When should all actions be mandatory? How can turn structure foreshadow interactions? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor get out the popcorn in Spooktacular.
119. Bohnanza
2026-2-11 | 19 min.
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
2026-2-04 | 25 min.
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
2026-1-28 | 31 min.
When do you end the game? Why does urgency matter? Ananda, Charlie, and Trevor discuss engine-building games.
116. Sprocketforge
2026-1-21 | 35 min.
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.
Om The Tabletop Takeaway: A Board Game Design 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!