Tabletop Merchant Podcast

In this week's episode, we sit down with Tom Weiner, co-designer of Farms Race and co-head of Medium Brow Games, to discuss his journey into tabletop game design. From its origins as a humorous parody of classic Eurogames to the deeply strategic experience hidden beneath its post-apocalyptic farm animal theme, Tom shares how Farms Race evolved into a game built around area control, negotiation, tactical combat, asymmetric powers, and unforgettable player interaction. Tom also discusses founding Medium Brow Games, collaborating with co-designer Daniel Dranove, lessons learned from publishing through Kickstarter, and how player feedback continues to shape the future of Farms Race. Finally, we get an exciting look at what's ahead with the upcoming Doomsday Clock expansion, the pirate-themed strategy game Plunder Blunder, and what's next for Medium Brow Games. Learn more about Medium Brow Games at www.mediumbrowgames.com.We also discuss all the new games, expansions, and add-ons that are at the store, along with upcoming releases headed our way shortly! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures, and more at Tabletop Merchant

In this week’s episode, we sit down with award-winning board game designer Steven Aramini to discuss his remarkable journey through the hobby. From his roots in Reno, Nevada and a distinguished career in advertising, to becoming one of the most respected and prolific designers in modern tabletop gaming, Steven shares the experiences, inspirations, and creative philosophy that have shaped his unique approach to game design. Along the way, we explore the stories behind many of his acclaimed titles, including Yardmaster, Circle the Wagons, Sprawlopolis, Animal Kingdoms, Fliptown, Flip Voyage, and more!We also discuss the importance of collaboration in game design, the role that design contests played in launching his career, the creation of Write Stuff Games and how solo gaming has influenced many of his most beloved designs. Finally, Steven gives us a look at several exciting upcoming projects and what players can expect from him in the years ahead.Learn more about Write Stuff Games at www.writestuffgames.comWe also discuss all the new games, expansions, and add-ons that are at the store, along with upcoming releases headed our way shortly!If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures, and more at Tabletop Merchant

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Michael Yang, the designer behind the breakout two-player card game Compile, to talk about his fascinating path through gaming and design. From studying computer science and physics at Rutgers University and competing in collegiate paintball, to building algorithmic trading software, designing educational games at Filament Games, and working on massive mobile titles at PerBlue, Michael shares how each stage of his career shaped the way he approaches game systems, player interaction, and competitive design. Of course, we also dive deep into Compile itself — from its origins to the passionate community that rallied around the game. We discuss the evolution of the system through Main 2, Aux expansions, organized play, the upcoming digital adaptation, and what players can expect from the highly anticipated Main 3 and beyond. You can learn more about Compile on its Discord here: https://discord.gg/UYhE773mNwCheck out Just Gravy LLC here: www.justgravyllc.comSubscribe to Michael’s newsletter here: https://substack.com/@justgravyWe also discuss all the new games, expansions, and add-ons that are at the store, along with upcoming releases headed our way shortly!If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures, and more at Tabletop Merchant

In this week’s episode, we interview board game superstar designer Dominic Crapuchettes of North Star Games to talk about his incredible journey through the hobby—from designing games that got banned in middle school, to captaining a commercial salmon fishing boat in Alaska and competing at the highest levels of Magic: The Gathering, to founding North Star Games and creating smash hits like Wits & Wagers and Say Anything, all the way through to modern classics like Evolution, Oceans, and his latest project, Nature. We also discuss all the new games, expansions and add-ons that are at the store, as well as upcoming items headed our way shortly!If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.com

In this week’s episode, we interview board game superstars T.K. King, Koltin Thompson & Dennis Northcott of Kinson Key Games to discuss the smash hit Galactic Cruise, its expansions, and what’s coming next!We talk about how Kinson Key Games got started, the journey from early projects like Delivirus to building Galactic Cruise into one of the most talked-about games in the hobby. We also dive into their development process, Kickstarter success, working with top-tier collaborators, and what fans can expect from upcoming projects like Manoomin, Excursions, and more. We also discuss all the new games, expansions and add-ons that are at the store, as well as upcoming items headed our way shortly!If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.com

WE ARE BACK! In this week’s episode, we interview board game superstar Nick Kopp of Weird Giraffe Games to discuss their incredible catalog of games, including Fire in the Library, Tumble Town, Way Too Many Cats, Wicked & Wise, and Logic & Lore.We talk about how Weird Giraffe Games got started, what it’s been like designing and publishing games for the past ten years, and their current Kickstarter campaign for Logic & Lore (2nd Edition) and the Variance Expansion:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weirdgiraffegames/logic-and-lore-2nd-editionIf you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.comMusic: Jazzy Frenchy  - Bensound.com

In this week's episode, we interview board game superstar, Ryan Courtney, designer of Pipeline; Curious Cargo; Trailblazers; & Bear Raid! We discuss how a 48-hour game jam competition lead to his amazing career in board games, how he has been able to make such wonderful games and what he has in store for us to melt our brains in the coming years! We also go over all the new and upcoming games to Tabletop Merchant.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.comMusic: Jazzy Frenchy  - Bensound.com

In this week's episode, we interview board game superstar, Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of Wingspan, Mariposas, Tussie Mussie, and The Fox Experiment! We discuss how she shares her profound appreciation for the natural world in her games and how they offer gamers a unique opportunity to explore themes such as birds, floriography and monarch butterflies through both scientific exploration and a sense of wonder! We also go over all the new and upcoming games to Tabletop Merchant.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.comMusic: Jazzy Frenchy  - Bensound.com

In this week's episode, we interview board game designer superstar, Matthew Dunstan, who has created so many fantastic board games including Next Station: London; Elysium; Monumental; The Guild of Merchant Explorers; Monumental; The Adventure Game series and more!  We discuss how his journey from Australia to Cambridge not only had him earn his PhD in materials chemistry,  but was foundational to his game design career! We also go over all the new and upcoming games to Tabletop Merchant.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.comMusic: Jazzy Frenchy  - Bensound.com

In this week's episode: we interview board game designer superstar, Corey Konieczka, who has created so many iconic board games including Star Wars: Rebellion; Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition; The Initiative; Voices in My Head; Star Wars: Outer Rim; and more!  We discuss his journey to submit his homebrew expansion to TI3 in his application to Final Fantasy Flight Games to now heading up his own innovate design studio, Unexpected Games! We also go over all the new and upcoming games to Tabletop Merchant.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. And check out all the amazing board games, card games, miniatures and more at www.tabletopmerchant.comMusic: Jazzy Frenchy  - Bensound.com