Brainwaves - Board Game and Tabletop News Show
Iain & Jamie from The Giant Brain, and Oliver from Tabletop Games Blog bring you a fortnightly show featuring the best in Tabletop Gaming News
Episodes
The whole team is back in the studio to bring you the latest news from across the tabletop gaming globe. From acquisitions, financial reports, record breaking conventions, and card game companies taking on Musk.
HeadlinesSpiel Essen 25 Breaks Attendance Record
https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/press?view=article&id=304&catid=12
Deutscher Spiele Preis 2025 Winners
https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/program/dsp
Asmodee wants th...
Jamie and Iain bring you the choicest cuts from the worldwide tabletop news beast. Seasoned with the usual amount of controversy, nonsense, and awards. Dig in on episode 169 of Brainwaves.
Headlines
Kickstarter workers go on strike
GAMA rebrands
The team are back in full force to bring you the latest news from across the tabletop gaming world. From CMON escaping Hel, to the gender split in designers, and an interview with two of the team behind Tabletop Scotland, we work hard to bring you the news that really matters.
HeadlinesCmon escapes Hel
Iain and Oliver bring you a bumper packed episode of Brainwaves with all the latest news, controversies, and occurrences from across the tabletop gaming world in episode 167 of Brainwaves.
Headlines
Devir… damn guys that’s racist as hell
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555308/just-some-ole-racist-history-crap/page/1
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555308/article/46440167#46440167
Jamie and Oliver bring you the latest news from around the tabletop gaming world. From CGE failing to conjure a decent response, to Gamefound acquiring a rival they cover the stories that really matter in episode 166 of Brainwaves.
HeadlinesCzech Games Edition announces new Harry Potter Codenames https://bsky.app/profile/codenamesgame.bsky.social/post/3lul7oqmuws25
https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/07/29/reviewers-includ...
Jamie’s off boating around, no really, so it’s just Oliver and Iain in the studio this week. On episode 165 of Brainwaves they cover Diamond Heists, Spiel Des Jahres, more trouble for CMON and D&D moving to a franchise model, whatever that means.
Headlines
Diamond Distribution go on a heist
It’s the latest episode of Brainwaves! Join Iain and Jamie as they dive into the world of tabletop industry news to bring you the glistening pearls and dank seaweed from across the globe.
Headlines
Hasbro cuts 3% of workforce
Dungeons and Dragons designers end up at critical role
The team of three are back to bring you the latest tabletop news. This episode we have fresh stats from UK Games Expo, companies setting fire to their IPs, ebay busting unions, and the Spiel des Jahres nominations.
Headlines
UK Games Expo figures
https://bsky.app/profile/ukge.bsky.social/post/3lqkkfgaem22y
Oliver and Iain are the dynamic duo this week as we bring you a packed show full of the usual controversy, the bizarre, and worthwhile celebrations.
Headlines
Games Workshop on Rampage
https://spikeybits.com/warhammer-40k/games-workshop-freezes-assets-amid-world-wide-seller-takedown/
World Warhammer Championship boycotted by some players
https://www.rascal.news/players-boycott-the-world-championships-of-warhammer-because-of-tr...
It’s just the Scottish team behind the mics this week as we bring you updates on tariffs and Diamond looking particular rough alongside all the latest industry news in Brainwaves Episode 161.
HeadlinesStonemaier Games sues the president
Stonemaier Games blog post: https://stonemaiergames.com/we-are-suing-the-president/
Lawsuit press release from Pacific Legal: https://pacificlegal.org/press-release/board-game-company-files-laws...
It’s been a little longer between episodes but the whole team are back to tackle the only news that matters on the latest episode of Brainwaves.
Headlines
Trump tariffs turn tabletop topsy turvy
https://us8.campaign-archive.com/?u=036529e593805041d1127c76d&id=c7c5d971eb
https://rowanrookanddecard.com/what-the-new-usa-tariffs-mean-for-us/?v=7885444af42e
https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/04/04/board-game-industry-re...
It’s been a while but we are back with all the latest tabletop news. From profit warnings to big projects being cancelled, tune in to the only tabletop podcast that brings you the stories that really matter.
HeadlinesCMON Issues Profit Warning
The team are back to scour the corners of the world for the best in Tabletop Gaming News. This episode we cover mergers, departures, destruction, and we have an interview with those Rascals.
Headlines
Steve Jackson merges with Possum Games
https://www.rascal.news/possum-creek-games-wanders-to-a-new-home-with-steve-jackson-games/
https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2025-02-11?ref=rascal.news
Mythic crumbles
It’s another bumper episode of Brainwaves as we bring you news from across the Tabletop globe. Diamond is in the rough, Asmodee avoids a hug, lawsuits get settled, and Iain gets to go off on one about ethics. All this, and more, on episode 157 of Brainwaves.
Headlines
Diamond files for bankruptcy
https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/58618/diamond-files-reorganization-under-chapter-11-bankruptcy
The whole team is back for the first Brainwaves of the year. Join us as we dive into the latest tabletop gaming news from Hasbro rolling the dice on gambling to chess clashing with the wrong trousers! All this and more on episode 156 of Brainwaves.
Headlines
Hasbro rolls the dice
https://igamingbusiness.com/company-news/games-global-unveils-exciting-partnership-with-hasbro/
It’s the wrong trousers, Magnus
This podcast contains all the interviews that I conducted during Dragonmeet 2024. Thanks so much to everyone that took the time to talk to me.
The interviewees are:
Jason, Always Checkers Publishing
Chris, Beyond Cataclysm
Mike, Planet Smasher Games
Shaan, RPG Taverns
Finbar and Gary, Game Therapy UK
Our Links
Thanks very much for listening. If you like what you’ve listened to then the best way to help us out is to share th...
It’s the last cast of the year and we have a full team in the studio to bring you the latest tabletop gaming news. From people taking off their masks, to copyright disputes, and awards news. Listen to the only cast to bring you the really important industry news.
HeadlinesHas Powerboats been taken for a Joyride?
Joyride vs Powerboats thread
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3412685/powerboatspowerships-joyride
Geoff Engelstein
It’s a cast of finances, awards, lawsuits, and political games as Oliver and Iain cross the world in the episode 154 of Brainwave to bring you the best in Tabletop Gaming News.
Headlines
Tariffs and Trade Rules Tax Tabletop Publishers
https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2024-11-10
https://www.compliancegate.com/general-product-safety-regulation/
https://bsky.app/profile/badsquiddogames.bsky.social/post/3lb7r4n7eni22
It’s been a mix of huge stories and not much else in the last few weeks. Iain and Jamie bring you the lowdown on what is going on at World of Game Design, who is bagging awards, hasbro’s financials, and what size of country the population of D&D Beyond could establish. All this, and more, on episode 153 of Brainwaves
Headlines
WOGD investigation by Rascal
https://www.rascal.news/former-world-of-game-design-employees-claim-t...
In this special edition of Brainwaves we present the interviews that we carried out at Tabletop Scotland 2024. Thanks so much to everyone who spoke to us.
People and Organisations
Kayla Dice - Rat Wave Game House
Games mentioned
DrievthruRPG links are affiliate links
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