At the Giant Brain we cover a lot of different types of games. Let’s meet the folk behind all that work!
The Team
Iain McAllister (He/Him)
I hail from the far north, otherwise known as Tain in the Highlands of Scotland. I am the head honcho of The Giant Brain, main writer, and podcast editor.
Growing up I had a diet of Ravensburger imports and more traditional games. I found my way to the hobby through choose your own adventure books, Games Workshop and roleplaying games. I’ve been a critic for a good few years now and though I have pivoted my focus a few times, I remain passionate about good games, great people, and the stories we can all tell together.
I keep my collection small, so if I tell you a game I am reviewing is going in it, take that as a huge seal of approval. I am very eclectic in my tastes, but I will not hesitate to tell you what I dislike alongside any praise.
Jamie Adams (He/Him)
Striding in from the Wild West End of Glasgow, Jamie Adams decided that he would spend the rest of his life being a professional liar (some people call it acting). It doesn’t help him in bluffing or social deduction games though but does come in useful when preparing skits for the Brainwaves Podcast. Jamie is my long time colloborator and an original member of the Brainwaves team.
Jamie’s interests include always being first to know when it’s raining, Taekwondo, tea drinking and endlessly telling people that Rhino Hero is the best game under £10. If he was ship wrecked on a desert island, he would only need to bring Jamaica with him providing him with food, money and boats to attempt an escape.
Oliver Kinne (He/They)
Oliver Kinne lives by the sunny south coast of the United Kingdom and has been playing modern tabletop games for over 15 years. As a teen he enjoyed writing fiction. In May 2018, he started the Tabletop Games Blog, combining those two hobbies. You can find regular reviews on Oliver’s site alongside interviews with boardgame artists. Oliver also records many of his written pieces so they are more accesible.
Since then, Oliver has also started translating board games from English to German and German to English under the brand Make My Game Travel. It is an attempt to commercialize Oliver’s language skills and experience in the industry. Oliver has demoed for Asmodee at UK Games Expo.
Previous Hosts
You may see mention throughout the site of two previous hosts. Sam Maggs did a lot of the audio for the cast and was the third member of the team in the beginning. He was followed by Iain Chantler. Both still friends of us and the show.
