Lay It On The Table

About Lay It On The Table

Geek and Southern's James Engelhardt and Joe Mahaffey discuss the golden age of board games and role playing games from a Southern perspective. Including interviews and insights from game designers and creatives that makes this hobby so compelling.

Publisher

Geek and Southern Podcast Network

Category

leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Apr 2022

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

61 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Playing It Forward with Stephen Conway

   Joe and James welcome Stephen Conway of The Spiel and the Spiel Foundation for a conversation about how games bring people together—and how a love of play can become a way to give back. Stephen traces his journey from family card games in rural Indiana to launching The Spiel with Dave Coleson in 2006. He explains how visits to relatives in hospitals inspired the foundation’s game donations, and why every donated game is unpacked, organized, and ready to play. The discussion explores a potential volunteer network to teach those games and help them become part of everyday life in recipient organizations. The conversation then broadens to the foundation’s United Nations of Play initiative, showcasing games from Brazil, Nigeria, and South Africa at Essen; Bernie De Koven’s influence; and plans for the De Koven Center for Play in Indianapolis. Stephen also explains the Major Fun and Spiel of Approval awards before turning the questions on Joe and James, who share how games rekindled their friendship and inspired this podcast. The central theme is the group’s belief that play lowers barriers, eases anxiety, and helps people see one another as people.

2. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Kicking Kickstarter to the Curb?

   summary In this episode, Joe Mahaffey and James Engelhardt discuss the latest trends in the board game industry, including crowdfunding challenges, new game releases, and innovative ways to incorporate technology into gaming and education.

3. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Back Around the Table with Jamey Stegmaier

   In this episode, Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games shares insights on game design, expanding game brands, and the importance of quality in publishing. He discusses the evolution of Wingspan, the strategy behind new game releases, and tips for creating engaging rule books.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

67

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Lay It On The Table

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Lay It On The Table