The Spiel - MP3 Version

A show about games and the people who love them

Episode #469 - Whisky Jack and Melon Soup 07/11/2026

Episode #469 - Whisky Jack and Melon Soup This episode features geeky pairings galore. Books, movies, board games, and music, plus refreshing libations and light summer snacks. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/42041925

Episode #468 - Precious Ludolution 05/30/2026

Episode #468 - Precious Ludolution This episode features a treasured collector's item and a game/science discussion that includes monkeys with machetes, impervious turtles, and sex starved moths. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/41472945

Episode #467 - Nectarous Consent 04/30/2026

Episode #467 - Nectarous Consent Raise a glass and join the fun. This episode features segments with playful folks from Saskatchewan and Sydney: Scotch Council and My Favorite Game. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/41073515

Episode #466 - A Lab, A Cave, and a Playground 03/30/2026

Episode #466 - A Lab, A Cave, and a Playground Doug Richardson makes a triumphant return as co-host for Season 21, PLUS three new segments: Game Lab with Lucio Rodriguez, Spiel-lunking the Game Cave with Brynn Symington, and The Playground with James Englehardt. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/40664010

Episode #465 - Coronation 12/29/2025

Episode #465 - Coronation In our season finale, two award winning games earn our Meeple Crown for 2025. These games embody the essence of Major Fun and The Spiel of Approval. Congratulations to Fromage and Hot Streak! /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/39551205

Episode #464 - A Tale of Two Essens (with a side of haggis) 11/29/2025

Episode #464 - A Tale of Two Essens (with a side of haggis) Rick Hammerle and Katherine Rosland join the show to chat about our experiences at the world's largest game fair, plus a side quest to Scotland. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/39203525

Episode #463 - Every Second Counts 09/30/2025

Episode #463 - Every Second Counts Chelsea Steenbock, Chair of Play with Your Food, joins me for a wide ranging conversation. We talk about how games have shaped our lives and how our passion for play enables us to build community and serve others. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/38406060

Episode #462 - O Canada 08/29/2025

Episode #462 - O Canada Two segments with two amazing Canadians - Matt Robertson and Roger Leroux. Plus a GenCon recap with Erwin and Gubbins. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/38018120

Episode #461 - Origins, Closet, and a Home 06/27/2025

Episode #461 - Origins, Closet, and a Home A con report, a solo game about coming out, and big news brewing in the Spielaverse. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/37175665

Episode #460 - Sold My Car 05/30/2025

Episode #460 - Sold My Car Onion pie, killer aliens, and a car sold to fund a game convention. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/36784130

Episode #459 - Iced Tea, Dog Rating, and Smooth Jazz 04/28/2025

Episode #459 - Iced Tea, Dog Rating, and Smooth Jazz Bruce Voge chats about games based on ideas or topics that seem downright un-gamifiable. Toy maker Jason Hsieh tells us about his favorite game, What's the Point? Lucio Rodriguez shines the Back Shelf Spotlight on Heroscape, a genre bending battle game. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/36323845

Episode #458 - 3G 03/31/2025

Episode #458 - 3G Season 20 begins with flourish and 3 Gs... Growth, Gubbins, and GAMA! Growth: We introduce a new format for the show. Gubbins: Co-Op Corner, a new segment hosted by Gubbins makes its debut. GAMA: Erwin Susara and I recap our adventures at the GAMA Expo. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/35921745

Episode #457 - Coronation 12/23/2024

Episode #457 - Coronation In our season 19 finale, two award winning games earn our Meeple Crown for 2024. These games embody the essence of Major Fun and The Spiel of Approval. Congratulations to Life in Reterra and Daybreak! /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34576085

Episode #456 - Faraway 12/22/2024

Episode #456 - Faraway Play eight cards in a line from left to right to catalog your adventure across a mysterious land. Then, the journey back begins. Each card will score in reverse order from right to left. Can you build the best lineup and become a world renowned explorer? /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34567605

Episode #455 - Life in Reterra 12/21/2024

Episode #455 - Life in Reterra In Life in Reterra players build a new world on top of the old, placing terrain tiles and buildings to form communities. Buildings will unlock new rules and scoring potential and the very shape of the lands you create will help your new society succeed. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34560605

Episode #454 - Age of Comics 12/20/2024

Episode #454 - Age of Comics In Age of Comics players try to build a publishing empire during the dawn of the genre. With the right story, the right art, a head for business and a lot of moxie, you can build a fan base for a new hero and claim a spot in this ever expanding pantheon. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34545235

Episode #453 - Flip 7 12/19/2024

Episode #453 - Flip 7 Imagine the love child of Blackjack and Rummy raised with the doting influence of its uncle, Stud Poker. That’s Flip 7. Try to assemble a set of 7 cards one by one each round in a race to rake in big points. This is press your luck at its finest. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34532060

Episode #452 - Forest Shuffle 12/18/2024

Episode #452 - Forest Shuffle In Forest Shuffle, you create a network of trees, hoping to form a balanced habitat for creatures, large and small. Growth always comes at a price, though. For some things to thrive, others must fall to the forest floor. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34499680

Episode #451 - Tiny Laser Heist 12/17/2024

Episode #451 - Tiny Laser Heist Tiny Laser Heist is a dexterity game where players rob gems from a mini museum using tiny hands to manipulate locks and avoid tripping alarms. But beware people who aren’t on your team can make your job even harder! /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34483885

Episode #450 - 1902 Melies 11/29/2024

Episode #450 - 1902 Melies Assist the production of Georges Melies' silent film Journey to the Moon by orchestrating scenes and sequences from script to screen. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/34199890

Episode #449 - DroPolter 10/31/2024

Episode #449 - DroPolter DroPolter: Ghost vs Palm Muscle is a whimsically absurd dexterity game. Drop your lucky charms in just the right order, then nab the ghost and win a tiny bell. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/33703342

Episode #448 - Barcelona 09/23/2024

Episode #448 - Barcelona In 1859, Barcelona's expansion followed the first truly modern plan. A grid of wide streets divided into blocks and essential services in every area. Can you build this new Barcelona, using intersections and actions to balance the needs of all? /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/33176387

Episode #447 - Mojo 08/29/2024

Episode #447 - Mojo Mojo is a game of a mixed blessings. Everyone starts with eight cards and wants to shed as many as they can. If you end the round, grab the Mojo and hope have the lowest score. If so, that Mojo is good luck. If not, your score pays the price. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/32788147

Episode #446 - The White Castle 06/18/2024

Episode #446 - The White Castle Himeji Castle, the white heron, is the center of power and culture for the region. Your clan has a plan to gain favor and influence, but there are rivals across all levels of life at the castle. Each family member you place has an important role to play. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31784512

Episode #445 - Butts on Things 06/17/2024

Episode #445 - Butts on Things Fun begins at the ends in Butts on Things. Collect as many cards with keisters by pairing posteriors on the tails of any row or column on the table. You’ll be over the moon when you find a way to cap off any line with a nice set of cans. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31767885

Episode #444 - Sea Salt and Paper 06/16/2024

Episode #444 - Sea Salt and Paper In Sea, Salt and Paper players create an origami seascape by assembling a tableau of ocean themed cards, each with its own way to score. When you reach the limit, bet on yourself for a chance to grab a big lead or play it safe and bank your points. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31755345

Episode #443 - Fit To Print 06/15/2024

Episode #443 - Fit To Print Thistleville is a small place, but there’s something happening around every corner. Grab the best tiles from a sea of stories on the table hoping to fill your small town paper's front page. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31751687

Episode #442 - Sky Team 06/14/2024

Episode #442 - Sky Team The tower has cleared your aircraft and it is time for the final approach. Sky Team is a co-operative game for two players who must plan and then alternate placing dice in order to land a commercial airliner at airports around the world. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31743532

Episode #441 - Sides 06/13/2024

Episode #441 - Sides A line of seven letters sits before you. One side is a team of two. They must guess a magic word based on a clue the other side gives. Only only clue is allowed and the clue must begin with the letter at the end of either side of the line. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31738007

Episode #440 - Daybreak 05/24/2024

Episode #440 - Daybreak Daybreak is a cooperative boardgame about stopping climate change. In the near future, we must work together to create the technologies, policies, and resilient societies needed to reach Drawdown, sequestering more carbon than we collectively produce. /episode/index/show/thespiel/id/31464682

The Spiel - MP3 Version

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