Positively Board Gaming
Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the hobby, the Positively Board Gaming Podcast offers a welcoming space to deepen your appreciation for tabletop games. Join Mitchell and Jamey each week, as they chat about everything the world of board gaming has to offer and share their enthusiasm, knowledge and curiosity.
Latest Episodes
House Rules
Board game house rules, player experience, and positive community etiquette—Jamey and Mitchell share smart, real-table examples from Zombicide, Lords of Waterdeep, and Red Rising, plus listener interaction, Essen/Spiel shout-outs, and a joy-filled “treats of the day” segment. Chapters 00:00 – Cold open, numbering debate and welcome 01:31 – “Treat of the day” setup 01:38 –…
Collectible Card Games and 7 Games with Quirky Themes
Board games with unusual themes, Magic: The Gathering drafting, and why “positive” doesn’t mean sugar-coated reviews—this episode explores unique design hooks (Viticulture, Sagrada, The Bloody Inn, Root, Last Will, So You’ve Been Eaten), CCG temptations (including TMNT for MTG), and the joy of hobby rituals. Enjoy this one? Share your favorite unusually themed game or…
Design Day and Leaving Your Comfort Zone
Stonemaier Games Design Day, playtesting insights, and why stepping outside your comfort zone can rekindle your love of tabletop games. Mitchell and Jamey swap stories about gaming tables, Space Base strategies, and the joy of trying new approaches. Like, comment, and subscribe to support thoughtful conversations about tabletop design and play. Tell us in the…
3 Old, 3 New: 6 Games We Love
Episode 30 celebrates joyful life updates, Stonemaier’s community-driven Design Day, and a rapid back-and-forth on “old vs. new” tabletop standouts—from hidden-role and drafting classics to fresh co-op poker and a superhero trick-taking design. Mitchell and Jamey kick off with personal milestones and why sharing “the good stuff” matters. They touch on weekly-release TV culture (Survivor,…
Partnership & Hosting your First Game Night
Hosting your first game night can be simple and fun. In this episode, we share practical tips for hosting your first game night, plus a lively chat about partnership games. hosting your first game night, board game night tips, how to host game night, partnership board games, Concordia Venus partnerships, Spades partnership, Bridge bidding tips,…
Origin Story & Thematic Lures
On this Episode of Positively Board Gaming, Mitchell and Jamey talk about the latest Stonemaier Games release, Origin Story, and how to welcome new gamers into the hobby by matching game themes to the things they already love. If you enjoyed this chat, like the video and drop a comment with the card or tableau…
Stuff We Love Right Now
Episode 27 of Positively Board Gaming dives into hobbies, sports, and what brings us joy outside of the board game hobby. Mitchell Whitfield and Jamey Stegmaier swap stories about retro gaming, RC crawlers, YouTube creators, and even sumo wrestling, before talking sports, fandom, and the excitement of hockey’s return. Enjoying the show? Subscribe to Positively Board Gaming on YouTube…
Big Group Games and 5 Games that Surprised Us
A 34-person game retreat, a human-sized round of Codenames, and a marble “Kentucky Derby” set the stage for a conversation about games that surprise us—in the best ways. Jamey recaps three creative big-group “room party” games, while Mitchell shares five titles that defied expectations:Shifting Stones, Number Drop, QE, Fantasy Realms, and One Deck Dungeon. Plus: light banter,…
Curating and Culling a Game collection
How do you curate or cull a board game collection? Jamey Stegmaier and Mitchell Whitfield share positive, practical strategies for culling shelves, setting limits, and deciding what truly earns a place—plus thoughts on campaign games, “worlds on your shelf,” and Stonemaier reveals. Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe, leave a rating, and tell us how you curate…
Top 5 Games of the Summer and Two Truths & a Lie.
Positively Board Gaming with Jamie Stegmaier and Mitchell Whitfield digs into summer standouts—Vantage, Saltfjord, Panda Spin, Zenith on Board Game Arena, and Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth—plus honest talk about analysis paralysis, table patience, and why sleep matters for gamers. Jamie’s “Games of Summer” list anchors favorite memories to specific plays: • Saltfjord…
Meet the Hosts
Jamey Stegmaier
Jamey Stegmaier is the co-founder and lead designer at Stonemaier Games, the publisher of games like Wingspan, Scythe, and Viticulture. Jamey is a lifelong tabletop gamer who loves discussing anything and everything related to games: the community, industry, specific games, fellow designers, game art, game conventions and events, etc.
Mitchell Whitfield
Mitchell Whitfield is a film and television actor with a career that has spanned more than four decades, best known for his roles on Friends, My Cousin Vinny, and TMNT. When he’s not in front of the camera or behind the microphone, he can usually be found at the table playing or talking about board games with anyone who’ll listen…so you can imagine how excited he is to be co-hosting Positively Board Gaming with one of his favorite board game designers.
Contact Us
If you’d like to drop us an email with something you’d like us to talk about on the show, use the contact us form.