Hey Now, Cabalists! Today we kick off the show with Don’s Heavy Metal Corner, where he talks about some medieval fantasy bands he’s been getting into, followed by a bunch of games we’ve been playing, including The Trial of the Forest, Blood Rage: Valhalla, Civolution, Drillers, The Others, and a feature review of Chaosium’s Horror on the Orient Express. Then, after Tony T’s new segment, we talk ab

Guten Tag, Cabalists! Steve, Don, Jamie, and Tony T are tippin’ their steins back for Oktoberfest and gabbing about the hottest games hitting Essen Spiel 2026! Grab a giant tray of wienerschnitzel, spaetzle, and sauerkraut, fill up a pint, and join the Founders as they celebrate Essen Spiel. PROST!

Hey Now, Cabalists! Uh oh, Mia the cat is cause havoc in the household! After Chris gets his house in order we dive into the games we've been playing, including The Lord of the Rings Circle of Conflict, Happiest Cat in the World, Arkham Horror, The Gang, Cozy Stickerville, and feature Bloodstones designed by Martin Wallace. After Tony T's Tabletop Gaming News segment, the gang wraps things up by t

Greetings, Cabalists! Gather ’round, ye seasoned adventurers, as the Lords convene at the hallowed Round Table to ponder two matters of great import! First, we delve into the arcane art of House Rules - those curious enchantments by which we bend the laws of our games to our own designs. Then, we turn our gaze toward the mystical realm of tangibles, exploring how documents, photographs, objects, a

Hey now, Cabalists! Today we crash into another episode of The Cabal by talking about a strange Instagram account called PokeStreetz, where morons engage in fisticuffs over Pokémon cards. Then we gab about the games we've been getting into, including Ants, Doggerland, Carnegie, Horror on the Orient Express, and Dark Pact, before featuring Avalon: The Riven Veil from Jamie Jolly. Then, after Tony T

Hey Now, Cabalists! In Episode 121 Don and Jamie talk about Party Games and Casual Games and give a bunch of their favorites.

Good Morning, Cabalists! Today we kick the show off with a big announcement - Mia the cat has found her forever home with Chris! Then we get into a bunch of the games we’ve been playing, including Dogfight 1917, Crusaders Thy Will Be Done with the Divine Influence expansion, Darwin’s Journey, Moytura, dnup, and a feature review of Slay the Spire. Then, after Tony T’s Pokemon Smash-and-Grab Roundup

Hail and well met, good Cabalists! Rejoice, for today marks a most glorious occasion: the 100th episode of Lords of the Dungeon! To celebrate this momentous milestone, the Lords shall do something a bit different. Rather than delving into a single topic, we shall gather around the wizard’s table and share a collection of our own Game Mastering tips and tricks, little bits of arcane wisdom that may

Hey Now, Cabalists! We’re kicking things off with a look at culling games from our collections before getting into what’s been hitting the table lately, including Animal Rescue Team, Entropy, Super Auto Pets Card Battle, Carnegie, and Eschaton. Then we take a closer look at our featured game, Revenant, designed by Allan Kirkeby. Tony T brings us the latest in Tabletop Gaming News, and we close out

Hey Now, Cabalists! In Episode 120 of The Secret Cabal Express, Chris, Don, and Jamie dive into a topic suggested by a listener: the etiquette of rating board games on BoardGameGeek. We talk about the rating system, how we personally rate games, how we use the collection system, and mess that is the comments section. From there, we move on to the many forms of board game media and how we use them

Hey Now Cabalists! In episode 119 of The Secret Cabal Express Chris, Don, and Jamie put together all of the games that they're frothing at the mouth and jumping outta their pants to get at from Gen Con 2026 coming up in August. Head over to TheSecretCabal.com and click on the link to this episode to get links to all the games we discussed on the show today. Enjoy!

Hey Now, Cabalists! We kick off the show with an update on Chris's temporary ward, Mia the cat, while Steve comes flying out of the gate with the jokes. Then we dive into the games we've been playing, including Voidfall, Underwater Cities, Blood Rage, Nippon, Container, and feature The Gallerist, designed by Vital Lacerda. After Tony T's Tabletop Gaming News segment, the gang wraps things up by ta

Hear ye, loyal Cabalists! Gather now before the Lords of the Dungeon, for they convene to decree upon one of the greatest virtues of masterful game mastering: the noble arts of rhythm and pacing. Know this, how swiftly the tale unfolds, how boldly each scene marches onward, and how deftly the momentum is commanded shall determine whether thine adventurers remain enthralled or drift into idle distr

Hey Now Cabalists! The gang is back from Origins Game Fair with some stories to tell, including Chris' doggie bag, alpacas running around the meetup, Flat Steve scaring the shit out of everyone, Sasquatch running amok, and more! Then we chat about a bunch of games we've been playing, including Defenders of the Realm, Feya's Swamp, Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, Raising Robots, Runebound, and our futu

Hey now, Cabalists! It's Origins Game Fair week, and the Founders are jumping out of their pants and frothing at the mouth to get in some gaming this weekend! But today, we talk about a bunch of great games we've been playing, including Kingdom Crossing, Coimbra, After Us, Builders of Baldur's Gate, and Moytura, and we feature Armello from designer Rob Heinsoo. Then, after Tony T gives us all the

Welcome, my good Cabalists. This day, the Lords of the Dungeon gather within the Ludus to discuss the rewarding of adventurers. Many a Game Master spends countless hours crafting challenges, encounters, and memorable characters, yet gives little thought to the rewards awaiting those who overcome them. A worthy reward is more than mere coin or treasure, it is the fruit of heroic labor and a force t

The saga of Chris' yowling companion continues with a story of the broken foster cat! Then the gang gets into the game they've been playing including Dead of Winter, Star Wars The Deck Building Game, Dale of Merchants, Shackleton Base Expansion, Scales of Fate, and a feature review of Chaosmos from designers Matthew Austin, Dani Vigour, and Joey Vigour. Then after Tony T's wild and crazy news segm

In Episode 118 of The Secret Cabal Express, Don, Chris, Tony, and Jamie discuss the many motivations that draw people to tabletop gaming and keep them coming back for more. The gang explores competition, mastery, socialization, a sense of belonging, relaxation, flow state, evangelism, teaching, and the joy of collecting. Enjoy!

Hey now, Cabalists! Today, Chris and Jamie kick off the show with a change of pace by reviewing the video game Mixtape. Then the gang dives into all the great board games they’ve been playing, including Orloj The Prague Astronomical Clock, Kemet Rise of the Gods, Coming of Age, Ark Nova, Catan On the Road, and the featured game Cysmic from designer Jason Blake. Then, after Tony T talks about all t

Hearken, travelers, to this gathering of Game Masters, wherein the Lords speak of the folk who breathe life into realms of fantasy and adventure - the Non-Player Characters! From steadfast companions and black-hearted villains to merry fools and curious villagers, we unravel the craft of creating memorable souls to wander thy world. We speak of weaving these characters into grand tales, stirring t