Intertextual Experience: A Board Game Podcast

• #41 - Ruel Gaviola: Seventh Inning Stretch—Roll Out the Board Games

  2025 World Series Game One Release DateIntertextual Experiences enthusiastically welcomes back the once 16th guest of the show, Ruel Gaviola. Ruel’s passion for baseball was made known to me through our first episode, seeing his social media posts (check out Ruel’s Bluesky), and running into Ruel in his vibrant Dodger blue hat at Gen Con. So when “my” Brewers (attempted to) face his Dodgers, I knew I had to reach out. In this episode, we chat about baseball, a couple baseball related games, seventh-inning stretches, what a “seventh-inning stretch” type of game could be, baseball movies, and so much more. Come for the baseball, stay for a delightful conversation with insights about how constantly refocusing in the midst of creating media that brings people joy so that things are well-balanced while one (Ruel in this instance) is making so ——rewordIn addition to his Bluesky, check out Ruel’s YouTube channel, Good Morning Society, and The R&R Show (on Rahdo’s Runthrough–just linked an episode here.Much like a seventh inning stretch, where you’re trying to cram in a bathroom break, vending trips for a hot dog, maybe some nachos, beers (?), and, of course, singing, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” this episode tries to pack a lot into a short period of time. The chapters will just be the three “outs” of an inning because the sections in this episode are a little less concrete than normal (which is saying something), which kind of makes sense within the context of an inning’s structure.First Out (0:00)Welcoming back Ruel to the showRuel’s love of the gameGoing to the ballpark Baseball moviesTed Lasso?MoreSecond Out (19:57)Seventh-inning stretch board games?Seventh-inning stretch in generalMascot racesBaseball scorekeepingBaseball board gamesMoreFinal Out (46:03)Usual wrap-up questions:A text on Ruel’s mind & where to check out Ruel and his work!Games mentioned in this episode document.Episode Image Credits:Image by Books Sun from Pixabay-----------------------------------------------------------------If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets, so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly.That can be done by "buying me a coffee" and/or buying a copy of my board game (I like it).All of my socials and support information can be found here: Intertextual Experience Linktree

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• #40 - Pete Wissinger—Crit(ical Thinking Skill)s and Trick(y question)s: A Back to School Special

  Intertextual Experience is now over the hill with its 40th guest and is also over the moon that it’s with designer, developer, and podcaster, Pete Wissinger. Pete’s also a teacher, so this episode thinks about the relationships between teaching and gaming as well as how the unique schedule of being a teacher can aid and/or hinder being creative in the board game space. We talk about coffee consumption, games that work well in the classroom, the idea of learning in general, designer diaries, cursed concoctions of board game mechanisms, and so much more.Check out Pete on the Decision Space Podcast, Bluesky, and BoardGameGeek.The show is structured around a “Play-CT” test, which isn’t really like the ACT in any way whatsoever. While having the freedom to choose going through this line of questioning in any way he’d like, Pete—**spoilers**—chooses to go through it chronologically. The document provided for Pete is going to be linked here, and I’ll also add the games mentioned in the episode at the bottom of that document: That documentSeeing as the document provides all of the questions and it’s easily accessible, the chapter breakdowns will be short (and/or goofier than normal, if possible).Intro (0:00)English (13:19)It’s all about context here. Some introductory questions in addition to chatting about what designer diaries can add to the experience of all parties involved.Quick Math (43:20)Only the most accurate percentages are accepted as correct answers here, and there’s a Google Drawn balancing scale thing on the document linked above that’s definitely worth checking out.Reading [Into Things] (55:00)This section is mostly about connections:Links between designing, podcasting, and developingPeople to the hobby itselfetc.Science? (1:11:56)Like a peanut butter and mayo sandwich, Pete concocts some game combinations that might sound disgusting but are actually delicious (the game ideas do actually sound fun though—that sandwich would be puke-inducing).Writing and Extra Credit (1:17:01)Writing here is the substitute for the usual wrap-up questions, and extra credit is extra credit.-----------------------------------------------------------------If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets, so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly.That can be done by "buying me a coffee" and/or buying a copy of my board game (I like it).All of my socials and support information can be found here: Intertextual Experience Linktree

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• #39 - Connie Vogelmann—Bee, Beeing, Beeen: A Cleansing Space Flight

  What does it mean to exist? In a world where humans are essentially replaced by bees that have evolved in their sentience and capabilities (primarily in space travel, as they already were super capable), that’s a question for them to deal with.Anyway/fortunately, designer Connie Vogelmann is the captain of the cosmic journey that is this show’s 39th episode. Through Connie’s beekeeping knowledge and design acumen, the flight is much more smooth than if I were to navigate the design spaces of her fantastic game Apiary.Each action is paired with hopefully not too tenuously connected questions, and Connie additionally details the actions as well as some strategies behind those actions. For the sake of not spoiling those choices too much (Connie picks each action after initially being assigned Explore), each chapter/section that matches the action will be vaguely described.Check out Connie’s designs on BoardGameGeekSocial media on Blueskyand the upcoming expansion to Wyrmspan, the Dragon Academy expansion.Intro (0:00)Explore (8:48)I did say this was the first action, and Connie discusses what caused the bees to rise in power.The Titular Cleansing Flight (15:24)Some fun facts linked to specific tiles in the game (hopefully vague enough).Before the Bees Went to Space (23:44)Apiary didn’t initially take place in space. How did that alter/potentially open up the design?Queen Competition? (31:35)There is no queen competition in the game. Connie explains how that doesn’t really fit into the game’s general feeling and mechanisms.Wyrmspan! (44:52)Birds to dragons. Dragons to the comments. Lore and more.How Much Favor is Too Much Favor? (49:06)The sheer amount of content and variety in Apiary is staggering. It allows for you to play radically different from game to game, and adapting my plays in different tactical ways is one of my favorite parts about the game. Connie talks about balancing all of that here.“Hibenation” (55:03)AKA the typical wrap up questions: a text on Connie’s mind and what to look out for from her as she transitions to board game design full time!Games mentioned in the episode document.-----------------------------------------------------------------If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets, so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly.That can be done by "buying me a coffee" and/or buying a copy of my board game (I like it).All of my socials and support information can be found here: Intertextual Experience Linktree

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• #38 - Mr Ben: (Mr) Ben or Nothing [Mystery Box #1]

  Mr Ben, a creator with many hats, joins the show to talk about his online store, travel-games.co.uk and the different sides of the hobby travel-games is entering by way of design, publication, localization, mystery boxes that expose people to a variety of games coming out of the Tokyo Game Market, and much more. Instead of blathering on, I’ll leave you with this great quote of Mr Ben’s in the episode: “He’s not harmful; he just drives you a little bit mad, which I think is quite nice, so I made a little story about that, which I’m going to put in the box, I think.” Travel-games is linked above, but here it is again!Information about Best of Neapolitan on Trickster's Table.Mr Ben's Design PageIntroduction (0:00)How Mr Ben’s board gaming background led to travel-games.co.uktravel-books.games.movies.adaptations (11:06)Opening the mystery box.Intertextuality at its finest. What Mr Ben is reading as well as some book adaptations that work on the screen and cardboard.Rotating Poultry (25:49)Mr Ben’s design process and a whole bunch of awesome games to look forward to!”The Underdog” (45:26)This title really doesn’t have that much to do with the section? But it’s a Spoon song.I guess I can BOAST that I make really ridiculous chapter titles.Or that I eat a lot of Neapolitan.Or both. 8-bits and bobs (1:12:46) Handhelds and retro gaming.Wrap-up Questions (1:25:32)Some texts on Mr Ben’s mind as well as even more to look out for from him![As it's about one in the morning, I'm realizing the "games mentioned Google Doc" is incomplete. That will be uploaded some time during the day of 8/13]-----------------------------------------------------------------If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets, so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly.That can be done by "buying me a coffee" and/or buying a copy of my board game (I like it).All of my socials and support information can be found here: Intertextual Experience Linktree

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• Vodcast 6 - Early Access? — Intertextual Experience: A Board Game Podcast

  You'll need to listen to the full episode for more details, but there's a giveaway for a new copy of Power Vacuum. I purchased two copies because I'm a weirdo (the particulars of that weirdness are also explained in the episode).This particular prize is for the continental US, but send me an email responding to the questions posed in the episode if you're anywhere else in the world, and you'll technically be in the running for a prize (tbd).The contest ends after August 31st.Email me at [email protected] episode details a lot of my thoughts more than I am here, but I'm very excited for this show to start turning the pages of a new chapter.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets, so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly. That can be done by "buying me a coffee" and/or buying a copy of my board game (I like it).All of my socials and support information can be found here: Intertextual Experience Linktree

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