A podcast all about going not just Beyond Solitaire, but beyond the board! Join your host, Liz Davidson, for interviews that touch on gaming history, historical games, and the cultural significance of the games we play.
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
Episode 245 - C. Thi Nguyen on Playing for the Right Reasons
This week on the pod, Professor C. Thi Nguyen (@add-hawk.bsky.social) pops by to discuss his work on games, why we play them, and how dangerous it is to wind up playing by someone else's rules. Check out his books, Games: Agency as Art and The Score to learn more! You can also find him at https://objectionable.net/ Preorder The Blue Way on Backerkit: https://blue-way.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders…
Episode 244 - Alice and Jessica Hong on FamBam Games
This week on the pod, sisters Alice and Jessica Hong drop by to discuss FamBam Games, the company they started together, and the process of making games that delight both their own large family and families around the world. https://fambam.games/ Preorder The Blue Way on Backerkit: https://blue-way.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders Follow Line by Line on Backerkit:…
Episode 243 - Morten Monrad Pedersen on Solo Design
This week on the pod, Morten Monrad Pedersen, head of the Automa Factory and designer of Skoventyr and Shajarat, discusses his takes on solo game design and what solo gaming means to him. https://automafactory.com/ Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan…
Episode 242 - Megan Rhodes Victor on Archaeogaming as Scholarly Play
This week on the pod, Prof. Megan Rhodes Victor (@archaeovictor.bsky.social) discusses her new edited volume, Archaeogaming as Scholarly Play, and her work as an archaeologist in the real world--and in video game settings. How do we note the passage of time and find meaning in digital worlds? She would be the one to ask. She can be found on Instagram as @archaeologicalvictor and on YouTube under…
Episode 241 - Aaron Trammell on How D&D Changed the Way We Play
For the Season 13 opener, Aaron Trammell drops by to discuss his new book, How Dungeons & Dragons Changed the Way We Play. It's a fascinating look into the issues that come with quantifying bodies as a collection of stats, the religious ideas that went into the game, and more. The book will be out from Duke University Press in September:…
Episode 240 - Shelly Jones on Board Game Cozy Mysteries
This week on the pod, Dr. Shelly Jones drops by to discuss their work as a scholar who incorporates games and RPGs into their work--and their career as an author who has written a series of cozy mysteries set at a game store. https://shellyjonesauthor.com/ Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is…
This week on the pod, Denver Walker comes by to discuss her life as a co-owner and CEO of a wargame company, as well as her own game designs. https://flyingpiggames.com/ Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games…
Episode 238 - Amabel Holland on Swords Against - Beginner's Box
This week on the pod, Amabel Holland comes by to discuss her upcoming game--if it can be so called--and the mysteries that it holds. I am very excited to play it. https://hollandspiele.com/ Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for…
Episode 237 - David Thompson on Managing Multiple Designs
This week on the pod, David Thompson drops in for our seasonal check-in! We discuss the progress of our games together, check in on David's work with several other co-designers, and discuss the status of our design philosophies in general. Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly…
This week on the pod, Tilak Vyas drops by to talk about his poetry game, Line by Line, that is forthcoming from Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations. Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for…
Episode 235 - Ari Shapiro and Alyssa Stevenski on Library Gaming
This week on the pod, I chat with Alyssa and Ari, who coordinate gaming programs for teens in my local county library system. Some of them even include me! Check out The Blue Way: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/790bcea3-7482-4f7c-91cf-dc12da16cfeb/landing?ref=home-page Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and…