What do ancient dice, anti-tobacco board games, and the U.S. financial system all have in common? They're all systems: rule frameworks that quietly shape how we think, act, and move through the world. In this premiere episode, hosts Kris Tyte and Sean Snodgrass sit down with the brilliant and endlessly entertaining Shaday Agosto-Vázquez, a mind-bending board game collector with a library of over 500 games. Together, they explore the hidden “game” built into our society: the mechanics, the incentives, the ways we learn to lie, follow rules or break them, and navigate the systems we never agreed to play. Join us for playful and insightful banter on how games mirror reality, and how understanding them can help you win the biggest game of all: life itself.
Quotable
“"If God is the one in charge of your luck, then someone can read your future with it."
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Opening discussion about divine providence, fate, and ancient beliefs around dice and randomness.
Astragalomancy — Dice Divination
Historical context for the idea of using dice or carved sticks to read fate, directly connected to the conversation on spiritual randomness and early gaming systems.
Visual reference for “stick dice,” the centuries-old precursor to modern six-sided dice.
Quotable
“Change the algorithm a little, and you change the election.”
Commentary on how information ordering—more than information itself— can determine political outcomes in a nearly split electorate.
Classic documentation of how industries weaponize uncertainty (“doubt is our product”), directly mirroring the board game example discussed.
Quotable
“"You go in looking for fun, and you come out with a deep intuition for real-world systems you never expected."
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Summary of how games encode real political, economic, and moral systems through their mechanics.
Monopoly’s Anti-Capitalist Origins
Supports the conversation about Monopoly originally being designed to show the dangers of unregulated landlordism.
Quotable
“"Decks of cards are one of the most versatile gaming engines ever created."
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Reframing playing cards as a modular system—like a game engine for analog design.
Follow Up Notes
Many claim the 52-card deck mirrors the 52 weeks of the year, with suits representing seasons and numerology embedded throughout. While partially mythologized, it reflects humanity’s tendency to embed cosmic order into everyday objects.
Quotable
“"When someone controls the rules, you're helpless. That's society, not just games."
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Central thesis connecting childhood game manipulation to real-world rule-makers in law, government, and finance.
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