Best James Staley Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 309: Michael Faciane, Fun First Productions 30:55

1d ago30:55

30:55

Michael Faciane’s love for tabletop games began with the joy of bringing people together through play. Starting as a tinkerer and evolving into an in-house game designer in 2008, he gained experience across all aspects of game development. After stepping away from the industry, his passion for creating games never wavered. Now, alongside his daught…

1
Episode 308: Chandler Copenhaver, What 2 Fund 37:23

4d ago37:23

37:23

What2Fund is a consulting firm that empowers startups, small businesses, and innovators to uncover their creative and strategic potential. What 2 Fund 1. clarifies the organization's purpose and goals 2. develops tailored growth strategies 3. implements effective and results-driven processes 4. cultivates a culture focused on innovation and continu…

1
Episode 307: Kenechukwu Ogbuagu (KC), African Board Game Convention 32:10

16h ago32:10

32:10

Kenechukwu Ogbuagu (KC) is a Nigerian boardgame designer and the founder of NIBCARD Game - a game publishing and promotion company. They are also the convener of the African Boardgames Convention - AB Con. It’s a yearly gathering of games enthusiasts to promote TTGs since 2016. KC is raising funds to keep expanding this annual convention. You can c…

1
Episode 306: Roberto Panetta, Rock, Stone & Dice Games 30:09

7d ago30:09

30:09

Roberto Panetta is a board game designer and the founder of Rock, Stone & Dice Games, an independent board game publishing company. He is currently working on his first game called Gems of Iridescia coming to Kickstarter soon. Roberto studied design for 7 years before accepting a job in commercial refrigeration which led to a 15-year career in that…

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Episode 305: Bill & Scott, BSGames 34:49

23d ago34:49

34:49

BSGames is a collaboration of 2 longtime friends who share a similar passion for gaming but different outlets for their creativity. Scott asked Bill for his graphics expertise to make an educational tool look better, and they realized together that they had the potential to make some really cool stuff. Thus, the idea of BSGames was born. About Bill…

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Episode 304: Keith Matejka, Thunderworks Games 33:20

1M ago33:20

33:20

Keith Matejka is a game designer, game publisher, and avid gamer out of Madison, Wisconsin. He loves heavy music and anything darkly geeky. He is married to is unreasonably supportive wife, Claire, and is father to his amazing son who loves anything mechanical, Isaac. Keith founded Thunderworks Games, small board and card game publishing company in…

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Episode 303: Judson Cowan, Tettix Games 31:59

2M ago31:59

31:59

Tettix Games was founded in 2020 by Judson Cowan and has previously released two editions of Hideous Abomination via successful Kickstarters to over 4000 backers. Judson Cowan studied graphic design and photography and comes from a prior career in the advertising world. Check out Deep Regrets Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/t…

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Episode 302: Ori Kagan, Kagan Productions 39:29

2M ago39:29

39:29

Ori Kagan leads Kagan Productions, a renowned agency that specializes in producing high-quality animated trailers for board games. With a career marked by aiding campaigns that have collectively raised over $19 million in crowdfunding, Ori is dedicated to collaborating with both established publishers and ambitious first-time creators. As a former …

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Episode 301: Elias Giannopoulos, Meeple Keepers 30:19

2M ago30:19

30:19

Elias Giannopoulos, is co-founder and co-owner of meeplekeepers and lead product designer. After spending many years in the 3D printing industry as an engineer and 3D designer, Elias started designing inserts and board game accessories. Meeple Keepers first crowdfunding campaign was for Gameframe, a collection of 3d files you can use to transform y…

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Episode 300: Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower 33:42

2M ago33:42

33:42

Tom Vasel is a podcaster, designer and reviewer of board games, and President of The Dice Tower. The Dice Tower, started in 2005, is a network of diverse individuals creating video and audio podcasts that promote board and card games. Using video reviews, podcasts, and more, Tom Vasel is joined by a host of gaming enthusiasts whose goal is not just…

1
Episode 299: Alejandro, Fluffy Dragons 29:58

2M ago29:58

29:58

Alejandro is an aspiring board game designer, with a background in illustration, graphic design, and video editing. He was born and grew up in Venezuela, but moved to the US after high school, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. His first game is Fluffy Dragons, but he has many other games in the works. You can check out Fluffy Dragons on Kickst…

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Episode 298: Andrew Stiles, Wine Cellar 34:00

3M ago34:00

34:00

Andrew Stiles is based in Chicago, and grew up in a board game family. He started designing his own board & card games in 2021, jumping in with both feet. He now wakes up in the middle of the night to write down game ideas. His very first published game is on Kickstarter right now: Wine Cellar by 25th Century Games and Art by Vincent Dutrait. He al…

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Episode 297: Sébastien Bernier-Wong, Firestarter Games 30:22

3M ago30:22

30:22

Seb is an outdoor educator and wilderness guide from Vancouver Island with a goal of fostering an appreciation of our wild world through play. He believes the best way to learn is through fun and has been developing packable games to do just that. His latest games, Reforest, Downstream and Masters of Maple Syrup each draw from his passions and aim …

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Episode 296: Ross Bruggink, Vicious Gardens 32:12

3M ago32:12

32:12

Ross Bruggink is an award-winning illustrator and designer who recently designed the State Seal of Minnesota. He is the creative director of design studio Buddy-Buddy and is an avid gardener, husband, and bona fide dad. His years of practicing visual design and problem solving have helped pave the way into tabletop game design. To check out his Kic…

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Episode 136 NBA Final Four + bright futures for some & bad situations for others 1:02:02

3M ago1:02:02

1:02:02

Episode 136 and Criss is back joined by former Deadspin colleague, Sean Beckwith to breakdown the NBA East and West conference Finals matchups along with the fallout of how we got here. The fellas will also talk about the future and transition period the league is currently going through with all this new blood in the conference finals; plus the La…

1
Episode 295: Helen & Alex, Sondog Studios 31:30

3M ago31:30

31:30

Dr. Helen Mackay an Assistant Professor of physical geography who researches long term climate change. She’s recently discovered wild swimming and enjoys long dog walks on the Northumberland coast." Alex Nicholson is a versatile professional in digital creative industries. He is a passionate trail runner and loves working on innovative projects. So…

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Episode 294: Alexander Marc Yani, MoMoDi 31:17

4M ago31:17

31:17

Alexander Marc Yanis is the owner of MoMoDi and the creator of Existential Essential (XS); a dark and comedic cyberpunk / cosmic horror tabletop role-playing game.At MoMoDi, his mission is to create things of quality that give you the same fun and exciting feeling you get when rolling More and More Dice (hence, the company name, MoMoDi)! Check it o…

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Episode 135 NBA Showdowns, suspensions & firings 55:43

4M ago55:43

55:43

Episode 135 is packed as Criss is joined by longtime friend of the show representing "The Wake Up and Win" podcast out of the PDX, Spencer Skjeie, and the fellas get into the red-hot playoffs and what teams are performing above and beyond, then those who may be on their way out. They'll also talk about Patrick Beverley and his recent antics that go…

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Episode 293: Drake Villareal, The Sixth Realm 34:54

4M ago34:54

34:54

Drake Villareal is an American designer living in Macedonia, working as lead developer for Final Frontier Games. His first published title was Merchants Cove in 2019, and since then he's gotten designer, developer, or solo mode designer credits on a dozen games. His most recent release, Tallywood Rally is now delivering to backers, and his newest g…

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Episode 292: Marvin Hegen, MindBug (Nerdlab Games) 33:54

4M ago33:54

33:54

As a passionate game designer and podcaster, Marvin began his journey in 2019. In 2021, he launched his first Kickstarter campaign for Mindbug, which was a resounding success and allowed him to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a game designer and publisher. Since then, he has been hard at work developing new Mindbug expansions and card games. …

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Episode 134 NBA Playoffs Round 1 trends + Award season begins 1:29:15

4M ago1:29:15

1:29:15

Criss P is back with episode 134 and joined by Seasn Beckwith again to check in on all the NBA first-round series two games in and to break down what's done right & wrong in each one. They'll cover it all from the Suns' failure to launch, to Boston's struggles against Miami; plus which team in a 0-2 deficit is in the most trouble and each regular s…

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Episode 291: Cameron Dueker, REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat 31:38

4M ago31:38

31:38

Cameron wears many hats at Saving Throw Studios, chief among them, REDLINE: Tactical Card Combat game designer. An ex history teacher for 14 years, Cameron is happiest when he is able to be creative. REDLINE is the culmination of many of his nerdier hobbies and pursuits from over the years. Check it out on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/p…

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Episode 290: Malachi Ray Rempen, Keen Bean Studio 34:58

5M ago34:58

34:58

Malachi is a board game designer, illustrator and publisher with a background in filmmaking and cartooning originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico now living in Ravensburg, Germany. He started his weekly web comic Itchy Feet as a side project and it blew up into a viral success. From there, he made a card game based on the comic, then a board game …

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Episode 133 Let the play-in begin + Team USA in motion 28:41

5M ago28:41

28:41

On episode 133 Criss P digs into the play-in tournament now that the regular season has ended and gives his predictions on who advances and who's heading for Cancun. Also, Team USA's roster has been announced for the 2024 Summer Olympics and much more!By Full Press Coverage

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Episode 289: Hagen Behr, Board Game Bear 30:31

5M ago30:31

30:31

Hagen Behr. lives in Halle, a medium-sized town in the middle of Germany. By day he works as a general practitioner, by night he is a board game designer. His fascination of area control and war games led to the development of Nerthania, a unique area control game. Nerthania is currently on Kickstarter. Check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/pro…

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Episode 132 How far can the Knicks go + Dawn Staley in the NBA 59:17

5M ago59:17

59:17

It's episode 132 and Criss is talking hoops with NY Post & Action Network contributor, Bryan Fonseca, who's an NYC guy, so they'll go deep on the Knicks and their chances of making a run this postseason; potential playoff X factors; plus it's been suggested that the Charlotte Hornets look at South Carolina women's head coach Dawn Staley as their ne…

1
Episode 131 Joel Embiid returns + who do you trust in the postseason 1:13:48

5M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

It's episode 131 and Criss is joined by former Deadspin colleague Sean Beckwith as they discuss Joel Embiid's long-awaited comeback and what it means for Philly plus they play a game of Who do you trust East & West edition; then they'll also talk about LeBron James, retirement and if the Association is ready for the day he steps away and so much mo…

1
Episode 288: Mark & Maria, Launchboom 45:57

5M ago45:57

45:57

Mark Pecota - the CEO and Co-founder of LaunchBoom ⁠– a global team of experts who help creators turn their product ideas into real businesses. His deep knowledge of crowdfunding, digital marketing, and scaling companies has been critical to the success of not only his clients, but also his company LaunchBoom, helping creators raise over $125M thro…

1
Episode 130 NBA Postseason races + a Wembtastic season + What the future holds 1:14:52

5M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

Episode 130 Criss P is joined by Mr. San Antonio himself Karl Schoening and they get into these postseason races for the playoffs and play-in tournaments. The guys will also discuss Draymond Green, the Warriors and what's next; plus big bold things were said by Karl about Victor Wembanyama; Plus they'll discuss both conferences, Boston, Denver, the…

1
Episode 129 The end of an era + A potential new dynasty 38:49

5M ago38:49

38:49

For episode 129, Criss Partee speaks on the drama in Golden State which looks like the end of a dynasty, and how you could see it in Steph Curry's face against Orlando when Draymond Green got ejected. Then the Denver Nuggets could be on the path to another NBA Finals appearance as they look like the most complete team in the Western Conference plus…

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Episode 287: Luke & Kyle, Savage Gamez 32:24

5M ago32:24

32:24

Luke and Kyle are the son and dad team behind Savage Gamez. Inspired by their love for games like Civilization, Catan and other strategy games, they have designed their own strategy board game, Craft & Conquer: Medieval. It's their step up from being big-time game fans to actually making their own game, aiming to get everyone around the table for s…

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Episode 286: Sam Gullman, Purple Lantern Games 32:39

5M ago32:39

32:39

Sam Gullman is the designer of The Presence and CEO of Purple Lantern Games. He is running the small publisher with Leonie Magnusson, a studio based in Sweden that focuses on dark and thematic hobby board games. He has a lifelong experience as a hobby board gamer, but also plays tabletop RPG's. In his dayjob he works as an automotive engineer creat…

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Ep. 128 The Bronny James dilemma + Scariest NBA players 33:42

6M ago33:42

33:42

For episode 128 Criss talks about Bronny James' freshman year at USC and his prospects in the NBA. Should he enter the draft or go back to college for another year? Plus the conversation came up recently about the players who strike fear in opponents and whether LeBron is on that list; then who are some of the other players on that list and much mo…

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Episode 285: T.K., Koltin, Dennis, Kinson Key Games (Galactic Cruise!) 32:06

6M ago32:06

32:06

Kinson Key Games is an independent board game publisher based out of Tennessee, where founders (and lifelong friends) T.K. King and Koltin Thompson were born and raised, and where they both live with their families. The company was created during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the two of them decided to make a board game to pass the time. One …

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Ep. 127 Zion’s proclamation + Wemby on the way 32:38

6M ago32:38

32:38

In episode 127 Criss analyzes Zion Williamson's "promise" to participate in the dunk contest by attempting to pull a fast one on everyone but Partee isn't having it and calls out the Pelicans star plus Victor Wembanyama is hitting his stride and looks like he could become one of the most dominant shot blockers in NBA history among other things and …

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Episode 284: David Bock, Binxadinx Games 31:53

6M ago31:53

31:53

David is the lead game designer and directs the visual direction for the Binxadinx Games. Originally he got into the board game industry as a reviewer after a career as a professional photographer and graphic designer. This led to his first job as a marketing manager and eventually led to him working as a freelance creative to the tabletop industry…

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Ep. 126 Bad refs + A world takeover 32:07

6M ago32:07

32:07

In episode 126 Criss goes off on more bad officiating in the association and gives his thoughts on Pistons coach Monty WIlliams' tirade following their controversial loss to the Knicks; plus non-American-born stars have taken over the league over the past five years and it doesn't seem like it's going to slow down anytime soon. Did the NBA get more…

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Episode 283: Leonie Grundler, Lioness Games (Biome) 27:37

6M ago27:37

27:37

A long time board game nerd, Leonie spent a few years working at tech start-ups across Berlin (Airbnb) and San Francisco (Shef) before starting to design her first game, Biome. A few weeks later in January 2023, Leonie decided to take the leap and founded Lioness Games. Protecting biodiversity has been an issue close to her heart since she was eigh…

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Ep. 125 Doc’s drama + The wild wild west 47:12

6M ago47:12

47:12

It's episode 125 and Criss gets into the whole Doc Rivers-JJ Redick ordeal from the past week and how Austin Rivers and Patrick Beverley got involved, then he'll break down the Western Conference heading into the second half of the season, plus Stephen A. Smith gets called out by a teams social media crew, then a group of old Bulls go rogue on tour…

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Episode 282: Artem Stepanov, Shvili Games 32:42

6M ago32:42

32:42

Artem comes from over a decade working with video game and board game publishers. In 2019, he started Shivili Games to bring games to the market that bring family and friends together and provide an unforgettable experience. Shvili Games has published over 20 titles with over 180,000+ units sold. Meenakshi Temple is their first Kickstarter project …

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Ep. 124 NBA All-Star Weekend 50:36

6M ago50:36

50:36

In episode 124, Criss is excited about NBA All-Star weekend and breaks it down discussing everything from the slam dunk contest, to the 3-point and skills contests, to the actual All-Star game giving his thoughts. Plus some Minnesota Timberwolves talk after Criss' articles calling them a "sham" and fallout from that; also dunk contests from years p…

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Episode 281: Eduardo Baraf, Pencil First Games 31:02

7M ago31:02

31:02

Eduardo is the founder of Pencil First Games, a boutique publisher of delightful, high-quality board and card games. PFG is best known their nature themed games such as Floriferous, Herbaceous, Sunset Over Water, The Whatnot Cabinet, Skulk Hollow, Lift Off! Get me off this Planet and other titles. Currently, they have a Kickstarter running for thei…

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Ep. 123 Kobe Bryant honored + Trade deadline news 32:51

7M ago32:51

32:51

It's episode 123 and Criss P is talking about legendary Laker Kobe Bryant and the organization honoring his memory and legacy with three statues plus it might be time for Magic Johnson to move over as "Mr. Laker"....Then we'll get into everything that happened at the trade deadline which wasn't a lot but the moves that were made could help catapult…

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Episode 280: Jesse Stacy, Triceratops Games 33:17

7M ago33:17

33:17

Jesse Stacy is one of 3 partners that have formed Triceratops Games, which launched their debut Kickstarter last year for Journey Adventure Quest (JAQ). Triceratops Games is focused on creating great games that they would play. They are lifelong gamers who have designed games for years and have deep experience in bringing products to market in man…

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Ep. 122 NBA’s latest + Klay Thompson rumors 32:56

7M ago32:56

32:56

It's episode 122 and Criss P is talking trade rumors and Klay Thompson's name is starting to pop up in San Francisco; but are the Warriors really prepared to break up the splash bros? Plus Joel Embiid sat out a big weekend matchup against Nikola Jokic with seemingly no serious injury. Are we still dealing with load management on a major level; plus…

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Episode 279: Stefan Godot, Godot Games 32:55

7M ago32:55

32:55

tefan Godot is a nerdy father and the guru of social deduction. He is the designer of Human Punishment - Social Deduction 2.0, the expansion Project: Hell Gate, Human Punishment: The Beginning, and the wildly successfull Among Cultists. For a direct link to the Among Cultists campaign, which is already crushing it on Kickstarter, click here: https:…

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Ep. 121 Draymond kicked out + Embiid goes off 27:51

7M ago27:51

27:51

In episode 121, Criss discusses Draymond Green being left off Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics and what Grant Hill was really saying in his public statement; plus Joel Embiid sets a career-high dropping 70 on the Spurs but what does it mean in the grand scheme for Philly; plus Karl Anthony Towns goes off for 62; the Heat make a move acquiring …

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RE-BINGE: Ep 23: Andrew Bosley, Wits End Studios 34:21

7M ago34:21

34:21

Andrew Bosley is a freelance illustrator and owner of Wits End Studios. He has illustrated many tabletop hits including Everdell, Tapestry, and Merchants of the Dark Road. Andrew lives in northern Arizona with his wife and five kids. He has a ukulele hanging on his wall, so he thinks he can play it. But he really can't. Check out Andrew's work here…

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Ep. 120 NBA blockbuster trade 24:31

7M ago24:31

24:31

Episode 120 Criss Partee is back rolling solo breaking down the Pascal Siakam trade to the Indiana Pacers and how it affects the Eastern Conference, plus some of the same trouble continuing to pop up for the Boston Celtics in their loss to the Denver Nuggets and snapping their best home start to a season in franchise history; then some MVP talk and…

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Episode 277: Gabe Barrett, Best With 1 Games (& Board Game Design Lab) 37:30

8M ago37:30

37:30

Gabe Barrett is the founder of the Board Game Design Lab which is the largest community of game designers on the internet and home to a podcast that has aired more than 300 episodes about game design and been downloaded over 2.5 million times. Gabe is also the founder of Best With 1 games, an indie publishing company that focuses on solo experience…

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