Pretty Weird Games Podcast

Ulrich Blum
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  • Games

A Podcast about the artform of board games and the discourse around them.

Episodes

  1. Oct 8

    Episode 4: Playing with Definitions

    In this episode we’re shaking things up a bit. Together with my guest Peter Jürgensen I’m talking about different elements of game definitions as compiled in Rules of Play by Salen / Zimmerman. And we’re making a game out of it: who can give better examples of games that break those definitions? Works Cited Books, Papers and Video GLUED TO GAMES, Scott Rigby, Richard Ryan, Praeger, 2011 GDC TALK ABOUT TANK TACTICS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9WMNuyjm4w IMPRO, Keith Johnstone, Faber & Faber, 1979 RULES OF PLAY, Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman, MIT Press, 2004 Games (Excluding Sports and Public Domain) 1000 BLANK WHITE CARDS, Riff Conor, Nathan Phoenix, Brybelly, 1996 (Published version of a public domain concept) BALATRO, LocalThunk, 2024 BIG OR BANG, Peter Jürgensen, Korea Board Games, 2026 CANDY CRUSH SAGA, King, 2012 CANDY LAND, Eleanore Abbot, Hasbro, 1949 CATAN, Klaus Teuber, Kosmos, 1995 DARK SOULS (Series), FromSoftware, 2011 ff DAS REGELN WIR SCHON, Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Moskito Spiele, 1994 DEMOCRAZY, Bruno Faidutti, Descarte Editeur, 2000 DIPLOMACY, Allan B. Calhamer, Avolon Hill, 1959 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Wizards of the Coast, 1974 ff EL GRANDE, Wolfgang Kramer, Richard Ulrich, Hans im Glück, 1995 FARMVILLE, Zynga, 2009 FINISHED!, Friedemann Friese, 2F Spiele, 2017 FLAPPY BIRD, Dong Nguyen, .Gears, 2013 FOOD CHAIN MAGNAT, Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wierisinga, Splotter Spellen, 2015 GREED INCORPORATED, Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wierisinga, Splotter Spellen, 2009 HANABI, Antoine Bauza, Cocktail Games, 2010 MAGIC: THE GATHERING, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast, 1993 MINECRAFT, Markus Person, Jens Bergensten, Mojang Studios, 2011 MONOPOLY, Elisabeth J. Magie, Chales Darrow, Parker Brothers, 1935 NEPTUNES PRIDE, Jay Kyrbuz, Iron Helmet Games, 2010 PANDEMC LEGACY: SEASON 1, Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2015 PECHVOGEL, Peter Jürgensen, Zoch, 2018 RORY’S STORY CUBES, Rory O’Connor, The Creativity Hub, 2005 7 WONDERS, Antoine Bauza, Repos Production, 2010 SIM CITY (Series), Will Wright, Electronic Arts, 1989 ff SLAY THE SPIRE, Anthony Giovanetti, Casey Yano, Mega Crit, 2019 SLAY THE SPIRE: THE BOARD GAME, Gary Dworetzky, Anthony Giovanetti, Casey Yano, Contention Games, 2024 SNEAKY CARDS, Cody Borst, Gamewright, 2015 SO YOU’VE BEEN EATEN, Scott Almes, LudiCreations, 2022 THE BRAIN, Peter Jürgensen, 999 Games, 2023 THE MIND, Wolfgang Warsch, Nürnberger Spielkarten Verlag, 2018 UNO, Merle Robbins, Mattel, 1971 WARHAMMER 40,000 (Series), Rick Priestly, Games Workshop, 1987 ff WORLD OF WARCRAFT, Blizzard Entertainment, 2004 ZENDO, Kory Heath, Andrew Looney, Looney Labs, 2001

  2. Sep 8

    Episode 3: Definitions of "Computer Game"

    After having looked at some definitions of the terms “Play” and “Game” in the last episode, today we’re going a bit deeper and we’ll look at possible definitions of “Computer Game”. Which is relevant for board games because those definitions will try and separate computer games from other games. And by looking at those separators we will learn something about board games. Works Cited Papers and Books WHAT IS A COMPUTER GAME?, Veli-Matti Karulahti, John R. Sageng, In: The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games, Routledge, 2026 ART AND THE AESTHETIC: AN INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS, George Dickie, Cornell University Press, 1974 HOMO LUDENS, Johan Huizinga, The Beacon Press, 1950 INTERACTIVE FICTION: THE COMPUTER STORYGAME „ADVENTURE“, Mary Ann Buckles, University of California, 1985 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE (Series), Various Authors, Bantam Books, 1979-1998 AVATARS OF STORY, Marie-Laure Ryan, University of Minnesota Press, 2006 THE GRASSHOPPER, Bernhard Suits, University of Toronto Press, 1978 THERE IS NO MAGIC CIRCLE: ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPUTER GEMES AND TRADITIONAL GAMES, M. Liebe, In: Proceedings of the Philosophy of Computer Games, 2008 Games (excluding Sports and public domain): PONG, Allan Alcorn, Atari, 1972 GRAND THEFT AUTO (Series), David Jones, Mike Dailly, Rockstar Games, 1997ff CALL OF DUTY (Series), Uncredited, Activision, 2003ff POKEMON GO, Matthew Ein, Junichi Masuda, Niantic, 2016 THROW THROW BURRITO, Inman, Lee, Spence, Exploding Kittens, 2019 RUSH HOUR, Nob Yoshigahara, Think fun, 1996 RUBIK’S CUBE, Ernö Rubik, Rubik’s Brand, 1974 EXIT: THE GAME (Series), Inka & Markus Brand, Kosmos, 2016ff UNLOCK (Series), Carroll, Cauet, Demaegd et all, Space Cowboys, 2017ff DONKEY KONG, Shigeru Miyamoto, Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo 1981 SPACE INVADERS, Tomohiro Nishikado, Taito, 1978 PAC-MAN, Toru Iwatani, Namco, 1980 COLOSSAL CAVE ADVENTURE, William Crowther, 1976 CANDY CRUSH SAGA, Uncredited, King, 2012 OATHSWORN: INTO THE DEEPWOOD, Baerald, Buchyk, Jackson, Lu, Lu, Shadowborn Games, 2022 AGEMONIA, Max Wilkström, Lautapelit, 2024 KINFIRE CHRONICLES: NIGTH’S FALL, Wilson, Hardy, Kapuścińska, Perdue, Incredible Dream Studios, 2023 MONOPOLY, Elisabeth J. Magie, Charles Darrow, Parker Brothers, 1935 CATAN, Klaus Teuber, Kosmos, 1995 THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Rainer Knizia, Kosmos, 2000 PANDEMIC, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2008 SETI: SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE, Tomáš Holek, Czech Games Edition, 2024 FORREST SHUFFLE, Kosh, Lookout Games, 2023 PLANET UNKNOWN, Ryan Lambert, Adam Rehberg, Adam’s Apple Games, 2022 ARK NOVA, Mathias Wigge, Feuerland Spiele, 2021 THE LOST RUINS OF ARNAK, Elwen, Mín, Czech Games Edition, 2020

  3. Aug 13

    Episode 2: Definitions of "Play" and "Game"

    In this episode I start to look at games philosophy, which is going to be a big part of this podcast. I start off with some definitional groundwork. Looking at different definitions of the terms "Play" and "Game". Works Cited Papers and Books: WHAT’S IN A GAME? HUIZINGA, CAILLOIS, AND CONVENTIONAL BEHAVIOR IN GAMES, Chad Carlson, Routledge, 2026 SUITS ON GAMES AND THEIR VALUE, C. Thi Nguyen, Routledge, 2026 Both of the above can be found in: THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PHILOSOPHY OF GAMES, Routledge, 2026 MAN, PLAY AND GAMES, Roger Caillois, University of Illinois Press, 2001 HOMO LUDENS, Johan Huizinga, The Beacon Press, 1950 THE GRASSHOPPER, Bernhard Suits, University of Toronto Press, 1978 RULES OF PLAY, Katie Salem, Eric Zimmerman, MIT Press, 2004 Games (excluding Sports and public domain): BRASS, Martin Wallace, Rowley, 2007 SETI, Tomáš Holek, Czech Games Edition, 2024 FLIP 7, Eric Olsen, The OP Games, 2024 LOVE LETTER, Seiji Kanai, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2012 MAGIC: THE GATHERING, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast, 1993

  4. Jun 26

    Episode 1: What We Talk About When We Talk About Games

    In this first episode, I introduce myself and tell you about this project. In the main part of the episode I talk about the language we use when talking about board games and what that language tells us about how we see board games. Works cited: Novels: TSCHICK, Wolfgang Herrndorf, Rowohlt, 2010 Games: EL GRANDE, Wolfgang Kramer, Richard Ulrich, Hans Im Glück, 1995 KANBAN, Vital Lacerda, Stronghold Games, 2014 7 WONDERS, Antoine Bauza, Repos Production, 2010 ABYSS, Bruno Cathala, Charles Chevallier, Bombyx, 2014 PANDEMIC, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2008 K2, Adam Kałuża, Rebel, 2010 KOLEJKA, Karol Madaj, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (IPN), 2011 FREEDOM: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, Brian Mayer, Academy Games, 2013

  • 4 Episodes

About

A Podcast about the artform of board games and the discourse around them.

Information

  • Creator
    Ulrich Blum
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ulrich Blum