Tabletop Throwdown

GamingTrend

GamingTrend’s tabletop podcast where Mark Streed, Sean Brown and Mike Dunn chat with game designers, game publishers, and other gaming adjacent folks about, well, games and other nerdy pursuits. Spoiler- sometimes we get a little silly and we can almost guarantee that the conversation will veer into whatever we are geeking out about at any moment during the last half of the show. 

  1. Jul 16

    Hues & boops with game designer Scott Brady | TTTS2E9

    Send us Fan Mail Scott Brady has designed and co-designed several of the most compelling games of the last few years and shares with us some behind-the-scenes info on how they got made and his design process in general. Learn how even the Covid pandemic couldn't keep Hues & Cues from becoming a smash hit! Hear the origins of the thinky cat game boop. and it's many spin-offs. Marvel at Scott's wall of components! #boop #gamedesign #huesandcues 0:00 - Intro & Welcome Scott Brady 2:00 - The Prototype Piece Wall: Scott's Game Design Workshop 5:00 - How Scott Got Into Game Design: From Mom Blog to Tabletop 10:00 - Pantone the Game & Why IP Matters in Design 15:00 - Hues & Cues Origin: Publishing During COVID 20:00 - Mass Market Success: Target, Walmart & 13 Languages 24:00 - Designing for the Social Experience, Not Just Mechanics 26:30 - Failed Prototypes: Pacifier Mouthpieces & COVID's Impact 29:00 - Collaboration in Game Design: Caution Signs & Out of Words 32:00 - Boop Origin: The Shockwave Mechanic No One Had Done 37:00 - Gekitai to Boop: Naming, Theming & Smirk & Dagger 42:00 - National Boop Tournaments & Hearing "Boop" Across the Hall 45:00 - Boop Shuffle: Shared Deck Design & Board Visualization 51:00 - Scott's Boop Shuffle + Mike's Boop Variant (Boop Shuffle Boop) 54:00 - Star Wars vs. Star Trek: Scott's Top 3 58:00 - Deep Space Nine, Farscape & the Monetization of Meanness 1:03:00 - Kevin Sussman, Big Bang Theory & Why Nerds Are Now Cool 1:08:00 - Outro & Where to Find Scott at Gen Con Subscribe for more gaming and gaming culture content:  🔴 https://www.youtube.com/@GamingTrendVideos Need more?  🌐 Head on over to  https://gamingtrend.com 📈 Subscribe to our weekly round-up newsletters: https://gamingtrend.com/#/portal/signup/free Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gamingtrend.com Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/gamingtrend Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GamingTrend/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealgamingtrend/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamingtrend Discord: https://discord.gg/T8jNjYP

    Hues & boops with game designer Scott Brady | TTTS2E9
  2. May 12

    Gamersgiving's Dustin Hatchett and the four corners of Colorado boardgaming | TTT S2E6

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mike, Mark, and Sean are joined by Dustin Hatchett, President of Gamersgiving, a Colorado nonprofit organization dedicated to helping gamers and gaming communities in Colorado and beyond. Join these four corners of Colorado boardgaming as they discuss the important work Gamersgiving is doing, convention memories, and more! GamersGiving: https://www.gamersgiving.org/ SpringGiving: https://www.gamersgiving.org/springgiving Remembering Jodi Black: https://shop.peginc.com/pages/jodi-black Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gamersgiving and the Hosts 09:09 The Colorado Gaming Scene and Its Growth 14:12 Charitable Causes Supported by Gamersgiving 22:14 Building Community Through Volunteerism 22:36 Honoring Cody Bridges: The Memorial Library 28:40 Collaboration with Local Game Stores 35:20 Innovative Event Management Solutions 43:55 Nostalgia and Personal Gaming Histories 47:53 Throwdown challenge question 55:29 Memorable Convention Experiences 01:04:38 The Joy of Gaming Across Generations 01:12:47 The Cultural Impact of SpongeBob 01:15:16 GamingTrend and Future Conventions 01:18:28 Star Wars film rankings (again!) #gamersgiving #colorado #charity  Music by Ulterior Motif Subscribe for more gaming and gaming culture content:  🔴 https://www.youtube.com/@GamingTrendVideos Need more?  🌐 Head on over to  https://gamingtrend.com 📈 Subscribe to our weekly round-up newsletters: https://gamingtrend.com/#/portal/signup/free Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gamingtrend.com Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/gamingtrend Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GamingTrend/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealgamingtrend/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamingtrend Discord: https://discord.gg/T8jNjYP

    Gamersgiving's Dustin Hatchett and the four corners of Colorado boardgaming | TTT S2E6
  3. Apr 28

    Dan Madsen's Journey: From Fan to Fandom Icon | TTT S2E5

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, our special guest Dan Madsen shares his incredible journey from starting the first official Star Trek fan club at age 18 to working closely with Lucasfilm on Star Wars projects. Discover behind-the-scenes stories, fan culture evolution, and the impact of fandom on Hollywood and personal careers. Join us for an engaging conversation with Dan Madsen as he shares his extensive experience in the Star Wars and Star Trek fandoms, his work with Lucasfilm, and insights into the evolution of fandom culture, media production, and iconic sci-fi moments. Oh, and Mark Streed is officially a cohost of Tabletop Throwdown now! Welcome aboard, Mark! Don't worry, we'll get back to yapping about dice and cardboard next episode ;) Chapters 00:00 Welcome Back to Tabletop Throwdown 05:40 The Birth of the Official Star Trek Fan Club 08:15 Transition to Lucasfilm and Star Wars 11:07 The Evolution of Fandom and Fan Clubs 13:59 Memorable Conventions and Experiences 16:41 The Impact of Star Wars on Culture 19:36 Nerd Culture Goes Mainstream 22:13 The Legacy of Fandom in Modern Media 34:03 The Impact of Episode I: Cultural Phenomenon 37:51 Cameo in the Galaxy: Dan's Star Wars Appearance 43:06 The Evolution of Star Wars Celebration 47:56 Current Connections to Star Wars and Star Trek 59:25 The Changing Landscape of Fandom 01:01:48 The Toxic Side of Fandom 01:04:29 Loving What You Love in Fandom 01:10:00 Memorable Moments and Characters in Star Wars 01:13:41 Dan Madsen's Current Projects and Future Plans 01:15:28 TTT ranks the Star Trek films this time! Subscribe for more gaming and gaming culture content:  🔴 https://www.youtube.com/@GamingTrendVideos Need more?  🌐 Head on over to  https://gamingtrend.com 📈 Subscribe to our weekly round-up newsletters: https://gamingtrend.com/#/portal/signup/free Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gamingtrend.com Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/gamingtrend Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GamingTrend/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealgamingtrend/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamingtrend Discord: https://discord.gg/T8jNjYP

    Dan Madsen's Journey: From Fan to Fandom Icon | TTT S2E5
  4. Mar 31

    Tabletop Throwdown S2E3—Dungeon Crawling Melonfarmers w/Nick Medinger

    Send us Fan Mail Our first guest of the season joins us this week- Nick Medinger from Renegade Games! Yes, we talk a bit about Dungeon Crawler Carl and other TTRPGs that Renegade publishes, a tangent involving cult classic film Repo Man goes on waaaay too long, and Mike subjects everyone to a walkthrough of the main grounds of the Geneva Grand Resort, home of Gary Con. This weeks episode is sponsored by Hell of a Deal- go back this killer co-op poker game on Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smirkanddagger/hell-of-a-deal?ref=9g53jc Chapters 01:05 Introducing the first guest of the season 02:50 AI disclaimer 04:25 Nerdy Obsessions and Collecting 05:50 Nick's Journey in the Gaming Industry 09:50 Surprising Successes in Game Development 11:31 Reviving Classic Games 14:09 The Evolution of Board Games 21:06 Game Night Favorites 23:34 Star Wars Board Games 26:11 The Legacy of Star Wars Games 28:49 Dungeon Crawler Carl  31:06 Behind the Scenes of Game Production 34:37 Shrink-Wrapping Adventures 42:40 When was the last time these guys RPG'd? 44:07 Gary Con walkthrough 01:04:23 Can't stop talking about Repo Man 01:08:53 Convention Stories and Logistics Challenges 01:11:55 The Perils of Shipping Board Games 01:14:10 Game Frustrations and Memorable Experiences 01:26:08 THE Star Wars question #dungeoncrawlercarl #dungeonsanddragons  #renegade  #repoman Music by Ulterior Motif and a smattering of Sousa  Thumbnail photo by Sean Brown Subscribe for more gaming and gaming culture content:  🔴 https://www.youtube.com/@GamingTrendVideos Need more?  🌐 Head on over to  https://gamingtrend.com 📈 Subscribe to our weekly round-up newsletters: https://gamingtrend.com/#/portal/signup/free Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gamingtrend.com Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/gamingtrend Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GamingTrend/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealgamingtrend/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamingtrend Discord: https://discord.gg/T8jNjYP

    Tabletop Throwdown S2E3—Dungeon Crawling Melonfarmers w/Nick Medinger
  5. Mar 19

    So much GAMA Expo!

    Send us Fan Mail This week Sean and Mike give a bit of a ‘post-action’ report on this year’s GAMA Expo! From all of the panels Mike foolishly agreed to do, to Dungeon Crawler Carl, to Sean taking a big step towards becoming a published game designer??? Welcome to another packed episode, and if you’ve ever wondered what the game industry does when the players aren’t around, you’ll definitely want to give this one a listen! Questions? Suggestions? Just want to heckle us? Reach out at tabletopthrowdown@gamingtrend.com Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Excitement for GAMA Expo 02:45 Reflections on GAMA Expo Experience 05:04 Understanding GAMA Expo and Its Evolution 07:17 Panels and Discussions at GAMA Expo 09:51 The Importance of Trust in Media 12:42 Filming Compelling Game Demos 20:39 Nerd Alert! 21:33 Staying professional in an idustry full of friends 26:21 Leadership and Transformation in GAMA 33:31 Dungeon Crawler Carl: A New IP 36:19 Exploring the Dungeon Crawler Carl Universe 46:05 The Importance of Gateway Games 53:22 String Theory 56:02 The Intersection of Gaming and Pop Culture 01:01:38 The Four Horsemen and High-End Action Figures 01:05:16 Introducing New Team Members at GamingTrend 01:12:26 Exciting New Game Releases 01:19:51 The Importance of Game Prototyping and Pitching 01:26:09 Reflections on the Gaming Industry and Future Directions Is audio not enough for you and you just gotta see what these nerds actually look like? Check out the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/TfDX2GRg_KA Music by Ulterior Motif Thumbnail photo by Ross Thompson Relevant links: GAMA website: https://gama.org Stacey Marie Kline’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-stacey-marie/id1724463082 Dungeon Crawler Carl TTRPG Kickstarter: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/renegade-game-studios/dungeon-crawler-carl-rpg-unstoppable/launch_party Hell of a Deal on BGG: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smirkanddagger/hell-of-a-deal String Theory on BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/413220/string-theory Subscribe for more gaming and gaming culture content:  🔴 https://www.youtube.com/@GamingTrendVideos Need more?  🌐 Head on over to  https://gamingtrend.com 📈 Subscribe to our weekly round-up newsletters: https://gamingtrend.com/#/portal/signup/free Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gamingtrend.com Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/gamingtrend Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GamingTrend/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealgamingtrend/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gamingtrend Discord: https://discord.gg/T8jNjYP

    So much GAMA Expo!

About

GamingTrend’s tabletop podcast where Mark Streed, Sean Brown and Mike Dunn chat with game designers, game publishers, and other gaming adjacent folks about, well, games and other nerdy pursuits. Spoiler- sometimes we get a little silly and we can almost guarantee that the conversation will veer into whatever we are geeking out about at any moment during the last half of the show.