5 DAYS AGO

EP #11: Cooper Island

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.In this episode they discuss Cooper Island by Andreas Odendahl. Cooper Island is a worker placement game with a unique resource system based on the height of tiles on your personal island.📜Chapters:0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?0:04:08 - Intro0:04:23 - Overview of Cooper Island0:07:06 - Discussion of Cooper Island0:49:55 - Questions for audience0:50:16 - What is your favourite overlooked or underrated game?⭐About the CastShem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development.🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

1 hr

FEB 5

EP #10: Era of Experts [Inventors expansion]

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Era of Experts by Shem Phillips and S J Macdonald. Era of Experts is an expansion to Inventors of the South Tigris which provides 12 unique playable characters to the game. Each character comes with its own special abilities, starting bonuses, and motivations. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:09:15 - Intro 0:09:32 - Overview of Era of Experts 0:09:42 - Discussion of Era of Experts 0:53:11 - Questions for audience 0:53:30 - For which game would you like to either see an expansion or another expansion? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

59 min

FEB 2

EP #9: Body of Books [Scholars expansion]

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Body of Books by Shem Phillips and S J Macdonald. Body of Books is an expansion to Scholars of the South Tigris which introduces a new black Medicine Research Track, black Dice, and the concept of publishing books. The expansion brings in more of a focus towards engine building and creating interesting combinations of retired translators and published works. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:06:41 - Intro 0:06:57 - Overview of Body of Books 0:07:35 - Discussion of Body of Books 0:45:16 - Questions for audience 0:45:34 - What is your favourite expansion to any game? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

58 min

JAN 13

EP #8: Tides of Trade [Wayfarers expansion]

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Tides of Trade by Shem Phillips and S J Macdonald. Tides of Trade is an expansion to Wayfarers of the South Tigris which gives players the means to upgrade their workers, recruit traders, and compete for influence over the new red guild. The expansion also includes a flurry of additional cards for each draw pile. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:06:33 - Intro 0:06:49 - Overview of Tides of Trade 0:09:31 - Discussion of Tides of Trade 0:46:40 - Questions for audience 0:46:57 - If you could design a game for any IP (intellectual property), which IP would it be and what would the game be like? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

53 min

12/02/2024

EP #7: Scythe

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Scythe by Jamey Stegmaier. Scythe is an engine-building game set in a 1920s era, alternate-history. Players take turns performing 1-2 actions in the race to build up their faction and earn the most coins by the end of the game. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:04:17 - Intro 0:04:31 - Overview of Scythe 0:09:03 - Discussion of Scythe 1:08:19 - Questions for audience 1:08:37 - If you could only play one board game genre for the rest of your life, which would it be? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

1h 15m

11/12/2024

EP #6: Unconscious Mind

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In episode they discuss Unconscious Mind by Laskas, Jonny Pac, Yoma, Antonio Zax. Unconscious Mind is a euro-style game featuring worker placement, engine building, multiple rondels, and cascading effects. Players take the role of contemporaries and colleagues of Sigmund Freud, renowned psychoanalyst, and aim to formulate new therapeutic techniques, establish a practice, grow your clientele, and become Freud’s most distinguished contemporary. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:05:12 - Intro 0:05:29 - Overview of Unconscious Mind 0:06:49 - Discussion of Unconscious Mind 1:08:15 - Questions for audience 1:08:41 - If you had one chance to convince someone that modern board games are fun, which game would you play with them? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

1h 17m

10/24/2024

EP #5: Nippon

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In episode they discuss Nippon by Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro and Paulo Soledade. Nippon is a an area majority eurogame in which players control Zaibatsu (Japanese Conglomerates) and try to develop their web of power by investing in new industries, improving their technological knowledge, shipping goods to foreign countries or using them to satisfy local needs, and growing their influence and power as they oversee the era of rapid industrialisation of Japan. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:03:22 - Intro 0:03:38 - Overview of Nippon 0:06:15 - Discussion of Nippon 0:58:04 - Questions for audience 0:58:25 - If you redesign any board game that exists, which one would you choose? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios

1h 6m

10/14/2024

EP #4: Darwin's Journey

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Darwin's Journey by Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone. Darwin's Journey is a worker-placement Eurogame in which players recall Charles Darwin's memories of his adventure through the Galapagos islands, which contributed to the development of his theory of evolution. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:05:03 - Intro 0:05:20 - Overview of Darwin's Journey 0:07:03 - Discussion of Darwin's Journey 1:11:32 - Questions for audience 1:11:59 - If you could give a modern board game to your teenage self, which one would you choose and why? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios

1h 18m

10/02/2024

EP#3: Skara Brae

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this episode they discuss Skara Brae by Shem Phillips. Skara Brae is a unique resource management game based on the neolithic settlement of Skara Brae in modern day Scotland. Players take turns drafting Village Cards and using their Workers to Furnish, Cook, Craft, Clean, and Trade. At the end of each Round, players need to provide for their Settlers and will likely create more Midden that needs to be cleaned up. Skara Brae is currently live on Kickstarter here until 9 October 2024. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:03:20 - Intro 0:03:41 - Overview of Skara Brae 0:04:20 - Discussion of Skara Brae 0:48:25 - Questions for audience 0:48:50 - Which board game would you prefer as a video game, and why? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from ⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios

54 min

09/27/2024

EP #2: Path of Civilization

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this second episode they discuss Path of Civilization by Fabien Gridel. Path of Civilization is a competitive civilization game with simultaneous play. Each player takes the reins of a civilization, striving to make it the most prosperous over the 9 rounds of the game through researching new technologies to improve your nation's Science, Military strength, Spirituality, Culture and Industrialization. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:02:15 - Intro 0:02:35 - Overview of Path of Civilization 0:05:05 - Discussion of Path of Civilization 0:32:54 - Questions for audience 0:33:21 - If you could choose any game to have a legacy version which would you choose and why? 0:38:22 - If you had to work on the legacy version of a Garphill Game, which would it be and why? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from Jessy Ribordy Studios

42 min

09/23/2024

EP #1: Daybreak

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements. In this first episode they discuss Daybreak by Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace. Daybreak is a co-operative game about climate action. Each player controls a world power, deploying policies and technologies to both dismantle the engine of global heating and to build resilient societies that protect people from life-threatening crises. 📜Chapters: 0:00:00 - Which would you prefer? 0:02:36 - Intro 0:02:53 - Overview of Daybreak 0:05:44 - Discussion of Daybreak 0:41:30 - Questions for audience 0:41:55 - If you could change the victory condition for any board game, which one would it be and why? ⭐About the Cast Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023). Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG. Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development. 🎵 Music licenced from Jessy Ribordy Studios

47 min

Lens and Veil Podcast

Episodes

EP #11: Cooper Island

EP #10: Era of Experts [Inventors expansion]

EP #9: Body of Books [Scholars expansion]

EP #8: Tides of Trade [Wayfarers expansion]

EP #7: Scythe

EP #6: Unconscious Mind

EP #5: Nippon

EP #4: Darwin's Journey

EP#3: Skara Brae

EP #2: Path of Civilization

EP #1: Daybreak

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