#268: Dead of Winter and Exploring Psychology in Board Games
Hey Now Cabalists! The gang is back to and because they're obsessed, they talk about the Pennsylvania bigfoot and Don's belief in the ancient aliens. Then they dive into the games they've been playing including Karmaka, Search for Planet X, Rolling Realms and Inscyption on Steam. Then The Founders welcome their great friend Dan King The Game Boy Geek to share some game recommendations including East India Companies and Score Card. And then the boys dive into a very special feature review, Dead of Winter from Isaac Vega and Jon Gilmour. Tony T, as always, gives the listeners a taste of what’s going on out there in the tabletop gaming news world. And finally, the gang hosts a discussion about exploiting the psychology of the other players in board gaming.
#267: Autobahn and a Short Topic Extravaganza
Hey Now Cabalists and welcome to another game stuffed episode of The Secret Cabal. Today, after the gang theorizes about Bigfoot's ecology we get into a list of games we've been playing including The Yawning Portal, Zombicide Undead or Alive, Boon Lake, Chronicles of Crime: 2400, Lost Ruins of Arnak Expedition Leaders, and a feature review of Autobahn by Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone. Then after Tony T kick off another tabletop gaming news segment the gang jumps into some listener submitted questions discussing murder mystery party games, board game inspired video games and Bullshit or Believe it ala The Bigfoot Collector's Club.
#266: Encyclopedia and The X Factor of Popular Board Games
The Founders are back for another jam-packed episode starting out with a bit of tv show talk and leading into and a bunch of games we've been playing including The Thing: The Board Game, QE, Wonderland’s War, Heroes of Land Air and Sea, Scout and a feature review of Encyclopedia. Then Tony T gives us the greatest tabletop gaming news in the world of tabletop gaming as the rest of the gang quacks in the background. And finally, the boys discuss that special magic that games certain board games explode in popularity.
265: Starship Captains and A Short Topic Extravaganza
Hey Now Cabalists! It's time for your weekly dose of Cabal nonsense! Today the gang takes a look at a bunch of awesome games including The Shivers, Autobahn, Raiders of the North Sea Digital, Fall of the Mountain King, Cat in the Box and Don and Jamie feature Starship Captains designed by Peter B. Hoffgaard and published by CGE. Then Tony T gives you all the relevant news from around the gaming verse. And finally, the Founders host another Short Topic Extravaganza with topics like how factors game for a great game session, who are some of our favorite content creators and do you think it's okay to have multiple game with the same style or theme.
#264: Lacrimosa and Keeping Your Gaming Life Fresh
Oh baby, it's the first show of the year and after a little holiday break the Founders are back for some crazy Cabal antics! Today the gang gets into some of the games they've been playing including Forest of Radgost, Creature Comforts, Merchants of the Dark Road, Marvel Snap, Mindbug and features Lacrimosa designed by Gerard Ascensi and Ferran Renalias and published by Devir. After Tony T knocks your socks off with another bombastic tabletop gaming news segment the boys get into a discussion about keeping their gaming lives fresh.
#263: Ahoy and The Games of Christmas Past Present and Future
Ho Ho Ho Cabalists! It's the 2022 Secret Cabal Holiday Special! Today the Don and Jamie talk about their time at PAX Unplugged and a bunch of games they've played including Obsession, Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683, Clank! Catacombs, Wicked & Wise and Ready, Set Bet and a feature review of Ahoy by Greg Loring-Albright and Leder Games. Then between all the Secret Cabal Christmas tunes, Tony T kicks out the best damned tabletop gaming news segment in the history of tabletop gaming podcasts and the gang talks about games from the past, present and future that bring them joy.
#262: Sabotage and Revisiting Crowdfunding
Hey now! It's time for another healthy dose of Cabal nonsense! Today the gang gets into some of the games they've been playing including Star Trek Ascendency, Weather Machine, Mechs vs Minions, Paperback Adventures, San Francisco, and features Sabotage by Tim Fowers. Then Tony T gives the most wonderful tabletop gaming roundup any newsman has every provided. Finally, the Founders take a look at crowdfunding and how their habits have changed over the years and how they may be changing in the future.
#261: Alma Mater and What We're Thankful For In Gaming
Gobble Gobble Gobble, Cabalists! It's coming up on that holiday where we eat way too much take naps on the couch (or that would be a typical day at my house). The gang dives in with some games they've been playing including Planted, Horrified Universal Monsters, Monster Slaughter, Oak, Ark Nova and our feature review Alma Mater from Eggertspiele. Tony Topper does what a Tony Topper does best and enlightens us with all the best tabletop gaming news out there. And finally, the founders list some things that really stick in their craw and what games they're thankful for that fix those issues.
#260: Endless Winter Paleoamericans and a Short Topic Extravaganza
Hey Now Cabalists! Alabama White Thing? Alabama Booger Monster? Turkey Man Steve? The mysterious primates are everywhere! Today the gang talks about a bunch of great games they’ve been getting into including Valaria: Card, Mosaic, Don't Go In There, Flamecraft, Campaign Trail and a feature review of Endless Winter: Paleoamericans from Stan Kordonskiy Fantasia Games. Then after Tony T gives you an on fleek tabletop gaming news roundup the gang gets into some short topics including rare and out of print games, the complexity to fun ratio and what game could you beat Death at to not go to hell?
#259: Night of the Living Dead and What To Watch This Halloween
Happy Halloween Cabalists! It's that time of year when the Founders are visited by Wolfman Steve and The Gatekeeper for some spooky fun and games! First the gang talks about their very own cryptid that lives in the forests near their home. Then the gaming ghoulies jump into some games they've been playing including a feature review of Night of the Living Dead A Zombicide Game. Then Tony T gives us the creepiest, most hair-raising haunted new segments in all of Halloween Town. Then finally the Founders give board games a break and talk about the TV shows and movies we're watching this October!
#258: Witchstone and a Short Topic Extravaganza
The Founders are back with another jam-packed episode and this one has some crazy stuff going on so BEWARE! The gang starts out by talking about some awesome games, Don, Steve and Jamie review of Witchstone, Tony T goes bananas with his news segment and the gang talks about beer and pretzel games, games we would have loved when we were in 7th grade, and things that turn us off about games in our Short Topic Extravaganza.
Episode 257: Furnace and Matters of Complexity
Hey Now Cabalists! In episode 257 the gang gets back to talk about some great games including Resist!, City of Iron, Thunderstone Quest, Trudvang Legends, Cat in the Box and Get on Board. Then Don and Jamie throw a feature review of Furnace from AEG at you, followed by the great Tony T and his legendary news segment featuring many off the rails conversations. And finally, the Founders get busy with a discussion called Matters of Complexity!
Episode 256: Sniper Elite and A Short Topic Extravaganza
In episode 256, Don, Jamie and Steve review Sniper Elite, Tony T give the audience with the best damned tabletop gaming news segment that has ever been provided to a podcast audience and finally, the gang hosts a Short Topic Extravaganza with topics including the Founder's superpowers, what Dungeons and Dragons characters would the Founders be, how many plays does it take to say a game is bad and are there any Kickstarter the founders regret backing and not backing.
Episode 255: The Great Wall and Revisiting Replayability
In episode 255, The gang starts out with a story from back in high school, the Founders jump into a deep dive review of The Great Wall from Awaken Realms, Tony T gives us a rundown of all the most important news items from around the tabletop gaming world, the game returns to a discussion topic from the past regarding Replaybility and how it impacts our enjoyment, our perception of value and how it affects our reviews.
#254: Final Girl and a Short Topic Extravaganza
In episode 254 the Founders start the show by talking about Tony's trip back to Pa. Then Tony T pins the wild meter in the red with his tabletop gaming news segment. And finally, we give you another Short Topic Extravaganza including Ghosts and hauntings, the player who hosts and preps the game night and is it okay to meta-game a board game.
#253: Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and The Cabalists Court with Judge Topper
Good morning and happy Wednesday to all of you wonderful Cabalists out there! Today Don, Jamie and Steve hook you up with a feature review of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window from the Prospero Hall design team and Funko Games. Then Tony T managed to pique our interests with a bunch of great news stories and Kickstarters from across the gaming verse. And finally, court is in session and Judge Topper presides over The Cabalist's Court!
#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.