Cardboard Philosophy

At Cardboard Philosophy, not only are we all about splitting hairs about the simple pleasures of life, we’re also about fun! But what makes up fun? Can it be categorized? If so, what would those categories look like?

This week on the show, special guest Carl Robinson runs us through his 25 (6) types of fun and what goes into that secret sauce we all long for on game day!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Pickup Ke...

Framing can be important! It’s the difference between me introducing you to “my wife, Wendy” and my “good friend, Wendy.” In that case, it’s also a deciding factor on how awkward the car ride home will be!

But how does this factor into board games? Do the same mechanics with different descriptions change the feel and flow of a game? Setting the stage with a mind blowing example from the table of none other than Reiner Knizia himself - Evan, Robert and Steve dive in on this week’s show!

Want to ask a question or...

History class is something you either love or hate… but what if you mix it with BOARD GAMES?!? That’s something hundreds of games have done over the years… but what makes those experiences better than sitting down with a good ol’ fashioned history book? Is it better if you stick close to the source material? How much is too much?

This week on the show, we endeavor to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want t...

We’ve all seen that review online “not really a game… more of an ACTIVITY.” But… what does that actually mean?

Is there a difference between a game and an activity? Is this just the ultimate example of board gamer pedanticism?

This week on the show, we endeavor to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want to play some of Robert’s games? Grab them here! - https://www.allplay.com/board-games/partner/bite...

You have friends, snacks and a great new game all ready to go… but uh oh. This game is not color blind friendly and your non-gamer friend is… well this is a drag!

We have moments like these a lot in gaming. Inviting non-gamers into a gaming space and having little hiccups take some of the fun away. So how can we avoid that?

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want to play some of Robert’s game...

This week on the show we are throwing down with an age old question – why? But we aren’t throwing down with it, how is!

In this episode we talk about how the why we do what we do in games differs from the how we do it and how that impacts the end result!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Check out Robert’s latest games on Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitewinggamesnick/gazebo...

We love a good verses episode here at Cardboard Philosophy! Which is exactly what we are diving into this week! Genres verses mechanisms! Which is which? How do we separate them and how do these two words affect the games we know and love? Plus, we put our money where our mouths are and actually use some of these new definitions in the real world!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want to play some of Robert’s ga...

We’ve talked in the past about the communal focus the whole table can get when playing a board game. But is that communal focus a requirement to play a game? Can designers help nudge us toward that state of “buy in” or is it just something magical that happens once in a while?

This week on the show, Steve, Rob and Evan attempt to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want to play some o...

We buy games for a lot of reasons. To have fun with friends, to discover a new designer or enjoy a mechanic we don’t currently have represented in our collection. But could there be… another reason? One that goes down to the very root of human nature? Are we maybe buying promise more than just the hot new cardboard offering at our FLGS?

This week on the show, Steve, Rob and Evan attempt to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up a...

Some would say that points make the board gaming world go round! A lot of our favorite games all come down to a contest of having the most points… but what do those points tell us about the game? More to the point… what to they tell us about the players and the session? Are more points really always better?

This week on the show, Steve, Rob and Evan attempt to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com...

We did a mini-con! It was invite only, and only 3 invites were sent out. We had guest travel over 5000 k/m to join in the fun… so what better way to commemorate this than a bonus pod!

Please enjoy this recap of our time together for Cardboard Con 2024. And thanks for being a listener of Cardboard Philosophy. It’s been a great year, can’t wait to continue this into 2025!!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites...

We say the word “play” a lot in board gaming. “Wanna play a game” usually initiates the game nights that got us into the hobby in the first place… but what is play?

That’s a big question. So big we’ve enlisted the help of The Dice Tower’s Chris Yi to make sure we cover all the ins and outs of play… and the Treaty of Versailles!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Want more of Chris in y...

Theme and setting are both terms that get thrown around a lot in board game discussions – often as synonyms. But are they actually the same thing? If not… what makes them different?

This week on the show Evan, Robert and Steve are all diving into the weird and wonderful world of Theme VS Setting!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

An Infamous Traffic - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206490/an-infamous-traffic

Beow...

How far is too far in board gaming? No, I don’t mean collection size… and no, I don’t mean how far would you travel to play one… I mean subject matter!

How far is too far? Is there a too far? Is there anything fully off limits for publishers or players?

This week on the show, Evan, Robert and Steve try to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources<...

In a rare continuation on the previous week’s topic – this week we’re talking immersion!

But what is immersion in a game? Is it a Scrooge McDuck style dive into a swimming pool of board games? Or is it something more design based? More player based? I’m sure curious to know what Robert, Evan and Steve dredge up from the depths of philosophy on this one!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources<...

Books, movies, TV shows, slam poetry, art – there are a lot of artistic mediums out there; but what makes board games unique among the lot?

Are they better geared to a specific type of storytelling? Or are they bad for story telling full stop?

This week on the show, the dynamic trio of Steven, Robert and Evan endeavor to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Age of St...

“I just can’t wait to be king!” We all know that catchy musical number from the hit 1994 musical “The Lion King.” But Simba wasn’t able to become king on his own. It took a bit of king making from his evil uncle Scar.

Just like the Disney animated classic; board games have king making too (just usually less inspired by Hamlet). How do designers leverage king making? Is it a feature of a design or more of a bug?

This week on the show, the dynamic trio of Steven, Robert and Evan endeavor to find out...

In board gaming, collections can range anywhere from 1 to 1001 (anything after 1001 will cause an explosion). With such a wide swath of options there has to be a perfect number, right? A “goldilocks zone” if you will?

Today on the show Robert, Evan and Steve endeavor to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Abomination - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/239472/abomination-the-heir-of-frankenstein

Art Robbery - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341935/art-robbery

Perhaps it’s Evan’s Irish heritage or the secret ancient amulet beneath the studio, but we’re big fans of luck at Cardboard Philosophy. We’ve talked a lot about it over the last year too!

We’ve talked about how the luck can feel and how it’s generated. This week, we’re talking about both of those things as well as why it’s used the way it is by designers! I know, don’t even say it.

We’re just really lucky.

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents ab...

There ain’t no party like a board game party!

But board games to take to the party? There is a whole world of party games, but where is the line between “game” and “party game?” Never ones to back down from a challenge, our brave hosts Evan, Robert and Steve endeavor to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

A Fake Artist Goes To New York - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardg...

Every game is a chance for a designer to pull another trick out of their sleeve. But for a lot of designers, that new trick can often feel like the same trick with a new coat of paint.

Not to say that’s a bad thing, it’s one of the things that keep us coming back for more! But what are some of these tricks? How do designers keep them fresh? Why do we like them so?

This week Evan, Steve, Robert and special guest Aaron discuss just that!

Want to ask a qu...

If it’s been a while since you’ve listened, you may need to catch up on past episodes! That can be a bit time consuming, but worth it if you like the show.

If it’s been a while you’ve been in first place… well… that can be challenging to fix!

Catching up in games can be like climbing a mountain, but designers have catch up mechanics up their sleeves to help. But are these mechanics necessary? Do they help build skill or just make the bad players win? This week on the show, Evan...

Our hobby is constantly evolving! Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Euro-games are frequently at the center of this discussion. Are they getting too complex? Too solitaire? Are they even good any more?

This week on the show, Evan, Robert and Steve chat about the shifting euro landscape, the past, the future and how we feel about it all (and if it’s all just in our heads)!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents about the state of euros? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

If you’ve been around the internet for a while; you’ve probably seen a debate around whether something is art or not.

Are video games art? Is modern art, art? Is Taylor Swift’s music art?

But what about board games? Are they art? Better yet; who is the artist? The player the artist or the designer?

Evan, Robert and Steve endeavor to find out together on this week’s show!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites...

At the center of gaming is… well, gaming. It’s kinda in the name.

But around the sweet, gooey center that is gaming a whole world of external factors exist!

How do those factors effect our experience with games? Can a good game get ruined by bad factors and vise versa? This week on the show, we plan to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Amun-Re - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5404/amun-re

You may have noticed this, but we like Reiner Knizia. Like a lot! He’s Robert’s favorite and second favorite designer after all!

This week on the show, in celebration of all things Knizia, we break the rules and go off script to talk about the genius of Knizia’s auction trilogy. What makes Modern Art, Ra & Medici so special? So different? Should these three games be his “auction trilogy?” Robert, Steve & Evan endeavor to find out!  

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

It’s been said that “all good things must come to an end.” And it's true! If it wasn’t I would still be in college. But how those good things come to an end can vary wildly - especially in board games!

So how do designers pick a way to end the game? How do those decision change the game feel as a player? Should all games end the same way? Evan, Steve & Robert plan to find out on this week’s show!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up...

Games are full of aids, references and prompts for how to play, but how can a game imply things without being in your face about it?

Forget the player aid, this week Steven, Robert & Evan talk about the implicit rules of the games we love!

(Thanks to Peter McPherson for the question!)

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

504 - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/175878/504

Barrage - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251247/barrage

...

A mysterious stranger walks up to you. You are nervous. They present you with a bouquet of roses.

Are you still nervous? Intrigued? Terrified? Romanced?

First impressions can be everything! With board games they can even be the difference between a second play and an unfinished first play… but what makes a first impression impress?

This week on the show, Robert, Evan & Steve along with special guest Nick Murray from Bitewing Games endeavor to find out!

Find more about Bitewing Games! - https://bitewinggames.com/

Follow Bitewing/Robert’s new...

Elegance is a fancy word for fancy people, but does that translate to board games? We’ve heard reviewers use it, we’ve seen the backs of boxes use it and heck, we’ve maybe even used it to describe a favorite game… but what does it actually mean? Better yet… what actually makes that game “elegant?”

Steve, Robert & Evan aim to answer just that on this weeks episode!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Bus - https://boar...

It’s game night. Your friends are all gathered around and you stare in wonder and excitement at your shelf of games. What are you going to play? An old favorite or the new and shiny hotness?

Come to think of it, you’ve played your old favorite 20 times but you still want to play it more. Why? What makes that game repayable? Good question (or at least we thought so)!

This week on the show Evan, Robert and Steve talk all things reliability. What makes the games we love hit the table again and agai...

Some call it the “X factor,” some call it the “it factor” and others call it the “toy factor!”

But where do we draw the line between practical, cool and just a plain ol’ toy?

Join Robert, Steve, Evan and special guest host Zac Dixon from IV Studios (Moonrakers, Veiled Fate, Fractured Sky) as they look at the toys that make up our favorite toys – board games!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Get more from Zac and IV Studios - https...

Tastes change! Old favorites just feel old and shiny new games can feel… well shiny and new, but what causes those shifts? What makes that old staple fall out of favor?

Join Robert, Steve and Evan as they look at our ever-evolving tastes and the reason for these shifts are front and center on this week show!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Art Robbery - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341935/art-robbery

Axis & Allies - ht...

“No luck gameplay,” “strategic decisions,” and “no luck!” are all common phrases on both Kickstarter and BGG store pages for some of our favorite games!

But why is that? Why is there a stigma around luck in games? Should there be? Is luck a boon in game design or a bust?

Join Robert, Steve and Evan as they roll the dice on how we perceive luck in games!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Acquire...

Does a mechanic a board game genre make? We talk about how a game is a “deck builder” but does that actually answer the question of what genre the game is? Or is it merely one of the mechanics that makes up the game?

This is certainly sounds like a weird philosophical question the Cardboard Philosophy boys would tackle… 

Join Steve, Robert and Evan as they discover that classifying games by genre is sometimes easier said than done!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboa...

Board games are basically just paper video games… right? RIGHT?

While I don’t think anyone will agree with that, I think we can all agree that there sure are a lot of board game adaptations of video games floating around these days!

Why? And more importantly, what makes them work? What separates video games from board games? Evan, Robert and Steve aim to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Adrenaline - http...

Board game rules are all made up! It’s true! I read about that in a rule book once.

But how arbitrary are those made up rules? Are some rules more inherently intuitive and less arbitrarily than others? What makes those other rules feel arbitrary?

This is certainly sounds like a weird philosophical question the CP boys would tackle… and would you believe it? This week they do!

Join Robert, Steve and Evan as we get into the nitty gritty of what feel arbitrary in rules!

Want to ask a question or g...

Art is everywhere! From the screen on your phone to the paintings in a museum. It’s also all over the board games we know and love! It’s also more than just something pretty to look at… but how far can art in board games take us? How much does it effect our enjoyment of the game? Can there be too much of it?

This is a big subject, so who better to pull onto the show than our friend Peter McPherson (Fit to Print, Tiny Towns)?

Join Robert, Steve, Evan and Pete as we div...

From the “winner take all” to the “second place is the first loser” people really like to win! But why is winning so important? Is winning actually a key ingredient for enjoying a game?

This week on the show the boys dive into the highs and lows of winning!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Age of Steam - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4098/age-steam

Blood on the Clocktower - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/240980/blood-clocktower

Bo...

We’ve all been there. Everyone sitting down to dive into a board game, excited at the prospects before us. After 3.5 hours the dreaded sentence is uttered “this game is too long.” But what makes something too long? What makes it too short?

This week on the show, Steven, Evan and Robert aim to find out!

Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!

Cites and Sources

Aquashpere - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/289223/aquasphere

Bullet - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardg...