Cult of the Old

cultoftheolduk
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Games

Every episode of Cult of the Old your hosts Iain McAllister, Nate Owens, and Matt Thrower focus on a title from the history of tabletop games. They’ll look at the impact of the game at the time, their own critical impressions, the games ongoing influence on the modern hobby, and whether or not they would still recommend it!

  1. 11h ago

    Cult of the Old - Bohnanza

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  This Episode We all begin by just playing games, but then the thought grabs you ‘what if I can do better?” From scribbled notes in a dog eared notebook, to early prototypes with questionable art assets, these initial journeys into design can stop at the kitchen table. For the few that push through, the rewards of seeing your work finally in print can be the end of the story. For fewer still it is the spark of a career.  In 1997 an unassuming box of cards became the megaphone announcement of a new designer on the scene. With odd art depicting anthropomorphised legumes, and cartoon pulses, this trading game spawned numerous expansions and is still widely available until this day. It led to a long career for its designer Uwe Rosenberg. Let’s dig up some opinions and plant our flags in the bean trading game that is Bohnanza.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Catan - Episode Link Citadels - Episode Link Civilisation  Freight Train Mega Civilisation Pit Mamma Mia  Scout Agricola  Patchwork Cosmic Encounter  Trade on the Tigris Lords of Vegas Zoo Vadis I’m The Boss Other Mentions Airecon Uwe Rosenberg interview Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  2. Aug 31

    Cult of the Old - Jenga

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  What are we looking at this cast It is easy to forget that the board games world does not stop at the borders of board game geek. Since the dawn of the modern era, that arguably started with Catan, there has been an attitude amongst some that games in the mainstream like Monopoly and Cluedo are mere trifles. Games that are not worth considering when we have such highly crafted artisan experiences to nourish us. But games are old, much older than the modern expression of them. From the egyptian game of Senet to the scratched in the sand boards of Mancala and its many variants, simple but engaging games are woven into the fundamental DNA of the modern expression of tabletop gaming. Today we are covering one of those games, or at least it feels like one of those games. Arriving on the scene via a toy company in the early 80s, this game feels like something much older and elemental. A stacking game defined almost entirely by the imperfections in its production that has sold 95 million copies worldwide. We are going to take a block and put it on top, in Jenga.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Carrom  Crokinole  Tak Pitchcar Draughts Hnefatafal  Latrunucli  Ker Plunk Pick up sticks Jacks Knucklebones Twister Junk Art Rhino Hero Nekojima Tetris Tumble Can’t Stop King of Tokyo Men At Work El Grande Villa Paletti  Bandu Riff Raff Dread Star Crossed  Icarus  Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Join our Discord Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  3. Aug 10

    Cult of the Old - Lords of Vegas

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  Let me take you back dear listeners. Way back. A time before gin joints, and speakeasies, when the saloon was king. The west keened a golden siren call to thousands of prospectors some struck it rich, others did not return, and America was forever changed. Although it was California that most flocked to, a little further east, and a century or two later, another place would become synonymous with the idea of striking it rich. Las Vegas, Nevada.  Las Vegas has become a mecca for those looking to make their fortune, but the house always wins. Although it would be interesting to go as far back as the Wild West to look at something like Poker, that is not the aim of my preamble today. Nor is it to look at any of the numerous parlour games become gamblers laments that have taken up residence in the glitzy casinos of Las Vegas. No today we look at a game that asks you to invest in Vegas before it was Vegas. To have the vision to construct strange churches to greed and avarice in the middle of the desert. To truly become Lords of Vegas.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Camden Chinatown Waterfall Park Acquire Catan - Episode Link Monopoly - Episode Link Other Mentions Mike Selinker accusations Cheapass Gamestf Fortress Ameritrash Iain’s Lords of Vegas Americana Review Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  4. Jul 20

    Cult of the Old - Innovation

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  Games can be many things. They can be journeys back in time, a window to nostalgia or a new and exciting arrangement of ideas. They can range in tone from light to dark. Climb in complexity from breezy to fiendishly complicated. They can be laden with components, stacked high with plastic, or they can be, like our next game, a deceptively simple set of cards.  This game is, by most people’s measure, a bit of an ugly mess of graphic design, but that hasn’t stopped it getting a cult following. Like many games we have covered over our first 3 seasons, it stamped its designer's name on the history of the hobby. Join us as we look at a game where every card makes you do a second take. It’s time for Innovation.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Glory to Rome Mottainai  Uchornia  Impulse Sidereal Confluence Innovation Ultimate Doomtown 7th Sea Netrunner Magic the Gathering  Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  5. Jun 29

    Cult of the Old - The Castles of Burgundy

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  It’s the fourth season of Cult of the Old and we have a new 10 episode arc for you covering games, big and small, but all interesting. We begin this season with a game that defined a genre, the point salad. A heady mix of random chance, manipulated fate, and multiple paths to glorious points heaven gave us one of the classics of the 2010s. It may be as dry as the desert, but it carved a path through the next couple of decades with remakes, upgrades, reissues, and spinoffs. Come and sip a glass of fine wine with us as we construct the Castles of Burgundy.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Battlestar Galactica - Episode Link Nexus Ops Cosmic Encounter - Episode Link Puerto Rico - Episode Link Alien Frontiers Kingsburg Lords of Vegas Catan - Episode Link Wingspan In the Year of the Dragon Notre Dame  Power Grid - Episode Link Ark Nova Sanctuary Agricola - Episode Link Other Mentions Fortress Ameritrash Branson Board Game Cafe Awaken Realms BGA version Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  6. 06/23/2025

    Cult of the Old - Through the Ages

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  Dear listeners, it is once again time for us to part ways. As we come to the end of our third season, let us reflect on the games we have covered. From the family friendly Ticket to Ride, to the genre defining titles like El Grande and Dominion, and the brutal chance of Blood Bowl we have covered a wide range of genre, mechanism, and complexity. However, no game this season has the reputation for sheer scale and difficulty of our final title.  Not only did our last title this season establish its designer as a powerful voice, but it took a venerable genre and turned it inside out. The civilisation style of board games is almost as old as the hobby, and our final title took this genre, stripped out a lot of the fundamentals and made a game that took the world by storm. Join us for one last time this season as we go Through the Ages. Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mentions during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Pandemic Mage Knight Codenames Francis Tresham Civilisation  Mega Civilisation  Prophecy Sid Meier’s Civilisation New Leaders Through the Ages App Can’t Stop - Playte Version Flip 7 FFG Civilisation Mare Nostrum Imperium Six Sojourns - Eight Minute Empire Carta Impera Victoria Civilisation: A New Dawn Innovation Ark Nova Other Mentions Matt Leacock Boardgame Arena Digital Antiquarian  Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt BlueSky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  7. 06/09/2025

    Cult of the Old - Blood Bowl

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  Nate: Well Iain we are almost at the end of the season Iain: That’s right Nate and the teams have all to play for N: Teams? I: Yes Nate, teams. In no other sport do we get to see the sheer physicality and natural brutality brought out in such a glorious manner N: This isn’t a sports podcast Iain, it’s a board game podcast I: Can’t it be both?  N: I guess it could. If we covered a board game from at least 10 years ago that happens to be focused on sport I: How about a fantasy sport?  N: Tell me more Iain I: Well Nate, let me tell you about a sport that is not only an allegory for the animosity between many fantasy races but also stands as one of the icons of the British gaming scene.  N: Is it from a famous British Publisher? I: You took the words right out of my mouth Nate N: Meat Loaf? I: No thanks I’ve eaten.  N: Enough of this, let’s get on with the show I: You’re right Nate, let’s tell these fine folks about Blood Bowl.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Warhammer Epic 40k Warhammer 40k Necromunda Warhammer Quest Space Hulk    Monsters of the Midway Football Strategy Avalon Games Terror of the Lichemaster (warhammer campaign) Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Mordheim Gorkamorka Dune Blitz Bowl Dreadball Blood Bowl: Team Manager Kaos Ball Other Mentions Games Workshop Ltd. Tabletop Simulator Mod we used  Beastie Boys - License to ill  American History X The Producers TSR Team Links Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt Bluesky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

  8. 05/26/2025

    Cult of the Old - Power Grid

    Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old! Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.  Sometimes you hear about games by reputation. The epic length of Twilight Imperium, the complexity of Vita Lacerda designs, the seemingly simple mechanisms behind the games of Reiner Knizia. These reputations can attract or repel in equal measure, and sometimes they are undeserved. The folklore around some games can be a hindrance to their uptake. However some folk tales are firmly based in reality.  The game we are covering tonight is one of those games that I knew by reputation alone. Dry, excruciating downtime, with very little in the way of redeeming features. Despite that description this is a game that has always been available, an evergreen in more ways than one. Now that I have played the game, what do I think? We will get to that. As to what my fellow hosts think, well they are in the ring and ready to fight over the classic that is Power Grid.  Show Links Below are links to the games and anything else that the team mention during the course of the cast.  We will be linking to BGG for games, designers, artists, and publishers as that is a good place to start for raw information about the game in question. Games Mentioned Ticket to Ride - Episode Link  Imperial Railway Rivals McMulti Playboss Age of Steam City of Big Shoulders Chicago Express Bohnanza Puerto Rico - Episode Link Fearsome Floors Plum Island Horror Fish, Flip, and Frikadelen  504 Ark Nova  Seti Thebes Red November Patchwork Ra Modern Art - Episode Link Fishing Other Mentions Brettspielwelt The story of Power Grid - https://opinionatedgamers.com/2016/07/11/funkenschlag-at-fifteen-the-story-of-power-grid/ Team Links Websites you can find the cast on There Will Be Games Iain The Giant Brain Bluesky Matt Bluesky Nate Bluesky Instagram Support us on Patreon Email us at cultoftheolduk@gmail.com

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4.6
out of 5
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About

Every episode of Cult of the Old your hosts Iain McAllister, Nate Owens, and Matt Thrower focus on a title from the history of tabletop games. They’ll look at the impact of the game at the time, their own critical impressions, the games ongoing influence on the modern hobby, and whether or not they would still recommend it!

Information

  • Creator
    cultoftheolduk
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © cultoftheolduk
  • Show Website
    Cult of the Old

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