This week on the pod, Joe Dewhurst (@joe-dewhurst), a freelance developer who works primarily for GMT, gives his insights into game development and his work on COIN solo bots. Hydrologic Cycle from CMU is on Kickstarter now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmu/hydrologic-cycle?ref=discovery Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Mich…

This week on the pod, game designer Elizabeth Hargrave drops by to talk science games, design, development, and her newest project, the Tabletop Game Designers Association. Elizabeth Hargrave's site: https://www.elizhargrave.com/ TTGDA: https://www.ttgda.org/ Hydrologic Cycle from CMU is on Kickstarter now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmu/…

This week on the podcast, Alastair Kocho-Williams (@akochowi), a professor at Clarkson University, drops by to discuss how he's using wargames and game design to teach history to his students. Hydrologic Cycle from CMU is on Kickstarter now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmu/hydrologic-cycle?ref=discovery Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsore…

This week on the pod, author Weyodi OldBear drops by to discuss her work in science fiction and her involvement with Coyote & Crow, a tabletop RPG about indigenous people in a future unimpacted by colonialism. Weyodi OldBear's site: https://www.weyodi.com/ Coyote & Crow: https://coyoteandcrow.net/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Mi…

In this week's episode, Jason Carr, Lead Developer at GMT, talks about his experiences in both design and development. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colle…

This week on the pod, Dr. Jane Draycott (@jldraycott), a classicist who is also an expert on women in video games set in the ancient world, talks about her work, the world of archaeogaming, and her recent book, Cleopatra's Daughter. https://drjanedraycott.co.uk/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learn…

This week on the pod, Dr. Henry Lowood, a video game scholar and archivist from Stanford, discusses a career spent playing, studying, and preserving games--mostly video games, but with more board game work to come! https://lowood.people.stanford.edu/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through …

This week on the pod, Verdis LeVar Robinson and Paul Otto discuss their recently-published Reacting to the Past game, which gives students insight into the birth of structural racism and its relationship to other community issues in the pre-revolution United States. Game link: https://reactingconsortium.org/games/bacons1676 Verdis LeVar Robinson's …

This week on the pod, Hermann Luttmann pops by to discuss his design career so far, his future designs now that he is retired, and how he wants players to understand his body of work as a whole. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playfu…

This week on the pod, Betsy Joslyn (@WOPR_1983GTW) stops by to discuss her work in professional wargaming, as well as some of her upcoming designs. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://…

The Beyond Solitaire podcast is back for Season 8! This week, Pablo Clark talks about art, allegory, the importance of giving games the time they need to grow, and Eerie Idol's first game, The Old King's Crown. https://www.theoldkingscrown.com/ Hydrologic Cycle Prelaunch Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmu/hydrologic-cycle Beyond Solitai…

It's time for the Season 7 finale! For this episode, I got to interview Josh Sawyer from Obsidian Entertainment about his historical video game, Pentiment. If you can play it, you should—and if you want to hear about the thought that went into such a fantastic game, you should give this episode a listen! Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Cen…

This week, Dr. Steven Dashiell (@dashiellsteven), a scholar who writes about social clout and gaming, talks about our beloved French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and shows how we can apply his work to the subcultures within our hobby. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulat…

This week on the pod, friends of the show Jason Perez and Paul Wright discuss Mr. President, the biggest board game to come out in 2023, and about heavy games in general. Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michiga…

In one of the coolest episodes this season, veteran gamers and brilliant academics Dr. TreaAndrea Russworm (USC) and Dr. Samantha Blackmon (Purdue) discuss their work on the Black Games Archive, which currently catalogues video games but will soon extend to the world of board games. BGA: https://www.blackgamesarchive.org/ Not Your Mama's Gamer Podc…

This week on the pod, Rodney Smith of Watch It Played drops by to talk about his growing love affair with wargaming... and about his sordid past with SOLO board games! Watch It Played: https://www.youtube.com/@WatchItPlayed Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Bey…

This week on the pod, Egyptologist Jenny Cromwell (@papyrus_stories) discusses the intersection between the field of Egyptology, and her interest in educational gaming. Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan …

This week on the pod, Amabel Holland stops by to discuss her upcoming game, "Doubt Is Our Product," which focuses on misinformation spread by the tobacco industry. BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/401361/doubt-our-product Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampi…

Join me for an interview with Luis Aguasvivas, a board- and video game critic who has worked for a number of outlets. We discuss approaches to game criticism, what makes a game worth writing about, and more. Luis' contributions to PopMatters: https://www.popmatters.com/author/luisaguasvivas Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c…

Join me for an interview with Jo Kelly, designer of Molly House--a game about Mollies of England in the 1700s who seek queer joy in the face of social pushback. The game is being published through Wehrlegig, and crowdfunding will be live on Backerkit tomorrow. Link: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/731f1519-b2cf-4176-976f-94d4bcbe5ef3/landi…

This week on the pod, Cole Wehrle talks about Oath, as well as larger issues of history and allegory in board games. Plus we drop a few pieces of news about where Oath is headed next. ;) Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by…

In this episode, Hamish Cameron (@peregrinekiwi) drops by to talk about his work as both a game designer and a classicist. http://www.ardens.org/ https://hcommons.org/members/hcameron/ Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by C…

Join me for a conversation with Dr. Christienne Hinz (@xpelicious) current Zenobia Award Director, and Akar Bharadvaj (@akarsb), former Zenobia Award winner and now board member! We are ready to kick off a Zenobia II, and could not be more excited. www.zenobiaaward.org Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-univ…

In this episode, Professor Wendy Robertson discusses her upcoming game with CLGS, her use of games in the classroom, and the joys of teaching students about the Hydrologic Cycle. Her site; https://www.cmich.edu/people/WENDY-ROBERTSON Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-v…

In this episode, Professor Aaron Trammell joins us to speak about his book, The Privilege of Play, and gives us all a lesson in gaming history. The book: https://nyupress.org/9781479818433/the-privilege-of-play/ Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitair…

In this episode, Dr. Mike Nerdahl of Bowdoin College talks about how he uses games in his Roman history classes. I really want to take one myself! https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/mnerdahl/index.html Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is…

This week on the pod, Stuart Ellis-Gorman discusses his Civil War gaming project, the research he has put into it, and the podcast he is making about it. Project site here: https://www.stuartellisgorman.com/blog/the-lost-cause-in-games-on-the-american-civil-war-a-project Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-un…

Emily Gray, a professor at Norwich University, discusses her role as a civilian instructor at a military institution, her love for the Reformation, and her forthcoming Reacting to the Past game set in Augsburg, 1530. https://www.norwich.edu/faculty-and-staff/history-and-political-science/677-emily-fisher-gray Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://…

Jeremiah McCall, an expert on the use of video and board games in the history classroom, talks about his academic work and how it applies in practice. https://gamingthepast.net/about/ Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Ce…

Sebastian Bae drops by the pod to discuss his new wargame, Littoral Commander, and the impact it has had in both educational and hobby settings. BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/355516/littoral-commander-indo-pacific Five Hundred Year Old Vampire: https://www.backerkit.com/c/central-michigan-university-press/five-hundred-year-old-vampire Be…

The Beyond Solitaire Podcast is back for Season 7! We're starting out with a conversation about Night Witches between Jason Morningstar, David Thompson, and me. Jason's Night Witches RPG offers a different experience from David's and my upcoming board game, but there is plenty of overlap in our approaches to games about history. Night Witches RPG: …

It's the final episode of Season 6! (But don't worry, I already have great stuff planned for Season 7!) This time, Eivind Vetlesen, designer of Europa Universalis: The Price of Power, comes by to talk about designing a game that is true to both history and to the video game from Paradox. Dr. Paul Wright joins as a gaming enthusiast and historical e…

For this episode of the pod, Kevin Bertram of Fort Circle Games drops in to talk about upcoming publications, marketing strategy, and his hopes for the future of historical games. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compellin…

In this episode, Stefan Aguirre Quiroga (@railok) of the University of Gothenburg discusses his book, White Mythic Space. It's a study of community responses to racial diversity in Battlefield 1, but it has important implications for the board game hobby. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Thr…

Mike Kelley of the One Stop Co-Op Shop drops in to talk to David Thompson and me about our upcoming game, Night Witches. We've been at work on it for nearly a year now, and a lot has happened since that initial conversation back in Episode 81! Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games a…

We talk a lot about history on the pod, but this week John Coveyou of Genius Games is bringing some science! Hear his perspective on how science concepts are taught though board games, how he chooses which topics to represent, his thoughts on science vs. history games, and more. https://www.geniusgames.org/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by …

In this episode, Dr. Josh Hartman talks about playing games with his Greek students to help them practice the language, then has fascinating things to say about Puerto Rican authors and their interpretation of classical texts. AWESOME. He would like you to know that he meant Constantine the VII (not Constantine IX) and Khosrow I (not Khosrow II). P…

This week, Alex Knight (@landandfreedom1) joins us for a discussion about Land and Freedom, his semi-cooperative game about fighting fascism during the Spanish Civil War. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check …

Dr. Sherria Ayuandini and Dr. Christienne Hinz (@xpelicious) team up to talk about the upcoming Kartini: From Darkness to Light, which will be published by ION Game Design and will include a curriculum guide in collaboration with CMU's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations. This is a great conversation about gaming, education, authorial…

This week on the pod, Dr. Frank Klaassen stops by to talk about medieval magical practitioners and about Virtus, a game he co-designed with students about medieval masculinity. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. …

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Maurice Suckling (@writegameread) talks about his upcoming scholarly work on games, his work in both video and board games, and some of his current designs. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful …

Podcast regular Jason Perez of Shelf Stories drops by for a book review! Book found here: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Oppression-Legacy-Conquest-Colonialist/dp/0262047918/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H667EWI6I9OW&keywords=playing+oppression&qid=1680140977&sprefix=playing+oppression%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1 Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan …

This week on the pod, Dr. Nick Proctor, current director of Reacting to the Past, talks about where the Reacting Consortium is heading and how he games with his own students. https://reactingconsortium.org/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be…

In this episode, Dr. Martha McGill, an expert on Scottish ghosts and other awesome topics, talks about Witch Hunt 1649—a two-game project about Scottish witch hunts that included her students as co-designers. Check it out here: https://marthamcgill.co.uk/witchhunt1649/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center fo…

This week, Ian Brown joins the pod to talk about his work at the Krulak Center, his interest in professional wargaming, and some of his own upcoming designs. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here…

This week on the pod, Dr. Kate Cook (@katexe) discuss her research, which focuses on how women are presented in Classical video games. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu…

In this episode, Dr. Ray Kimball (@42edgames) and Dr. Kimberly Redding talk about their educational game, Eyeball to Eyeball, designed to give university and high school students a taste of the Cold War. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be bo…

This week on the pod, Gary Mengle (@ardwful) of Ardwulf's Lair discusses his new role as Director of the Charles S. Roberts Awards. What goes on behind the scenes of a wargaming award? Find out in this episode. Details about the Charlies can be found here: https://charlessrobertsawards.com/ Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan …

This week, Professor Adrienne Shaw joins the pod to talk about video games, representation, and how and why it matters. To read more of her work, check out her book, Gaming at the Edge. Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and com…

This week, Dr. Jason Cox joins the show to talk about his upcoming game, Five Hundred Year Old Vampire, a cooperative role playing game that is inspired by Thousand Year Old Vampire. It will be published through CMU Press, so look out for the KS campaign in the coming months! Learn more about Jason here: https://www.utoledo.edu/al/art/faculty/cox.h…