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October AMA, With lots of tabletop crowdfunding talk. Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 112

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 October AMA. Q&A Topics: Crowdfunding including what games we are excited about and various crowdfunding platforms with a focus on Gamefound, but also talk of Hasbro Pulse, Itch.io, OneBookShelf and Indiegogo. Making it in the tabletop industry, who makes more content creators or game designers? Games we most want to get to the table once it’s safe to game in person again. We also have two featured reviews: Chronicles of Crime 1400 from Lucky Duck games and The Shining Escape from the Overlook Hotel from The Op.

Episode 112 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded October 28th, 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]

18 of the Best Two Player Board Games you can buy right now, the Two Player New Hotness.

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Some board games can seem intimidating, with a thick rulebook, lots of components, or too many things to learn all at once. Sometimes though a boardgame will surprise you by looking complicated when in reality it isn't. 

Two player board games continue to be extremely popular. The question I get asked the most is some variation on "what are the best two-player board games?" Today's version of that question comes from a couple brand new to gaming. So today I'm going to look at some of the hottest newly published two-player tabletop games. 
Willie Waldman writes:
My girlfriend and I are getting into gaming. I would like to know some of the games you think are the most fun for 2 players. Any category. Any size. Any type. We play at home. We are new to this so any help would be appreciated. Thank you! [ READ MORE ]

Keep it Simple, Ways Board Game Designers Make Games Easier To Learn And Teach, Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 107

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 Keep it Simple - Ways board game designers make their games easier to learn and teach. A follow up to last week’s topic where we highlighted 15 heavier games that are easier to learn and play than you might think. In the Game Room, we have reviews of the Animal Empire an anthropomorphic empire building card game and the Tales from The Loop Starter Set from Free League Publishing

Episode 107 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded September 16th, 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]

13 Ways Board Game Designers Can Make Games Easier to Learn and to Teach

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In this article, I will be discussing a number of ways that board game designers can make their games easier to learn and teach. I feature a number of board game design tips all aimed at making boardgames more approachable. 

Even the heaviest board game can be made easier to learn through good game design, including everything from the rules and graphic design to the actual mechanics.  [ READ MORE ]

RPG Artifacts and Mementos – Physical items left over long after the game is done – Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 105

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 RPG Artifacts and Momentos - A discussion of the physical items that are left over long after the game is done. Along with this discussion we’ve got reviews of Sanctum and the Exotica Expansion for Eminent Domain. We wrap up with some Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion and talk about the board game arena version of Quoridor a classic abstract game.

Episode 105 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded August 30th, 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]

A look at RPG Artifacts and Mementos, Items created before or during the game that last after the game is done

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Today I am going to be talking about a variety of RPG artifacts. No, I'm not talking about the various body parts of Vecna, rather I'm going to be talking about physical things that are created before or during play that last long after the game they were created for is done and over with.

This topic is inspired by episode 358 of the Misdirected Mark Gaming Podcast where the hosts also discussed this topic but with a much narrower focus.  Some debate in the chatroom during that show led to one of the hosts challenging us to also cover this topic. So here we are.  [ READ MORE ]

Inaugural Reviewapalooza: Breakdancing, Hirelings, Lasers, Batman and a Haunted Coaster – Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 104

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 Inaugural Reviewapalooza - This is replacing our usual end of month AMA live Q&A. In this review filled episode we are looking at one RPG, Runaway Hirelings, and four board games including, Breakdancing Meeples, Talisman Batman Super-Villains Edition, Roll for Lasers and EXIT The Haunted Roller Coaster. In addition, during the Bellhop's Tabletop Segment we continue our playthrough of the Pathfinder Adventure Cards Game Core Set, plus some more Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion. 

Episode 104 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded August 26th, 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]

Scaling the Game – How game complexity scales with experience – Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 102

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 Scaling the Game - In this week's Ask The Bellhop segment we discuss how game complexity scales with experience. We get into detailed reviews of Telestrations Upside Drawn, a team-based version of the classic party game, and The Pip System Corebook, a universal roleplaying system great for new players and for gaming with kids. Also initial thoughts on Roll for Lasers and Breakdancing Meeple, as well as a return to Talisman Batman Super-Villains Edition in our week in review.

Episode 102 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded August 12th 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]

How a player’s skill level and experience impacts board game complexity and weight – Ask The Bellhop

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Roger is going through something we all experience when new to the board game hobby and that is how our comfort level with both learning and playing new games changes over time. As we play more games and learn new mechanics, games we once found hard and complex seem easy and games we never thought we could understand become more approachable. 

In this article, I'm going to look deeper into this phenomenon as well as tie it in with determining which games to play. Thus helping with picking which new game to introduce to a player based on their skill level and experience.  [ READ MORE ]

Two Years In – Second Anniversary AMA – Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Ep 101

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 Two Years In - Second Anniversary AMA. Live Q&A topics include snacks, our views on interviews, scheduling tips and failures, blogging and podcasting behind the scenes and lessons learned, Instagram success tips, and the first things we want to do when this pandemic is over. Also detailed reviews of Quodd Heroes and the Shadowrun Sixth World Beginner Box, plus our Gen Con Online 2020 Experience.

Episode 101 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded August 5th, 2020. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube. [ READ MORE ]