#252: The Snallygaster Situation and The Production, Gameplay and Cost of Board Games
Alrighty Cabalists, it’s time for yet another major dose of Secret Cabal insubordinate, irreverence and meshugenah nonsense! Today Don, Jamie and Chris get busy with a review of Renegade Games’ The Snallygaster Situation: Kids on Bikes Board Game and the Founders discuss board game production and how that may affect the fun positively and negatively.
#251: Dice Realms and The Top 1000 Club
Today the absolutely amazing Chaz Marler of Pair of Dice Paradise and Watch It Played gives us a pro announce that couldn’t be matched! Then Don and Jamie jump into a feature review of the new Tom Lehmann came Dice Realms. Tony T wows the audience with his amazing newsman skills and finally the game discusses the Top 1000 Club in which they talk about games that have been relegated to the ranking of 1000 on Board Game Geek.
#250: Golem and a Short Off-Topic Extravaganza
Today the legendary board and miniatures game reviewer, Joel Eddy of Drive Thru Games, opens the show with a guest announce and we couldn’t ask for better! Jamie and Don dive into a feature review of Golem from Cranio Creations. Tony T, wows the audience with his new man prowess in his world famous tabletop gaming news segment. And finally, the gang closes out the show with a Short Off-Topic Extravaganza in which they DO NOT talk about tabletop gaming but rather random off topic questions submitted by listeners
#249: Boonlake and The Evolution of Game Designs
Today Jamie and Don crack open Boonlake from Alexander Pfister and Capstone Games for a feature review. Tony T, once again, wows the people with his fine upstanding journalism skill and news delivery skills. Then finally the gang talks about games designs that have gone through an evolutionary period over time.
#248: Ark Nova and a Short Topic Extravaganza
Dan King The Game Boy Geek stars as our guest announcer today and goes the extra mile to give us some saxophone serenading. Don and Jamie throw down a feature review of Ark Nova from Capstone Games, Tony T delivers the hottest gaming news segment this side of the Mississippi and finally the gang takes questions from the listeners.
#247: The Hunger and Games We Would Add to the BGG Top 100
Tony McRee of Rolling Dice and Taking Names blasts us into a new episode of The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast! Today Don, Steve and Jamie throw down a review of Richard Garfield's The Hunger from Renegade Games. Tony T, as always, wows the audience with this vast knowledge of all things gaming industry in his award-winning news segment. And finally, the Founders dive into a discussion about what games they would like to see in the BoardGameGeek top 100 ranking.
#246: We're Back and Catching Up with the Founders!
Hey Now Cabalists! After a 3-month hiatus, the Secret Cabal Founders are back in action. Today we jump right back into the swing of things bustin’ balls, crackin' wise and yammering on about the games they love to play. Then Tony T doesn’t even miss a beat jumping back into this newsman shoes and gives us the best damned tabletop gaming news roundup you've ever seen. Then finally the gang talks about what they've been up to for the past 3 months while Jamie was "laying around" as Steve puts it.
Health Update and What’s Next?
Hey Now Cabalists! This audio is an update regarding my (Jamie) health and recovery, when the podcasts may return, the 2021 Kickstarter pledge manager, and a few stories of great things that happened during the past few months. Enjoy!
Important Announcement Regarding The Secret Cabal
Important Message from the Founders of The Secret Cabal. Why has the feed gone silent?
#245: Sleeping Gods and The Newlywed Game Founders Edition
Ho Ho Ho and Happy Holidays Cabalists! It's time for the Secret Cabal's 2021 Christmas Special! Today we start out with the weirdest Chris story you'll ever hear so get ready. Then we review Sleeping Gods from Red Raven Games, Tony T crushes it with the last gaming new segment for 2021 while the rest of us yammer on in the background and finally we roll into an irreverent version of The Newlywed Game where the founders find out how well they know each other. And of course, like all Christmas special you'll get a bunch of great Cabal Christmas songs and our annual Secret Santa tradition.
#244: It's a Wonderful World and Designer Bodies of Work
Today the Founders talk about a bunch of games they've been playing, Don and Jamie jump into a feature review of It's a Wonderful World from designer Frédéric Guérard, Tony T wows the crowd with the greatest tabletop gaming news segment in the known universe and finally, the gang takes a look at 5 game designers including Ryan Laukat, Uwe Rosenberg, Corey Konieczka, Martin Wallace and Stefan Feld and discusses their body of work.
#243: Anno 1800 and Second Chance Board Games
Hey Now! It's time for some irreverent Cabal shenanigans! Today Jamie and Don get into an overview and review of Anno 1800 from Kosmos and designed by Martin Wallace. After Tony T goes through all the most important news items in the entire world, the Founders get into a discussion about giving potentially great board games a second chance.
#242: Struggle of Empires and a Short Topic Extravaganza
Episode 242 starts with an announcement regarding Don playing a game of Europe Divided with the designer of A Gest of Robin Hood and Red Flag over Paris, Fred Serval. Tony T collects and delivers a bonkers series of news articles and currently running Kickstarter projects while the gang chirps in the background. Then finally the Founders jump into a Short Topic Extravaganza including discussion about too many Kicsktarters, how hard should a co-op game be and do the BGG rankings really reflect how good games are.
#241: Unfathomable and Our Spooky Board Game Rethemes
It's Halloween and the Founders are back to scare your pants off! The gang talks about Origins Game Fair, feature review Unfathomable from Fantasy Flight Games and Spooky Board Game Rethemes. AND throughout the episode the gang is visited by the Gatekeeper from the old Nightmare board game to give us some Halloween pop quizzes.
#240: CLASH OF CULTURES AND THE UNWRITTEN RULES
The Cabal is back for another dose of insubordinate nonsense! Today the gang talks about some great games including Magic the Gathering, Khora: Rise of an Empire, Immortals, Scooby Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion, Run Cowboy Run and Intrepid. Then Don and Jamie feature review Clash of Cultures Monumental Edition from designer Christian Marcussen and Wiz-Kids. Then Tony T pulls out the news articles if runs down all the most important things happening in the tabletop gaming world. Then finally the Founders discuss Unwritten Rules in board gaming.
#239: Through The Ages and a Short Topic Extravaganza
Awww yeah, the gang is back in action for another bananas episode of The Secret Cabal! Don and Jamie dive into a feature review of the classic Vlaada Chvátil game, Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization and the gang hosts another Short Topic Extravaganza with topics including is it okay to turn down designers when they ask you to playtest? Do you like long turns with few rounds or fast turns with tons of rounds? And do we believe in bigfoot and UFOs?
#238: Descent Legends of the Dark and Does Size Matter
Oh Yeah! Tony and Chris are back in action in episode 238 of The Secret Cabal! Today we start off by hearing a little about Tony's journey across the country and then dive into the games we've been playing over the past 2 weeks. Then Don and Jamie dive into an in-depth review of Descent Legends of the Dark. Then finally the gang discusses whether size matters in board gaming - box size, card size, table presence, etc.
#237: SpaceCorp 2025-2300AD and The Shelf of Shame
Hey Now Cabalists! It’s time for another wild, crazy, bananas, brilliant, bombastic, and meshugenah episode of The Secret Cabal Today it's only Don, Steve and Jamie as the others are off doing whatever they do and the gang dives into the games they've been playing. Then Don and Jamie review SpaceCorp 2025-2300AD Then finally Don and Jamie talk about their shelves of shame.
#236: Beyond the Sun, Lookback at 2020 Part 1 and Its Not My Jam
The Cabal is back for another jam-packed episode! Don and Jamie feature Beyond the Sun and look back at the games reviewed in the first 6 months of 2020. Then Tony T hooks us up with this news segment and the Founders finish off the show by discussing games and game styles they just don’t enjoy.
#235: Mind MGMT and Nailing a Board Game Theme
Hey Now Gang and welcome back to another wild and crazy episode of The Secret Cabal! Today the gang flies into action talking about a bunch of great games they've been playing. Then Don and Steve take a look at Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage Game. The, because Tony T is galivanting across the United States on a month-long road trip, Steve takes control of the news desk and gives us every bit of great tabletop gaming news he can. Then the gang talks about board games that really nail their theme!