Best Dave Eng Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 490: BGA's Hall of Fame Games 1:41:24

19m ago1:41:24

1:41:24

As we prepare for the epic 10 week Top 100 countdown starting on September 3, we look at our current top 100 lists and pull 5 games each to enshrine in the inaugural class of the BGA Hall of Fame. Question of the Week: What game is in your personal hall of fame - an all-timer you'll never not appreciate? Acquisition Disorders: I, Napoleon, Chicago …

1
Sarah Le-Fevre on Play and Impactful Learning 37:14

3h ago37:14

37:14

Sarah Le-Fevre on Play and Impactful Learning In this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Sarah Le-Fevre, a games-based learning professional with expertise in addressing complex organizational challenges and fostering ethical innovation. Le-Fevre uses tools like Lego Serious Play to create immersive learning e…

1
Episode 489 - Our 11th Anniversary! 1:26:21

2h ago1:26:21

1:26:21

This week we're celebrating 11 years of BGA! As is our annual tradition, we're taking a deep dive into the last year of episodes (and gaming) to look at the acquisition disorders, reviews, and features we loved most, and how we feel about gaming in 2024. Question of the Week: What's your number one game experience of the last 12 months (game played…

1
Podcast Break for ELC Annual 2024! 3:16

8h ago3:16

3:16

We’re taking a quick break from releasing episodes for a few weeks while we wrap up everything for ELC Annual. We’ll be back in late September with new guests! We have some excellent sessions at the conference - check out the agenda here: https://sfelc.com/annual2024#agenda Join us at ELC Annual 2024! ELC Annual is our 2 day conference bringing tog…

1
Episode 488 - Our Instant Buy, Play, Dodge, Burn! 1:56:56

43m ago1:56:56

1:56:56

This week we're looking at the games that are instant buys, plays, dodges or burns on our list. What mechanic, designer, theme, or other element automatically puts a game in a category before we even get it to the table (fairly or not)? Before diving in, we talk about the Dice Tower Award winners, as well as the numbers from this year's Gen Con. Ac…

1
What is the Game State? 30:15

16d ago30:15

30:15

What is the Game State? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What is the Game State? Determining the “game state” is often one of the questions that designers and developers will ask themselves when determining how to take a design or iterate on the development of a game. The game’s state is important to understand from a design perspecti…

1
Episode 487 - Going Analog! Translating Video Games to Cardboard 1:05:57

20d ago1:05:57

1:05:57

This week we're looking at the factors that make a transition from digital to analog work well - from the design aesthetics to the mechanics that stick best. Question of the Week - What's a video game mechanic do you think makes (or would make) the best transition to tabletop? Acquisition Disorders - Comic Hunters, Speakeasy At the Table Reviews - …

1
Connecting bugs & quality to the business bottom line w/ Dave Rhodes #190 48:40

7d ago48:40

48:40

Dave Rhodes, CEO @ Sauce Labs, joins the pod to discuss the value of great digital experiences & how/why quality issues affect companies’ bottom lines, and how to connect bugs to the business! Dave dissects strategies for addressing quality issues, examples connecting quality with the bottom line, best practices for quality testing strategies, and …

1
Episode 486 - 2024 Board Game Olympics: Paris 1:26:27

13d ago1:26:27

1:26:27

This week, we're looking at the best games that feature the city of Paris, where the 2024 Olympic Games are taking place. Which Parisian games stand tall for this year's board game Olympics? We also do a deep dive into the recent announcements out of San Diego Comic-Con, plus a discussion of the recently announced Spiel des Jahres winners. Acquisit…

1
Live from Config 2024! Product-building, leadership & execution lessons behind the launch of Figma’s Dev Mode w/ Marcel Weekes #189 39:57

14d ago39:57

39:57

In our latest episode, we’re coming to you live from Config 2024, Figma’s annual design conference for people who build products! This is our first time ever doing a live interview from another conference, so we are excited to share it with you. We’re joined by Marcel Weekes, VP of Engineering @ Figma. In our conversation, we dive into topics inclu…

1
Zack Hartzman on Teaching with Video Games 20:03

16d ago20:03

20:03

Zack Hartzman on Teaching with Video Games In this episode of Experience Points by University XP, host Dave Eng chats with Zack Hartzman, a licensed secondary school teacher from New York City and the creator of Hey Listen Games. Zack shares his journey of integrating video games into the classroom and discusses the motivation behind Hey Listen Gam…

1
Episode 485 - The Most Anticipated Summer and Fall Games 1:32:10

20d ago1:32:10

1:32:10

This week we're looking at the 20 games and expansions we're most excited to see and play through the end of 2024. There's a lot of good stuff on the horizon. Let's dig in! Acquisition Disorders - Everdell Duo, BOOM Patrol - Arcade-style Tank Battling Action! At the Table Reviews - Star Wars Shatterpoint, Dune: Imperium - Uprising, Munchkin: Cleric…

1
#134: Corey Mintz — Freelance Food Reporter for The New York Times, Eater and more, Hospitality Operations Advisor, author of ‘The Next Supper: The End of Dining as we Know It’ 26:36

1M ago26:36

26:36

2024 is going to be remembered for a lot of things, one of them being that it was the year we finally moved past the COVID-19 Pandemic. Industries everywhere are claiming to ‘be back’ to pre-pandemic functions, with everything from return to office initiatives to the National Restaurant Association boasting that restaurants are back to 2019 rates o…

1
Tackling All Top 10 Engineering Leadership Challenges w/ Farhan Thawar #188 40:40

21d ago40:40

40:40

Farhan Thawar, VP & Head of Engineering @ Shopify, was our first-ever ELC pod guest, so it’s fitting that he’s here to join us for this culmination of our series tackling the Top 10 challenges that engineering leaders face in a rapid-fire, high-energy format! Farhan shares insights into individual challenges, including motivating others after a reo…

1
Episode 484 - Our Friends' Favorite Games w/ Dave Eng 1:01:30

28d ago1:01:30

1:01:30

This week we're joined by Dave Eng, host of the Experience Points podcast, leader of the Games-Based Learning Alliance, and founder of Banditos Gaming. He joins us to chat about recent plays, his work in the gaming community, and his own favorite game. Find out more at www.davengdesign.com Acquisition Disorders - River Glassworks, DC Heroes United,…

1
Strategic Thinking, Org Design & Aligning Engineering & Business Goals - Tackling the Top 10 Eng Leadership Challenges! #187 43:06

1M ago43:06

43:06

In Part 3 of the Top 10 Challenges series, we’re addressing the biggest org-level challenges that eng leaders face. We’ve compiled conversations from past podcasts and conference sessions that cover org-related topics, such as aligning engineering & business goals, team topologies & org resourcing, and thinking strategically. This episode features …

1
AP Table Talk: Trick-Taking Ladder Climbing 1:16:00

1M ago1:16:00

1:16:00

AP Table Talk: Trick-Taking Ladder Climbing In this episode of AP Table Talk, the hosts Brian and Dave Eng explore the enduring appeal of trick-taking and ladder climbing games. They reminisce about classic games like Hearts and Euchre, delving into lesser-known variants such as Nine Five Two, where players aim for different trick objectives. The c…

201
Episode 483 - Big Stupid Boxes! 1:36:40

2M ago1:36:40

1:36:40

All the components in one place! What could go wrong. Join us as we explore the monkey's paw situation that is the "big box." Why we wanted them, why we regret buying them, and just how big and dumb these things have become. Acquisition Disorders: Saltfjord, Defenders of the Wild At the Table Reviews: Digsaw, Arcs, Self Careless, Twilight Inscripti…

1
Speed v. Quality, Measuring Productivity & Cross-Functional Relationships - Tackling the Top 10 Eng Leadership Challenges! #186 42:01

1M ago42:01

42:01

This is Part 2 of our Top 10 Challenges series! In this episode, we’re focusing on three common team challenges that eng leaders face: how to increase velocity without losing quality, measure productivity & create meaningful metrics, and work cross-functionally with other teams. We identified these challenges based on conversations with hundreds of…

1
Episode 482 - Dice Tower Award Nominations & Orgins Awards 1:39:02

1M ago1:39:02

1:39:02

This week, Chris from Board Games for the Better joins Chris one more time to discuss another wave of award nominations from The Dice Tower, and the winners of the Origins Awards. ======= The Board Game Academics Conference for 2024 is taking place on July 4 at Dex Lite in Morristown, NJ. Join us live or in person by registering at https://boardgam…

1
Coaching, Influencing, Motivating & Managing Up - Tackling the Top 10 Engineering Leadership Challenges! #185 42:32

2M ago42:32

42:32

In today’s episode, we’re kicking off a four-part series on the Top 10 challenges eng leaders face based on feedback from hundreds of eng leaders. In Part 1 of this mini-series, we’re tackling the first four issues: developing & coaching team members, strategies for motivating & inspiring others, influencing / creating organizational buy-in, and ma…

1
What is Player Engagement? 35:48

2M ago35:48

35:48

What is Player Engagement? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What is Player Engagement? Games require that players interact with them. They require individuals to contribute; to change; and to augment the game according to their own will and agency. This encompasses player engagement and how they come to interact with games as well as …

1
#133: Amy Edmondson — Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, author of “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well” 27:21

2M ago27:21

27:21

For any long time listeners of the podcast, you know we are firm believers in failure being a positive thing. From D1 coaches to cutting edge researchers, great performers and leaders across the board understand the importance of allowing people to fail well. But, how exactly do you do that? Enter today’s guest Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of …

1
Episode 481 - Gen Con 2024 Preview 1:40:44

2M ago1:40:44

1:40:44

Chris is joined this week once again by Chris from Board Games For the Better, to discuss Gen Con 2024 and the preview of new games being released or shown at the convention. They discuss the upcoming Board Game Academics conference plus the recent filing for a trademark of the word "meeple." ======= The Board Game Academics Conference for 2024 is …

1
The Top 10 Challenges Engineering Leaders Face: A Sneak Peak 2:00

2M ago2:00

2:00

After surveying hundreds of engineering leaders, we’ve pinpointed the top 10 challenges engineering leaders face! Exciting news - next week marks the launch of our 4-part series, sharing some of the best insights from hundreds of ELC events, podcasts & conference sessions. The finale? A dynamic rapid-fire session with Shopify's VP of Engineering, F…

1
Episode 480 - Origins & Spiel de Jahres Awards Nominations 1:24:01

2M ago1:24:01

1:24:01

Anthony's away this week, so Chris from Board Games for the Better joins the podcast to discuss the award nominations for Origins Game Fair and the Spiel des Jahres, both recently announced. Question of the Week: Anthony’s away, so what did YOU play this week? And how would YOU rate it? Acquisition Disorders: Sovereign: Fall of Wormwood, Ada's Drea…

1
Building scalable hiring processes & systems promoting operational excellence w/ Stephen Poletto #184 48:52

2M ago48:52

48:52

Today’s conversation focuses on building scalable hiring processes as your org grows and creating systems that promote operational excellence, featuring Stephen Poletto, CTO @ Lattice. He shares examples of how they introduced & scaled their hiring processes to better articulate employee value propositions, implement experience differentiators, and…

1
Jenny Varrichio on Applied Games for Corporate L&D 12:52

2M ago12:52

12:52

Jenny Varrichio on Applied Games for Corporate L&D In this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Jenny Varrichio, an associate director of training at United Healthcare with expertise in instructional design, particularly gamification for adult learners. Jenny shares her 15 years of experience, focusing on integr…

1
Episode 479 - No More Expansions! 1:43:48

2M ago1:43:48

1:43:48

Last week we talked about games that need more expansions. This week? Which ones have gone too far? We list off 10 games that have too many expansions and need to stop. Question of the Week: What is the most complex game you know how to play without looking at the rules? Acquisition Disorders: Nucleum: Court of Progress, Star Trek Captain Chair, Ki…

1
Conscious Career Growth w/ Wade Chambers #183 1:01:25

2M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

In today’s episode, we’re highlighting one of our favorite past conversations, featuring Wade Chambers, CTO & SVP of Engineering @ Included Health. We cover tools for increasing your capacity to win as an eng leader, getting unstuck in your career / moving forward, and applying “conscious growth” and neuroplasticity principles to the career. Wade s…

1
Episode 478 - Games that Need an Expansion 1:30:09

2M ago1:30:09

1:30:09

We revisit our original games that need an expansion list from 2018 to see which games eventually got expansions and which we're still waiting on, plus we add 10 more games to the list - so many games that need more content! Acquisition Disorders: Oath New Foundations, Star Trek: Star Realms At the Table Reviews: Cat in the Box Deluxe, Mini Rogue I…

1
Why Engineering Needs a Seat at the Negotiating Table with Melody Hildebrandt #182 50:25

2M ago50:25

50:25

We revisit an episode from the podcast archives – Melody Hildebrandt (CTO @ Fox) shares her experience representing the tech org during the biggest deal in entertainment history! We cover Melody’s most important lessons negotiating on behalf of the tech org plus how they leveraged the M&A event to accelerate innovation and productivity. Melody will…

1
What is Game Literacy? 21:15

2M ago21:15

21:15

What is Game Literacy? On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question: What is Game Literacy? We don’t often think about when we first started playing games. Or really the “first” game that we ever played. Most players are preoccupied with the game that they are playing “now” or the game that they will play next. Yet, we don’t stop to think about wh…

1
Episode 477 - Top 10 Reiner Knizia Games 1:29:41

3M ago1:29:41

1:29:41

This week we're looking at the best of the best from one of the best: Reiner Knizia. We whittle down our selection of the ten best of his more than 600 game designs from the last 30 years, plus some previews and reviews of what's coming out soon. Question of the Week: What is the most challenging aspect of the board gaming hobby? (e.g. finding play…

1
Working backward from winning & preparing for future tech innovation w/ Evan Welbourne #181 43:44

3M ago43:44

43:44

We discuss how to navigate the delicate balance between meeting current customer needs while also preparing for future tech trends & opportunities with Evan Welbourne, Head of AI and Data @ Samsara. Evan dissects the rapidly transforming pace of developing AI/ML products, sharing strategies for merging conversations around differing product-buildin…

1
#132: Kim Reed — Author of “Workhorse: My Sublime and Absurd Years in the New York Restaurant Scene,” Fmr. Executive Assistant for Chef Joe Bastianich 28:02

3M ago28:02

28:02

In recent years, the celebrity chef and restaurant has taken the world by storm. The rise of the ‘chefprenaur’ has created a $10 billion dollar industry encapsulating everything from restaurant chains, branded cookware, cook books, television deals, and social media empires. Despite the glamor, one fact still remains: the restaurant scene is an unf…

1
Episode 476 - Origins Game Fair Preview 1:14:40

3M ago1:14:40

1:14:40

Summer is almost upon us and that means convention season! This week we're diving in a bit earlier to look at the games we're expecting to see at Origins Game Fair in June. We also talk about the Golden Geek Award winners at the top of the show, plus give our thoughts on X-Men '97 and the newly announced Lord of the Rings movie coming in 2 (!) year…

1
Inside ELC Annual 2024: 2 days to recharge, reconnect & empower your growth #180 8:02

3M ago8:02

8:02

Welcome to a special episode highlighting ELC Annual 2024, our annual conference bringing together engineering leaders from around the world! Tune in to hear how we built this 2-day experience to be the ultimate accelerator of leadership and professional growth. We cover how the conference will expand your perspectives with curated peer-led roundta…

1
Dan White on RoboCo and GBL at Filament Games 28:19

3M ago28:19

28:19

Dan White on RoboCo and GBL at Filament Games In this podcast episode, host Dave Eng interviews Dan White, founder of Filament Games, discussing the intersection of education and gaming. Dan's journey from teaching to game development is explored, emphasizing the challenges of creating engaging learning experiences. The concept of "pleasing frustra…

1
Episode 475 - Best of Splotter Spellen 1:15:45

3M ago1:15:45

1:15:45

This week, we're looking at the best of the best from Splotter; the heavy, crunchy, kind of mean, and not always pretty (but frequently brilliant) euro games from Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga. Question of the Week: What game makes you saltier than any other game? Do you avoid playing it? Acquisition Disorders: Dune: War for Arrakis - Desert Wa…

1
Effective impromptu communication & harnessing team topologies w/ Lakshmi Baskaran #179 50:20

3M ago50:20

50:20

Lakshmi Baskaran shares insights on impromptu communication, why it’s important, and a framework for successfully navigating these tricky situations! We also cover team topology and why it’s so important to have the right composition of product-minded vs. technical-minded engineers within any eng team. Lakshmi shares how prioritizing team topology …

1
Balancing technical depth & high-level business strategy w/ Oded Kedem #178 40:31

4M ago40:31

40:31

We dissect one of the biggest challenges that eng leaders face in their day-to-day – navigating the balance between going deep in technical work & maintaining a high-level view of business strategy. Oded Kedem, Chief Technology Officer @ BigPanda, shares examples from his experience, covering strategies for prioritizing where to go deep into the te…

1
Episode 474 - BGG Award Nominations 1:33:20

4M ago1:33:20

1:33:20

This week, we take a deep dive into the recently announced BBG award nominations to discuss what we like for the awards and which games we want to track down and play before voting. Question of the Week - What's a game for which the retail edition is just as good as the crowdfunded version (or close enough)? Let's talk about games that didn't need …

1
AP Table Talk: Tech Trees and Tech Tracks 1:01:52

4M ago1:01:52

1:01:52

AP Table Talk: Tech Trees and Tech Tracks In this episode of AP Table Talk, hosts Brian and Dave Eng focus on "tech tree" and “tech track” games. They emphasize how tech trees are a central component of many video games and board games, offering players various strategic paths and upgrades. They mention games like "Tapestry" and "Space Station Phoe…

1
#131: Dr. Magie Cook — CEO of Magie Cook International, Founder of Maggie’s Salsa, Fmr. Mexico National Basketball Team Member, Board Member at the University of Charleston, Nobel Prize Recipient 25:30

4M ago25:30

25:30

We’ve had a lot of impressive guests on the podcast, many who have overcome some real challenges in their lives to build something great, but today’s guest has an especially impressive story. Dr. Magie Cook began her life with 68 brothers and sisters in an orphanage in Mexico. Battling abuse, hunger, and poverty, during her high school years she ea…

1
Harnessing Professional Strategies & Tech Performance Tools for Personal Growth w/ Chris Cravens #177 53:49

4M ago53:49

53:49

Chris Cravens (Former VPE @ Splunk and CIO @ Uber) shares practical tips for applying professional strategies / tech performance tools into our personal lives - to increase intentionality, goal setting, and habit formation in all aspects of our lives. He shares why it’s so easy to dedicate 90% of your time & attention to work while only dedicating …

1
Episode 473 - BGG Hotness April 2024 1:28:08

4M ago1:28:08

1:28:08

This week, we're joined by special guest Chris Rodriguez from Board Games for the Better to discuss the hottest games on the April 2024 Board Game Geek hotness list. Acquisition Disorders: Vantage, Slay the Spire: The Board Game, 2025 Board Game Mosaic Calendar, Earth Abundance Expansion At the Table Reviews: Trailblazers, Expeditions: Around the W…

1
Episode 472 - Top Selling Board Games for 2023 1:35:01

4M ago1:35:01

1:35:01

This week we look at data from several sources outlining some of the best selling games from 2023, and what we think of how well they sold. What games hit the most tables last year, which expansions did we all hoard? We take a deep dive to find out. Question of the Week: What's the most complex game you'd comfortable recommend for people new(ish) t…

1
Cold outreach & strategically expanding your business model into services w/ Jon Perl & Scott Wilson @ QA Wolf #176 53:38

4M ago53:38

53:38

This is a special episode from our show “Engineering Founders” - Jon Perl & Scott Wilson share the origin story of QA Wolf & deconstruct their best practices (and what to avoid) for early-stage cold outreach, how to add value to your cold email communications, and why experimenting with your cold outreach is important to early sales! We also dive i…

1
Andrew Harris and the Guild Chronicles 25:06

4M ago25:06

25:06

Andrew Harris and the Guild Chronicles In this episode of "Experience Points" Dave Eng interviews Andrew Harris, a game designer, therapist, and educator behind The Guild Chronicles program. Andrew discusses the origins of The Guild Chronicles, a transformative game-based learning program he developed, which combines tabletop RPG elements with ther…

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