Tabletop Submarine

In INKtentions, players become cunning octopuses vying for the most food in the treacherous depths of the ocean. Using ink clouds, sneaky hiding spots, and well-placed tentacle maneuvers, they must outwit their rivals while dodging hungry sharks and relentless eels. Strategy and deception go hand in hand as players secretly place cards, protecting themselves—or misleading their opponents—while striving to collect the most valuable food. Each round, players take turns playing one of their 9 cards (one for each brain) facedown near a scoring pile. After 8 cards are played (one for each arm) the cards are revealed and resolved. Ink cards protect everyone in a pile, but at the cost of helping opponents. Hide cards offer personal safety but leave others exposed. Punch cards shift the tides, moving threats or disrupting well-laid plans. With every decision, players must weigh risk and reward—protecting their own octopuses while ensuring their rivals don't get ahead. At the end of each round, surviving octopuses claim food, with set collection bonuses encouraging competition for the best meals. After three rounds (one for each heart) the player with the most food wins. INKtentions is a game of calculated risks, clever plays, and just the right amount of betrayal, where only the craftiest cephalopod will reign supreme!

A founder has entered the Submarine! Don Baggett of the Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast joins us for a Blood Rage filled episode. We talk about the Secret Cabal and what makes a group and podcast so successful amongst a sea of competition. All this and more on today's episode! 

Up and coming designer Cole Smith join us on the submarine. Cole has two games currently on or getting ready to launch on Kickstarter. 3 Magi and Sauros! Again he is a designer from (or at least near) Canada's design hotbed Toronto and he is here to share his story. 

Reviewer and friend of the podcast Isaac Villa joins us for a technical difficulty full episode. Josh did not have the best setup which led to him having to drop off in the middle of the podcast, but Andrew and Isaac hold it down with an interesting story about meeting designers while playing their games and how mentors can be crucial in you life's journey. All this and more on today's episode!

Roberto Panetta joins us on the submarine! The designer of Gems of Iridescia, Roberto had a succesful campaign that is bringing his designs to the hobby. On this episode we have a delirious Josh alongside a story about Marvel Legendary! 

Designer of Finspan, Crafting the Cosmos, Monkey Palace, and Floristry, David Gordan takes a ride on the submarine! We talk about the string of success he has released and how he came to be in such a unique position. All this and more on today's podcast!

Illustrator, designer, and publisher Parker Simpson joins us on the Submarine. Known for Trash Dash and Disgraced House, Parker is an up and coming name in the tabletop world with snappy designs and fantastic art gracing his games. Hear his story today! 

(We apologize for no intro or outro music, Josh is traveling and didn't have access to his sound files, but wanted to make sure an episode was released of something!) Set during the time of Cities of Venus, Survivors continues the story with the search for survivors on the surface by the brave mining mech operators. The object of this stand-alone polyomino-dice manipulation game is to find as many survivors as possible while discovering fuel for the re-ascent vehicle. Once the launch sequence is initiated, players utilize the resources and engineers that they had rescued to secure their place as the captain, and hero, of the re-ascent ship.

Travis Deere joins us to talk about his latest project Coral Castle! Build a magical mermaid garden under the sea in this card drafting game. Each round you will draft cards, craft combos, and race other players up the wealth, beauty, and rarity tracks. You'll be able to keep cards each round for bigger, better combos. After 3 rounds, see see who is furthest on each track and gain fame. The most famous mergarden wins! There's also a "pearl economy" you must manage throughout the game. You'll need to collect enough pearls to pull off your big combos! Easier to learn than 7 Wonders and more depth than Sushi Go, Coral Castle is great for hardcore gamers, casual gamers, gamer families, and anyone that wants more mermaids in their life!

Pink Hawk Games owner Emily Vincent comes on the podcast to talk all things TantrumCon 2025 with Andrew and Josh! We love the Tantrum House crew and we discuss how the con was for attendees, designers, and publishers. Stick around to see if this con is worth your time!

Welcome back to the submarine with our guest Jay Bernardo! Jay is part of the Bezier Games team and is a strong advocate for the eastern tabletop market. This is highlighted through is channel Cardboard East! Jay shares a story about Cosmic Encounter and we go in to group dynamics and how a game last through time as opposed to being a flash in the pan. All this and more on today's episode!

On this episode we talk about PAX Unplugged with publisher 3WS and Michael Guigliano! We give you the low down on some of our favorite things we saw and talk about the future of the convention and what we can expect from it in the future. All this and more on today's show!

Designer Yuval Grinspun joins the submarine! Ever wanted to know some backroom discussion about some of the best games designed in the past years? Well Yuval has a story for you! Here he discusses his experience with some of the best designers the great city of Toronto has to offer. He also talks briefly about his new game How to Save World from Burnt Island Games. All this and more on today's episode.

Industry legend Zev Shlasinger joins us on the Submarine! The creator of both Z-Man Games and Play to Z, Zev have been a veteran of the hobby for years brining us games such as Tales of the Arabian Nights, which is being brought on Gamefound right now, and one of the pillars of modern gaming Pandemic! Hear his stories and wisdom about the hobby and all the advice he has for people who want to make this industry their path.

Designer Jonathan Chaffer joins us on the submarine to talk about an uncomfortable and perplexing experience he had at a game night. What would you do in this situations? Jonathan has designed many games including the Holiday Hijinks series from Grand Gamers Guild! Listen to great stories and think great things on this episode!

The team from Grazing Bear Games joins us the submarine! Zach and Chris have a Kickstarter coming out with for all you print and play enthusiast. Follow here for more info about their Kickstarter! 

Reul Gaviola joins us on the submarine! Ruell is a media personality in the tabletop industry and we are so excited to have him on to share his insights. We talk about Twilight Imperium and how games can transport us and create fiction we didn't expect. All this and more on today's episode!

We are joined by two guests for a two part episode! One the submarine we have the crew from Durdle Games and designers of Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Jason and Darren! We talk about how these two came "seemingly" came out of nowhere and designed on of the biggest hits of 2023 and how it lead to being able to design a game with the TMNT License. All this and more on today's episode!

MonToons: Clash of the Coral Isles is a high-energy, competitive print-and-play, roll-and-write, arena combat game. As MonToon warriors from rival factions, you compete in an epic clash to claim the Waystone and bring prosperity and power to your faction. Achieve victory by tactically positioning yourself around the map, defeating your rivals in combat, or solving a strategic puzzle to unlock the Waystone's power. The MonToons of the Coral Isles, accustomed to conflict, now face an unprecedented event, one which promises to fulfill an ancient prophecy: The Tidalmark. As the Waystones of the Chief's Archipelago become supercharged, the most powerful MonToon warriors from all factions will traverse sand, sea, rock and reef to claim unimaginable power and etch their names into the island's vast history

We are joined by two guests for a two part episode! One the submarine we have the crew from Durdle Games and designers of Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Jason and Darren! We talk about how these two came "seemingly" came out of nowhere and designed on of the biggest hits of 2023 and how it lead to being able to design a game with the TMNT License. All this and more on today's episode!

Support Primordial now! Mages, the land of Cathaira needs your help! The last Celestial War with the Titans of Yarre` has left the landscape changed. Entropic Energy spreads at an unprecedented rate and the Creatures are becoming volatile and unpredictable as their environment shifts. They are vital to the health of the continent and must be preserved! Each of you are masters of a Sanctuary, which Entropic Energy cannot easily penetrate. Your distinct prowess and your historical harmony with the land of Cathaira means that only you can Tame these Creatures! Can you manage to offer them protection, and return the presence of Entropic Energy to normal levels? Honor is to be had, and each of you has the opportunity to be held in the highest regard by mastering the use of Energy, advancing in knowledge, and Taming these Creatures who need your help! Primordial: Creatures of Pandemonium is a mid-weight, euro resource management game that is played over rounds. During the game, Mages will traverse the landscape, tame mythical creatures, learn skills, become more proficient in Energy use, and manage a Sanctuary to earn more honor than other Mages. Primary mechanisms of the game include resource management, tableau building, skill-tree progression, and area movement. Additionally, the game features a unique communal bag building element!

A quick update about the submarine going (temporarily) forward. 

Marc Specter, owner of publisher Grand Gamers Guild join us on the podcast. Here we share a little more about his hit game Tir Na Nog currently on Kickstarter!  He also shares a story that takes twist and many turns all on a trip to the Mecca of gaming that is Essen Spiel. Join us for great games and great stories on this episode.

Isaac Hirschfeld (Dragon Egg Games) and Mathue Ryann (Envy Born Games) join Andrew and Josh as we talk about the awesomeness that was GenCon! We talk about our overall experience, major releases, and give some insider information about what was going down behind the scenes. And tell a few stories along the way!

Dave Beck from Paverson games is here with us! Dave published the alcohol based game Distilled and is currently launching Luthier on Kickstarter. On this episode we talk about themed game nights, books that may make great games, and how to capture the essence of another's work in your gaming experience. All this and more on today's episode! 

We are here to talk about Columbus's best convention Origins Game Fair! Listen to stories from the publishers, designers, and media personalities we all love and get the latest scoop on one of the largest BG Conventions in America!   Mixtape Kickstarter Live Now!

Artist Andrew Bosley joins us on the submarine. Lending his talents to games like Everdell and Tapestry, Andrew has used his skills to bring the hobby to a whole new level of quality and expectations. Today we talk about new things he has coming up and what he has learned and remembered over the years. All this and more on today's episode!   We have a new sponsor with Talent Strike Studios! Check out their KS Mixtape coming July 9th!

Taylor Reiner joins us on the submarine. A designer and youtuber you may know him from his Taylor's Trick Taking channel or designing such games as Sears Catalogue. Where ever you know him from he has a great story to share and awesome insights to say. We talk abstracts, trick takers, and RPG's all on todays' voyage! 

Andrew hops on to an episode of the Periscope to talk about his first published game Wine Cellar! Kickstarter Here! Let's auction off some wine! You and your rival sommeliers have decided to face off to determine who is the best. Each person will take on a client, building a cellar that ages well and is suited to the client's tastes. Over the course of eight rounds in Wine Cellar, players will collect wine bottles to create a cellar for their client. Bottles will be arranged to create a timeline for the order in which the wine will be consumed. Each bottle is worth different amounts based upon where it is in the timeline. Players will also receive points based on their client's preferences for wine type and country of origin.

Designer Alex Cutler joins us on the submarine! Alex has been working many years as the head developer for Pandasaurus games and most recently had success with Carboard Alchemy with his game Critter Kitchen. He talks about the steps he took and the journey he went on to eventually become a full time designer. Lots of wisdom is shared so we hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

You know him from Ryan and Bethany's Board Game Reviews and now he is on the Submarine! Ryan Neumeyer join us for an episode all about self reflection and becoming better gamers! Join him for great stories about his reviews and we even talk a little bit about Gen Con! All this and more on today's episode!

Check out the Kickstarter Here! Chris Backe returns to the Submarine to talk about No Box Games latest project!  Phileas Fogg and Jean Passepartout needed 80 days, but you'll only need 10-15 minutes. In this print-at-home game with a leader-follower mechanic, one player each turn is the Navigator, which chooses an action that all players must take. Choose to Travel between cities, Explore the city you're in, or pick up some Souvenirs to fill your suitcase. When anyone has visited at least one city on each continent and returned to their starting city, the game ends - count up points, and the most points wins!

Monica Rasso joins us on the submarine! If you don't know Monica you might know her work as a manager of conventions like TantrumCon and ProtoATL. We discuss everything from diversity to playtesting and how we as gamers can do better at both without doing a lot! All this and more on todays episode.

THE Julie Ahern is on the Submarine! Designer and podcaster you can find her in all facets of the hobby. Join us as she tells us about playing Zpocolypse at GenCon and how she gathered a crowd around her. We also talk Wormholes and other great games as well!

Designer, author, and former imagineer Scott Rogers joins us on the submarine! Scott is well known for being one of the brightest minds in the hobby. He has taught classes and written books about all kinds of game design. In this episode he shares his experience playing Kingdom Death Monster and how these big games can come to be. All this and more on today's show!

Teacher Ryan from the Level Up Board Game Podcast joins us on the Torpedo to talk about Eila and Something Shiny. We have both a spoiler free and spoiler section for our discussion. omewhere far away, a mystery awaits... Deep in the forest, an innocent rabbit - Eila, leaves their home to embark on a life-changing adventure. Eila and Something Shiny is a 1+ player story-rich board game set in a mystical world. Take on the role of Eila, as you solve puzzles, manage resources, and overcome challenges through underground perilous mazes, harsh snowy highlands, and more. Experience an exciting and emotional story told across 5 chapters featuring stunning art and illustrated comics. With branching story paths, your choices matter, affecting each chapter and deciding how the game ends. Good luck; Eila's fate is in your hands!

Designer Koltin Thompson joins us on the submarine! Koltin is on the designers of Galactic Cruise and is an lover of literature (except Moby Dick). On the podcast we talk about his story playing Gloomhaven and how it made them scream like little children. We also talk Underwater Cities and details in gaming. All this and more on today's episode!  

TK King and Dennis Northcutt join us to talk about the newest hotness of Kickstarter, Galactic Cruise! Hello, and welcome to Galactic Cruise. Here, we offer our guests something special: the comfort of a luxury cruise with the innovation of space travel. As the first company to offer extended-stay space vacations, we are excited to have you working for us! As a supervisor of this company, you'll be expected to not only build these shuttles and satisfy our guests, but also to help the company thrive by enhancing our company network, inventing new technologies, and growing our workforce. We are a united company, and you'll often find that what another supervisor does will make your job easier. Let me be clear, though, this is a competition. The supervisor who comes out on top will become CEO of the company. On your turn, you will either place a worker to take two actions in the ever-expanding network, launch a shuttle and send one of your workers to space as a pilot, or recall all your earthbound workers to collect funding bonuses. Actions include acquiring blueprints, constructing shuttles, attracting guests, and building developments–connections between locations that increase action selection throughout the game. You will also be affecting resource markets that ebb and flow with the actions of all the players. When you launch a shuttle, one of your workers will accompany it as a pilot, navigating the shuttle to various destinations and “days in space,” where guests will reward you for all your hard work. Throughout the game, you will also be competing with your fellow supervisors to complete company goals, which will earn you progress cubes throughout the game. Progress cubes are also placed when you launch shuttles, and when a certain number of cubes are placed onto the company's progress track, the game ends, and the player with the most Victory Points becomes the new CEO of Galactic Cruise. Do you still think you have what it takes to work for us?

Eleni, The Carboard Rhino has made it to the Submarine! She makes videos of how to play various board games that she find special. Watch em and play along! She also loves discovering new board games on Kickstarter and she make roundup videos presenting the ones that stand out -check them out in the Rhino Roundup section! Apart from these she also created a series of documentaries with CGE about how board games are made! Check those out here. We also talk Stationfall, 500lbs Gorilla, and so many more. All of this on today's voyage!

We are joined by designer Ian Brocklebank and Martin Van Rossum from Rolling Rhino's newest campaign! In Arctic Roll, you will lead a tribe of intrepid hunters, heading out across the ice to hunt for fish. Compete over the scarce resources and use your dice to move across the ice and excavate fishing holes. Draft the right dice to place your hunters strategically in their search for food, to become the winner of Arctic Roll! See Campaign

Steven Brown from Browncastle Games join us on the Submarine! Steven and his team make some of the best crokinole boards in the hobby and we are excited to talk about our favorite flicking game. We go in depth into what makes a great expansion and the process of creating quality wood components for games. Steven also shares stories about how created a "great expansion for a game that didn't need one." We also talk Kluster, Darwin's Journey, and Silver and Gold. All this and more on today's episode!

We are joined today by John Jewell designer of Four Forests to get a closer look at this crowdfunding project! In Four Forests, players each take on the role of one of the Guardians of the Enchanted Forests. Prepare your forest for the arrival of various mythical creatures by planting vegetation that has specific appeal to each creature. Ensure that the creatures attracted to your forests are considered the most prestigious by secretly casting votes. Support Four Forests!

Andrew and Josh dive into TantrumCon! Run by Tantrum House this con takes place in Charlotte North, Carolina. Hear about their experience and hear from the attendees, publishers, and designers who were there. All this and more on today's episode.

Part 2 of the Ammon Anderson Interview!

Ammon Anderson, designer and artists of Gnome Hollow, joins us on the submarine! Ammon truly has an inspirational story of the power of art and game design and how he was able to handle the sudden success of his prototype. This is part 1 of a two part interview!

Will Meadows from Tantrum House joins us on the Submarine! Tantrum House is a board game media channel that does everything from podcast to videos. Will comes on to share a little bit about that and also gives us stories from past TantrumCons! TantrumCon 2024 is happening at the end of the month so if you wanna see Will, Josh, and Andrew in Charlotte be sure to get your ticket! We also talk Hadrian's wall and Monopoly of all games! All this and more on today's voyage. TantrumCon 2024

A Happy New Year from us at Tabletop Submarine. Here is an update on what to expect from us next year!

Pat Marino, head of Hobby Games at The OP joins us on the Submarine! Pat, Josh, and Andrew have been acquainted for some time...so they kind of lose track of time. But they talk about so many great things! From Ip's, imposter syndrome, and a whole bunch of other OP-py goodness. We also discuss Gnome Hollow, Court of the Dead, and Skyteam! All this and more on the final episode of 2023!

Josh was able to attend PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia this year and he is bringing you all the stories from your favorite publishers! Hear updates on new releases and learn more about why these publishers love PAXU. Original Sasquatch Severed Books Last Night Games Alley Cat Games Red Raven Games Dire Wolf Digital Wet Ink Games WizKids Snowbright Studio North Star Game Studio Burnt Island and KTBG Weird City Games Kess Fantasy Flight Games  

Josh was able to attend PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia this year and he is bringing you all the stories from your favorite publishers! Hear updates on new releases and learn more about why these publishers love PAXU. This is part 1  so look out for another great episode like this in the future! Cephalofair Levity Games Dead Alive Games One Day West Games One Board Family Arcane Wonders Grandpa Beck Games Solis Game Studios Nerdberger Games Monster Fight Club Paverson Games Uncommons Publishing Yadco Games Kinson Key Games Montage End Games Ixion Games Studios

Designer all star Roberta Taylor joins us on the Submarine! Roberta has designed many great games such as Creature Comforts, Octopus Garden, and Maple Valley. Her most recent project is Hello Kitty: Day at the Park! We hear stories about friends she has made in gaming and how tabletop can be used to form relationships. All this and more on today's episode!