Life Beyond Board Games
A podcast every second Friday about exploring fun and challenges we have as board gamers, yes, sometimes talking about the board game we play too. We're in Australia (Stella and Melissa) and USA (Candice and Eric) and want to connect with you, no matter who and where you are. Drop as a line, or message, find us in podcast directories, and this Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifebeyondboardgamespodcast
Episodes
35 episodes
Episode 35 - Pleasant Voices, Clean Hands, and Other Board Game Fantasiesđ
What makes a difficult board gamer? Oh, only the classics: loud talkers, sulkers, interrupters, rules-ignorers, card-benders, and random strangers flipping you off over cardboard. In this episode, the gang shares battle stories from the tableto...
Episode 34 - Grief, Glitches, and a Website No One Asked About
What begins as a conversation about website updates and friendship updates quickly becomes a deeply honest chat about grief, losing loved ones, and why emotions refuse to follow our schedules. And Eric's 2 hours website update. Sorry Eric! ...
Episode 33 - Work-Life Balance? What's that?
Phil Walker-Harding is back! We dive head-first into the magical world of freelancingâwhere youâre your own boss⌠and your boss is terrible. From working till late because âyour boss said so,â to valuing your time somewhere between $10 and $100...
Episode 32 - Rejected again. And again. And again. I guess now we can talk about how to handle rejections.
Well known board game designer Phil Walker-Harding and we dive into the glamorous world of⌠getting told âno.â A lot. Turns out even designing 30+ hit games doesnât unlock the âimmune to rejectionâ achievement. From pitching to the wrong publis...
Episode 31 - Matt Dunstan's Life Beyond Board Games. Lego, Potential Financial Ruins, and Frogs.
Does Matt Dunstan, a prolific Australian board game designer, have fun outside of designing award-winning board games⌠or is it just more tiny plastic pieces? Spoiler, it's Lego. Lego pieces. We dive into Matt's secret as a Lego restorer. Conte...
Episode 30 - Moving House with Board Games, a.k.a. What the Heck Is a Removalist? Feat. Matt Dunstan
We bravely tackle the true final boss of adulthood: moving house (Australian/British). Alright, for our American friends, it is relocation or moving. Complete with removalists (What is removalist??), undersized tea chest boxes, shrink-wrapped i...
Episode 29 - Fair Use or Foul Play? Tiny Credits, Stolen Photos & The Wild West of Content Creation
In this episode, we swing wildly between fair use, plagiarism, pirate websites, ghostwriters, board-game mechanics you canât copyright, andâyesâone of us accidentally confessing to childhood publishing crimes. We are joined by ThinkTwice a.k.a....
Episode 28 - Failing Forward & Accidentally Winning at Life, with Guest Fantasy LitRPG Book Author Ashley Falcon / ThinkTwice
What do a broken leg, one million failed words, and a surprise Amazon bestseller have in common? Apparently⌠success. This episode is the first episode where we have our very first guest, Ashley Falcon (ThinkTwice) a renowned published author o...
Episode 27 - From Meeples to TV Media: A Very Serious Analysis (Not Really)
We bravely venture into âwatching television and having opinions.â From âWait⌠books become TV shows??â into Dungeon Crawler Carl dream casting, Batman, and video games so cozy but sad. Find us on Facebook Group and drop us a line, ...
Episode 26 - Holiday Traditions - Don't Blindly Eat Turkey
What is a holiday tradition, really? Is it spending time with family⌠or is it eating a dry bird nobody likes because your ancestors once did it?In this festive episode, we talk Christmas traditions from awkward family photos, why we ea...
Episode 25 - Five-Star Dinners Are a 60, Coffee in Bed Is a 90 (Apparently). Gaming While Holidaying!
What games do you bring to the holidays when your luggage allowance is only 7kg? In this episode, we spiral joyfully through holiday board-gaming: carry-on-only packing strategies, games that expose your relationship values, and why ...
Episode 24 - Gaming Conventions: Joy, Overstimulation & Emergency Snacks
Board game conventions: the games! the people! the flashing lights! the constant CLACK-CLACK of dice! đ˛ For some, itâs pure cardboard heaven. For others⌠itâs five minutes away from hiding behind a Kallax. We share the other side of the convent...
Episode 23 - Games, Food, 400 Hot Dogs and Secret Mayonnaise
Welcome to the episode where board games, food crimes, and the truth about hot Cheetos finally a podcast discussion! Join us as we uncover the forbidden secrets of game day etiquette â from mayo-soaked cards to the myth of board-game heaven, an...
Episode 22 - Kebab, Cologne and Candice: Essen Survival Edition!
In this episode, we chat about our Essen Spiel adventures: the mysterious kebab shop that everyone but Candice knows about, Stella & Candice reunion at Essen, and Candice discovering the secret Copenhagen airport zoneâthe good one.W...
Episode 21 - End Game Therapy Sesh - What Happen After Board Gaming.
In this episode, we dive into the real endgame â the postgame therapy session. We roasted Melissaâs 7-hour Dune Imperium match (yes, seven hours), and we celebrate rubbing salt in the Victory Points wound. What really happens at game e...
Episode 20 - Fall Convention Chaos and Giant Dice
We dive into the wild world of fall board game conventions â from Melbourneâs PAX Australia to Seattleâs PAX West and the massive Essen Spiel in Germany. Expect chaotic stories about dice-throwing raves, false board game cons and more... oh, an...
Episode 19 - How to Find Adult Friends Through Board Gaming... Maybe a Husband / Wife.
In todayâs bite-sized chaos, we explained how to find adult friends in 3 legacy chapters:1. Tutorial: Find random people at board game public meetup. Roll charisma and reroll awkward. (yes or no)2. Campaign : If yes...
Episode 18 - House Rules Debate and The Avalon Shuffle
In this episode of Life Beyond Board Games, we talk house rulesâlike banning Monopoly, fudging Avalon roles, and hacking drafting gamesđ. Itâs chaotic, could be controversial, and proof that the only real house rule is:... ...
Episode 17 - First Play Goggles: It Doesn't Look Good, Will You Play Again?
Bad first plays are like bad first datesâyouâre hungry, tired, and secretly hoping the game would just end. Sometimes a game falls flat because of bad rules. Sometimes itâs because Eric is texting during the teach (jokes of course). Sometimes i...
Episode 16 - Takesy Backsies: The Board Gamerâs Survival Instinct
We're diving deep into the ancient gamer art of âWait, wait, I didnât mean that move!â From back seats to backtracks, we explore how far gamers will go to reclaim their choices⌠and their dignity. Laughs, debates, and just a sprinkle of regret ...
Episode 15 - Locked, Laughed & Loaded: Escape Room Confessions
In this episode of Life Beyond Board Games, Stella, Candice, and Eric attempt to discuss their escape rooms experience. From the âancient originsâ of escape rooms (aka, forgetting your keys) to tips that are not advised will work...
Episode 14 - Gen Con and Things Beyond Board Games
We are getting ready to be sleep-deprived and snack-fueled for Gen Con 2025, and spilled PlayCon board game adventure. Plus upcoming Dune Imperium tournament - fun! Tune in for some comedy or cringe in this Episode 14!
Episode 13 - Beats, Board Games, and Basement Secrets
Welcome to another not-so-serious episode of Life Beyond Board Games, where we dive into the surprisingly rhythmic world of music while gaming. Join us as we groove through game-night playlists, debate the best beats for b...
Episode 12 - The rise and fall...and rise again of online board gaming.
This episode dives into the wild world of online board gamingâhow to game with people across the globe.... with or without pants (weâre not judging). We chat about the online board gaming platforms we've used, online etiquettes (or lack ...
Episode 11 - The Table Where Everyone Belongs: Neurodiversity, Mental Health and Board Gaming
In this episode, your board gaming crew goes beyond meeples and dice to roll deep into⌠feelings! đą Eric, Stella, and Melissa talk about neurodiversity and mental health in the hobby we all love. We cover everything from awkward social e...