Tabletop SportCast

SummaryIn this episode of Tabletop SportCast, James discusses his annual plan for 2026, themed around women's sports, and outlines the structure and goals for the podcast. He shares insights on project planning, including quarterly projects, tournament structures, and game design goals, emphasizing the importance of intentionality in gaming and community engagement.KeywordsTabletop Sports, Women's Sports, Podcast Planning, Game Design, Sports Board Games, Annual Plan, Project Management, Tournaments, Featured Table Fridays, Quarterly ProjectsTakeawaysThe theme for 2026 is the Year of Women's Sports.Podcast structure will include seasonal shows instead of quarterly reviews.Focus on spotlighting great games and community projects.Annual project planning includes various sports-themed projects.Quarterly projects will align with the sports calendar.Reduced tournament frequency allows for better pacing.Featured Table Fridays will highlight new games weekly.Game design goals include debuting a new horse racing game.Project planning will involve sprints for tangible progress.Community engagement is key for feedback and guest suggestions.TitlesThe Year of Women's Sports: A New FocusRevamping the Podcast Structure for Better FlowSound bites"I'm going to do four seasonal shows.""I want to bring new games to the table.""This is gonna be a better story arc for me."Chapters00:00 Embracing the Go-With-the-Flow Gamer00:27 The Year of Women's Sports03:23 Podcast Structure and Goals09:44 Annual Project Planning16:43 Quarterly Projects and Thematic Focus23:59 Tournaments and Retro Replays28:16 Filling the Gaps: Featured Table Fridays30:50 Game Design Goals and Future Plans35:05 NEWCHAPTER

SummaryIn this episode, James Cast reflects on his tabletop gaming experiences in 2025, discussing the goals he set for himself, the variety of games played, and the balance between gaming and content creation. He emphasizes the importance of finding enjoyment in the hobby, drawing inspiration from favorite teams and historical contexts, and engaging with the community. The conversation highlights the significance of embracing new games and defining personal success in gaming, ultimately leading to a fulfilling year.KeywordsTabletop gaming, year in review, gaming goals, content creation, game design, community, inspiration, new games, balance, successTakeaways2025 was a year of enjoyable gaming experiences.Setting goals helped in achieving a variety of games played.Reducing project commitments led to more gaming enjoyment.Content creation was balanced with gaming activities.Inspiration came from favorite teams and historical contexts.Engaging with the community enhanced the gaming experience.New games played contributed to a fresh gaming perspective.Finding balance in gaming activities is crucial for enjoyment.Defining personal success in gaming is essential.The importance of hobbies as a stress relief mechanism.Titles2025: A Year of Gaming ReflectionSetting Goals for a Fulfilling Gaming YearSound bites"2025 was a year of enjoyable gaming experiences.""Content creation was balanced with gaming activities.""Defining personal success in gaming is essential."Chapters00:00 Reflecting on 2025: A Year in Review06:14 Setting Goals for Gaming Success13:44 Content Creation and Podcasting Journey20:37 Sources of Inspiration in Gaming27:16 Embracing New Games and Variety30:51 Finding Balance and Defining Success39:27 NEWCHAPTER

SummaryIn this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast reviews the top games of 2025, discussing games played throughout the year. The episode is structured into tiers based on how often games made it to the table, with a focus on both new and returning games. James shares insights on his gaming experiences, project planning, and the importance of empirical data in ranking the games. The conversation culminates in a countdown of the top 25 games, highlighting the favorites and the reasons behind their popularity.Keywordstabletop games, sports games, game reviews, top games 2025, tabletop sportcast, gaming community, board games, game rankings, tabletop gamingTakeawaysThe list of top games is based on empirical data.115 different games were played throughout the year.Games are categorized into tiers based on play frequency.New games often get fewer plays initially due to project planning.Returning games tend to have more consistent playtime.The top 25 games are those that made it to the table more than three times.Project planning is crucial for maximizing game play.Non-sport games also made it into the top rankings.History Maker Baseball remains the top game for multiple years.Future plans include refining the game list for next year.TitlesTop Games of 2025 CountdownThe Best Tabletop Games ReviewedSound bites"This tier is called I gave it a shot.""It's always gonna be in there.""That's my list for 2025."Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Top Games of 202503:04 Recap of Recent Events and Game Preparations05:29 Methodology for Ranking Games08:09 Overview of the Top Games List09:05 Tier 5: I Gave It a Shot15:45 Tier 4: Made It to the Table20:55 Tier 3: Came Back for More27:10 Tier 2: Project Worthy30:38 Exploring Superstar Pro Wrestling and Digital Gaming31:33 Top 25 Games: The Go-To List32:31 New Entries: Truckin' 76 and Aviatrix 3734:51 Real Time Pro Fishing and Breakaway Football36:56 New Game of the Year: Play at the Races38:20 Dodgeball and Second Season: Tournament Highlights40:33 Legends of Boxing and Highlight Maker Hoops42:46 Dungeons and Dragons: The Non-Sports Game of the Year44:16 Dice United and Face to the Mat: Tiebreakers Explained46:44 Soccer Blast and History Maker Golf: Sports Games in Focus49:16 Red, White and Blue Racing and Fast Drive Football52:21 Legends of Boxing and Hockey Blast: The Top Contenders55:29 Grid Zone: The Premier Fictional Sports Game56:34 History Maker Baseball: The Undisputed Champion58:24 Wrapping Up: Reflections on the Top Games of 202501:02:03 NEWCHAPTER

SummaryIn this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast discusses significant changes in the tabletop sports gaming community, particularly focusing on the impact of Sam Avallone's departure from Plaay. The conversation reflects on the legacy of the Plaay Space, the implications of losing major conventions like Plaay-Dot-Con, and the future direction of Plaay under Keith Avallone's leadership. The episode emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the potential for new leaders to emerge in the gaming space as the community navigates these changes.

SummaryIn this episode of Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast discusses the latest release from Powder Blue Sports, Fight Card Boxing, along with his experiences during the holiday sales. He shares insights on his gaming highlights, including a recreation of the 2000 US Open golf tournament, and reviews various tabletop games he picked up during the sales. The episode culminates in a detailed look at Fight Card Boxing, exploring its mechanics, strengths, and limitations, while also hinting at future episodes focusing on leadership lessons from the show Shoresy.KeywordsTabletop Sports, Fight Card Boxing, Holiday Sales, Gaming, Sports Replays, Tabletop Games, Powder Blue Sports, Game Reviews, Sports Board Games, Tabletop CommunityTakeawaysThe holiday sales provide a great opportunity to support various game companies.Fight Card Boxing offers a simplified approach to boxing games.The game focuses on four major weight classes: heavyweights, middleweights, welterweights, and lightweights.Express games like Fight Card Boxing fill a niche for quicker gameplay.The game mechanics allow for quick results without detailed action.Rising costs in the gaming industry may impact future purchases.The host enjoys historical replays and is looking forward to using Fight Card Boxing for tournaments.Powder Blue Sports offers free PDFs and printed sets for their games.The host plans to attend Indi-Con and hopes to catch up with game designers there.Future episodes will explore leadership lessons from the show Shoresy.Sound bites"I ran the 2000 US Open for golf.""You're not gonna get detailed action.""Check out Powder Blue Sports."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Fight Card Boxing06:35 Holiday Sales and Gaming Purchases27:16 Deep Dive into Fight Card Boxing Mechanics44:23 NEWCHAPTER