TableTop (web series)

TableTop
Presentation
Hosted by Wil Wheaton
Genre Gaming
Language English
Updates Bi-weekly
Length 30 minutes
Production
Production Sheri Bryant, Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Wil Wheaton, Adam Lawson, Boyan Radakovich
Publication
Debut March 30,  2012
Provider YouTube
Website http://geekandsundry.com/shows/tabletop/

TableTop is a web series about games, it was created by Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day and is hosted by Wheaton.[1] TableTop is published on Felicia Day's YouTube channel, Geek & Sundry. In each episode, following a brief explanation of one or more tabletop games, Wheaton plays the games with guests, usually web or TV personalities.[2]

A wide range of hobby gaming titles have been played, from classic German-style board games and family games to RPGs and card games.[3] It has been described as "…like Celebrity Poker meets Dinner for Five, where interesting people got together for tabletop games." [4]

As of 2015, TableTop is in its third season. Season three was crowdfunded via Indiegogo in the most successful digital series campaign on that site.[5][6]

Episodes

Season 1

No. Game Guests Winner(s) Air date
1"Small World"Grant Imahara, Jenna Busch, Sean PlottSean PlottMarch 30, 2012
2"Settlers of Catan"Neil Grayston, Jane Espenson, James Kyson LeeNeil GraystonApril 20, 2012
3"Tsuro, Zombie Dice & Get Bit"Rod Roddenberry, Ryan Higa, Freddie WongRyan HigaMay 4, 2012
4"Ticket to Ride"Colin Ferguson, Anne Wheaton, Amy DallenColin FergusonMay 18, 2012
5"Munchkin"Steve Jackson, Felicia Day, Sandeep ParikhSteve JacksonJune 1, 2012
6"Castle Panic"Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Andre MeadowsTeam WinJune 15, 2012
7"Gloom"Amber Benson, Michele Boyd, Meghan CamarenaAmber Benson, Meghan Camarena & Wil WheatonJune 29, 2012
8"Fiasco, Part 1"John Rogers, Alison Haislip, Bonnie BurtonN/AJuly 13, 2012
9"Fiasco, Part 2"John Rogers, Alison Haislip, Bonnie BurtonN/AJuly 27, 2012
10"Say Anything"Josh A. Cagan, Matt Mira, Jonah RayJonah RayAugust 9, 2012
11"Elder Sign"Felicia Day, Mike Morhaime, Bill PradyTeam WinAugust 23, 2012
12"Dixit"Casey McKinnon, Beth Riesgraf, Leo ChuBeth RiesgrafSeptember 6, 2012
13"Wits & Wagers"Veronica Belmont, Phil LaMarr, Jimmy WongVeronica Belmont & Jimmy WongSeptember 21, 2012
14"Pandemic"Robert Gifford, Morgan Webb, Ed BrubakerTeam LossOctober 4, 2012
15"Last Night on Earth"Riki Lindhome, Kate Micucci, Felicia DayRiki Lindhome & Kate MicucciOctober 18, 2012
16"Star Fluxx"Alex Albrecht, Chloe Dykstra, Jordan MechnerWil WheatonNovember 1, 2012
17"Alhambra"Ashley Johnson, Shane Nickerson, Dodger LeighDodger LeighJanuary 3, 2013
18"Chez Geek"Andrew Hackard, Paul Sabourin, Greg DiCostanzoAndrew HackardJanuary 17, 2013
19"Dragon Age, Part 1"Sam Witwer, Kevin Sussman, Chris Hardwick, Chris PramasN/AJanuary 31, 2013
20"Dragon Age, Part 2"Sam Witwer, Kevin Sussman, Chris Hardwick, Chris PramasN/AFebruary 14, 2013

Season 1 Extended Editions

No. Game Guests Winner(s) Air date
1Extended Edition: "Small World"Grant Imahara, Jenna Busch, Sean PlottSean PlottMarch 14, 2013
2Extended Edition: "Castle Panic"Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Andre MeadowsTeam WinMarch 21, 2013
3Extended Edition: "Pandemic"Robert Gifford, Morgan Webb, Ed BrubakerTeam LossMarch 28, 2013

Season 2

No. Game Guests Winner(s) Air date
1"Formula D"Grace Helbig, Greg Benson, Hannah HartHannah HartApril 4, 2013
2"The Resistance"Felicia Day, Amy Okuda, Ashley Clements, Allison ScagliottiFelicia Day & Allison ScagliottiApril 18, 2013
3"Once Upon a Time"Amy Berg, Mike Phirman, Chris WyattAmy BergMay 2, 2013
4"King of Tokyo"John Bain, Craig Benzine, Greg ZeschukCraig BenzineMay 16, 2013
5"Forbidden Island"John Scalzi, Jason Finn, Bobak FerdowsiTeam LossMay 30, 2013
6"Smash Up"Rich Sommer, Cara Santa Maria, Jen TimmsCara Santa MariaJune 13, 2013
7"Star Trek Catan"Jeri Ryan, Kari Wahlgren, Ryan WheatonKari WahlgrenJuly 18, 2013
8"Star Wars: X-Wing"Seth Green, Clare Grant, Mike LamondSeth Green & Clare GrantAugust 8, 2013
9"Lords of Waterdeep"Felicia Day, Pat Rothfuss, Brandon LaatschPat RothfussAugust 22, 2013
10"Shadows Over Camelot"Tara Strong, Jerry Holkins, Mike KrahulikWil WheatonOctober 3, 2013
11"Betrayal at House on the Hill, Part 1"Ashly Burch, Keahu Kahuanui, Michael SwaimN/AOctober 17, 2013
12"Betrayal at House on the Hill, Part 2"Ashly Burch, Keahu Kahuanui, Michael SwaimWil WheatonOctober 24, 2013
13"Takenoko"Harley Morenstein, Rosanna Pansino, Drew RoyHarley MorensteinNovember 14, 2013
14"Unspeakable Words"Troy Baker, Erin Gray, Felicia DayTroy BakerNovember 28, 2013
15"Qwirkle & 12 Days"Kelly Hu, Meredith Salenger, Nolan KoppMeredith SalengerDecember 12, 2013
16"Carcassonne"Jesse Cox, Nika Harper, Kumail NanjianiWil WheatonDecember 26, 2013
17"Tsuro of the Seas"Kevin Pereira, Brendan Halloran, Andy HullAndy HullJanuary 9, 2014
18"Ticket to Ride Europe"Emma Caulfield, John Kovalic, Anne WheatonJohn KovalicJanuary 23, 2014
19"Fortune and Glory"Brandon Routh, Ryon Day, Felicia DayWil WheatonFebruary 6, 2014
20"Lords of Vegas"Miracle Laurie, Angela Webber, Aubrey WebberWil WheatonFebruary 20, 2014

Season 2 Extended Editions

No. Game Guests Winner(s) Air date
1Extended Edition: "Formula D"Grace Helbig, Greg Benson, Hannah HartHannah HartJune 27, 2013
2Extended Edition: "Star Trek Catan"Jeri Ryan, Kari Wahlgren, Ryan WheatonKari WahlgrenSeptember 19, 2013
3Extended Edition: "Tsuro of the Seas"Kevin Pereira, Brendan Halloran, Andy HullAndy HullMarch 14, 2014
4Extended Edition: "Carcassonne"Jesse Cox, Nika Harper, Kumail NanjianiWil WheatonMarch 28, 2014
5Extended Edition: "Qwirkle and 12 Days"Kelly Hu, Meredith Salenger, Nolan KoppMeredith SalengerApril 17, 2014
6Extended Edition: "Star Wars X-Wing"Seth Green, Clare Grant, Mike LamondSeth Green & Clare GrantJune 5, 2014
7Extended Edition: "Takenoko"Harley Morenstein, Rosanna Pansino, Drew RoyHarley MorensteinJune 12, 2014
8Extended Edition: "Lords of Waterdeep"Felicia Day, Pat Rothfuss, Brandon LaatschPat RothfussJune 20, 2014

Season 3

On October 21, 2014, Wil Wheaton posted to his blog the titles of all the games played and the guests on the shows that will be airing for season 3.[7]

No. Game Guests Winner(s) Air date
1"Tōkaidō"Jason Wishnov, J. August Richards, Chris KluweJ. August RichardsNovember 13, 2014
2"Forbidden Desert"Felicia Day, Alan Tudyk, Jon HederTeam WinNovember 27, 2014
3"Catan Junior"Emily Anderson, Brett Baligrad, Adam ChernickAdam ChernickDecember 11, 2014
4"The Hare and the Tortoise & Council of Verona"Jessica Merizan, David Kwong, Alison HaislipJessica MerizanDecember 25, 2014
5"Stone Age"Nika Harper, Jesse Cox, Jordan MaronJordan MaronJanuary 8, 2015
6"Geek Out"Anne Wheaton, Bonnie Burton, Clare KramerAnne Wheaton & Bonnie BurtonJanuary 22, 2015
7"Sheriff of Nottingham"Meredith Salenger, Ashley Clements, Derek MioAshley ClementsFebruary 5, 2015
8"Dead of Winter"Dodger Leigh, Grant Imahara, Ashley JohnsonTeam LossFebruary 19, 2015
9"Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre"Emily Gordon, Jonah Ray, Veronica BelmontEmily GordonMarch 5, 2015
10"Cards Against Humanity"Aisha Tyler, Ali Spagnola, Laina MorrisAisha TylerMarch 19, 2015
11"Five Tribes"Jenna Busch, Satine Phoenix, Richard GarriotWil WheatonApril 9, 2015
12"Concept"Joseph Scrimshaw, Rhett McLaughlin, Link NealTeam Minor WinApril 23, 2015
13"Dread"Laura Bailey, Molly Lewis, Ivan Van NormanMay 7, 2015
14"Libertalia"Seth Green, Clare Grant, Karen GillanMay 21, 2015
15"Love Letter & Coup"Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, Felicia DayJune 4, 2015
16"Kingdom Builder"Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Paul ScheerJune 11, 2015
17"Legendary"Allie Brosh, Mark Fischbach, Brea GrantJuly 2, 2015
18"Roll For It & Sushi Go!"Jason Ritter, Jennifer Hale, John Ross BowieJuly 16, 2015
19"Mice & Mystics, Chapter One"Anne Wheaton, Ryan Wheaton, Nolan KoppJuly 30, 2015
20"Mice & Mystics, Chapter Two"Anne Wheaton, Ryan Wheaton, Nolan KoppAugust 13, 2015

Season 3 Behind the Scenes

For Season 3, backers of the Tabletop Season 3 Indiegogo Campaign were given access to Behind The Scenes videos hosted by Geek and Sundry's Amy Dallen.

No. Title Air date
1"Intro"November 20, 2014
2"A Producers Mirage"December 4, 2014
3"A Camera Made of Stone"January 15, 2015
4"Directing Robin Hood"February 12, 2015
5"Undead Game Designers"February 26, 2015
6"My Kingdom for an Editor!"June 25, 2015
7"Delicious Art Designers"July 23, 2015

Funding campaign

On April 5, 2014, Wil Wheaton announced the launch of a campaign on Indiegogo to fund the creation of a third season. The target amount was $500,000 to produce 15 episodes, with additional targets of $750,000 to produce a full season of 20 episodes, and $1,000,000 to film a spin-off RPG series.[8] The campaign exceeded its goals, eventually closing with $1,414,154.[8]

Impact

Evidence presented by a Canadian online game retailer showed that games featured in TableTop received a boost in sales after the episode aired: this was dubbed "The Wheaton Effect".[9][10] Game publisher Days of Wonder has said that having titles featured on the show had significant boost on sales.[11]

After the game Tsuro was featured, demand was so high, that the publisher exhausted all stock reserves. The game was, for a time, unavailable in Europe as production tried to cope with US demand.

In 2013 the web series won the Diana Jones Award,[12] citing that 'Tabletop has brought a new energy and humour to the board-game field: its blend of good humour and gameplay is pitch-perfect and has introduced a range of titles from modern classics to indie RPGs to thousands of new players.'.

TableTop won the gold ENnie for Best Podcast at the 2013 Gen Con EN World RPG Awards for its Dragon Age episodes. The award was accepted by Chris Pramas on behalf of Wil Wheaton.

International TableTop Day

The first International TableTop Day, founded by Boyan Radakovich, was held on March 30, 2013 and was live-streamed on the Geek & Sundry channel on YouTube. Games included Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, Smash Up, and Star Trek Catan; with several of the first season guests returning to play. It aired in two segments hosted by Felicia Day[13] and Wil Wheaton,[14] with an extra wrap-up segment uploaded later.[15] Events were held in 64 countries.[16]

The second International TableTop Day was held on April 5, 2014.[17] The event was again live-streamed on YouTube, and the games shown were KrosMaster: Arena, Tanto Cuore, Rampage, and Love Letter.[18] Events were held in over 80 countries.[19]

The third International TableTop Day was held on April 11, 2015. [20]

References

  1. Biggs, John (April 3, 2012). "Join Wil Wheaton And Friends In A Rousing Tabletop Gaming Session". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  2. Banks, Dave (April 20, 2012). "Tabletop Returns With Settlers of Catan". GeekDad. Wired. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  3. Morgan, Matt (March 20, 2012). "Details Emerge on Wheaton-Hosted "Tabletop" Gaming Web Series". MTV Geek. MTV. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  4. Doctorow, Cory (March 20, 2012). "Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day team up for Tabletop, a show about tabletop games". Boing Boing. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  5. Season 2 announcement: Schneider, Mark (March 25, 2013). "Announcing Tabletop Season Two!". WIL WHEATON dot NET. Wil Wheaton. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  6. "Tabletop Season 3 With Wil Wheaton". Indiegogo.com. May 10, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  7. Wheaton, Wil (October 21, 2014). "TABLETOP SEASON 3 – THE COMPLETE LIST OF GAMES AND PLAYERS". Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Tabletop Season 3 - With Wil Wheaton!". Indiegogo. April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  9. Wong, Tao (May 8, 2012). "The Wheaton Effect". Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  10. Wong, Tao (August 16, 2012). "The Wheaton Effect – A Follow Up". Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  11. "TableTop Impact on DoW's Games". ICV2. August 30, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  12. "Wheaton Announces Tabletop as Winner of Award". Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  13. International TableTop Day Livestream - Pt. 1 on March 30th! on YouTube
  14. International TableTop Day Live Stream - pt. 2 on March 30th! on YouTube
  15. International TableTop Day Live Stream - pt. 3 on March 30th! on YouTube
  16. "About TableTopDay.com". Geek & Sundry. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  17. "Geek & Sundry announces date of International TableTop Day for 2014". Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  18. International TableTop Day 2014 Live Stream on YouTube
  19. "About TableTopDay.com". Geek & Sundry. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
  20. "Geek & Sundry announces International TableTop Day for 2015". Retrieved 20 March 2015.

External links