Shows
Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Through the AgesWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Dear listeners, it is once again time for us to part ways. As we come to the end of our third season, let us ref...
2025-06-231h 07Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Blood BowlWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Nate: Well Iain we are almost at the end of the seasonIain: That’s right Nate and the teams have all to pl...
2025-06-091h 15Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Power GridWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Sometimes you hear about games by reputation. The epic length of Twilight Imperium, the complexity of Vita Lacerda designs, the seemingly simple mechanisms behind the...
2025-05-261h 07Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Memoir 44Welcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. A large part of the culture of the tabletop hobby is tied up with games emulating history. From HG Wells’ Little Wars to the early...
2025-05-121h 06Cult of the OldCult of the Old - El GrandeWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Over the last two and half seasons of Cult of the Old we have covered some absolute classics. From the brutal farming of Agricola tha...
2025-04-2858 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - ScrabbleWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. The three of us on this cast are purveyors of words. We use them to communicate our thoughts on games in the written or aud...
2025-04-1456 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - DixitWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Games come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. As consumers and critics of the form we try and categorise, quantify, and contemplate the fla...
2025-03-311h 00Cult of the OldCult of the Old - DominionWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Many of the games we have covered over 3 seasons have an important place in the hobby landscape. From Catan at the birth of the mod...
2025-03-171h 10Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Tigris & EuphratesWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. Amongst the thousands of games that are released each year into the tabletop hobby, it can be hard to stand out as a designer. You...
2025-03-031h 11Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Ticket to RideWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape. The tabletop hobby has many niches within it. Maybe you are a miniatures person, battling over the table with painted models and buckets of dice. Just boardgames for...
2025-02-171h 00Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Arkham HorrorWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
It is the end, dear listeners. As we stare once more into the inky black void of our season break, we contemplate our own mortality and wonder if there is anything out there...
2024-06-121h 05Cult of the OldCult of the Old - NetrunnerWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
“The sky above the port was the color of television, turned to a dead channel”
The famous opening line of William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer, released in 1984. Only a couple of years before in...
2024-05-291h 07Cult of the OldCult of The Old - Wiz WarWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
What are we looking at this cast?
People love board games for all sorts of reasons. The satisfaction of a well executed strategy. Building the perfect engine. Riding the curve of chance to pus...
2024-05-1558 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Small WorldWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
Themes in games have become a hot topic over the last few years. As the hobby expands, people have begun to ask if we can tackle difficult subject matter in the guise of a...
2024-05-0158 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - MonopolyWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
Within any sub-culture certain things become the boogeyman. Films so terrible they are just terrible and become the poster child for the worst the form has to offer. Books so ponderous that no-on...
2024-04-1758 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - TalismanWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
This Episode….
The idea of adventure draws many to different hobbies. Some go scaling mountains, while others hurtle down them. Camping outdoors brings many to the wonders of forests and lakes across the worl...
2024-04-0359 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Modern ArtWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
When we turn our minds to the subject of influential designers there is surely one name at the top of everyone’s list. Dr. Reiner Knizia. A designer with somewhere in the regio...
2024-03-2059 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Puerto RicoWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
Good games being lost in the shuffle is not a new phenomenon as Puerto Rico knows only too well. Overlooked for a Spiel des Jahre award the year of release this game has a...
2024-03-061h 01Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Battlestar GalacticaWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
The history of TV and film franchises becoming tabletop games has not been one filled with glory. Eager executives and overconfident designers would rush games out to market, only to be met wit...
2024-02-211h 06Cult of the OldCult of the Old - CatanWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
For the first episode of this season we are going back to what many consider the beginning of the modern era. Arriving onto the tabletop scene in the mid-90s Settlers of Catan...
2024-02-071h 09
Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Cosmic EncounterWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
For the last game of this season we are venturing once more beyond the stars and further back in time than we ever have...
2023-08-021h 04Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Cosmic EncounterWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
For the last game of this season we are venturing once more beyond the stars and further back in time than we ever have before. Cosmic Encounter is a game that has been...
2023-08-021h 04Cult of the OldCult of the Old - 7 WondersWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
From time to time a game comes along that captures the zeitgeist. A title that stands like a colossus above the rest of the releases that year, off...
2023-07-191h 01Cult of the OldCult of the Old - 7 WondersWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
From time to time a game comes along that captures the zeitgeist. A title that stands like a colossus above the rest of the releases that year, offering a veritable garden of del...
2023-07-191h 01Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Galaxy TruckerWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
So far this season we’ve been on the farm, battled in tokyo, cured a worldwide pandemic, built an industrial empire, expanded our Citadel...
2023-07-0553 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Galaxy TruckerWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
So far this season we’ve been on the farm, battled in tokyo, cured a worldwide pandemic, built an industrial empire, expanded our Citadels, struggled in the cold war, and been the lords o...
2023-07-0553 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Lords of WaterdeepWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
Dungeons and Dragons has always been the dominant game in the tabletop RPG space. From its early days to the all encompassing 5th editi...
2023-06-2152 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Lords of WaterdeepWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
Dungeons and Dragons has always been the dominant game in the tabletop RPG space. From its early days to the all encompassing 5th edition, there have always been attempts to leverage that name...
2023-06-2152 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - Twilight StruggleWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
This episode the team find themselves in the midst of the Cold War. Twilight Struggle from designers Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews, sat atop the BGG rankings for many years. It brought card...
2023-06-071h 08Cult of the OldCult of the Old - Twilight StruggleWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
This episode the team find themselves in the midst of the Cold War. Twilight Struggle from designers Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews, sat atop the BGG rankings for...
2023-06-071h 08Cult of the OldCult of the Old - CitadelsWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
This episode the team is turning to their first small box game of the season. A game with a mean streak that brought the m...
2023-05-2457 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - CitadelsWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
This episode the team is turning to their first small box game of the season. A game with a mean streak that brought the mechanism of role selection to the modern hobby audie...
2023-05-2457 minCult of the OldCult of The Old - BrassWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
In this episode of Cult of the Old we visit the industrial revolution in England through the game Brass. With a new edition, calle...
2023-05-101h 01Cult of the OldCult of The Old - BrassWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
In this episode of Cult of the Old we visit the industrial revolution in England through the game Brass. With a new edition, called Brass:Lancashire, released through Roxley Games in the not t...
2023-05-101h 01Cult of the OldCult of The Old - PandemicWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
In this episode of Cult of the Old the team look at a game that couldn’t be more appropriate for our times. The game that introduced the idea of co-operation to modern...
2023-04-2659 minCult of the OldCult of The Old - PandemicWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
In this episode of Cult of the Old the team look at a game that couldn’t be more appropriate for our times. The gam...
2023-04-2659 minCult of the OldCult of the Old - King of TokyoOn the latest episode of Cult of the Old the team discuss the massive Kaiju of dice chuckers, King of Tokyo!
2023-04-121h 05Cult of the OldCult of the Old - King of TokyoWelcome to the latest episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
In this episode of Cult of the Old the team turn their attention to that most monstrous of dice games, King of Tokyo. Desig...
2023-04-121h 05Cult of the OldCult of the Old - AgricolaWelcome to the inaugural episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
The team are starting this journey with the most pastoral of worker placement games, Agricola. Designed by Uwe Rosenburg with art by Klemens Franz. Originally published by Loo...
2023-03-281h 13Cult of the OldCult of the Old - AgricolaWelcome to the inaugural episode of Cult of the Old!
Each episode your hosts Iain McAllister, Matt Thrower, and Nate Owens are going to turn back the clock to look at games that are at least 10 years old. They’ll give their own critical impressions, tell you about the history of the game and its impact, and what relevance these games still have in the modern hobby landscape.
The team are starting this journey with the most pastoral of worker placement games, Agricola. Designed by Uwe Rosenburg with art by Klemens Franz. Originally published by Lookout Games.
Games Mentioned
Bohnanza
Cayl...
2023-03-281h 13