Subject Matter: Table Top Jordan and Steve

In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Michael Goetjen, a musicologist whose research focuses on eighteenth-century opera and the music of Mozart, to play Lacrimosa, a game about Mozart’s final and unfinished composition: “The Requiem.” Together, they discuss the rumor mill of the 18th century music scene, the working conditions of classical composers, and the historical construction of Mozart’s persona as an “artistic genius.”

Happy International Women’s Day! — In this episode, SM:TT is joined by Lisa Tetrault, a historian of U.S. democracy, to play Votes for Women, a game about the struggle for women’s suffrage in America and the historic passage of the 19th amendment. They discuss the obstacles faced by social movements throughout history, the ongoing struggle for voter rights today, and the challenge of making complex historical events more accessible through games.

In this designer deep dive, SMTT talks with Banana Chan, co-designer of Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall and owner and co-founder of Game and a Curry. Banana talks about finding a way into the world of RPG design, what types of games inspired the development of Jiangshi and offers some advice for aspiring designers hoping to write their own RPGs.
Check out Banana's work: https://www.gameandacurry.com/

At long last, the first full-episode of season 2 has arrived! — SM:TT sits down with MIchelle King and Heidi Kim, scholars of Chinese history and Asian American literature respectively, to play Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, a tabletop RPG about an immigrant family struggling against discrimination while trying to manage their family business in a 1920’s Chinatown.  Along the way, they discuss the centrality of family in Chinese food cultures, the economic challenges faced by Asian immigrants in the twentieth century, and the potential pitfalls of pursuing the historical experiences of marginalized communities through play.

Jordan and Steve catch up with each other after some time away from your feeds. In this episode, they spend a while discussing the many layers of time in tabletop gaming.

The second of two Designer Deep Dives we recorded on the ground at GEN CON in August. In this episode, SMTT talks with designer Damon Stone. Damon tells us why Monopoly is the perfect game to rip-up and start again, and shares how he got started as a designer in the industry, eventually working on major titles such as Android: Netrunner and A Game of Thrones LCG. He also tells us about his latest project Ten to One, a strategic wargame about the Haitian Revolution, and discusses the capacity for games to educate their players by speaking against dominant historical narratives.Check out Damon’s body of work on Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/48764/damon-stoneLearn more about Ten to One here: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/349773/ten-one