I’ve been listening to Ben since the earlier days of his previous podcasting venture, and over the years he has just gotten better and better. I don’t always agree with his opinions, but I never tire of his hard work and dedication to delivering excellent interviews and commentary. He and Steve have developed a comfortable rapport, and the show always delivers some laughs as well as really interesting content. Ben’s game reviews break away from the tired format of “sort of teach the game, just enough to bore you without actually telling you enough to play, what did we like/dislike, etc.” Instead, he puts a game into context with similar games, rants about thematic strengths or weaknesses, treats games as cultural and artistic products and discusses what they bring to our lives. True, there’s a lot of swearing, so if that puts you off be forewarned, but for most of us, that’s “a feature, not a bug”.

Really like the episodes where he interviews and gets the 5 games from people in the industry. The news shows are…mostly entertaining, somewhat meandering, but when I listen to them they are pretty notable for several intrusive and relatively long commercials. Kind of a big turnoff for me personally. I don’t begrudge the need to monetize the podcast at all, but I guess I’d rather just give on patreon than with mycommercial listening, the way most other boardgame podcasts do.

A great, talented; funny, sufficiently attractive person doing fantastic, smart, to the point interviews. I wish I was Ben Maddox. Gaby Host of Board Game Snobs

Excellent, short reviews and superb deep-dive interviews with designers. The only thing I wish is that he’d include the games people pick in the episode description for easy reference. Sometimes I forget what game they’re talking about and they don’t always say the name again!

Ben’s show is very unique within board gaming. Not only is it surprisingly hilarious, but it’s deeply thoughtful and intellectual. Ben is not only a great interviewer, but someone who really understands the hobby and the true meaning of critique. He challenges the status quo and shares fresh perspectives. No softball questions here. Look no further for a show that will make you laugh and challenge your perspective at the same time. It’s excellent.

A fresh perspective that elevates the the art of conversation around gaming. A must listen.

This is easily my favorite board gaming podcast. Ben's interviews are about the best in the business, and the central conceit, of an apocalypse forcing the selection of five beloved games, acts as a perfect scaffolding for wide-ranging discussions about board game design, business, production, and hobby. Meanwhile, his short reviews of games from the imaginary cabin are erudite, insightful, and cut to the heart of why we game. Brilliant, and a joy to listen to.

Honestly, just jealous. This guy gives some of the best interviews out there because he’s smart and well spoken.

Ben Maddox is someone that I've only followed for a short time, from the tail end of his work with Perfect Information until the present. His style is one that geniunely entertains while provoking reactions that are uncommon for this hobby. I've been listening to this newest venture, Five Games for Doomsday, regularly since it started. He has managed to take his wit and engaging style into direct interviews with various personalities from the board game industry and deliver a compelling look at what makes these people tick. His sporadic game reviews are also quite lovely as he isn't afraid to voice an opinion that would likely be frowned upon by most. Even if I don't agree with Ben's sentiments on a particular topic, the conversations and discussions that I've had in response to his content have been fulfilling and occasionally venture into more socio-political territory, allowing for a deeper examination into who we are and how games affect us. It all sounds a little bit pretentious, but I wish more media would be as interesting as Ben's show is. I feel like it wouldn't be a proper review without a couple of points for improvement that I would like to see moving forward. While Ben has managed to interview some important people, a few of the interviews have been a bit mundane. I would love to see a more open discussion without fear of alienating supports or fans of a particular designer/game/publisher. It's difficult to do, but it's something that I feel Ben does extremely well, transitioning from game discussion to personal history to political commentary and then back to game mechanisms. Lastly, while the title of the show makes it clear what to expect, there have been a few occasions where I would have loved to hear a specific discussion continue. I'm sure that for the sake of time, the interview must progress at some point, but I wonder if perhaps a topical discussion episode or segment would satisfy my desire for a more focused discourse. In the end, it's his show and I'm simply happy to listen. Keep up the great work Ben and I hope your career continues to grow.

Ben is a wordsmith and beautifully crafts sentences that are always a joy to listen to

So happy when a new episode or review shows up in my podcast feed. Always thoughtful and entertaining.

5G4D is a wonderfully different approach to a board game podcast. Host Ben Maddox does an amazing job of telling a story while we learn what 5 games the weekly guests would take to a cabin as Doomsday strikes. Ben does a fantastic job of interspersing the game choices and game discussion with background and personal information about his guests. This is a MUST listen podcast, every episode is an absolute treat.