The Little Metal Dog Show

A Tony-less episode as this one was kind of put together at the last moment. This time around, Michael is joined by Patrick Nickell from Crash Games - genuinely one of the best people in the world of games. 2016 was something of a rollercoaster for Patrick, mentally and financially, and we talk about what's been going on.  Please note that this interview is pretty emotional and raw. There's some heavy discussion about depression and suicide, but that doesn't mean everything is dark. There is plenty of positivity in our discussion, plenty of passion and Good Stuff - I just want you, the dear listeners, to know what you're going into before you hit play.  As ever, thank you for listening. And once you're done with this episode, if you go and help Patrick and Crash Games, you won't know how much I appreciate it. 

Blimey. Somehow we managed to reach one hundred episodes which, we suppose, is something of an achievement in itself. Thank you to everyone who listens, whether you've been around since the very first show or are new to the team. You're all rather special. This episode sees Michael speaking with the team from Psychopathic Records - home to the legendary hip-hop group Insane Clown Posse. Designers Robert Bruce and Louis Simpson and artist Tom Wood have collaborated to create a truly entertaining game, accessible even for those who haven't heard of any of the bands on the label, and we talk about the design process, the game itself, and the pleasures and pitfalls of having a rabid target audience. Michael and Tony also talk about licensing in gaming, covering Tony's adventures with a small Welsh train, and just how awful a Trainspotting game could be...

Well, it's been a while, but yes - The Little Metal Dog Show is still alive. Michael returns with an all new episode and an all new co-host! From here onwards, each episode will also have the splendid Tony Boydell on staff as well, and we figured that the best thing to do would bring him in for a quick catch up before we hit the next episode that will actually get the show to triple figures... Each show will have a theme, and this one covers the wonderful world of Conventions. From UK Games Expo to BGG.con and every show in between, the people, the games and the experiences are what make the world of games so good. Michael and Tony discuss the 2016 season and what they're looking forward to in the next year...

An experiment appears! The Monday Rundown appears every Monday (surprise!) on the Little Metal Television YouTube channel, but some people have expressed interest in an audio version to listen to on the move. If you'd like to have this as a regular thing, please let me know on Twitter where I'm @idlemichael - thanks for listening!

A new episode appears! This time, the awesome Alan Gerding joins Michael to discuss all manner of things - from Dark Souls to death threats (yes!), it's the traditional meandering LMDS that you all know and love. Alan (and his partner in crime, Sean McCoy) run Tuesday Knight Games, makers of Two Rooms and a Boom! aka: The World's Greatest Party Game EVER, and are now back on the crowdfunding trail with their all new release... World Championship Russian Roulette is currently on Kickstarter, and it's unlike anything you've played before. After checking it out (and loving it) at Gen Con 2015, the guys have worked like demons on the game and - having learned MANY lessons from the 2R1B campaign - you know that this is going to be a good one. We talk about the Two Rooms journey, the perils and pitstops of making games, and what we can expect from Tuesday Knight Games in future. Oh, and you should totally listen to the Tuesday Knight Games Podcast too, because it's excellent. Head over to the KS and throw some money their way - you won't regret it! By the way, this was meant to be a much bigger podcast - I actually recorded an hour long interview with Patrick from Crash Games and Lance from Tasty Minstrel (yes, he came back following his appearance a couple of episodes ago!) all about their adventures at the Tokyo Game Market. Everything was great while we recorded... and then my apartment got struck by lightning. My computer was fritzed and I lost a LOT of files, including the recording with Patrick and Lance. I'm gutted, but we'll be catching up again in the near future, hopefully at Origins, where we'll discuss what they got up to again. As ever, thanks for listening!

Another cracking interview on The Little Metal Dog Show, this time with Level 99 Games' own D. Brad Talton. Not only has he built the company from the ground up on his own designs, he's established Level 99 as a place where the spirit of videogames collide with the tabletop world. Originally a computer programmer, circumstance threw him into game development and publication, and we talk about how his company has grown since those early days, why games need a little bit of crazy once in a while, and just why the Soulsborne series of video games are the greatest things ever made.

Lance Myxter seems to have been around since the dawn of the internet, when it comes to making videos about games, at least. One of the first people to put videos out there (alongside Tom Vasel and Scott Nicholson), Lance - aka Undead Viking - is one of the most popular reviewers in the industry, as well as being one of the most awesome and supportive people around. In this massive interview (seriously, it goes nearly two hours, so bring coffee) we talk about pretty much everything; how he stumbled into games reviewing, what makes for quality content, who he likes to follow, and what happens when you find mixtapes on the ground.  Just a warning, there's a *teeny* bit of adult content on this one, so please be aware that younger listeners may need to be steered towards something a little more to their level!

Jeff Siadek's Battlestations has a unique and special place in the hearts and minds of many gamers and designers in our community. Part role playing game, part board game, it puts players not just in a spaceship hurtling through the galaxy, but makes that galaxy a living, breathing thing. In a game where literally anything can happen, how long can you and your teammates survive the inky blackness of space? And what happens when a much loved game gets a much-deserved reboot over a decade down the line? Find out for yourself in this interview with the game's designer, and check out the game on Kickstarter!

There are a few designers that, over the run of the show, I've wanted to really sit down and talk in depth with. This episode has allowed me to take one of those names off the list as I spend a leisurely hour talking to the great Richard Borg, designer of the Commands & Colours system, Memoir '44, Battlelore, Liars Dice, and much more (including the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Trivia Game!). We discuss all manner of subjects, including his overnight success that happened to take about fifteen years, his relationship with Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and how to get ahead in the world of game design when no-one has a bloody clue what you're on about.

There's honestly no better way to ease back into the world of interviews than settling down to chat with the lovely and splendid Tony Boydell. One half of Surprised Stare Games, Tony's excellent Snowdonia deserves a place in pretty much anyone's game collection, while his blog over on BGG - Every Man Needs A Shed - will delight, tantalise and annoy in equal measures on a daily basis. We talk about all manner of stuff, including favourite games from 2015, the perils of publishers pulling the rug from under you, and much much more...