid discussion, we talk about Kickstarter (of course) and what GS are attempting to do with their Springboard Seal of Quality, as well as get into the meat of what's happening in the industry today.

No, there's no sign of the meaning of life in this episode, but it's still one of the universe's finest gaming podcasts! This time I'm joined by by Clint Herron, a relatively new designer who found fame on BoardGameGeek with RoboDerby Express. What started as a competition entry has now found a new lease of life through Eagle Games who are now publishing a remixed version with a seafaring theme: Pirate Dice - Voyage on the Rolling Seas. We talk about the process of moving from Print and Play to a full retail game as well as discuss Clint's work on the iOS version of the excellent Alien Frontiers. I also get to speak with Jason Tagmire, the creator of Pixel Lincoln (which could possibly be the strangest deckbuilder in anyone's collection!). With skateboarding dinosaurs, removable beard weapons and so much more, this already has caught my eye as a potential game of the year... There's also the launch of the 2012 campaign to get the show to Essen - find out more information at http://indiegogo.com/LMDS2012