Mindful Games Lab

Why I No Longer Rush Through Board Games How slowing down helps you enjoy games, people, and moments more Do you ever finish a board game night feeling like you played a lot of games—but didn't really experience them? In this episode of Mindful Games Lab, Clay shares why he stopped rushing through board games and what changed when he slowed down. From game backlogs and constant rule learning to treating turns like tasks, this episode explores how speed can shrink wonder—and how presence can bring it back. You'll hear reflections on playing fewer games with deeper intention, building connection at the table, and rediscovering immersion. Clay also recommends games that naturally reward slowing down. If you've ever felt burned out or disconnected from game night, this episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and enjoy games more fully. Sign up for mindful reflections and game prompts at mindfulgameslab.com.

What does Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game teach us about power, restraint, and focus? In this episode of Mindful Games Lab, Clay dives into Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game from Brotherwise Games, exploring beginner-friendly strategy, when it's actually worth flaring your metals, which characters feel strongest at the table, and the ongoing tension between dealing damage and racing up the mission tracks. Along the way, he shares gentle, mindful prompts that invite you to notice not just how you play, but how you decide, react, and commit. Whether you're new to Mistborn, curious about deckbuilding strategy, or interested in more intentional, reflective play, this episode offers insights you can bring to your next game night—and beyond. https://www.mindfulgameslab.com

In this episode, Clay explores Undaunted: 2200 Callisto, the newest and boldest entry in the Undaunted series—now blasting off into full sci-fi territory. If you've ever wondered what Undaunted would feel like with mechs, lunar colonies, elevation mechanics, and high-stakes tactical skirmishes, this is the episode for you. I break down what makes 2200 Callisto different from the WWII titles before it, how the new systems change the flow of the game, and why the Breakers vs. LFA conflict is such a compelling setting. Clay talks gameplay, strategy, faction identity, deckbuilding choices, initiative tension, and the emotional ups. Whether you're a longtime Undaunted fan or totally new to the series, you'll get a clear sense of whether Callisto belongs in your collection. Tune in to hear my full review, beginner strategy tips, and insights into what makes this sci-fi tactical deck-builder so much fun to play. If you enjoy the show, don't forget to follow, leave a rating, and share it with a fellow board gamer!

Kinfire Council: When Saving the City Means Watching Your Back Din'Lux is hanging by a thread — and the greatest threat might be sitting right across the table from you. Join Clay as he dives into Kinfire Council, the gorgeous worker placement game where players must rebuild magical lighthouses to protect the last surviving city… all while silently questioning whether their fellow council members are secretly helping the cult trying to destroy it. In this episode, we explore: How cooperation quickly turns into suspicion The unforgettable gameplay moments where everything falls apart Strategic choices that push players toward loyalty… or betrayal Why this game creates big laughs and big tension If you love strategy games with intrigue, pressure, and the occasional perfectly timed betrayal, this is your invitation to step into the council chambers — where every decision matters and trust is the most limited resource of all. Hit play, and let's find out whether you'll help save Din'Lux… or doom it.

In Nature from North Star Game Studio, survival isn't about brute strength—it's about clever adaptation. Join Clay from Mindful Games Lab as he dives into this fast-paced, beautifully illustrated board game where every round is an evolutionary arms race. Discover the game's origin story, learn the best traits to dominate your ecosystem, and explore the high-stakes choice every player faces: to hunt, or not to hunt. You'll get beginner strategies, insider tips, and a breakdown of the game's replay value—plus a few laugh-out-loud moments from Clay's own plays. Whether you're a wildlife lover, a strategy gamer, or just curious about the most gorgeous snow leopard in board gaming, this episode will help you win your very first game of Nature.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Vantage, the epic new open-world board game from Stonemaier Games and designer Jamie Stegmaier. Whether you're playing solo or with friends, Vantage offers a rich, narrative-driven experience filled with exploration, choice, and surprise. You'll learn how the game works, what sets it apart from other storytelling games, and why the first-person perspective and artwork matter more than ever. We'll cover missions, destinies, dice mechanics, cooperative elements, and replayability — plus, I share some of my own favorite moments from the game. If you love immersive board games with big stories and endless discovery, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Get the free Vantage player aid and more at mindfulgameslab.com

Welcome to a jam-packed guide to Gen Con — the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America! Whether it's your first time attending or you're a seasoned veteran, this episode is your ultimate prep companion. Host Clay walks you through everything you need to know to get the most out of your Gen Con experience: 🧭 Tips for navigating the massive vendor hall 🎟️ How to plan your event schedule (even if you didn't pre-register!) 🛋️ Pro tips on where to find quiet spots and take breaks 🍕 Food hacks and how to survive the dinner rush 🌙 What to do after 6 p.m. when the convention nightlife kicks in PLUS: Clay's Top 5 Most Anticipated Games at Gen Con 2025, including: Kinfire Council (Incredible Dreams Studios) Nature (North Star Game Studio) The Crew: Family Adventure (Kosmos) Solar Gardens (Darrington Press) Vantage (Stonemaier Games) And don't miss Clay in person! He'll be working the Leder Games booth (#643) and making a special appearance at the Leder Hootenanny as Cap'n Clay the Pirate. If you're heading to Indy this year, or just want to soak in the excitement, this episode will get you hyped, prepared, and inspired to make Gen Con unforgettable. Visit mindfulgameslab.com for a blog post about Gen Con.  

In this episode, Clay dives deep into Almoravid, the second entry in Volko Ruhnke's celebrated Levy & Campaign series from GMT Games. Set in the gritty landscape of 11th-century Iberia during the Spanish Reconquista, Almoravid is a game of feudal logistics, political tension, and brutal siege warfare. We unpack the game's most compelling systems: How you command lords—not armies—and what it means to manage medieval loyalty The dual-role of El Cid, the legendary knight who might fight for either side The tactical weight behind every card, siege attempt, and ravage action Why Almoravid isn't just a game—it's a historical narrative waiting to unfold Whether you're a veteran of Nevsky or just curious about asymmetric wargames, this episode will guide you through what makes Almoravid a must-play for fans of immersive, strategy-heavy tabletop experiences. 🔗 Plus, grab our custom capability player aid at MindfulGamesLab.com! 🎧 Tune in, sharpen your blades, and prepare to outwit the past.

Mindful Games Lab Podcast with Clay In this episode, Clay dives deep into Ironwood, the highly thematic two-player strategy game from Mindclash Games. Discover the core conflict between the industrial Ironclad and the mystical Woodwalkers, as they battle for control over the powerful Larimor Crystals in the Iron Forge Mountains. Clay explores the game's rich lore, stunning components, and clever asymmetric mechanics that bring the clash between metal and nature to life. You'll learn how the unique card-driven system fuels both tactical combat and strategic planning, and hear firsthand impressions from multiple plays. 🎧 Whether you're curious about the game or looking for tips to sharpen your strategy, this episode has something for you. 🔗 Stick around for: A detailed overview of both factions and their win conditions Key tactical insights and card mechanics Favorite thematic moments from gameplay Beginner strategy tips for each side Why Ironwood might be your next favorite head-to-head game

Clay visits with Sarah Trager from Meeples On The Ground. We talk about some amazing games for you to check out and important game convention advice that is not easy to follow.

Clay visits with Carla Kopp from Weird Giraffe Games. We talk about Gift of Tulips and the amazing team of women who worked on it. We dive into what to do if you're stuck on a game design and what you must know if you want to pitch a design to a publisher.

Clay talks with Ryan Schneider from Saint Paul Games about Electric Orchard. Find out the most important skill you need to go from idea to Kickstarter launch.

Clay talks about the board game Dune Imperium by Dire Wolf. Find out what it's like to play and get some strategy tips to give you an edge.

Clay visits with designer Ian Moss and developer Marshall Britt of Bunkers & Badasses published by Nerdvana Games. Find out why it's the Coolest est game in the world. Based on the game-within-a-game from Gearbox  Entertainment's Borderlands series, Bunkers & Badasses is a tabletop roleplaying game!

Clay and special guest talk about Don't Starve Together by Klei Entertainment. Find out what it's like to play and why it's a great game for couples.

Clay visits with Minnesota-based award-winning filmmaker, actor and game industry fan Ed Linder. During this episode you will learn: What makes a good story? Qualities that make a great film director A list of excellent games to introduce new people to Great advice for getting starting making video content Find out which Star Wars movie is the best one Timestamps 1:48 TMJ Productions 4:15 Zipperman 5:50 Martin Scorsese, The Coen Brothers, Terry Gilliam 6:53 The Greatest Movie Director 7:33 Qualities that make a great director 11:40 Love Craft Country https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country 12:23 The Umbrella Academy  https://www.netflix.com/title/80186863 14:07 What makes a good documentary film 16:46 What makes a great story 17:03 The Big Lebowski https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Lebowski 18:30 Avengers - The Russo Brothers 19:25 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back 20:00 New shit has come to light - https://youtu.be/gbIv7W7rhx4 21:33 Origins, Gamehole Con, Pax Unplugged 23:09 Engaging with a good story 24:09 List of excellent games to introduce new people 25:33 Mariposas https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/297978/mariposas 29:07 The Game https://youtu.be/MClFxGRkTMU 31:39 Bringing too much joy into the world 33:40 Advice for making video content 35:04 The best advice 35:43 http://www.tmjproductions.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/user/tmjproductions1 37:13 The importance of a good story 38:10 Just do it

In this November 2020 Episode Clay talks about the party game Bye, Felicia! Find out what it's like to play Bye, Felicia You can even play along right during the podcast!   1:03 Zapotec Publisher Board&Dice 2:36 Star Wars™: Squadrons https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/squadrons 3:11 Endless Winter - Paleoamericans https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fantasiagames/endless-winter-paleoamericans?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=endless%20winter 3:58 Blood Bowl 3 https://www.bloodbowl.com/ 4:40 Bye, Felicia! , Designer: Peggy Brown, Artist: Nate Duval, Publisher: Big G Creative 10:00 What Were You Thinking? Designer: Richard Garfield  

In this October 2020 Episode Clay visits with Megan and Tristan from the "Girl Meets Nerd" Podcast. Find out all about the Nerdverse Find out Megan's favorite part of the Nerdverse You will learn about the best game to play as a couple as well as a great video game to play as a couple Find out what valuable life skills you can gain from playing video games Find out what makes Star Wars amazing is it laser swords? Learn how to get someone into gaming for the first time If you enjoy this episode share it with your friends on social media. 1:20 Lets make nerd culture accessible to everyone 4:02 Tristan's Favorite Fictional worlds 5:01 A conversation with Prince Zuko 6:29 Nightwing or Spiderman? 7.01 What is the Nerdverse 9:06 Megan's favorite part of the Nerdverse 10:15 Best game to play as a couple 11:50 Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime https://www.loversinadangerousspacetime.com/ 13:42 Why Tristan loves games 15:52 Megan's favorite type of RPG character to play 17:30 The best video game of all-time Star Wars Battle Front and Starwars Battlefront 2 https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront/star-wars-battlefront-2 18:32 Legend of Zelda breath of the wild https://www.zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/ 18:54 Valuable Life Skills (Dedication, practice and skill) Constantly learning and constantly improving 20:41 Megan on connecting with people on a deeper level 22:06 What makes Star Wars amazing 24:37 Impact of Games 26:23 How to get someone into gaming for the first time 29:49 Sarah Nicole Landry https://www.thebirdspapaya.com/the-papaya-podcast https://girlmeetsnerd.com/ Instagram: @girlmeetsnerdpodcast Twitter: @girlmeetsnerd

Clay talks about the deck building game Fort by Leder Games where kids collect pizza, toys and build the coolest fort. 1.09 Bonfire 2.48 Fantastic Factories: Manufactions 4.14 Prince of Persia The Sands of Time 5.04 Fort 5.28 SPQF 6:00 Fort Theme 6:27 Macaroni Sculpture 7:00 What's a deck builder game 7:56 Iconography 10:20 Fort cards breakdown 12:53 Fort player boards 14:10 Lookout 15:55 Made up rules 17:00 Perks 19:27 Strategy Tip 20:50 Best Friends 21:36 Girl meets nerd podcast Bonfire https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/304420/bonfire Fantastic Factories: Manufactions https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deepwatergames/fantastic-factories-manufactions?ref=discovery&term=fantastic%20factories Prince of Persia The Sands of Time remake https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/prince-of-persia/sands-of-time-remake SPQF https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/249106/spqf Leder Games Fort https://ledergames.com/products/fort Girl Meets Nerd https://girlmeetsnerd.com/

Ben Moy on Clay's Mindful Games podcast September 2020 Clay interviews Ben Moy designer of Breakdancing meeples published by Atlas games. Learn the best thing you can do to start a game design. Find out the most important skill for a game designer to focus on! https://claycapra.com/ https://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG1460 Board Game Blueprint https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKVKd4HlOVD_tcPfuVl7-uFd--vwGfU2c https://www.thegamecrafter.com/ https://www.dmrcreativegroup.com