History & Games Lab Podcast @ University of Edinburgh HandGLab

In this episode, host Eduard Gafton is joined once more by Althingi designer Joshua Gillingham as he makes a triumphant return to the show and talks about the challenges of making and releasing the expansion Saga Heroes. 

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬 

○ 00:00:00 - Intro 

○ 00:06:03 - When did Joshua realise that Althingi was worth expanding on? 

○ 00:22:39 - How much can we trust the sagas as historical sources? 

○ 00:33:38 - Althingi as a trans-media, cross-projects endeavour 

○ 00:39:21 - Joshua's advice for those wanting to get into game design

 ○ 00:47:00 - Outro 

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 

○ Althingi: Saga Heroes pre-launch page on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshuagillingham/althingi-saga-heroes

○ Althingi: One Will Rise: https://outlandentertainment.com/work/althingi-one-will-rise/

○ Althingi: The Crescent & The Northern Star: https://outlandentertainment.com/work/althingi-the-crescent-and-the-northern-star/ 

○ The Gatewatch: https://www.crowsnestbooks.com/product/the-gatewatch/ 

○ The Everspring: https://www.crowsnestbooks.com/product/the-everspring/ 

○ Old Norse for Modern Times: https://outlandentertainment.com/work/vikingverse-old-norse-for-modern-times/ 

○ Ran’s Daughters by Kaitlin Felix: https://katifelix.com/announcement-althingi/ 

○ The Far Traveler by Nancy Marie Brown: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1631447.The_Far_Traveler?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BsESHGt8d8&rank=1

○ The Saga of Heidrik the Wise - translated by Christopher Tolkien: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6583457-the-saga-of-king-heidrek-the-wise

○ Saga Thing Podcast: https://sagathing.podbean.com/ 

○ Return to Dark Tower: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256680/return-dark-tower 

○ Jorvik Viking Museum: https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/ 

○ Capital City Comic Con: https://capitalcitycomiccon.ca/ 

○ SHUX 2022: https://www.shutupandsitdown.com/shux22/

○ Find Joshua on his website: www.joshuagillingham.ca 

○ Find Joshua on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshMGillingham 

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬 

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk. 

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/ 

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab 

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫 

Intro/Outro Music: Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod 

Link: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/~/Call_to_Adventure

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee

In this episode, University of Edinburgh graduate Eric Wood joins host Eduard Gafton to talk about his game The Last Samurai Rebellion and how students can get started with the world of wargaming.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬

○  00:00:00 - Intro

○  00:03:15 - How did The Last Samurai Rebellion begin?

○ 00:12:58 - How did Eric start designing his game?

○ 00:23:01 - How is The Last Samurai Rebellion different from The Men Who Would Be Kings?

○ 00:39:21 - What would Eric tell other students/graduates about the game creation process?

○ 00:51:16 - Outro

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞

○  Extra Credits’s playlist on the End of the Samurai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmRm--vRHCg&list=PLg1JFVHWaJX4Gf-pVYWA7h09rBdeddDA9

○ Men Who Would Be Kings Rule Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3BW7zUGNy0

○  Lion Rampant: A Viking In The Sun: https://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=15779

○  Lion Rampant: The Crusader States: https://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=15035

○  Find Eric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armchair_hobbyist/

○  Find Eric on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricWoo19308311

○ Special thanks to Oshiro Models for their support with Eric's project: https://www.instagram.com/oshiromodels/

○ Special thanks to Bac Nihn Miniatures for their support with Eric's project: https://www.instagram.com/bacninh_miniatures/

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨

○ Through Anchor, we are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and most main podcast services: https://anchor.fm/handglab

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

○ We have been on hiatus for a few months, but we are back with more episodes of the podcasts as well as new seminars for you to enjoy.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk.

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫

Intro/Outro Music:  Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee

In this episode, award-winning game designer Brian Train joins host Eduard Gafton to talk about his game Brief Border Wars and using a card-driven system to model the chaotic, stop-and-start nature of impromptu wars.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬  

○  00:00:00 - Start  

○ 00:08:01 - How did Brian get into games?  

○ 00:33:17 - How does asymmetry make for interesting match-ups?  

○ 00:43:40 - Should games be historically accurate?

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞  

○  Brian gives a lecture on Game Design & Self-Publication at Georgetown University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtky8WgsyyA 

○  Brian’s website: https://brtrain.wordpress.com/ 

○  Cole Wehrle’s essay: Affective Networks At Play: Catan, Coin, And The Quiet Year: https://analoggamestudies.org/2016/05/affective-networks-at-play-catan-coin-and-the-quiet-year/ 

○  Zones of Control: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/zones-control 

○  Brian’s game, Colonial Twilight, on Tabletop Simulator: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2090550457 

○ Brian and Volko Ruhnke’s game, A Distant Plain, on Tabletop Simulator: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=870116466

○ Brian’s game, Kashmir Crisis, on Tabletop Simulator: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2421971111 

○ Andean Abyss (first GMT COIN system game): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/91080/andean-abyss 

○ Tactics II (first wargame) : https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1574/tactics-ii 

○ The Little War (Slovakia vs. Hungary, March 1939): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/223436/ukrainian-crisis-little-war 

○ Simulations Publications: http://www.costik.com/spicom/ 

○ BCT Command: Kandahar: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/126708/bct-command-kandahar 

○ Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/236125/nights-fire-battle-budapest 

○ Vassal game system: https://vassalengine.org/ 

○ Zenobia Award finalists: https://zenobiaaward.org/finalists/ 

○ Europe Divided: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/260147/europe-divided 

○ An Infamous Traffic: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206490/infamous-traffic 

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨  

○ Through Anchor, we are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and most main podcast services: https://anchor.fm/handglab

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬  

○ The launch event to mark the release of our brand-new wargame, Lion Rampant: A Viking in the Sun, was a huge success! To buy, access this link: www.linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab.  

○ The History and Games Society is meeting on 11 October! This meeting is a great opportunity to speak with the committee, meet other HGS members and contribute ideas to future society events.  The Zoom link will be sent to all members of the society. Register for the society here: https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/activities/view/historyandgames.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬  

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk.  

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/ 

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh 

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab 

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫  

Intro/Outro Music:  Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod 

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee

In this episode, game designer and professor James Coltrain joins host Eduard Gafton to talk about his game, Blackhaven, and how it explores racism, slavery and America’s past.  

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬  

○  00:00:00 - Start  

○ 00:02:30 - How did Blackhaven start?  

○ 00:23:10 - How does a 3D environment change how we interact with history?  

○ 00:43:41 - Which games would James recommend?  

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞  

○  Historiated Games’ website: https://www.historiated.com/ 

○  Historiated Games’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9ifpyJUe9FitIPx6V-qhA/videos 

○  Blackhaven on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1668610/Blackhaven/ 

○  Digital Media and Design at the University of Connecticut: https://dmd.uconn.edu/ 

○  Department of Media Communications at the Xavier University of Louisiana: https://www.xula.edu/department/department-of-mass-communications 

○  Follow James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesColtrain 

○  Donate to The Whitney Plantation: https://www.whitneyplantation.org/ 

○  Gone Home: https://store.steampowered.com/app/232430/Gone_Home/ 

○  The Stanley Parable: https://store.steampowered.com/app/221910/The_Stanley_Parable/ 

○ Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture: https://store.steampowered.com/app/417880/Everybodys_Gone_to_the_Rapture/ 

○ Moss: https://store.steampowered.com/app/846470/Moss/ 

○ Firewatch: https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/ 

○ Oxenfree: https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/ 

○ What Remains of Edith Finch: https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Edith_Finch/ 

○ Sayonara Wild Hearts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1122720/Sayonara_Wild_Hearts/ 

○ Super Mario 3D World: Bowser’s Fury: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch/Super-Mario-3D-World-Bowser-s-Fury-1832228.html 

○ The Forgotten City: https://store.steampowered.com/app/874260/The_Forgotten_City/ 

○ Minit: https://store.steampowered.com/app/609490/Minit/ 

○ Deathloop: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1252330/DEATHLOOP/ 

○ Returnal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Returnal_(video_game) 

○ Lemnis Gate: https://www.lemnisgategame.com/ 

○ Blood, Sweat and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34376766-blood-sweat-and-pixels 

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨 

Podcasts are also now available on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPoemU_CP8tkXVpyU240LpbiXlTnBS2Zf 

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 

Join us on the 25th September at the Royal Armouries in Leeds to mark the release of our brand-new wargame: Lion Rampant: A Viking in The Sun! For more information and tickets: https://royalarmouries.org/event/the-vikings-are-coming/

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬  

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk.  

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/ 

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh 

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab 

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫  Intro/Outro Music:  Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventureLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee

In this episode, award-winning game designer Volko Ruhnke joins host Eduard Gafton to talk about his game Labyrinth - The War on Terror and how it presents guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬

○  00:00:00 - Start

○ 00:04:38 - How does Labyrinth anticipate the future of 'The War on Terror'?

○ 00:26:25 - Is it difficult to convince people to use games in order to better understand what's going on in the world?

○ 01:00:39 - How is the transition from making a board game to making a video game? How has the transition between mediums changed how you think about games in general?

○ 01:05:17 - Which games would Volko recommend?

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞

○  Volko discussing the origins of Labyrinth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9jCUoxAW9o&t=1s

○  Volko discussing the convergence of Intelligence Analysis and Board Gaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJFtpwcU1f0

○  Volko giving a lecture on the COIN series at Georgetown University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbfLZE_NTRI

○  Which COIN game is best for you?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFchyQkjH2I

○  Follow Volko on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Volko26

○  Zenobia Award: https://zenobiaaward.org/who-we-are/

○  Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/289247/verdun-1916-steel-inferno

○  Empires of Middle Ages: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/911/empires-middle-ages

○  Men of Inferno: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14683/men-iron

○  Levy & Campaign Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/bbUzb8ZA (In case this has expired, do please DM Volko on Twitter!)

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨

○ Podcasts are also now available on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPoemU_CP8tkXVpyU240LpbiXlTnBS2Zf

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk.

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫

Intro/Outro Music:  Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee

In this episode, game creator Tomislav Čipčić joins host Eduard Gafton to talk about his game Brotherhood & Unity and how it portrays the Bosnian War. 



𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬  

○  00:00:00 - Start  

○ 00:01:55 - How did Tom come up with Brotherhood & Unity?  

○ 00:17:03 - Did the theme/setting of the game, i.e the Bosnian War, come first?  

○ 00:41:21 - How is the transition from making a board game to making a video game? How has the transition between mediums changed how you think about games in general? 

○ 00:50:51 - Which games would Tom recommend?  

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞  

○  Brotherhood & Unity’s Successful Kickstarter Campaign Page from 2020: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/compassgames/brotherhood-and-unity 

○  Promotional Video for Brotherhood & Unity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw9zQYT30Ps 

○  An video introduction to Brotherhood & Unity by Tom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUqmZv6eAew 

○  Tom’s Developer Blog for Brotherhood & Unity on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2048852/brotherhood-unity-designer-blog-part-1-introductio?fbclid=IwAR0z6pcJfHqyXEQ5YMQJbddlQ-4tvnu2k8U7M8Hdq0VqQ3QxnjI9DnaHErs 

○  Tabletop Simulator Mod for Brotherhood & Unity: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2264317557 

○  A Brief History of Card-Driven Wargames: https://www.meeplemountain.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-card-driven-wargames/ 

○  Tom’s Video Game, Attack at Dawn: North Africa: https://www.attackatdawn.com/ 

○ Tom's Twitter: https://twitter.com/pz_div_games ○  Ted Raicer on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/484/ted-raicer 

○  Mark Herman on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/152/mark-herman 

○  Brian Train on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/1678/brian-train 

○ Mike Rinella on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/2269/michael-rinella 

○  Volko Ruhnke on BoardGameGeek: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/772/volko-ruhnke 

○  Cole Wehrle on BoardGameGeek: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition 

○ Dean Essig on BoardGameGeek:https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/406/dean-essig 

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨  

○ Podcasts are also now available on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPoemU_CP8tkXVpyU240LpbiXlTnBS2Zf

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐬  

If you have any feedback or would like to get in touch for a potential podcast appearance, our DMs are open on Twitter @HandGLab or you can email us at historyandgamesstudentgroup@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk.  

○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handglab/ 

○ Facebook: History and Games Lab: https://www.facebook.com/historygamesedinburgh 

○ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HistoryandGamesLab 

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫 

 Intro/Outro Music:  Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod 

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensee