The episode delves into the importance of understanding player dynamics, how to tackle randomness, the impact of player skills on balance, and the art of choosing fun over perfect equilibrium. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: [email protected] Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!…

Conservatives love their histories; they lose themselves in great biographies; they have a voracious appetite for news and avidly devour op-eds. But the menu for literature on the right is, regrettably, if understandably, a bit limited. To add a bit of variety, Chris Scalia joins Peter, Steve, and Charles to discuss his soon-to-be-published book, T…

In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon delve deep into the intricacies of balancing game design. They explore the concept of balance from various angles, including strategic collapse, a test of skill, economies, and more to create engaging gameplay. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproble…

In this episode of Fun Problems, hosts Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon discuss catch-up mechanisms in gaming, such as rubber banding and blue shells. They also dive into an interesting exercise aimed at developing game design concepts through strong hooks. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: [email protected] Big t…

Ben Domenech returns to the Ricochet Podcast to give a progress report on Trump's second go at running things. James, Charles and Steve glean insights about the builder from Queens as Ben divulges about his long sitdown with the president in February. Plus, the hosts rap on the pope from Chicago, Germany's lurch toward state censorship, series wort…

In this jam-packed episode, Conor takes the reins as host and is joined by Adrian and Joe to chat about what they’ve been playing, some solo deep-dives, party chaos, and emerging favourites. Joe's Long Weekend of Mayhem Joe dives into his recent experience playing Blood on the Clocktower over a long weekend with friends. Expect stories of bluffing,…

Alex Hague and James Nathan Spencer explain what CMYK is looking for, and go through many examples of published games that would be a great fit. Tune in to see if you have a game CMYK is looking to publish! Email [email protected] to submit your game ideas to the company! Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@…

Within a week of Spain boasting its success at wiring up the grid with renewable energy sources, it was lights out for the whole Iberian Peninsula. Who could've predicted such an outcome? Today's guest is Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations and a Substack well worth a look. Robert provides a little ref…

Alex Cutler and Peter C. Hayward break down the design process of Critter Kitchen: the lessons learned, the journeys taken, and the critters kitchened. Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: [email protected] Big thanks to Eduard Matei for our theme song!By AJ Brandon and Peter C. Hayward

It's the Hayward and Long Hour this week, meaning it's TheoBro-PoliPhi time. Since this duo was away for our recent episode featuring questions submitted by Ricochet subscribers, we asked for a new batch of inquiries catered specifically for our blithesome professor and the jocular seminarian. As ever, Ricochet members delivered a surplus of materi…

This week, Joe, Jules and Lauren tuck into a mixed bag of gaming experiences. Jules has been dipping his fins into the Wingspan universe and getting back into Magic: The Gathering whilst being very excited about some upcoming IPs that are coming for his wallet. Joe has finally rejoined his weekly game group and had an absolutely kraken time bidding…

With Congress missing in action, the two active branches of our federal government are at it again, and the temperature rises by the minute. Caught in the crosshairs are the increasingly exasperated American people and our numerous non-citizens, most notably Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Jason Willick joins today to argue that our partisan impulses are bli…

John Zinzer and Mark Wooten explain what AEG is looking for, and go through many examples of published games that would be a great fit. Tune in to see if you have a game AEG is looking to publish! Email [email protected] to submit your game ideas to the company! Fun Problems Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: funproblemspodcast@gmail.…

It's Question Time with Lileks and Cooke. They jump into the guest chairs and let Ricochet's very own members steer the ship this week. Tune in to hear their thoughts on lots of stuff: the Pax Americana, universal suffrage, wordsmithing in the age of AI, their favorite interview subjects, and more — all with plenty of pop culture sprinkled in. - So…

Peter C. Hayward and AJ Brandon explore what makes an effective sell sheet, providing feedback on listener-submitted examples. Throughout the discussion, they offer actionable advice on how to improve clarity, visual hierarchy, and focus in order to capture the interest of potential publishers. Link to Sell Sheets: https://tinyurl.com/bd8pn9hp Disc…

In this episode, Banana, Adrian and Conor are in the mood to reminisce about a HUGE gaming weekend for Adrian’s 40th birthday. Adrian has fallen for The Gang, and by that he means not just the people at his birthday bash, but the game as well. Meanwhile Conor has been battling head-to-head and having fun with one of his favourite TCG’s without brea…

As we celebrate our 50th episode, we predict the next five years of the industry, including the growing role of AI in game design, shifts in game themes, and the potential impact of global economic factors on the industry. Note this was recorded before the massive "Liberation Day" tariffs bombshell. Discord: https://discord.gg/BjerXtQ3Me Email: fun…

It's been said that California is to America what America is to the world. This is troubling for all parties involved given the current state of affairs in the now-inaptly named Golden State. While today's guest Steve Hilton pulls no punches in his new book, Califailure, he carries some glad tidings in the form of voter trends that magnify what loo…

It's legal funtime hour with John Yoo calling in from the always optimistic Golden State. He, James and Charlie dig into the issues at root of the deportation fights between the executive and judicial branches. Considering everything from foreign thugs to Charlie's seditious past and our missed opportunity to conquer France in the early days of the…

This episode kicks off our new series, featuring candid discussions about what it takes to catch the eye of top-notch publishers. Joe Wiggins explains what Allplay is looking for, and goes through many examples of published games that would be a great fit. Tune in to see if you have a game Allplay is looking to publish! Submit to Allplay here: help…

It wouldn’t be Oceania month without Matthew Dunstan, who is closing in on the title for the most guest appearances on the podcast! In this episode, Jules and Joe chat about Matthew’s new YouTube channel, co-designing, and how he enjoys giving back to the board game design community. We also hear about some upcoming games, the business of being a f…

Immediately upon the president's return to office, we discovered that stopping the flood of illegal immigrants across the border was as simple as closing the spigot. While the crisis may be over, the mission has yet to be accomplished. Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies and host of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast returns to…

Continuing on with our Oceania theme, Conor and Dana Banana are back and chatting to Aussie designer, Craig E. Somerton. Craig is still on a high after a successful Kickstarter with his first published game, Farm Hand. He talks about his journey in board gaming and designing, and in particular, his affinity for trick-taking games. He even hints at …

It's Justin Trudeau's last day. A time to rejoice for the friends of liberty to our north. But the economic spat between the US and Canada has had the unwelcome consequence of restraining the latter's Conservative Party momentum. Thankfully, Ezra Levant returns to the Ricochet Podcast with a solution, which he laid out in a recently published book …

In this mini-sode, we touch on the importance of adaptability, using games like Robotopia to illustrate the 'follow the dog' philosophy. We teach focusing on fun and cutting unnecessary decision points to enhance game enjoyment. Whether it's co-design challenges or crafting concise mechanics, this episode dives into the nuances of aligning design c…

Happy Oceania month! This week, Adrian and Lauren are joined by Jay Bendixen, designer of Surfs up and fellow Aussie as we talk about his design philosophy and upcoming games. Jay also gives his tips and insights into pitching games to publishers and going from prototype to published for small or even first time designers. We also chat about some o…

Nearly fifty topsy-turvy days into Trump 2.0, we thought it'd be a good idea to zoom out some to better distinguish the signals from the noise. To that end, the gang sits down with Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerard Baker. Gerry covers everything from Trump's tariffs and geostrategic reshuffling to the media's collapsed institutional repute…

Who needs guests when the news overflows? Not us! Our intrepid trio of James Lileks, Charles C.W. Cooke and Steve Hayward opine on Joy Reid's exit at MSNBC, Jake Tapper discovering Joe Biden's decline, gay horses and free speech in the UK (Not a joke!) and Gene Hackman exits the stage (Rest easy, Marine!)…