Anna and Jared discuss the rock'em sock'em robot battling deck builder, Robot Quest Arena by White Wizard Games. Do you remember the 90s? Late nights on Comedy Central watching really intelligent nerds who built murderous machines to battle it out against each other all in the names of Fame and Glory!?! Maybe you watched a great movie like Real Ste…

Ian joins the Two Top table as he and Jared dive deep into the intricacies of the time-traveling, murder-filled game, That Time You Killed Me. This week, the theme continues to be a focal point as we explore how such an asymmetric game can take us on a thrilling journey through the story of two individuals locked in a deadly duel to claim the title…

THEME! RANDOMNESS! These two concepts collide in an epic battle of control over the fun that's had at the table. Ian and Jared sit down at the Featured Table to discuss the Star Wars wild west fame claiming game, Star Wars: Outer Rim. Game Overview Star Wars: Outer Rim immerses players in the gritty, lawless edges of the Star Wars galaxy. Players t…

Joy and Jared look at the castle drawing game, Once Upon a Castle. Players will take turns rolling the dice, collecting resources, and then spending those resources to create walls, flags, towers, a dungeon, and attract those in the kingdom. Whoever has the most prestigious castle wins. Join us at the table as we discuss! Publisher: Blue OrangeDesi…

Harmonies is a 1-4 player tile organization game in which players are competing to build the best habitat to attract the most spirit animals to their landscape. Ian and Jared prepare the table to discuss their favorite animals, the idea of Cascadia and Azul having a baby together, and are there too many nature games? Additionally, they discuss how …

Anna and Jared sit down at the two top table to take a look at the newly released stand alone Lorcana box: Illumineer's Quest - Deep Trouble. They discuss the feel of a co-op mode for a collectible card game, give some thoughts to the two player decks that come with it, and share their thoughts for how accessible this box in particular is to someon…

It's part two of our interview with Jay Bernardo from Bezier Games. We go off script as Jay is having so much fun hanging out with us that we continue to discuss the hobby. We touch on the future, relationships within the board gaming hobby, and the growth of the hobby. If you didn't get a chance to listen to part one, we highly encourage you start…

Jay Bernardo - the marketing manager of Bezier Games - joins the show for a delightful interview. We discuss Jay's adventures around the globe, how he joined the Bezier team, the "Year of the Card Game" at Bezier, a little bit of a closer look at Xylotar, game design in the board gaming industry, his Youtube channel Cardboard East, and finish with …

Faith and Jared discuss the fast action pattern matching games of Rubik's Race and Match Madness. They take a look at each one, compare the two, and Faith gets a little bit silly as they discuss. Are these games both worthy of being in the collection? Will Jared and Faith be able to complete a Rubik's cube someday? Does Faith have a need for speed?…

Ian and Jared dive into the wonky trick-taking game of Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition. Does this game produce the ground breaking results of our experiments? Or is it simply another failure in a long line of testing? Find out, as we discuss. Note: No cats were harmed or experimented on in the making of this podcast. Publisher: Bezier GamesDesigner:…

Anna and Jared dive into the cartoon world of MicroMacro: Crime City. They discuss the complexities of the artwork, applaud the streamlined nature of the game, and give their thoughts. Will this game be solved with a closed case? Or will it become another cold case? Find out, as we discuss! Publisher: Pegasus Spiele North AmericaDesigner: Johannes …

More car noise, new feedback. Anna and Julia decide to add their thoughts on the weekend of Fun-K Town towards the end of the return trip. Fun-K Town Con: https://www.fun-k-town.com/ Bezier Games: https://beziergames.com/ Ex-Libris: https://renegadegamestudios.com/ex-libris-second-edition/ Our new website: www.thegametablepodcast.com Have questions…

Raw audio, a car ride home, and a podcast full of thoughts to recap the weekend that was Fun-K Town Con. Jared and Ian give their thoughts on the weekend as well as some of the games that they played. We do apologize for any less than professional audio this episode. Recording in a car can be difficult and we had a quick turnaround. Hope you enjoy …

Faith, Joy, and Jared discuss adventure in the Chronicles of Avel. Does this game complete the journey or does it fall short? Publisher: Rebel StudiosDesigner: Przemek WojtkowiakArtists: Bartłomiej Kordowski Have questions or want to connect?Email us at thegametablepodcast@gmail.comCheck out our Linktree for easy access to find us online!Follow us …

Jared & Ian take a look at two games today as they prepare for their trip to Fun-K town! First up is the city building game, Akropolis! After they get done building their cities on the hill, they will cool off by diving into the origami ocean of Sea Salt & Paper. Join them as they discuss! And we really hope to see you at Fun-K Town at the end of A…

Anna and Jared are smelling the freshness of spring and enjoying the changing of the seasons and the weather! There's a draw to get outside and experience all that life has to offer. Naturally, this feeling has spilled over into their gaming. They jump into the forest and forage for mushrooms in Morels and then head over to walk the beautiful paths…

Ian and Jared go a trip down memory lane as they review a game that they've been playing for over a decade. They take a look at the original version as well as what's new as they discuss Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures game. Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games | Atomic Mass Games Designer: Jay Little, Max Brooke, Frank Brooks Artist: Jay Little Have quest…

According to Dr. Abbie Maroño, someone judges whether or not they can trust you within 33 milliseconds of meeting you. Once they’ve made their observation, they’ll spend every interaction looking for cues to confirm what they felt (correct or not). So how do you convey trustworthiness? Through nonverbal communication. Dr. Abbie Maroño shares her #1…

Jared is left at the kid's table while his kids fulfill their busy schedule of school, playing outside, and just being kids. So Jared decides to do a quick episode by himself. Will he make it to the finish line? Find out as he talks through some of his thoughts on the kid's game, Quacks & Co: Quedlinburg Dash. Publisher: Schmidt SpieleDesigner: Wol…

Dale Carnegie is a global training organization with 200 operations in 86 countries. Its instructors teach the Dale Carnegie course following the model he developed over 100 years ago. Joe Hart took the course as a young lawyer, and it changed the trajectory of his life. He left law and went into business, and the course helped him see a different …

How do you handle stressful conversations? Do you know how you’re likely to react? Do you default to being aggressive or combative? It’s crucial that you understand how you react—i.e. your “style under stress”— in tense situations to change how you show up in the moment. Navigating these conversations is Joseph Grenny’s specialty. He shares where t…

Ian and Jared attempt to prepare the perfect vacation to Japan. They are both doing their best to devote each day to either visiting temples, giving in to their inner foodies, experiencing all the unique events that Japan has to offer, and, of course, planning time to go for a walk. Will this be the best vacation ever? Or will it spiral out of cont…

Is there one right way to negotiate? Is one methodology superior to the other? For the last 30+ years, “Getting to Yes” was the book on negotiation. More recently, “Never Split the Difference” has become the book on negotiation. The vast majority of people read the top-selling book(s) in a category and think they’re fully educated. That’s just impo…

Every culture has different foundational beliefs. We may recognize the same brands and use the same products worldwide but we behave far differently. Eliane Karsaklian learned this firsthand from living in different countries. In this throwback episode, she shares how negotiating with different cultures has to start with a mindset shift. The best w…

Anna and Jared look back at Sagrada – a game they found way back in the day. Want to put together a beautiful, colorful stain glass window out of translucent dice? Maybe you don't care about art at all but like the idea of putting together a puzzle with lots of rules? Find out if this one is for you as we sit down at the Two Top Table and discuss. …

How do you find the right stories to tell? Matthew Dicks is a phenomenal storyteller. He’s written several novels and non-fiction, including “Story Worthy.” He owns “Speak Up Storytelling” and “Story Worthy MD” to help people learn to become better storytellers—because everyone has stories to tell, they just don’t know it. He simplifies the story-g…

One of procurement's roles is to achieve cost savings while balancing the needs of the company. Predictive procurement starts with defining things like: What has to be true for the prediction to be accurate The level of confidence of the person making the prediction If something changes, is the prediction invalid? Predicting cost savings isn’t easy…

Party Time! Ian and Jared take a look at a variety of party games. Which one will you use to add some pop and pizzazz to your next social event? Find out as we discuss! Also – Ian and Jared give a call to action. Make sure to listen all the way through! Special thanks to Doozy Games for providing a free copy of Think Like a Shrink which we talk abo…

Logic and rational thinking don’t always work to convince someone to do something. People hear “Storytelling” and think of novels, movies, TV shows, etc. They don’t see it as what it is: A skill. Intuitively, people connect through stories. It’s how we make sense of the world. Storytelling moves someone toward action. And storytelling increases cre…

When it comes to tense emotional situations, getting a commitment from the counterparty can be tough. We know that a commitment usually leads to positive outcomes. So how do we leverage emotion to help people make logical commitments? Svitlana Kalitsun—a Ukrainian negotiation expert and lawyer—shares her thought-process in this throwback episode of…

Faith and Jared review the super cute forest of Everdell, ready to prepare the gathering of mice, build cool forts create amazing parades, and impress the royal family. Is this game legit? Or is it just a box of super cute art? Find out as we discuss! Publisher: Starling Games (II)Designer: James A. Wilson, Clarissa A. WilsonArtists: Andrew Bosley,…

William Ury is one of the most well-known—and experienced—names in the field of mediation and negotiation. He’s worked around the globe in every circumstance imaginable. In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, we talk about what he’s learned throughout his storied career, including what he’s learned from the failures. Outline of This Episode [2:43] …

If a conversation with an employee has become a disagreement and you can’t seem to work through it, what do you do? Communicating through disagreements is tricky. Where do you start? According to Debra Roberts, you need to get to the root of the issue by listening. Only then can you determine next steps. Learn her framework in this throwback episod…

Ian, Julia, Anna, and Jared take a final look at the full campaign of Ticket to Ride: Legacy – Legends of the West. Join us as we discuss our experiences throughout the campaign, including a legendary failure told by Jared. Publisher: Days of WonderDesigner: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock, Alan R. MoonArtist: Cyrille Daujean, Julien Delval Have questions…

Mario Martinez—the CEO of Vengreso and the host of the Modern Selling podcast—negotiated a 46-million-dollar deal when he worked for Sprint. How did he do it? Mario shares how he put everything on the line to make this deal a reality in this episode of Negotiations Ninja. Outline of This Episode [1:58] Learn more about Mario Martinez [3:32] Laying …

Dr. Andy Young has over 20 years of experience in crisis negotiation. While every scenario he encounters dictates a different approach, there’s one underlying theme: empathy. Developing true empathy for the other party—though exceedingly difficult—can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure. Dr. Young shares more in this throwback…

Anna and Jared discuss using tabletop games in your date nights! Need a last minute Valentine’s Day date idea or maybe Valentine’s Day is long over and you’re just searching for future date options. Give our episode a listen and see if we can help! Have questions or want to connect?Email us at thegametablepodcast@gmail.comCheck out our Linktree for…

Why are most negotiators unconsciously incompetent? Keld lives and breathes negotiation. He’s been negotiating since 1998. Before that, he was the CEO of a tech company. He thought he was a great negotiator but realized he was unconsciously incompetent. It was a terrible realization. What you choose to do when you’re hit with the realization dictat…

Scope of work clauses aren’t technically complex or complicated. But they’re where people repeatedly make mistakes. Jeanette starts by making sure the business objective is clear, creates good acceptance criteria, gathers the right KPIs and SLAs, and collaborates with her counterparts. Jeanette uncomplicates scope of work clauses in this throwback …

Ian and Jared take to the track and discuss the hot racing game, Heat: Pedal to the Metal. Will this game finish at the top of the medal podium or will it spin out going around the turn? Find out on this episode of The Game Table. Publisher: Days of Wonder Designer: Asger Harding Granerud, Daniel Skjold Pedersen Artist: Vincent Dutrait Have questio…

Why should you utilize anchoring? How do you anchor a deal? How early in the negotiation should you do it? After 20+ years in sales—and extensive research on neurolinguistic science, Natural Language Programming (NLP), game theory, social dynamics, behavioral psychology, and anything to do with human behavior—Justin Michael has a handle on anchorin…

Have you ever heard a counterpart say, “This is how we’ve always done it” when they don’t want to make a change? How can you help them move beyond their argument to see the potential of your solution? Help them see the “precedent” or characteristics from past positive outcomes that will be the same for them. Learn how to do just that in this throwb…

Faith and Jared dive into the wonderful world of Toy Story. Favorite characters, best movies, what kinds of toys would we be? All of these questions and more are explored as we take a look at Toy Story: Obstacles & Adventures. Publisher: The Op Designer: Prospero Hall, Kami Mandell Artists: Not reported Have questions or want to connect?Email us at…

How do you negotiate the purchase of a vineyard or winery? What intangibles do you need to consider? According to James Cluer, vineyards hold different values to different people depending on different things. What makes James qualified to address this unique subject? James has been in the wine industry for 30+ years in multiple countries with mult…

In episode #309, the CEO and Chief Sales Trainer at the Hoffeld Group, David Hoffeld, dives into how to leverage social proof to your benefit. David also covers what to do if you trigger reactance. According to David, reactance is “Psychological arousal that occurs when you perceive your ability to freely choose is being restricted by another perso…

Publisher: Stonemaier GamesDesigner: Connie VogelmannArtists: Kwanchai Moriya Interviews involving Connie Vogelmann:The Champion Factiongamingtrend.comHave questions or want to connect?Email us at thegametablepodcast@gmail.comCheck out our Linktree for easy access to find us online!Follow us on InstagramJoin the conversation on Discord: https://dis…

Where does value fit in the sales funnel? How do you structure your value proposition? The value discussion is often the most difficult conversation for salespeople to have. They like to employ likability, authority, and trust. They can’t always wrap their heads around value. But value and ROI are the single most important things that procurement l…

Mark Lowther was a SWAT Crisis/Hostage Negotiator and is currently an international instructor for negotiation. He spent time in Ukraine in 2022, teaching mediation, dispute resolution, and hostage negotiation techniques. He worked with mostly civilians, teaching them how to engage in dialogue to avoid escalating to disputes. In this throwback epis…

Anna and Jared dive into the quilting game Patchwork. Emotions are expressed, darkness is teased, and our thoughts are given. Will they still be friends after the intense dance of selecting patches and spending buttons all while trying to keep the other from making their quilt look absolutely fantastic? Find out as we discuss! Publisher: Lookout Ga…

What have Alex Yakubovich and Stan Garber learned from founding and successfully exiting their own companies? Being customer-obsessed is the key to success. It’s the mindset they’re embracing in their newest venture, Levelpath. Alex and Stan share how being customer-obsessed has shaped their past successes and their current project in this episode …