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Podcasting from the Intersection of Games and Education.
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
This week, we continue our exploration of "Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea" with part 2 of our interview with the game designers Christopher Vorder Bruegge and Mark McLaughlin and game developer Fred Schachter. Tales from the convention table and wisdom won from years of game play help bring home the genius of this game: play can be as competitive or friendly as you wish it to be. In the end, it's not about winning or losing; it's about fun with the people playing at the table.
Games Mentioned:
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea
Recommended Reading:
For children's adaptations of the Aeneid, check out the show notes on Episode 15.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Sep 10, 2019
Tuesday Sep 10, 2019
This week, we continue our exploration of "Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea" with part 1 of our interview with the game designers Christopher Vorder Bruegge and Mark McLaughlin and game developer Fred Schachter. Join us for a wide-ranging, laughter filled conversation with tales of game play, and loads of history.
This is probably the most games or books ever mentioned in an episode we've done to date.
Games Mentioned:
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea
Rebel Raiders on the High Seas
Recommended Reading:
Carroll Quiqley - Link leads to the Wikipedia page for the influential Georgetown professor, and includes his bibliography.
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed
In the Footsteps of Alexander The Great
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
This week begins a three part series on "Ancient Civilization of the Inner Sea", recently published from GMT Games. Join Chris and Laura as they gush over the gorgeous artwork and clearly written rules (seriously, we cannot emphasize enough how important those are), talk about a game mechanic inspired by an epic poem, and discuss how resilience and negotiation skills can be developed though the unpredictable game play.
Be sure to listen through to the end. We have a brief sneak peak at our interview with game designers Christopher Vorder Bruegge and Mark McLaughlin and game developer Fred Schachter which we will be airing in the coming weeks.
Recommended Games:
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea - This recently published game from GMT is a board game which abstracts the growth and competition of great civiilizations around the Mediterranean Sea during antiquity. Along with a link to purchase, GMT's game page contains tons of supplemental materials including players' aids, a living rule book, and numerous articles well worth reading.
Civilization - The classic Avalon Hill game. Copies are most easily found on eBay.
Sid Meier's Civilization - This video game series continues to grow and gain a following, proving that a fascination with the growth of civilizations is perennial.
Recommended Viewing:
How to Play Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea - This YouTube video is a must watch for new players. Game designer Mark McLaughlin walks viewers through a sample of game play, explaining the various phases of a turn and showing how tiles are placed, cards are played, competition is resolved, and victory points are tallied.
Recommended Reading:
The Aeneid for Boys and Girls - Alfred Church's retelling of the Aeneid simplifies the epic poem for younger readers.
In Search of a Homeland - Gorgeous illustrations and moving prose help retelling the moving story of Aeneas as he undergoes trials and searches for a new home in the wake of the Trojan War.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Ancient doesn't have to mean dry and dusty. This week, Chris and Laura unearthed By Jove from Aristoplay while searching for missing game pieces. The result? We discuss a fun, accessible, and beautifully illustrated Monopoly-style board game that helps bring Greco-Roman myths to life.
Recommended Games:
By Jove - Originally published by Aristoplay, "By Jove" is currently out of print but copies can be found easily on eBay.
Circus Maximus - A chariot racing game from Avalon Hill, this is also out of print but copies can be found on eBay. Be sure to check that it is the Avalon Hill game as there are similarly titled games from other game companies.
Recommended Reading:
A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls and Tanglewood Tales - These retellings of Greek and Roman Mythology by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Yes, that Nathaniel Hawthorne) are some of the best we've read. The frame narrative, a college student entertaining his younger cousins with embellished versions of the stories he's studied at school, provides another layer of delight.
The Children's Homer - Padraic Colum retells the Iliad and Odyssey in a single volume. This is a favorite of our children who play the audio book non-stop.
Greek Myths and The Trojan War - Olivia Coolidge has several books appropriate for read alouds when studying Greek and Roman culture and history.
D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - Lushly illustrated, this book is considered one of the best for introducing children to the stories of the ancient Greeks.
The Aeneid for Boys and Girls - Alfred Church's retelling of the Aeneid simplifies the epic poem for younger readers.
In Search of a Homeland - Gorgeous illustrations and moving prose help retelling the moving story of Aeneas as he undergoes trials and searches for a new home in the wake of the Trojan War.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Aug 20, 2019
Tuesday Aug 20, 2019
"No plan survives first contact intact." A useful aphorism, but how do you internalize the lesson and learn to deal with plans that go awry from the get-go?
"It ain't over 'til it's over." How do you teach the value of perseverance and the reality that the tide can turn at any moment?
"You have to play the hand you're dealt." Decisions are rarely made with perfect information, and even more rarely are problems solved with the ideal set of resources. How do you help kids learn to avoid "analysis paralysis" and work with the information and materials on hand?
This week begins our series of deep dives into games we're playing to enrich our study of Roman History and equip our kids for living. "Commands and Colors: Ancients", a tabletop board wargame, not only makes historical battles come to life in a tangible way, but offers a starting point for learning valuable lessons in managing expectations and dealing with limited knowledge. Laura and Chris discuss game play, the value of studying battles within a wider history curriculum, why Commands and Colors' "fog of war" simulation is uniquely suited to helping develop decision making skills using imperfect information, and how to get the most out of a game session.
Recommended Games:
Commands & Colors Ancients – This ancient battle simulation is reasonably simple and fast playing, with many scenarios being playable within an hour once the rules are understood. The base game contains battles from the Punic Wars.
Expansion #1: Greece vs. The Eastern Kingdoms - This expansion works well with studies of Greek and Hellenic history, but includes scenarios for conflicts between Greece and Rome.
Expansions #2 & #3: Rome vs. The Barbarians and The Roman Civil Wars - These expansions cover Romes campaigns in Northern Europe and the critical period in the late Roman Republic that sets the stage for the development of the Roman Empire.
Expansion #4: Imperial Rome - What it says on the tin. This expansion includes scenarios for the most significant battles during the imperial age. The focus shifts from Rome's expansion to the defense of the territory it has gained.
Expansion #5: Epic Ancients II - This expansion is currently out of stock and currently in pre-order for a second print run. GMT Games P500 program gauges interest in future games and reprint runs through a pre-order program. Games that reach 500 pre-orders get slated for print run, and those who pre-ordered get the game at the P500 price, which is discounted from the retail price. As of the date of publication for this episode, Epic Ancients is approximately 100 pre-orders away from a second printing. If you're interested in playing this with a larger group, consider a P500 pre-order.
Expansion #6: Spartan Army - This expansion is another one best suited for studies in Ancient Greek History. The focus is on the Spartan army between 669 and 338 BC, and includes the conflicts between Sparta and Argos, the Persian and Peloponnesian wars, and the decline of Sparta as Macedon grew in power.
Vassal Module: Commands and Colors Ancients - If you're looking for a way to learn gameplay, the Vassal Engine provides a computer desktop display of the gameboard and opportunities to play with others online and by email.
YouTube Tutorials - Along with simply searching the game title and particular scenarios (there are videos of nearly every scenario now), look here and here for excellent tutorials from Charlotte Area Historical Gaming.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Aug 13, 2019
Tuesday Aug 13, 2019
Have you been wondering if you can integrate games into a formal school curriculum? Do you want to enrich a potentially dry subject area with something fun? How do find games that intrigue students and light the fire of interest? More importantly, how do you make the time?
This week, Laura and Chris pull back the curtain and show how they plan for games during the school year that enliven studies and reinforce concepts. Join us as we talk about games for Ancient Roman History.
This episode serves as a preview for several of the games that we will be covering in depth in the coming weeks. Be sure to stay tuned as we will be going further up and further in.
Recommended Games:
Circus Maximus – This fun simulation of chariot racing, published by Avalon Hill, is now a collectible. Replacement boards and pieces, along with chariot minis, can be purchased though Camelot Games.
Gladiator – Not entirely historically accurate, this Avalon Hill game is more like a Hollywood version of gladiator fighting, but it makes a great conversation starter for discussions of Roman culture. Camelot Games is, again, your best source for replacement pieces.
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea – This recently published board game from GMT Games looks to be a worthy successor to other broad scale strategy games like Civilization. If you’re trying to learn Mediterranean geography and the civilizations that exist in competition with Rome, especially with older students, this looks like it’s going to be a great addition.
Pax Romana – Another GMT game, focusing on the various competing empires in the Mediterranean between 300 BC and 100 AD.
Imperium Romanum II – This West End Games simulation of the Roman Empire is currently out-of-print, but searching the collector's market is well worth the effort.
Republic of Rome – This classic Avalon Hill game is a simulation of Roman politics during the Roman Republic.
Falling Sky & Ariovistus – A Counterinsurgency simulation from GMT games, Falling Sky goes deep into the Gallic Wars. If you're reading through Julius Caesar's account in either the original or translation, this would be an excellent complement and help bring the text to life.
Command & Colors Ancients – This ancient battle simulation is reasonably simple and fast playing, with many scenarios being playable within an hour once the rules are understood. The base game contains battles from the Punic Wars. Several expansions are available which cover a large number of the most important military engagements in the ancient world.
Outmatched – We love IEW for their writing curricula, but their foray into games has been just as satisfying. This quick-playing card game helps drill history facts in a highly rewarding manner.
Palatinus – If you want to dig into the earliest foundations of the city, this tile and card game from Mayfair Games will help with learning the populations vying for control of the Palatine hill and the village that would rule the world.
By Jove – A "monopoly" style game from Aristoplay, this now collectible game is a fun way to learn about Roman Mythology.
Roman Dice Games – This set includes reproduction pigs' knuckles, as well as 6 standard wooden dice, and a collection of rules for early dice games.
Child Sized Masterpieces – This is a Montessori-style approach to art appreciation, using postcard sized art cards and a series of matching games to help build familiarity with artists and schools of art. The book includes directions for creating your own expansions, and we'll be putting together sets for Roman sculpture, mosaics, and architecture for our household.
Recommended Reading:
Candyland Was Invented for Polio Wards – This article in the Atlantic covers the fascinating story behind the beloved childhood game.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Looking for a portable, fast-playing game that develops story-telling, arithmetic skills, and strategic thinking? Then "Gloom" is the answer. This week, Chris and Laura discuss this tabletop card game from Atlas Games and dive into game play, skills development, and common pitfalls in game play to be aware of. If you or your children love Victorian fiction, Edward Gorey, or A Series of Unfortunate Events, this might be up your alley.
Recommended Games:
Gloom - The core game. This is all you need to get started.
Gloom Expansion Decks - If you love the core game, you can buy these individually or look for one of the bundled sets on Amazon. Expansions include Unhappy Homes, Unwelcome Guests, Unquiet Dead, and Unfortunate Expeditions.
Cthulu Gloom - Based on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos, this game uses the core rules but alternate characters and events inspired by the classic tales of horror. Probably best to reserve for older high-schoolers. There is also an expansion deck, Unpleasant Dreams.
Fairytale Gloom - This would be an excellent entry point for younger children. Fairytales can be dark. Perhaps Rapunzel Cried Wolf One Time Too Many. Will your characters live Unhappily Ever After?
Munchkin Gloom - Based on the Munchkin series of card games from Steve Jackson games, this version uses a whimsical cartoon illustrations set in the pseudo-medieval world ubiquitous to fantasy roleplaying games.
Rory's Story Cubes - A dice-based story telling game from Zygomatic. There are also numerous variant sets.
Lord of the Rings Board Game - This is the version from 2000 from Fantasy Flight Games. Fun, cooperative, and fast paced. Also, unfortunately, out of print, but you can find copies on Amazon or Ebay in the used market.
Recommended Reading:
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket's wildly popular saga of the Baudelaire children and their wicked uncle, Count Olaf, appropriately in 13 parts.
Tales of Edgar Allen Poe - Atmospheric, gloomy, relentless. Both his poetry and tales of horror rely on a sense of growing dread and the reality that the worst things to be feared are found in the human heart. Or possibly in a raven that won't shut up.
The Works of Edward Gorey - Especially his illustrations for Hillaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales for Children, but also his delightful story The Lavender Leotard, produced for the New York City Ballet.
Karen Elizabeth Gordon - I mean, they're books for building vocabulary, improving grammatical usage, or punctuating with precision. And yet they're also decadent dives into Victorian excess, populated by gargoyles, mastodons, and murderous debutantes. I highly recommend The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, The New Well-Tempered Sentence, The Disheveled Dictionary, Out of the Loud Hound of Darkness, and Torn Wings and Faux Pas.
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place - (Link goes to the Kindle bundle of all 6 books.)The classic 19th century trope: a young, orphaned governess is brought to a mysterious manor to tutor the young wards of a nobleman; then the mysteries begin. Were the children raised by wolves? Is the family of the nobleman cursed? What really happened to the governess' own family? And why does her mentor insist she dye her hair dull black? Amidst useful aphorisms and classic poetry, these delightful tales will introduce children to 19th century literature and poetry and are a perfect complement to Gloom's themes.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
This week, Chris and Laura dive deep into the classic board game, "Civilization", originally published in the US in 1981 by Avalon Hill. We discuss the elements of play, recommend ideas for both learning and teaching the game, suggest where it might fit within a curriculum, and cover both what it teaches and how to avoid likely pitfalls in play. This strategy game is remembered fondly for good reason and suitable for play for middle grades and older.
Recommended Games:
Civilization - This links to the current print run from Gibsons Games. It is an overseas title so shipping will be a bit higher. If you prefer to look for the older Avalon Hill printing, search for "Avalon Hill Civilization" and "Avalon Hill Advanced Civilization" (for the expansion game) on Ebay. It is a collector's item so be aware of that. Also, because most games are Used, there is the risk of missing pieces. You can ameliorate that by buying replacement parts through Camelot Games. If you want to learn to play through email, look at (CIV). YouTube also has tutorials; the best and most thorough are from BoardGameGeek here and here, and from HistoryGamerDotCom here and here.
(A note before buying. Do not confuse this game with either the Sid Meier's computer game series, nor with the board game "Sid Meier's Civilization" published by Fantasy Flight Games. Check carefully that you have the correct product.)
Diplomacy - If you're looking for more negotiation, that's pretty much what this game is. Yes, we are definitely devoting an episode to it.
Risk - Would you rather focus on world domination? This might be more the right speed.
(Are you wondering what on earth we're talking about in the cold open? A tangential outtake, we ended up spending nearly 5 minutes discussing archaeology and just how far back wine labels go. It's a hazard when discussing games set in the Ancient Mediterranean.)
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
This week, Chris and Laura talk about games that work well on the go. Whether you're spending your summer at the pool, on the beach, or camping in the mountains, we have suggestions for ways to keep cabin fever at bay.
Recommended Games:
Magic: the Gathering - If you've never played before, starter decks and the most recent rules are easily acquired. If you played 20 years ago, and aren't interested in tournament play, Ebay is your friend and you can easily acquire large numbers of older cards from whatever era you preferred to play in.
Pente - With a roll up board, Pente needs very little storage space and has simple rules that can be taught quickly.
Scopa - You're looking for a standard, 40-card deck like this one. You can find rules for Scopa and other traditional Italian card games here, or buy a book to refer to. Also, here's an free app to play the game on your phone (a good way to learn the basics of the game.)
Suggested Resources for Learning Games:
Games to Play at the Pool - Can't remember the rules to Sharks and Minnows? No problem. This article reviews several popular pool games which you can teach your kids in a few minutes.
Card Games - This is one of the most comprehensive collections of card game rules I have found. A standard poker deck is the beginning point for most of these, easily found at any drugstore or grocery. Rummy, War, Twenty-one, Go Fish, and Old Maid are all excellent games to start with.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
This week, Chris and Laura discuss fatigue, failure, and spectacular tantrums thrown by adults who didn't realize that it's hard to play a new boardgame when you're exhausted. If you're looking for ideas to play games successfully when you're overscheduled and underslept, or just want to hear some tales of games gone horribly, laughably wrong, listen in.
Recommended Games:
Civilization - This game by Avalon Hill is out of print, but it, and its companion game Advanced Civilization, is findable on Ebay. It is a collector's item though, so consider finding a friend with a copy to test play before purchasing your own.
Dominant Species - Fun but complex, this strategy game is one that requires time to learn.
Mancala - A deceptively simple game using stones and a wooden playing board.
Monster Trap - This cooperative game is suitable for all ages, well balanced, and loads of fun.
Othello - A strategy game that takes "seconds to learn; a lifetime to master".
Pente - I have watched young children play this for hours.
Pericles - This war game from GMT games is probably best for adults or older high school students. Consider it if you are both willing to devote the time to learning and want to dig into a detailed simulation of the opening years of the Peloponnesian War.
Settlers of Catan - Well on it's way to being a classic, this strategy game has multiple expansions and is a great entry point into strategy game play.
Suggested Resources for Learning Games:
The Player's Aid - This blog and YouTube channel provides reviews for boardgames. If you have an interest in strategy or war games, there's a good chance that they've covered it.
Vassal - This open-source software allows for play of board and card games live on the internet or by email. If you are looking for a way to play through with other to learn the game before leading a game of your own, this is invaluable.
Watch It Played - This YouTube channel films game playthroughs. When reading the rules is leaving you confused, this is the next logical step.
Also, consider searching for your target board game with the keywords "walkthrough" or "instructional video". There's a good chance that someone has recorded a "how to" even if these resources haven't tackled it.
Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.
Intro and Outro Music:
"Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/