The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast

Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, Trevor Muller-Hegel

English Arts Design Games Leisure

Apple Podcasts Website RSS

Episodes 142

Avg. Duration 23m

Activity Highly Active

Apple Rating ★ 5.0 (7)

Since Nov 2023

Latest Episode Jun 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule

Weekly

Consistency

100%

Hosting

thetabletoptakeaway.com

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Join game designers Ananda Guneratne, Charlie McCarron, and Trevor Muller-Hegel as they analyze published games from a game developer's perspective. Each month, they pick a new game mechanic and three games to play in that genre. Each episode is 20 minutes of pure game design nerdiness!

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Recent Episodes

135. Heroscape

Jun 03, 2026 28m

How do you make the entire map important? Does line of sight need to be complicated? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor summon their warriors in Heroscape.

134. Card Shedding Games

May 27, 2026 25m

When is losing options a relief? How many cards should players be able to play per turn? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda talk about card shedding games.

133. Custom Heroes

May 20, 2026 18m

Must progression be personal? How can you customize a card? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie craft heroes in Custom Heroes.

132. I Know...You Don't

May 13, 2026 20m

Why do game titles matter? What makes for a great game box? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor search for patterns in I Know...You Don't.

131. Scout

May 06, 2026 24m

Why subtract points for leftover cards? What makes once-per-game actions compelling? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda climb the ladder in Scout.

130. Autobattler Board Games

Apr 29, 2026 24m

What are the advantages of board games over video games for autobattlers? How do you make random actions look intentional? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss autobattlers.

129. Tag Team

Apr 22, 2026 22m

What makes for satisfying blocking mechanics? Why does repetition matter? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie duke it out in Tag Team.

128. Magical Athlete

Apr 15, 2026 22m

Are choices necessary to keep players engaged? How does art support gameplay? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor choose their racers in Magical Athlete.

127. Challengers

Apr 08, 2026 28m

How do you scale the strength of an automa opponent? Is it okay to score random amounts of points? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda fill up the bench in Challengers.

126. The Cones of Dunshire

Apr 01, 2026 36m

Does phase order matter? How do you reward bookkeeping? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor pick up some flashy tricks in The Cones of Dunshire.

125. Trading Card Games

Mar 25, 2026 41m

What can you do if you want to make a TCG? What makes a good resource system? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda talk about Trading Card Games.

124. Star Wars: Unlimited

Mar 18, 2026 31m

What limits should there be on deck construction? Should all cards be usable as resources? The Force is with Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie in Star Wars: Unlimited.

123. Pokémon TCG

Mar 11, 2026 32m

Should mechanics call out specific cards by name? Why would a player use a weaker attack instead of a stronger one? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor gotta catch 'em all in the Pokémon TCG.

122. Magic: The Gathering

Mar 04, 2026 42m

Do keywords make deckbuilding approachable? How do you spotlight certain cards? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda tap their lands for mana in Magic: The Gathering.

121. Set Collection Games

Feb 25, 2026 23m

How do thresholds differ from spending? Are there any genres set collection doesn't work with? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie talk about Set Collection.

120. Spooktacular

Feb 18, 2026 21m

When should all actions be mandatory? How can turn structure foreshadow interactions? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor get out the popcorn in Spooktacular.

119. Bohnanza

Feb 11, 2026 19m

When should players be encouraged to make trades? What is the point of charging players for a third plot if everybody buys one anyway? Charlie, Trevor, and Ananda grow beans in Bohnanza.

118. Splendor

Feb 04, 2026 25m

How do you balance wildcards while still making them appealing? Can mechanics serve as mnemonics? Trevor, Ananda, and Charlie dig up gems in Splendor.

117. Engine Building Games

Jan 28, 2026 31m

When do you end the game? Why does urgency matter? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss engine-building games.

116. Sprocketforge

Jan 21, 2026 35m

How do you keep players engaged when it is not their turn? Should you use faction-specific disadvantages? Charlie, Ananda, and Trevor spin their gears in Sprocketforge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast have?

The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast has published 142 episodes since November 2023, covering topics in Arts, Design.

Is The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast still active?

The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design Podcast is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 23m.

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