Almost exactly 1 year ago today, Mitchell and I recorded our first episode of the 30-minute Positively Board Gaming Podcast. Today we will record episode 52 for release next week (episode 51–focused on the mechanism of delayed gratification and custom dice–went live this morning).

As much as I enjoy chatting with Mitchell, I was nervous about adding yet another form of content to my current weekly schedule for Stonemaier Games: 2 articles, ~4 videos, 1 livecast, and 7 Instagram posts, plus monthly Rolling Realms liveplays and quarterly launch videos and design diary posts. Creating all that content takes time, as does participating in the ensuing conversations.

Also, I know from years of being a guest on podcasts that it’s really easy for a 30-minute conversation to end up more like 60+ minutes if you include the preparation, warm-up, the podcast itself, and the post-recording chat. I’ll say yes to pretty much any podcast or video chat, but after 30 minutes I start to check out as I think about all the other work I need to do (and want to do).

Despite these concerns, I’ve found myself looking forward to 30 minutes with Mitchell each week, and it seems that people have enjoyed our positivity as well. I don’t know the audio stats, but the videos average around 1,000 views with great discussions in the comments.

Here are a few key things I’ve learned and remained mindful of during the first year of Positively Board Gaming (and as an avid listener of many podcasts):

1. The delicate balance between familiarity and inclusivity. Any episode might be a listener’s 50th experience with our podcast or their 1st. I want repeat listeners to feel a sense of comfort from the podcast, like they’re just hanging out with friends. But I also want a new listener to feel welcome. We’re still navigating this balance: When do we overexplain the format (e.g., we don’t need to tell listeners that we’re going to discuss a treat of the day–they know what a treat is) and when do we underexplain it (e.g., is it relevant to tell people that neither of us knows the other person’s topic each week)?
2. The delicate balance between dialogue and monologue. Mitchell and I each bring a topic to the table each week, and we allot around 10 minutes each. 10 minutes can fly by when it’s a back-and-forth dialogue (which is my preference, as I talk to myself on camera all the time), so I try to ensure that the person who raised the topic has the time to share what they wanted to say about it.
3. The delicate balance between focus and variety. As a podcast listener, I find that I’m the most drawn to gaming episodes about 1 specific game, maybe 2 at most. Tabletop Takeaway, One-Stop Co-Op Shop, and Lens & Veil are a few that do this well, though there are others (like The Secret Cabal) that have a more varied chat before focusing on a specific game–I like that too. However, I find myself less inclined to only discuss 1 game on our podcast because there isn’t much Mitchell can say about it if he hasn’t played it too. Perhaps I’ll experiment with this in the future to see if can work.

I’m guessing that the balance I’m describing isn’t unique to us, hence why I’m sharing it here. Whether you’re a content creator or a listener/viewer, I’d love to hear your thoughts about how podcasts balance these elements and what makes keeps you coming back to the podcasts you love. Feel free to also share your favorite gaming and non-gaming podcasts!

New episodes of Positively Board Gaming are available every Thursday morning on YouTube and various podcast platforms. Also, I highly recommend the Overcast podcast app–it is heads and tails above any podcast app I’ve used in the past.

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