Boardgames

PODCAST #298: What Does It Take to Develop a ‘Scrabble-Shaped Brain’?

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to linguist, mathematician, and tournament organiser John Chew about the world of ultra-elite Scrabble word-masters.

Quillette 16 Aug 2025 · 30 min read

A crowded protest. A man stands in the foreground looking down, carrying an umbrella.

Class Struggle Meets Game Night

In ‘Hegemony,’ board-gamers take on the role of wage workers and plutocrats fighting for societal supremacy.

Jonathan Kay 23 Jun 2025 · 9 min read

Kathleen Stock is a middle-aged white woman with short, grey hair. In the background, female symbols and board game pieces.

Kathleen Stock: Right on Gender, Wrong on Board Games

With the holiday gaming season almost upon us, now is a good time to dispel some of the widely embraced misconceptions that inform her analysis.

Jonathan Kay 13 Dec 2024 · 10 min read

A space shuttle flies past an asteroid, against a backdrop of stars, in an image from a video game.

Space: The Ultimate (Boardgaming) Frontier

A homage to Phil Eklund’s masterpiece, High Frontier, on its twenty-fifth birthday.

Jonathan Kay 26 Jul 2024 · 11 min read

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PODCAST #298: What Does It Take to Develop a ‘Scrabble-Shaped Brain’?

Class Struggle Meets Game Night

Kathleen Stock: Right on Gender, Wrong on Board Games

Space: The Ultimate (Boardgaming) Frontier