The Great Game

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We speak with Justin (Adelaide Megagames) and Ben (BK Game Design) about social deduction, traitors and hidden roles in the megagame world.Check out the referenced blog post by Tony, Sydney Megagamers, at the Megagame Assembly.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Warning: this episode uses a lot of generalisations and specifcially the words 'generally' and 'in general'. Listener discretion is advised.We revisit our very first episode, 5 years on, to understand what a megagame actually is. Come with us on this journey of discovery as we explore enjoyable panic, solitaire megagames and, finally, the single, true definition of what a megagame is.If you've never heard of megagames before, this is a really good place to begin!Some fun links for you to enjoy!Megagame AssemblyMegagame MakersA list of megagame discord communitiesWatch a megagame onlineWatch another, older megagame onlineGod EmperorThe Generalissimo is DeadWatch the SkiesDen of WolvesThe Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We spoke with Carl from Sydney Megagamers about the megagame of F1 racing that came to the wasteland. Learn about the art of broken economies, pizzazz and mad max style racing in Vroom.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Make friends before you need them.People are on the same team, not necessarily the same side.Want more wisdom? Listen along! The second in our background briefing series, a long meandering discussion with Rob Grayston, of East Midlands Megagames, about megagame logistics, project management, serious games and Warhammer 40K.Episode links:https://www.emmegagames.com/https://www.facebook.com/groups/620002656028053https://socialudo.org/storehttps://www.stonepaperscissors.co.uk/https://www.professionalwargaming.co.uk/https://connectionsoz.wordpress.com/The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We connected with Peter and Liam from the Megagame Initiative (check them out online) to talk about about megagames have developed in Cape Town over the last few years.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack sat down with Non-Breaking Space games to talk about the John Company inspired megagame, The Company Archives.Read a player's experience of the game here.You can find more of NBS' work online at www.nbsp1618.games and check out the latest release, Cross Bronx Expressway.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack and Pat talk with James (Sydney Megagamers) on how he came to designing Raising Spirits, a mini-megagame based on the renowned social deduction game Blood on the Clock Tower.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠An experiment with the rambling, longer form, Patrick sits down with Ciaran (of The Generalissimo is Dead fame) to talk about what makes a megagame designer. This is the first 'background briefing' and looks at getting a deeper understanding of the people behind the megagame world.We did inevitably have a few audio bumps and bomps throughout, so apologies for those.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack talks with Trenton (Megagame Coalition) and Scott (West Coast Megagames, certified 'megagame crazy') to talk about the crossover event of their Gencon 2025 Megagames Deephaven and Goblin City.The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack talks with Dave, Sydney Megagamers, about his 2025 Megagame The Lighthouse.Check out the game (and buy it to run yourself) here: https://littlemegagames.itch.io/the-lighthouseThe Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We finally got to sit down with some passionate Megagame aficionados (Justin from Adelaide Megagames and Sam from Basenti Games) and get to the bottom of Last Turn Madness - the good, the bad and the ugly!The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The gang talks to Chris from Melbourne Megagames about This City Sucks - a game about vampires, turf wars, real estate and auctions... and figuring out what the hell happened to the mayor!The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch:⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack and Pat delve into the dire archives for designs and concepts that landed in their scrapheap - not gone, not forgotten, but long-abandoned ideas that just didn't make it.The Great Game theme is⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Ben⁠⁠Bound by Desire⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠ Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠ We regroup with the Architect of Megagames, Ben of BKGameDesign, to tackle the romance-inspired megagame Bound by Desire. We talk about the secret to getting megagamers to a megagame, why Lady McStuffin' Face is so insidious, and just how dangerous romantic polyhedrons can be. Episode Links: Connect with Ben Attend Bound by Desire The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For the inaugural session of Team Time, Jack, Pat, Trenton and Ciaran hash out what's going on with councils in megagames and ask the question - do we really need 'em?Find Ciaran and Trenton over at the Megagame Coalition and True North megagame servers (and of course, at the Great Game server)!The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing OrchestraThe Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Just in time for the New Year, it's our self-indulgent, parasocial, bottle episode. Jack and Pat talk about what 10 years of megagaming has done to them. The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠⁠ Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠⁠ Are you down for some Agency Death? A bit of Player Lock? Maybe a journey into the Three Table Trap? Or do you just want to hear Jack further his vendetta against the English and their tea? Whatever you're here for, we've got it. We round out 40 episodes with a conversation about megagame bugbears and pet peeves - those things in the megagame world, community and design space, that just really grind your gears. The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠⁠ Join the conversation on ⁠⁠⁠our Discord server⁠⁠⁠ The Architect of Megagames, Ben of BKGameDesign, has arrived. We touched on Touched By Darkness (...) during the GenCon episodes, but now we get a full deep dive into the game, where it came from, and what makes it a perfect 'control's first megagame'. Episode Links: Buy Touched by Darkness Read more about the game on BoardGameGeek Email Ben Find Ben at the Megagame Coalition Discord Connect with Ben on Bluesky and Facebook The Great Game theme is ⁠⁠Balrog Boogie⁠⁠ by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: ⁠linktr.ee/greatgamepod⁠ Tony, the Duke of Highland, takes us to Gencon 2024... again! Part 2 of 2. Make sure you check out episode 37 of the Great Game to hear the first 5 interviews. 01:20 - Forrest, Gods of the Ancient World 18:50 - Trenton, Grimvale Ventures 30:05 - Scott, Goblin City 55:15 - Tony, It Belongs in a Museum Want to know more about Scott's CANDI? Check out the PBEM gang over at OMEGA. You can find all of these amazing people over on Discord, on both the ⁠Megagame Coalition⁠ and the ⁠Dukes of Highland⁠ servers. While you're there, why not join ⁠our Discord server⁠?! The Great Game theme is ⁠Balrog Boogie⁠ by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠

Keep in touch: linktr.ee/greatgamepod Tony, the Duke of Highland, takes us to Gencon 2024. Part 1 of 2, in which we hear from a bunch of interesting people about their megagames! 01:47 - Ben, Touched by Darkness 11:28 - Pinto, Pantheon 22:00 - Tony, It Came From the Skies 39:20 - Riley, Jungle (Philly Megagames) 57:46 - Josh, Crucible of Nations You can find all of these amazing people over on Discord, on both the Megagame Coalition and the Dukes of Highland servers. While you're there, why not join our Discord server?! The Great Game theme is Balrog Boogie by the Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo was made by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠

Do you know what the opposite of a piggyback is? Neither do we. We spoke to Riley and Trenton from the Megagame Coalition about... the Megagame Coalition! Established as an umbrella organisation that connects and supports megagame groups all across North America, we spoke about how the Coalition game to be and how GenCon has been such a driving force for the American megagame scene. EPISODE LINKS: Jack's game on steam The Megagame Coalition and their Discord Check out Philadelphia Megagames Play a megagame in Philly (Oct 2024) Get involved with the Coalition at PAX Unplugged The Great Game logo by ⁠Jack McNamee⁠ using https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/earth

We venture south again, chatting with the Megagames Argentina gang about what their experience in the megagame world has been and how they're bringing megagame design to the homeland, its culture and its history.EPISODE LINKS:- Learn more about Megagames Argentina- Open Veins of Latin America, an important book and inspiration for Aceleración Constante- The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/earth

Diving into some listener requested subjects, we regrouped with Paddy (of Running Hot fame - see episode 13 back in 2020) to talk about the art of running the same megagame over and over and over... EPISODE LINKS: - Paddy is from ⁠Pennine Megagames⁠ - You can read more about Running Hot ⁠here⁠ - The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using Logo designed by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using ⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠

The Great Game enters a new continent as we meet with Javier, Uruguay Megagames, to hear how things are done down south. From translating entire games to Spanish, to running one megagame a month (...!), we learned just much enthusiasm and momentum the team in Uruguay have! Episode links: Learn more about Uruguay Megagames online, on Facebook and over at Instagram ⁠⁠Join our communty and get in touch⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

We tackle Infinite Horizons, bushwalks and how Disney Land keeps you entertained... with Dave from Sydney Megagamers! Episode links: Brisbane Megagames are back, check the out Check out the free rulebook to Infinite Horizons at the Megagame Assembly or reach Zane on our Discord (below) ⁠Join our communty and get in touch⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

We got into the weeds of tone and theme for megagames - what's good, what's bad, what role does tone/theme play in the success and 'fun' of a game. To help navigate, we welcomed back recurring guests Nellie (Melbourne Megagames) and Chris (Very Large Huge Games). Episode links: Adelaide Megagames Melbourne Megagames Join our communty and get in touch Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

We finally sat down to chat with John Mizon, SW Megagames, about the infamous, iconic and world-renowened megagame of sci-fi politics and paranoia - Den of Wolves. Listen along if you'd like to hear about the game, how it came to be, and why it's so damned popular (well, I mean, we tried to answer that question) Episode Links: John is over running South West Megagames Buy Den of Wolves here Connect with, contact and follow us here The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

We were joined by Nellie (Melbourne) and Justin (Adelaide) to talk about how we got our start and how we got our different megagame communities to where they are today. In what ended up being a disjointed wander down memory lane, we ended up with more of a 'slice of life' than a 'megagame communities 101' and covered lots of ground - getting started, the terror of venues, burnout and community building. Epis Connect with Justin over at ⁠Adelaide Megagames⁠ Connect with Nellie and the team at ⁠Melbourne Megagames⁠ Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

The lads take a break from international (and domestic) VIP guests to spend some time on their entirely underqualified analysis of crunch in megagames. Ever got tired of the word 'crunch'? No? Well, you will today! Bonus: hear the lads rag on those damn Brits! Got a guest you want to hear from? A subject or game you need covered? Want to call us out on some of our nonsense? Why not send us an email!? EPISODE LINKS: Check out Jack's game ⁠here⁠ Grab a ticket (if you're fast!) for First Contact in Melbourne later in 2024 Check out the Megagame Assembly calendar of 2024 events Read Tony's missive on play-believe and megagamer roles Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠⁠

Cosmic horror and good game design! We spoke to Johan from Gothenberg megagames about Event Horizon. EPISODE LINKS: Connect with Johan at Gothenberg Megagames Get a copy of the Event Horizon megagame for your local group (publishing this weekend, 23/24 March 2024!) Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠⁠

A long awaited (and re-recorded) conversation with Ciaran from True North, talking about The Generalissimo is Dead - the megagame that inspired The Death of Stalin (or maybe the other way around?) EPISODE LINKS: Connect with Ciaran and see more of his work Purchase The Generalissimo is Dead game pack Connect with True North Megagames Check out Jack's game here and, if you're in Brisbane in March 2024, check out the live launch Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

Tony (Dukes of Highland) schools the megagame community in megagame administration...! We were lucky to welcome back Tony and Zane to chat about their experiences publishing megagames and getting their ideas out into the community. An insightful conversation with lots of good-practice nuggets on how to organise yourself and your megagame materials when looking at publication. EPISODE LINKS: Learn more about Zane and VLHG at ⁠Very Large Huge Games⁠ Follow all Tony's megagame shenanigans over at Dukes of Highland Check out an example of Tony's megagame package rubrik at the bottom of this Gods of the Ancient World page Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

We spoke with Justin (Adelaide Megagames, alumni of Sydney Megagamers) and Tristan (Melbourne Megagames) about their revised run of So Say We All at the end of 2023. The conversation goes into the game itself, the collaboration process of redesigning some elements, and the experience of megagame designer-turned-player. EPISODE LINKS: Connect with Justin over at Adelaide Megagames Connect with Tristan and the team at Melbourne Megagames Shout-out to the Megagame Assembly's episode on Fae's Anatomy Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Discord⁠. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

An a special double-episode, we sit down with Rob Grayston from East Midlands Megagames to talk about the 2023 International Megagame Survey. EPISODE LINKS: Read the full report on the International Megagame Survey over at the Megagame Assembly website - Part 1, with Part 2 on the way shortly. Learn more about Rob and East Midlands Megagames Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ Connect with the Brisbane Megagames community on Facebook and Discord. The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

To kick off 2024 (although this definitely could have been recorded in 2023...) we got to chatting with the newly formed Adelaide Megagames. Kaity, Justin and Monte walk us through the origins of this new group and how they came to run Watch the Skies as their third game at the end of 2023. EPISODE LINKS: Learn more about, and connect with, ⁠Adelaide Megagames⁠ Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

Tea and biscuits at the end of the world. Quaint. Pat had a chat with Zane and Chris from Very Large Huge Games about their Aftermath event, which saw over 150 players in London simulate the post-collapse world of the UK. EPISODE LINKS: Find out more about Very Large Huge Games Find us at The Great Game on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Discord⁠ Connect with ⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠ on ⁠Discord⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠Jack McNamee⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

In the ancient world, amongst gods and armies, even the humblest can make a name for themselves. Just watch out for that Spartan Hole! Jack and Pat discuss Gods of the Ancient world with megagame designer Tony, from the Dukes of Highland megagame society. We delve into Tony's origins in megagaming, how Gods of the Ancient World came to be, and launch off on numerous tangents about design and player inventiveness. EPISODE LINKS: Find out more about the Dukes of Highland Buy Gods of the Ancient World Check out the Gods of the Ancient World trailer Connect Adelaide and Melbourne Megagames Check out Jack's game, The Thief, The Witch, The Toad and the Mushroom Find us at The Great Game on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ Connect with ⁠⁠Sydney Megagamers⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠ The Great Game logo by ⁠⁠Jack McNamee⁠⁠ using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using ⁠⁠Earth Vectors by Vecteezy⁠⁠ The Great Game Theme: ⁠⁠Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra⁠

Blood, lies and regicide - does it get any more megagamey? Pat speaks with Jack about God Emperor's origin, design process and legacy. This episode is relatively spoiler-free and delves into the design of God Emperor and how its different mechanisms work. EPISODE LINKS: Listen to Jack speak about God Emperor with the Megagame Assembly Find us at The Great Game on Facebook and Discord Connect with Sydney Megagamers on Discord (and get tickets to God Emperor on their website!) The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

Grab a cup of tea, ready your seventeen rulebooks, and secure your fishing rights - we've got a special treat this episode. Pat and Jack sat down with Tom, Chris and Zane from Very Large Huge Games to talk about First Contact and learn just how easy it was to run their 200 player megagame of politics, aliens and biscuit distribution.  EPISODE LINKS: Get your ticket to First Contact: 2035 at Very Large Huge Games Listen to the gang talk about First Contact on the Megagame Assembly Pod Listen to Zane talk about Megagames on the Megagame Assembly Pod Check out everything Melbourne Megagames online Find us at The Great Game on Facebook and Discord Connect with Sydney Megagamers on Discord The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

A little late to publication again, Patrick and Jack sit down to sort out the biggest problem facing the Megagame community since last turn madness - player death. We delve into the reasons for death in games, the different ways it is sometime portrayed, and ultimately solve EXACTLY how death should work in games to come. EPISODE LINKS: Check out everything Megacon at https://megacon.org.uk/ Check out everything Melbourne Megagames online God Emperor in Sydney! Roleplaying, Negotiation, Death and Nukes - a blog by Jim Wallman Everybody Dies by BeckyBecky Assassinations in Megagames Barracks Emperor the Megagame A Good Death - death in LARPs Find us at The Great Game on Facebook The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

A slightly late episode recorded late 2022 with Leon (Melbourne Megagames) and Jef. The team speaks about Crisis in Elysium - run by Melbourne Megagames in November 2022 - and debriefs on the design, the day, and the vibe of getting back to in-person games again. CORRECTION: we incorrectly noted the creator of Crisis in Elysium. Crisis was designed by John Mizon, of SW Megagames.  EPISODE LINKS: - Check out everything Melbourne Megagames online - Find us at The Great Game on Facebook - The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy - The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

A lost episode of the Great Game, recorded in May 2021 and dusted off 18 months later for your listening pleasure. Patrick and Jack sat down Nellie, Tristan and Theo from Melbourne Megagames to talk about It Belongs in a Museum, the first megagame run in Australia (and perhaps the world!) since the start of the COVID era, and a rollicking adventure story of treasure hunters and greedy museums. EPISODE LINKS: - Check out everything Melbourne Megagames do on their Facebook - Sign up for Crisis in Elysium, being held in Melbourne on 12 November 2022 - The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy - The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra

Patrick and Jack (Click and Clack?) sat down with Trenton Greyoak for a long overdue look at Deephaven - a megagame legally distinct to Dwarf Fortress! The conversation took us to a lot of nitty gritty about this story-driven, roleplay-heavy game - from maps to random tables to wooden block towers (entirely not Jenga). This is our last formal episode for this crazy 2020 session of The Great Game. We're hopeful to return in 2021 with more megagame goodness. EPISODE LINKS: - Trenton can be found at the Megagame Coalition (and on their discord) The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

Our third and final conversation from OMG Con, we spoke with Patrick Rose and Glenn about their experiences (as designer and player, respectively) of the online version of Running Hot. At the time of publishing this episode, Running Hot has been run twice - it's a politico-corporation adventure game of the pre-cyberpunk future.  EPISODE LINKS: - Climate Crisis on 1 November - Red Planet Rising, coming in December - The Megagame Makers 2021 schedule - Paddy is from Pennine Megagames - Glenn is from Megagame Texas - You can read more about Running Hot here The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

Our second 'studio' recording from OMG-Con 2020, we sat down with Peter Nixon and Becky Ladley to talk about As Thou Commands, a new design from Peter that looks at medieval worldbuilding and politcs. The game was playtested at the con and our conversations delves into it from a designer perspective, to the player experience, and far beyond. EPISODE LINKS: - Peter Nixon is from The Megagame Coalition - Becky can be found at BeckyBecky's blog and Facebook page - The Megagame Assembly podcast and recent blog on traitor roles The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

The first of three interviews from our coverage of the 2020 Online Megagame Conference (OMG Con), we sat down LIVE with Mark and Merle (from the National Security Decision Making game) and Cody (Megagame Coalition) to discuss the Cuban Missile Crisis! EPISODE LINKS: - NSDM on Facebook - NSDM OMG Con Panel - NSDM Youtube Channel - The Megagame Coalition The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

A whopping double-episode for our ten-episode anniversary, we sat down with Zac (returning, Brisbane Megagames), Stefan (Magic Coffeehouse, Megagame Coalition, OWL League creator) and Ed (Reading Megagames) to talk about the epic 2-week megagame that was The OWL League.  The group talks about the design and admin of the game, the different player perspectives, and what a 'legacy' megagame might look like for future seasons of the OWL League. EPISODE LINKS: - Patreon page for Project Nexus - OMG Con 2020 - Megagame Assembly survey on megagames and ticket pricing - Stefan over at Magic Coffee House - The OWL League online presence - The OWL League 2020 opening ceremony video - Dave Harmon's Black Rock Outpost online mafia game The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

Patrick takes to interviewing Jack, Zac (returning to the podcast) and new guest Jason, delving into a post-mortem of the recent playtest of Dark and Stormy Night, our home grown online megagame. The discussion veers around the technical and design obstacles we faced and the team discusses what we've most learned about the online space for megagames. Episode Links: GenCon Online (where you can find Den of Wolves, Draft Night, Lucidian Online, talks on the State of Megagames, and so much more!) Czar of the South - upcoming megagame playtest in Brisbane The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

Jack and Patrick are joined by John (KiwiGameDesign and Reading Megagames) to discuss the world of online megagames, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the design process for John’s new online game – the Anubis Heresy. Episode Links: Online Megagames of GenCon 2020 by the Megagame Coaltion The Art of Not Being Governed (inspiration for Relics of the Fall) Reading Megagames Kiwi Game Design The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy

Jack and Patrick are joined by Stefan (Megagame Coalition and Magic CoffeeHouse) to talk about all-things online megagames. Discussion focussed on the potential of online megagames and delves into Stefan's upcoming online game, OWL League. Episode Links: The Megagame Coalition and their Online Megagame Convention Magic CoffeeHouse The Great Game Theme: Balrog Boogie, Diablo Swing Orchestra The Great Game logo by Jack McNamee using Logo designed by Jack McNamee using Earth Vectors by Vecteezy