Lens and Veil Podcast

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.
In this special episode they discuss the early years of Garphill Games when Shem was self publishing as a brand new designer. Get ready to do a deep dive on the origin story of Garphill Games!
📜Chapters:
0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?
0:8:32 - Intro
0:5:49 - What this episode is about and why we are doing it!
0:10:42 - Linwood
0:17:37 - Capek
0:26:38 - Saqqara
0:27:43 - Plethora
0:32:19 - Playtesting and Development
0:34:07 - Plethora Continued
0:37:50 - Tanzania
0:43:17 - Cibola
0:47:21 - As a new designer, should you try make the best game?
0:49:15 - Garphill's identity as a company
0:51:36 - Woodlands
0:56:48 - Flee the Scene
1:02:22 - Overcoming design problems in the early days
1:04:23 - Which of these would you play and which would you redesign if force to?
1:06:37 - How important is a good premise for a game?
1:14:39 - Bethel Woods
1:24:55 - Wrapping up
⭐About the Cast
Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).
Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.
Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order and The Great Sea together with Sam, and Spirited and Skute with both Shem and Sam.
🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.
In this episode they discuss Raiders of Scythia: Omens and Skara Brae: Headlands by Shem Phillips. The first ever expansions to Ancient Anthology titles.
📜Chapters:
0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?
0:5:33 - Intro
0:5:49 - Why are we doing Ancient Anthology expansions?
08:37 - Discussion of Omens
0:30:22 - What makes a good expansion?
0:37:20 - Discussion of Headlands
1:00:23 - Questions for the audience
1:00:40 - Kickstarter overview
⭐About the Cast
Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).
Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.
Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order and The Great Sea together with Sam, and Spirited and Skute with both Shem and Sam.
🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.
In this episode they discuss Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon by Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone. Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon is a competitive euro worker placement game in which players lead one of the space agencies that are working together to expand a permanent base in the Shackleton crater at the Moon's South Pole, while at the same time working with the three major corporations sponsoring the mission.
📜Chapters:
0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?
0:7:52 - Intro
0:8:09 - Overview of Shackleton Base
0:13:02 - Discussion of Shackleton Base
0:55:41 - Questions for audience
0:55:58 - Reflections on Play Con (Australia)
⭐About the Cast
Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).
Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.
Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order and The Great Sea together with Sam, and Spirited and Skute with both Shem and Sam.
🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.
In this special episode they discuss three Japanese card games: Disney Villains by Jun Sasaki and Taiki Shinzawa, Nanatoridori by Toshiki Arao, and Robotrick by Domi.
📜Chapters:
0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?
0:06:58 - Intro
0:07:17 - Discussion of Disney Villains
0:21:06 - Discussion of Nanatoridori
0:32:11 - Discussion of Robotrick
0:46:29 - Questions for the audience
0:46:47 - Discussion about designing card games
⭐About the Cast
Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).
Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.
Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development.
🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠

🎙️Welcome to the Lens and Veil podcast, join Shem, Sam and Zach as they discuss games they've played together, specifically focusing on game design elements.
In this special episode they discuss the nominees for the Kennerspiel Des Jahres 2026: Rebirth by Reiner Knizia, Boss Fighters QR by Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, and Moon Colony Bloodbath by Donald X. Vaccarino.
📜Chapters:
0:00:00 - Which would you prefer?
0:07:24 - Intro
0:07:42 - Discussion of Rebirth
0:33:26 - Discussion of the Kennerspiel
0:42:29 - Discussion of Boss Fighters QR
0:57:42 - Discussion of Moon Colony Bloodbath
1:00:13 - Questions for the audience
1:00:29 - Prediction and our winners
⭐About the Cast
Shem Phillips is the owner of Garphill Games and has designed a fair few board games, notably Raiders of the North Sea (Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee) and Legacy of Yu (Golden Geek, Dice Tower Award, Origins Award for Best Solo Game of 2023).
Sam Macdonald is a Game Designer and Developer at Garphill Games, bursting onto the scene with his co-design together with Shem, Architects of the West Kingdom. He has gone on to design a number of other games, most notable among them is Paladins of the West Kingdom which is currently in the top 100 games on BGG.
Zach Smith works for Garphill Games as Marketing and Media Manager, but is also a credited designer, having co-designed Circadians: Chaos Order together with Sam. They also have another game together under development.
🎵 Music licenced from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jessy Ribordy Studios⁠