Game Brain Podcast
Hosted by Game Brain
A weekly podcast where a rotating cast from a close-knit gaming group reviews and discusses heavy board games.
This is a 'game group in a can' podcast, where the specific dynamics and shared history of the eight rotating hosts are as central as the games themselves. Episodes are long, meandering conversations that mix deep-dive reviews of heavy strategy games like 'Root' and 'Nippon Zaibatsu' with anecdotes and in-jokes from their weekly sessions. The focus is squarely on the complex, strategic end of the hobby.
“Unlike solo-hosted or expert-interview shows, Game Brain's key feature is its rotating cast of eight friends from a single gaming group. This ensures each episode's perspective and chemistry is slightly different while maintaining a consistent, lived-in feel.”
Who hosts this show
Game Brain is a weekly podcast hosted by Matthew Robinson that focuses on board games through the lens of his regular gaming group. Each episode features a different member of the eight-person group as a co-host, offering varied perspectives on game reviews, news, and recent plays. The show aims to capture the social, friendly, and sometimes competitive dynamic of a real-world board game night.
Credentials & credits
- Matthew Robinson: Screenwriter, Film Director ('The Invention of Lying')
- Ben Mandelker: Podcaster ('Watch What Crappens'), Writer
- One member is a university professor who teaches game design
Other ventures
- Matthew Robinson: 'Get Up On This' (former podcast)
- Ben Mandelker: 'Watch What Crappens' (podcast)
- Candice Harris: 'Cardboard Creations' (BGG YouTube series)
- One member writes popular LARPs and VR games
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01#259 - Root: The Homeland ExpansionJun 22, 2026 · 1h 18m
- 02#258 Generosity at the TableJun 1, 2026 · 2h 02m
- 03#257 Sorcery: Contested RealmMay 18, 2026 · 1h 47m
- 04How To Play Sorcery: Contested Realm (with Matt and Jordan)May 18, 2026 · 58 min
- 05#256 Nippon Zaibatsu Review | Game BrainMay 4, 2026 · 1h 51m
- 06#255: Feya's SwampApr 20, 2026 · 1h 01m
- 07#254 Stupor MundiApr 7, 2026 · 1h 53m
- 08#253 Star Trek: Captain's ChairMar 23, 2026 · 1h 34m
Notable episodes
- 01#257 Sorcery: Contested Realm
A deep-dive into a trading card game, a departure from their usual board game focus, explaining how it captivated their group.
- 02#258 Generosity at the Table
Moves beyond a single game review to discuss a broader, more philosophical topic within gaming culture.
- 03#259 - Root: The Homeland Expansion
A representative example of the show's core format: a deep-dive review of a popular and complex strategy game by group members.
What you'll be asked on this show
The show is not a traditional interview podcast. When discussing a specific game, the host acts as a facilitator, using a round-robin approach to ensure each co-host shares their distinct perspective or origin story with the game. [CdHRw2aqZDM] The style is conversational and collaborative rather than a host-led interrogation, with questions designed to trace the group's collective experience with a title. [CdHRw2aqZDM]
Episodes typically open with dice rolling sound effects and a check-in on recent plays before moving to a main review or topic. [i16ZuzVNhp0] The format is a loose, multi-person conversation, often featuring two or three members of the eight-person group, with the primary host, Matthew Robinson, not present in every episode. [2n_YJx-rObE, i16ZuzVNhp0]
Questions Game Brain keeps coming back to
6 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Game Brain reaches for it.
personal
2- Q.01
“What have you been playing lately?”
A standard opening to kick off the 'what we played' segment and get the conversation started.
- Q.02
“I heard you were on a trip, can you tell us about it?”
A conversational prompt to lead into a personal anecdote or trip report, often related to gaming events.
origin
2- Q.01
“What was your first exposure to [Game Name] and what drew you in?”
Often asked round-robin style to build a narrative of how the group discovered a particular game.
- Q.02
“What's your history with [Game Name]?”
Asked to establish a speaker's background and experience level with the main review topic.
backstory
1- Q.01
“What's your personal history with this genre of game (e.g., TCGs)?”
Used to frame a speaker's expertise and perspective on the topic, especially when it's outside their norm.
process
1- Q.01
“Can you describe the gameplay of [Game Name]?”
Used to get a baseline understanding of a game's mechanics from the person who has played it.
Signature segments
- · Intro music with dice rolling sound effects
- · Rotating co-hosts from an 8-person gaming group
- · Opening line: "Hello and welcome to Game Brain..."
- · Referring to returning guests as an 'official friend of the pod'
- · The 8x8 Challenge (playing 8 specific games 8 times each)
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily features members of the core eight-person gaming group as co-hosts. External guests are rare, but occasionally an 'official friend of the pod' joins to discuss a game they've played extensively with the group. [CdHRw2aqZDM]
- Ben Mandelkeron #258 Generosity at the Table
- Paul Sottosantion #259 - Root: The Homeland Expansion
- Jordanon #259 - Root: The Homeland Expansion
- Trey Alsupon #258 Generosity at the Table
- David Gillisonon #257 Sorcery: Contested Realm
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast did not appear to feature traditional sponsors or ad reads in the analyzed episodes.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Game Brain
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People also ask
- Who is the main host of Game Brain?
- Matthew Robinson is the creator and primary host, but the show features a rotating cast of co-hosts from his eight-person gaming group.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's a weekly conversational podcast where two to four members of the group discuss recently played games and often do a deep-dive review of one specific, usually heavy, board game.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, it releases new episodes on a weekly basis.
- Is it only about board games?
- The primary focus is board games, particularly heavier strategy games. However, they occasionally cover adjacent hobbies like Trading Card Games (e.g., 'Sorcery: Contested Realm') if it becomes an obsession for the group. [CdHRw2aqZDM]
- Who are the other members of the group?
- The full group includes Matthew Robinson, Ben Mandelker, Trey Alsup, Paul Sottosanti, Candice Harris, Dmitry Portnoy, Eric Elder, and others.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- Game Brain is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Website - About The Showgamebrainpod.com
- [02]Official Website - About The Groupgamebrainpod.com
- [03]Game Brain Podcast - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [04]Matthew Robinson (writer) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]Community Interview: Ben Mandelkerbertsgametable.com
- [06]Game Brain Podcast's Top Games of 2022 : r/boardgamesreddit.com
- [07]Podchaser: Game Brainpodchaser.com
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