5 days ago

Behind the Preview: Life as a Full-Time Board Game Previewer | Ep21

On today's episode, Devon interviews his co-host, Mark Streed about his fascinating journey as a full-time board game previewer for The Dice Tower. Mark shares stories from his career, insights into the world of board game previewing and what it takes to stay on top in the ever-evolving tabletop industry.

Reflection Question:
"If you were to be made out of any ONE element, what would it be and why?"

⌛ Timestamps:
---------------------------
0:00 - Intro
0:51 - Reflection Question
3:24 - Mark Streed Intro
5:52 - Can you start by sharing what first drew you into the world of board games? Why board games? How has that evolved into a career?
9:28 - What was the journey like, from playing games as a hobby to turning it into a fulltime job? Was there a defining moment for you?
11:00 - Can you walk us through your life as a fulltime previewer? What does the day-to-day look like from start to finish?
14:21 - Can you talk about what it’s like to put together a quality preview?
17:46 - Are you the one who decides what games to feature?
20:25 - When you’re doing previews, what aspects of game design catch your attention? Are there certain themes or mechanisms that stand out to you the most?
22:23 - Do you find it challenging to stay objective when previewing a game because you’re working closely with the publishers and designers?
24:38 - What’s something behind the scenes in the process that we don’t realize or we might not see?
28:58 - Do you think board game previewers have a responsibility to call out subpar games or games that are more problematic?
30:07 - Has there been a game that you’ve previewed that you knew right away would be a breakout success? What tipped you off about that game?
31:36 - With the growing number of influencers that we now have, do you think the quality of previews have actually been diluted based on quantity? What sets true professionals apart from the casuals?
33:46 - Looking forward, how do you see board game media in previewing evolving over the next few years? What role do you hope to play in that future?
37:02 - What three pieces of key advice can you give to people out there who want to start doing board game previews?
40:53 - The Beyond
43:47 - Call-to-Action