Game Mechanics - A Critical Tabletop Podcast

Logan Jenkins, Greg Leatherman

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In their own words

Welcome to Game Mechanics, where we kick the tires and run diagnostics on tabletop experiences! Hosts Logan Jenkins and Greg Leatherman talk about everything tabletop; from board games, to roleplaying games, and even some video games that evoke the tabletop experience. Greg and Logan have been playing games for decades and have designed several games themselves.

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Clear mechanical explanations and lively judgment reveal how tabletop rules shape the choices and relationships around a game.

Logan Jenkins and Greg Leatherman make tabletop design legible by slowing down at the moment a rule becomes an experience. Their discussions move comfortably between Magic the Gathering cards, cooperative trick-taking goals and the custom dice in Roll for the Galaxy and Dice…

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A colored die lands, and suddenly you're asking which actions it actually lets you take.

Press play if you want

  • to understand why Roll for the Galaxy's colored dice change your options
  • to hear how drafted abilities can evolve across runs
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Best episodes of Game Mechanics - A Critical Tabletop Podcast

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

A Year of Mechanics - GM2 52

A one-year milestone hang that uses turtles, horror, and shared history to show the hosts at their loosest.

Episode 52 finds Game Mechanics in familiar form: open, chatty, and willing to drift from the anniversary into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles canon and horror memories.

Baby Too Many Food Before Math Good - GM2 51

Tabletop banter meets a sharp, uneasy critique of utility driven thinking.

Game Mechanics starts as a plainspoken look at two hosts who can stretch a prompt driven game into a two and a half hour brewery icebreaker. It then turns to the logic behind AI hype, especially the comparison that treats human effort like a line item.

Photon System Overdrive - GM2 53

A clean look at a roguelite TTRPG built around drafting, upgrades, and replayable runs.

Photon System Overdrive offers a tidy look at a one-to-two player roguelite tabletop RPG built around drafting abilities, then drafting upgrades that alter how they behave over a run.

Game Theory - GM2 46

A brisk critique of licensed card-game profit chasing and the table politics it can create.

Game Mechanics uses a Harry Potter licensing headline to make a broader point about tabletop publishing: some companies still treat balance as optional and profit as the real objective.

Tantrums In Charlotte - GM2 48

A brisk, funny look at how custom dice and turn structure shape Roll for the Galaxy.

The episode turns Roll for the Galaxy into a clear look at how ship actions, development choices, and custom dice change the feel of a turn. It is strongest when it stays on the table-level details: what the symbols mean, why the die mix matters, and how a simple choice can…

Tic Tac Toe, the First 'Dudes on a Map' Game - GM2 49

A tabletop business rant that doubles as a card-game history tour.

Game Mechanics treats tabletop talk like a business story with jokes hanging off the side. Logan and Greg start with the Hasbro shareholder lawsuit and the claim that Magic: The Gathering gets leaned on whenever a quarterly report needs a lift, because it is the one thing Hasbro…

Cowabunga, I tap pizza - GM2 47

A funny look at Magic art, trick-taking structure, and the puzzle-like character goals.

Game Mechanics starts with Magic: The Gathering chatter and spends real time on a strange card, the art around it, and why that odd little corner of the game is worth the attention.

Industry Leders - GM2 45

A tabletop business checkup that keeps the stakes close to the table.

Game Mechanics turns a tabletop business update into a focused listen. It makes the Leader Games letter, tariff pressure, and Games Workshop's AI policy feel concrete instead of remote, and it does so without dressing up the stakes.

Podcasts like Game Mechanics - A Critical Tabletop Podcast

Episodes

  1. 1

    Game Theory - GM2 46

    The hosts critique Upper Deck's Harry Potter licensing and J.K.

    ·49m·4 clips
  2. 2

    This is not an Air Bud Situation - GM2 55

    ·45m
  3. 3

    Photon System Overdrive - GM2 53

    Hosts Logan and Greg interview indie game designer Tim Gonzalez about his Kickstarter project, Photon System Overdrive, a roguelike TTRPG inspired by Phantasy Star Online.

    ·58m·5 clips
  4. 4

    Baby Too Many Food Before Math Good - GM2 51

    Hosts Logan and Greg discuss tabletop gaming news, including using games for social icebreaking, Gen Con housing struggles, AEG firing its COO over AI comments, the Neopets TTRPG Kickstarter controversy, and tariffs affecting board game prices.

    ·49m·4 clips
  5. 5

    Tantrums In Charlotte - GM2 48

    Logan and Greg discuss Logan's experience at Tantrum Con in Charlotte, including playing new games like 'Estate' and 'Roll for the Galaxy', and explore a survey on gaming's mental health benefits.

    ·54m·5 clips
  6. 6

    The Game Mechanics Guarantee - GM2 50

    The hosts launch a new segment called Hasbro Watch, critiquing Hasbro's Harry Potter licensing deal and its potential impact on Magic: The Gathering.

    ·51m·4 clips
  7. 7

    Industry Leders - GM2 45

    Hosts Logan and Greg discuss major tabletop industry news, including Cole Worley and Kyle Farren leaving Leader Games to form Buried Giant Studios, Games Workshop's tariff impacts and AI policies, and D&D's quiet 2026 slate amid market shifts.

    ·41m·3 clips
  8. 8

    A Year of Mechanics - GM2 52

    Hosts Logan Jenkins and Greg Leatherman celebrate their podcast's one-year anniversary, announcing a Patreon launch to support the show.

    ·59m·5 clips
  9. 9

    Fun If True - GM2 54

    Hidden gem

    Greg and Logan mark National Board Game Day on April 11 while mocking calendarholidays.com’s timeline, which jumps from 3,500 BCE Mesopotamian games to Monopoly in 1935, Scrabble in 1948, and the holiday’s creation in 2020.

    ·46m·3 clips
  10. 10

    Tic Tac Toe, the First 'Dudes on a Map' Game - GM2 49

    The hosts discuss a lawsuit against Hasbro for overprinting Magic: The Gathering cards to boost CEO bonuses, explore the benefits of living card games like Netrunner, and announce a new Final Fantasy board game.

    ·39m·4 clips
  11. 11

    Cowabunga, I tap pizza - GM2 47

    Hosts Logan and Greg discuss new Magic: The Gathering sets, including Lorwyn Eclipsed and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with a focus on card art and pizza-themed lands.

    ·51m·4 clips
  12. 12

    Greg Ponders Pax East - GM2 57

    Hosts Logan and Greg discuss tabletop games, game design, and tangents like Heinz 57 sauce.

    Apr 15, 2026·48m
  13. 13

    Bits & Pieces Games - GM2 56

    Hosts Greg and Logan discuss their recent gaming experiences, including Pocopia and Things in Rings, and banter about tabletop games.

    Apr 8, 2026·56m
  14. 14

    Nazis Die First - GM2 44

    Hosts Greg and Logan discuss Magic: The Gathering's new Marvel set and the controversial inclusion of Captain America villains like Baron Zemo.

    Jan 13, 2026·47m
  15. 15

    2025's most joyful game experiences - GM2 43

    Hosts Logan and Greg welcome the new year, discuss resolutions, and set the stage for tabletop game talk.

    Jan 6, 2026·50m
  16. 16

    A Very Specific Monopoly Episode - GM2 42

    The hosts announce a holiday break and discuss the origins of Christmas as a co-opted pagan holiday.

    Dec 23, 2025·43m
  17. 17

    Interview with Terra Clash creators - GM2 41

    Hosts interview game designers about their new tabletop game, discussing mechanics, art style, and replayability.

    Dec 16, 2025·50m
  18. 18

    Games Gift Giving - GM2 40

    Hosts Greg and Logan discuss their Thanksgiving break, PAX convention, and critique the board game Catan as outdated compared to modern games.

    Dec 10, 2025·48m
  19. 19

    Mechanics at PAXU - GM2 39

    Dec 2, 2025·55m
  20. 20

    Rulebooks - GM2 38

    Nov 25, 2025·47m
  21. 21

    Anti-Colonization Board Games - GM2 37

    Nov 18, 2025·45m
  22. 22

    Killer Uno - GM2 36

    Nov 11, 2025·37m
  23. 23

    Brackets Are Wiggly - GM2 35

    Nov 4, 2025·50m
  24. 24

    2026 is the Year Pikachu Gets a Divorce - GM2 34

    Oct 28, 2025·49m
  25. 25

    Spoooooky TTRPGs - GM2 33

    Oct 21, 2025·45m
  26. 26

    Spoooooky Games - GM2 32

    Oct 14, 2025·58m
  27. 27

    41% - GM2 31

    Oct 7, 2025·48m
  28. 28

    Games under $25 - GM2 30

    Sep 30, 2025·38m
  29. 29

    Autumnal Games - GM2 29

    Sep 23, 2025·44m
  30. 30

    We Went to Dragon Con! - GM2 28 (fixed audio)

    Sep 16, 2025·46m
  31. 31

    A Celebration of Life at the Culver's - GM2 27

    Sep 9, 2025·46m
  32. 32

    Spooky Games - GM2 26

    Sep 2, 2025·43m
  33. 33

    Dagger Through A Heart - GM2 25

    Aug 26, 2025·52m
  34. 34

    The Mechanics Go To Gencon - GM2 24

    Aug 19, 2025·25m
  35. 35

    Come on Back, Pendulum - GM2 23

    Aug 12, 2025·45m
  36. 36

    Sixty Thousand Minutes - GM2 22

    Aug 5, 2025·46m
  37. 37

    The Gencon One (for real) - GM2 21

    Jul 29, 2025·51m
  38. 38

    Gencon Pre-List - GM2 20

    Jul 22, 2025·49m
  39. 39

    Storytelling Games - GM2 19

    Jul 15, 2025·45m
  40. 40

    Perryl Sunderfolk Can Eat My Shorts - GM2 18

    Jul 8, 2025·41m
  41. 41

    Rough Trade Wario - GM2 17

    Jul 1, 2025·45m
  42. 42

    Logankainen’s Whatever - GM2 16

    Jun 24, 2025·43m
  43. 43

    Gay Mechanics - GM2 15

    Jun 17, 2025·47m
  44. 44

    Is Magic a Board Game? - GM2 14

    Jun 10, 2025·56m
  45. 45

    A Collection of Topics - GM2 13

    Jun 3, 2025·48m
  46. 46

    Cons - GM2 12

    May 27, 2025·48m
  47. 47

    Pat the Bug - GM2 11

    May 20, 2025·50m
  48. 48

    A Volatile Time - GM2 10

    May 13, 2025·43m
  49. 49

    Hidden Role Games - GM2 09

    May 6, 2025·1h 4m
  50. 50

    We Got Mail - GM2 08

    Apr 29, 2025·52m
  51. 51

    Collaboration Tools - GM2 07

    Apr 22, 2025·49m
  52. 52

    Get a Better Clue - GM2 06

    Apr 15, 2025·42m
  53. 53

    The Hotness is Unknowable - GM2 05

    Apr 8, 2025·45m
  54. 54

    RESPECT THE HELM - GM2 04

    Apr 1, 2025·52m
  55. 55

    What does the word hide mean? - GM2 03

    Mar 25, 2025·53m
  56. 56

    Shpeal de yarr - GM2 02

    Mar 18, 2025·55m
  57. 57

    Sparky, Noooooooo! - GM2 01

    Mar 11, 2025·56m
  58. 58

    Season 1 wrap

    Jun 24, 2020·3m
  59. 59

    Marx Shepherd - No Fascists Allowed

    Jun 17, 2020·31m
  60. 60

    Rees Bennett - A Drag Nun's Take On Playing a Role

    May 27, 2020·25m
  61. 61

    Will Uhl - Prolific Game Creation

    May 13, 2020·28m
  62. 62

    Greg Leatherman - What if everyone’s a warrior?

    Apr 29, 2020·45m
  63. 63

    Sean Gomes - Having Dinner on Space Ships

    Apr 15, 2020·37m
  64. 64

    Nathan Blades - F*** The Tabletop Police

    Apr 1, 2020·39m
  65. 65

    Bianca Zelda - Chasing baby goats

    Mar 16, 2020·26m
  66. 66

    Sean McCoy - Meeting players where they are

    Mar 2, 2020·42m
  67. 67

    Jess Ross - Writing for TTRPGs

    Feb 17, 2020·32m
  68. 68

    Riley Hopkins - Interstitial and the Link System

    Feb 3, 2020·28m
  69. 69

    RPGDF: Money On My Mind - Pricing, Kickstarters, and Pay What You Want

    A discussion among game designers about how to price tabletop RPGs and the transparency of pricing on Kickstarter.

    Mar 16, 2019·54m
  70. 70

    RPGDF: Power Leveling - Experience, Advancements, and Progression in Games

    A critical discussion on advancement mechanics in tabletop role-playing games, featuring guests Natalie and Takuma.

    Feb 16, 2019·52m
  71. 71

    RPGDF: A Timeline of Zak S' Abuse

    The hosts discuss the abuse allegations against Zach S within the tabletop RPG community, providing an overview of the controversy.

    Feb 16, 2019·1h 16m