Board Game Barrage
Join Kellen, Neilan, Mark, and Christina for a podcast about board games, the latest hotness, and how to have fun with your friends even when you're losing.
Episodes
#364: Mechanism Matchup
There are two board game mechanisms you just can't escape, they're on everyone's mind, flooding the discourse. That's combat, and card draw mitigation. Everyone won't stop talking about them. So we had to weigh in too, not just with what we feel are the best examples of games that have done them best, but some other quirky takes on them too. Before we mitigate our card draws, we talk about Rolling
#363: The Dark Depths of Mailbag
It's been a while since we've plumbed the depths of the bottomless chasm we call "fanmail", so this week we're reaching our hands as far as we can and pulling out some questions that have yet to see the light of say. Before we dig too greedily and too deep, we talk about Politrickers, Marvel Champions: The Card Game, and Banana Governance. 02:19 - Politrickers 10:47 - Marvel Champions: The Card Ga
#362: Hot Takes About Board Games
The people demand takes, so get 'em while they're hot. We're weighing in on some possibly bad, certainly edgy opinions, and deciding where we land (spoiler: we're always right). Before we get heated, we talk about Diplomacy: The Golden Blade, and Cozy Stickerville. 01:46 - Diplomacy: The Golden Blade 12:33 - Cozy Stickerville 25:41 - Hot takes! 26:11 - Co-op games are just single player games with
#361: Collaborative Draft: Games of 2016
We had such fun collaboratively coming up with our definitive Top 50 list back in December, that we've decided to do it again. In the spirit of award season, we're celebrating the games of yesteryear, or yester-ten-years to be precise. It's the definitive best games of 2016, as decided cooperatively by us! Before we come together, we talk about Shady Lady, In the Shadows: Resistance in France 1943
#360: Guessing Golden Geeks Galore
It's long been said that we're the foremost experts in knowing which way the awards winds blow, so we're putting our talents to use guessing, nay, predicting, nay, deciding who the winners in the Golden Geeks are going to be. Before we geek out, we talk about Chronicles of Crime: 2400, Quarto, and Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon. 04:07 - Chronicles of Crime: 2400 12:00 - Quarto 16:13 - Shac
#359: Top Brass
There are big spiky moments that happen in the meta that is the board game hobby, and the Brass: Pittsburgh crowdfunding campaign feels like one of them. It is after all, a successor to the #1 ranked game on BGG. That's something! Enough so that it sent Mark into a bit of an existential spiral, and we're here to talk him down. Before we catch a falling Wallace, we talk about Hummingbirds, Fendo, a
#358: Our Listeners' Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2026
Oh man, oh man, it's time that we ask you (yes, you) to tell us (yes, us) what your favourite games are, because for one time a year, it doesn't matter what we think about games, but you better be ready to tell us what you think about games. A lot of you did, so here it is, the listener top 20! Before we ask you to do all the work, we talk about Emberheart, Gods & Mortals, and Feya's Swamp. 01:30
#357: We Played a Mass of Games!
We made it back in one piece, and all told I think we did pretty well! We got through a heck of a lot of what we wanted to play, and we're here to tell you all about it - including Dark Pact, Totally Human, and Banana Governance, and more! 02:36 - Totally Human 14:04 - Dark Pact 20:56 - Gold Country 28:21 - Staked! 32:58 - Secret Tribe 41:34 - Habemus Papam 50:11 - 3 Chapters 55:22 - Banana Govern
#356: On the Road Again
By the time you're listening to this, we're probably already in Vegas for Dice Tower West! We're going to hang about all day playing games - which naturally leads to the question of what we're going to play? These are the games we came up with! Before we bite off more than we can chew, we talk about Ghost Lift, Cities, and I, Napoleon. 02:31 - Ghost Lift 08:13 - Cities 14:06 - I, Napoleon 24:40 -
#355: Anticipation Auction: Games of 2026
I think it's fair to say that we crushed this last year (although some of us better than others), so it's only correct and right that we should return to do it again. What are the best games of 2026 going to be? Well, only we know, but we're willing to part with that information. Get your fat stacks ready. Before we set ourselves up for failure, we talk about Alibis, Mosaic: A Story of Civilizatio
#354: Don't Call It a Comeback
All of this has happened before and will happen again. Everything comes back around, including games you could swear you've played before. Whether they're remakes, reimplimentations, or rejuvenations, we're tackling the world of board game revivals. Before what's old is new, we talk about Agent Avenue, 7 Empires, and Stellar Ventures. 02:24 - Agent Avenue 07:25 - 7 Empires 18:26 - Stellar Ventures
#353: Getting it Just Right
Sometimes you know the type of game you want to play, just not exactly which game quite fits the bill. Is that heavy Euro too heavy? That deck builder not builder-y enough? Before we sit down with Goldilocks, we talk about Rise and Fall, and JOYRIDE: Survival of the Fastest. 01:09 - Rise and Fall 12:53 - JOYRIDE: Survival of the Fastest 25:08 - Games that are Just Right 29:30 - Hanabi 29:57 - Wilm
#352: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 10-1
Well, we started this thing, so I guess we ought to finish it, as ill-advised as that might be. This is where all the chickens come home to roost, where we learn how badly we've set ourselves up to fail - but you never know, it might just all work out! It's the top ten greatest board games ... of all-time! 06:29 - #10 - Codenames 13:56 - #9 - The Resistance 18:15 - #8 - Age of Steam 23:09 - #7 - T
#351: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 30-11
Happy new year! We're back to continue the very peaceful, collaborative, kind endeavour that is coming together to harmoniously assemble our top 50 games. It's been nothing but chill, friendly vibes, and we expect that to continue into 2026. It's the next twenty games on our definitive top 50 board games... of all-time! 01:20 - #30 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 06:43 - #29 - Dominion 09:36 - #28
#350: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 50-31
Okay, things are a bit different this year. In honour of our 350th episode (a very important milestone), we're going to combine forces, like ... Voltron. I'm the head, and my left and right feet are here with me to collaboratively (yes, you heard right) compile Board Game Barrage's definitive (definitely definitive) top 50 board games... of all-time! 06:27 - #50 - Zoo Vadis 08:32 - #49 - Splendor
#349: Anticipation Auction 2025 - And the Winner Is…
Remember way back at the beginning of the year when we took some bets on what we thought the games of the year were gonna be? Well, all those good and bad decisions are back to help or haunt us, as we tally up where things stand with the end of the year results. Before we find a winner, we talk about Wriggle Roulette, Whale Street, and Scales of Fate. 04:45 - Wriggle Roulette 11:32 - Whale Street
#348: Got 'Em, Ghost Turkey
Somehow Ghost Turkey returned. And you never saw it coming! That might be because we forgot to remind people that it's Thanksgiving, but never mind that, the important thing is you're fools. Not us though, we're back with yet another juicy, cranberry soaked list of bird gaming goodness. Gobble gobble! 00:00 - ??? Get added to the BGB community map at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/map Send us topic
#347: Bob's Design
BGBBOB is back, and it's been long enough that you might need a reminder. Ten game designers enter the ring, and through the arduous process of one vs one battles, we arrive at our (and not just our, but the) definitive ranked list of ... these particular designers. It's science. Before we fight it out, we talk about Iliad, The Old King's Crown, and Franchise. 03:29 - Iliad 13:56 - The Old King's
#346: It's One Bananagrams, How Much Could It Cost?
This episode is not about Bananagrams (at least, I don't think so), but it is about the price of things (though not Bananagrams specifically, shut up about Bananagrams). In a world where everything costs more, we're talking about the value of games, and how far a game has to go to justify its price. Before we decide if the price is right, we talk about The Presence, and River of Gold. 02:08 - The
#345: Essen SPIEL 2025 Hype List
Not perturbed by Kellen's trip to Germany, we're all daydreaming about the motherlode of board game conventions, Essen SPIEL. There's a lot of games coming to the show, and because we're not going, and presumably you aren't either, we'll just tell you what's going to be there instead! The good stuff, anyway. Before we Germinate, we talk about Calimala, Tír na nÓg, and Typewriter. 02:42 - Calimala
#344: ... But the Second Leaves a Mark
Dreaded continuity! We're following up Episode 41 from seven years ago about the games that started our love for board games! After those first loves, what really got our hearts aflutter with the joy that the hobby had to offer? Before we yearn, we talk about Der Fliegende Holländer, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. 02:52 - Der Fliegende Holländer 16:03 - The Hobbit: There and Back Again 27:1
#343: Fantasy Draft: Card Games
The draft's back! This time it's card games, and we're picking the bestof what ought to be a staple of any good collection. We love card games, we love drafting games, and you love winning money, so be sure to vote for whoever you think drafted the best set, and you could win a $100 gift card! Before deal everyone in, we talk about Money!, Venture, and Fishing. 03:02 - Money! 12:43 - Venture 20:2
#342: Oops! All Foreplay
There's any number of subtle innuendoes we could've gone with, but this is what we're doing I guess. If you haven't got there yet, we're talking about games that aren't just slow rides, but instead leave you gasping for more right as they climax. Before we finish, we talk about No Loose Ends, Eselsbrücke, and The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship. 01:24 - No Loose Ends 09:08 - Eselsbrücke
#341: A Little Bit of Mailbag
One, two, three, four, five, everybody in the car so come on let's ride ... to the mailbag! We're answering your pressing questions - and oh how they press - about all manner of things: Crowdfunding ads! Narrative games! Getting jaded about board games! You wrote in because you had to know what we thought, and who are we to say no. Before we get covered in papercuts, we talk about Wheedle, Dune: W
#340: All by Myself
Are board games best played multiplayer? Who can say, but whether it's because you can't get people together at the appropriate time, or you're just itching to play something on your lonesome, there's a burgeoning scene of solo games out there waiting to be played, and we're going to talk about them. Well, some of us are, anyway. Before we go it alone, we talk about Hunted: Kobayashi Tower, Corps
#339: One and Done
Sometimes once is enough, you know? Doesn't mean it was bad, but it might just be that you can have too much of a good thing. We're talking about board games that we'd recommend everyone play once, but only once. Before we hit and run, we talk about Kaivai, East India Companies, and Vantage. 01:44 - Kaivai 10:58 - Feya's Swamp 13:15 - East India Companies 21:31 - Vantage 39:41 - Games to play only
#338: Gen Con 2025 Preview
Gen Con! Where all the cool games are, before you even know they're cool. Or hot! We've got you covered, if you want to know what all the best stuff coming out of Indianapolis is going to before before anyone else, then look no further than this episode. Five games each that we're excited to hear more about at the show! Before we face the heat, we talk about Line of Fire: Burnt Moon, and Rise. 02:
#337: Our Listeners' Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2025
It's time again to turn the tables and get your take, to feel out the collective tastes of you, the listeners of the show. It's the annual Listener Top 20! You've been sending in all of your lists (thank you!), I've been compiling all of the data (you're welcome!) - and here it is, in a convenient list format. Before we ask the audience, we talk about Flip 7, Hot Streak, and Kolejka. 02:37 - Flip
#336: Happy Little Accidents
When playing games it's easy to fall into the trap of over-anaylsing turns, or questioning whether the move we made was the right one, or even allowing people to roll back whole turns - so we're asking if maybe we've been wrong this whole time, and we should just ... embrace it? Are mistakes interesting? Before we have any regrets, we talk about Apiary, Wizards Cup, and Wroth. 02:43 - Apiary 13:43
#335: A Cole New Wehrle
A dazzling place you never knew ... until now that is! We're diving deep on beloved designer Cole Wehrle in another designer spotlight. We dig back into his Roots, and explore the many Arcs that led to his Oath to revolutionize thematic board games. Before our traffic gets infamous, we talk about Toy Battle, Subjective, and Wild Tiled West. 03:43 - Toy Battle 13:51 - Subjective 22:11 - Wild Tiled
#334: Nothing's Done It Better
Well, we finally did it. We played CATAN, and it was ... good! And then we started wondering, is there anything that's done quite the same thing that that game is doing? And then that got us wondering how many games there are like that, where it's genuinely hard to say that nothing has done it better since. And then that got us wondering if, instead of all this wondering, we should record a podcas
#333: Gold3n G33ks
Happy 333! In honour of our three hundred and thirty third episode, BoardGameGeek has decided to host an emergency session of the Golden Geek Awards, and we're here to tell you about all the nominees that satisfy the crucial conditions of being (1) good games (2) we played (3) last year. Before we open our third eye, we also talk about Einfach Genial 3D, Gazebo, and Stalk Exchange. 02:28 - Einfach
#332: Hard Pass!
I would say that, for the most part, there's very little we won't play - but we also know what we like, and especially what we don't like. Every so often a game gets suggested that we have to say "literally anything but" to. Before we pass hard, we talk about TRICKTAKERs, Iquazú, and Hubworld: Aidalon. 02:49 - TRICKTAKERs 11:52 - Iquazú 21:47 - Hubworld: Aidalon 31:03 - Hard pass games 32:11 - Sid
#331: One Thing I Hate About You
We've spent a lot of time over the years singing the praises of the games we love, but they can't be perfect right? Surely there's something, one little thing, that bugs us - a small blemish in our otherwise most beloved games? Before we come clean, we talk about Classified Information, Starline Hill, Panda Spin, and SHASN: AZADI. 03:13 - Classified Information 11:54 - Starline Hill 13:35 - Panda
#330: We Played a Load of Games!
We just got back from Dice Tower West, so you know what that means ... bunches and bunches of games! Between the convention, and the meetup, and just hanging out at Mark's place, we got a lot of great stuff played, and we're going to give you all the highlights, with such treats as Moon Colony Bloodbath, Out of Sorts, and Feierabend. 04:16 - Corporate America 12:19 - Acquire 18:09 - Inside Job 23:
#329: All the Stars Are Here!
I'm not sure why you'd make a hall of fame that's not also a sidewalk, but that's exactly what BoardGameGeek have gone and done - they've curated 25 games into their hall of fame, and we're here to judge them for their choices. It's weird that they didn't come to us first, honestly. Before we deck the halls, we talk about Arborea, Beyond the Horizon, and Taiwan Night Market. 02:49 - Arborea 10:32
#328: Anticipation Auction: Games of 2025
Okay, pay attention, this is gonna be different! We're looking at the rest of 2025, deciding what we think the most well received games of the year are going to be - but then we're going to be bidding on them, auction style. Whoever's slate ends up performing best in their categories at the end of the year gets all the glory ... and if you vote on who you think is going to win, you could get $50!
#327: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: 10-1
It's finally time to cap it all off with the cream of the cream, Mark and Neilan's final set of ten games each! These are the games that we think are the pinnacle of our respective tastes, that we'd never turn down, that any person ought to try at least once. It's the Top 10 Games of All-Time! 01:48 - Mark's #10 - Age of Steam 08:17 - Neilan's #10 - Brass: Birmingham 11:21 - Mark's #9 - Arboretum
#326: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Neilan's 30-11
Neilan's back to continue the journey down the lazy river of cardboard that is his top 50 board games of all time. It's games 30 through 11! I just counted, and that's twenty amazing games that I can't wait to tell you all about! 00:59 - #30 - Gloomhaven 02:58 - #29 - War Story: Occupied France 07:35 - #28 - Gaia Project 10:17 - #27 - Ark Nova 12:26 - #26 - Kemet 14:55 - #25 - Yellow & Yangtze 1
#325: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Mark's 30-11
And back to Mark! It's the soggy middle of his top 50, or as he insists on calling it, his numbers 30 through 11. That is twenty more delicious games, and he's here to tell you all about them while we continue to berate and praise him for his choices. 01:20 - #30 - Anomia 05:12 - #29 - Sidereal Confluence 08:47 - #28 - Chicago Express 11:46 - #27 - Rise & Fall 16:34 - #26 - Tigris & Euphrates 19:
#324: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Neilan's 50-31
It's meeeeeeeeeee! So if you care to find my top 50 list, look right here. The first twenty incredible games on the list that early critics are calling "surprisingly tasteful" and "delightfully roomy" is finally yours to consume. It's the greatest board games of all-time, Neilan edition! 01:10 - #50 - Anachrony 03:56 - #49 - The Vale of Eternity 05:47 - #48 - Arcs 09:05 - #47 - Bus 11:26 - #46 -
#323: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Mark's 50-31
It's time! The grand spectacle that is our greatest games of all time is here at last! We're breaking things out a bit differently this year, so Mark's taking center stage while Kellen & Neilan mock his choices. It's the first twenty games from his list, so games 50 through 31. LET'S GOOOO! 01:53 - #50 - Cthulhu Wars 03:23 - #49 - Ricochet Robots 05:21 - #48 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 08:22 - #4
#322: And What a Year It's Been
As we approach the end of 2024, it's about time we stop, take stock, and dare I say look back at the year that's been. The highs, the lows, the mids - all the stars are here, and we're going to break them down for you with some of our favourite games, and biggest moments, and general assessment of the year that's been. Before we reflect, we talk about Let's Go! To Japan, Mombasa, and The Gang. 01
#321: Fire Away, Ghost Turkey
Gobble Bobble, here comes trouble in the form of a pairing we never thought we'd see - Bob and the Ghost Turkey have delivered us another holiday nightmare. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Before we tuck in, we talk about Tapple, Mini Rails, and Naishi. 05:48 - Tapple 11:07 - Mini Rails 17:45 - Naishi 22:56 - BGBBOB Bird Games 24:45 - ICECOOL 24:52 - Root 26:17 - Rook 26:26 - Songbirds 28:05 - Fanc
#320: We Played A Clump of Games!
We've been to Las Vegas and back for the very unofficial recurring gathering we like to call BarrageCon (which is really just all of us hanging out at Mark's place). We had a lot of games lined up to play, and I daresay we did a pretty good job of getting through them. Here's our report back, just a bunch of impressions of a bunch of games - including Rise & Fall, Fractured Sky, and Wilmot's Wareh
#319: One Exception To Rule Them All
I think it's fair to say at this point, that we've pretty firmly established each of our respective tastes when it comes to board games, whether it's for genre, theme, mechanic, whatever. There's always something, though, right? Something that flies in the face of those rules and boldly proclaims, "I like this, even though..." Before we prove the rule, we talk about Andromeda's Edge, and Karvi. 0
#318: A Mix of Things We'd Like To See with Mike DiLisio
The Fandango Tank returns! The ever wonderful Mike DiLisio joins us again, this time to collectively cast our minds forward to some things we'd like to manifest into the board game future. We've got a mess of ideas, a veritable mixtape of miscellany that we either want to play, or hope to see more of as the hobby progresses. Before we unspool, we talk about Fishing, EGO, The Lord of the Rings: Due
#317: Fantasy Draft: Overrated Games
So we've done a lot of these drafts before, but I don't think we've done one quite like this. This time we're each trying to draft a set of five games that we think you might agree are incredibly overrated. What does that mean exactly? Well that's up for debate too. What isn't up for debate is that you could win $100 just by voting! Before we widen our delta, we talk about Undaunted 2200: Callisto
#316: Four Heads Are Better Than One
I'm in a bit of a quandary here, because Mark told me not to tell you what this episode is even about, but I want this description to be, well, descriptive but he's glaring at me really hard, and making a throat slitting gesture so I daren't risk it. It's about ... board games? Before we get ahead of ourselves, we talk about Binho, Stamp Swap, and First Rat. 03:33 - Binho 07:24 - Stamp Swap 17:04
#315: Essen SPIEL 2024 Hype List
We may or may not be going to Germany (who can say), but that's where all the good gaming is gonna be, so that's what we're gonna talk about. It's almost Essen SPIEL! That sure is a lot of games debuting there though, so which ones should you care about? Don't worry, we've done the hard work for you. Before you go back to being eine faule socke, we talk about Nekojima, We're Sinking!, Hues and Cue
#314: Bringing Out the Best in People
It's about people, right? Below all the mechanics, after all the rules explanations, beyond every crushing loss and glorious win, what really matters is people we're playing with. Some games make that more apparent than others, and we're here to celebrate that. Before we realize it's about the friends we made along the way, we talk about Arcs, and Luthier. 03:02 - Arcs 19:26 - Luthier 37:11 - Game
#313: That Don't Impress Me Much
The only thing worse than coming away from a first game with a really bad impression, is when it takes a really long time to shake. Imagine all the amazing games you're not playing because of one bad first game! Whether we saw the error of our ways or not, we're reflecting on the times that games left a mark that took a long time to fade. Before we make our impression, we talk about Things in Ring
#312: Fantasy Draft: Spiel des Jahres Winners
It's awards season, which means that Germany's back to tell us what games are popping off over there. And that also means we're back to tell you what we think about what they think. More than that - we're looking through the annals of Spiel des Jahres history to drafting the winningest games of all the winners! Which means you too can be a winner of $100! Just vote! Before everyone's a winner, we
#311: Of Lovers and Travel
We've all been travelling about so much recently (some of us may or may not still be) that we often find ourselves asking, "what games should I pack?" Some games are better suited for playing on the go than others, and we're going to get to the heart of what makes a good travel game. Before our arms get tired, we also talk about Regicide, Golem, In the Shadow of Atlas, and DroPolter. 03:56 - Regic
#310: Bob's Decade Delights
Bob's back from his trip to 2014, and oh the wonders he's seen - games that not only were amazing back then, but somehow we're still talking about today! The counterpoint to our draft of games to last a decade, we're arguing about the games from ten years ago that are still relevant - BGBBOB style. Before we yearn for our youth, we talk about Cyberion, The Plum Island Horror, and Marabunta. 02:33
#309: Moretuary
More isn't always better, but that's sometimes a hard lesson to learn in the world of board games - we dig into an intriguing listener suggestion about how games (and gamers) can often fall into this trap. Also ... I guess we've got to plan some games for our funerals? It's a double hit of listener questions! Before we dress in black, we talk about Keydom's Dragons, Sagrada Artisans, and Hegemony:
#308: Fantasy Draft: Games To Last a Decade
It's back, and it's spicier, more harrowing, and more lucrative than ever before! It's the Fantasy Draft, and this time we're changing things up by asking you not to vote for favourite games, but for the set that you think will still be relevant ten years from now (AKA the far flung future). Vote to stand a chance to win a gift card for one hundred dollars! Before we say things we'll regret in a d
#307: Gotta Guess More Golden Geeks
And by guess, I of course mean predict. Okay, you all know whether we're right or not by now, but cast your imagination back to a time where we had only the nominees for the 2023 Golden Geeks, and had to use nothing but our wits to determine the winners. How naïve/prescient we were! Before we divine the future, we talk about Ironwood, Kutná Hora: The City of Silver, and Slay the Spire: The Board G
#306: We Could All Use a Little Change
What? Your podcasters are evolving! While we're certainly steadfast in some of our opinions (ahem, Biblios) we were curious to reflect on how we've changed - nay, grown - in the years since we started. What do we feel differently about with regards to the games we like, and how we approach the hobby? Before we moult, we also talk about Twinkle Starship, Pirates of Maracaibo, and Skyrise. 01:45 - T
#305: Hook, Line, and Sinker
Sometimes a game has a conceit so good, that it's the only description you need to sell someone on it. Let's call it the hook. Do all games have them, or is it something that only a certain subcategory of game can get away with - and why don't they all just print that on the box cover? Before we get the hook, we talk about Havalandi, Courtisans, 12 Chip Trick, and Dune Imperium: Uprising. 02:55 -
#304: Our Listeners' Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2024
Oh man, oh man, I always love this one. It's the latest edition of the Listener Top 20! We asked you all to submit your lists of your favourite board games, and we collected, collated, and compiled all of that beautiful beautiful data using a magical formula to get THIS: The definitive rankings of your collective taste in board games. Before we throw it to you, we talk about Shuffle and Swing, Myt
#303: We Played a Pile of Games!
We made it all the way to Dice Tower West in Las Vegas (and some of us made it out), and we're ready to talk about all of the amazing games we played over there, between outings for pinball and sushi. If you were there, thanks for hanging out with us! Stick around for talk about Faraway, MLEM: Space Agency, ito, Cascadero, and more! 01:08 - Faraway 12:20 - Medici 19:33 - MLEM: Space Agency 26:48 -
#302: A Lotta Prattle About Vlaada Chvátil
We're back with the terrible acronym and the branding nightmare that is BGBDOG - I don't even know what it stands for to be honest, but this week we're turning the spotlight on an incredible force in the industry, Vlaada Chvátil, touring his incredible games all the way through to the true modern classic that is Codenames. Before we check in on our favourite Czech, we talk about Wyrmspan, 3 Ring C
#301: Our Most Anticipated Games of 2024
We're in the thick of 2024 now, but there's still plenty more to come - and with that vast undiscovered country (as my father called it) ahead of us, we have loads of games to look forward to. But not all hype is made equally, so here are the ones we're most excited about. Before we mark our calendars, we talk about Savage Bowl: Trick Taking Game, Rear Window, and Cuba. 01:44 - Savage Bowl: Trick
#300: Resolutions and Ruminations
Three hundredth episode! But no time to celebrate, we're deep in the new year now, which means it's back to your regularly scheduled podcast, and it's time to reflect on the year past, and contemplate what lays ahead for us in a post-300 world. That's right, we're paying for the crimes of last year's resolutions. Before we look a little back, but mostly forward, we talk about Orichalcum, Mino Dice
#299: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 10-1
We made it! We've arrived at last at the final ten(-ish) games, in fact, our TOP TEN (or so?) favourite games of all time. Thanks for joining us again on this yearly pilgrimage, as always it's the journey that's the important thing - but that's not to say that there isn't some exciting moving and shaking to happen at the destination. That said, it's time to pass out on the couch. 01:34 - Neilan #1
#298: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 20-11
We're almost bursting at the seams, but there's room for a little more. It's the penultimate episode of our five part series, the Top 50 games of all-time! We're moving on to our 20th to 11th favourite games, which means it's time for some big risers and dramatic falls. Make yourself a coffee (sugar's over there in the corner), it's not time to sleep just yet. 03:45 - Kellen #20 - Cosmic Encounter
#297: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 30-21
It's a new year which is an awkward time to be right in the middle of something, but we're doing a thing here. It's part three of our Top 50 games of all-time! This week it's our 30th to 21st favourite games, and this is where things start to get spicy. This is like five chilis next to the menu item hotness we're talking. Grab a bib and join us for another course! 03:45 - Mark #30 - Cuba Libre 04:
#296: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 40-31
It's the second leg of the grand tour that is the top fifty. This week, we're doing our 40th to 31st favourite games ... of all time! It's almost like Christmas just keeps going! Grab a glass of sherry and join us by the fire, we're not about to stop any time soon. 01:21 - Neilan #40 - Bus 03:52 - Mark #40 - Panic on Wall Street! 05:38 - Kellen #40 - Pax Porfiriana 08:56 - Neilan #39 - In the Year
#295: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 50-41
It's tiiiiiiime! It's the top fifty! That's right, the much anticipated, much celebrated, much imitated (we definitely did it first) event of the season is here. We're counting down each of our favourite fifty games of all time! Or at least, for right now! It's a beautiful, beautiful thing, and we'd love if you pulled up a chair and joined us for it. 06:36 - Kellen #50 - Santiago 07:59 - Neilan #5
#294: We Played a Stack of Games!
PAX Unplugged was a blast, and we played so much stuff that we're dying to tell you about - many of them with our beloved listeners. We braved the cold and the rain of Philadelphia, on the other side of the country, to bring you this episode jam-packed with games - so there's no room for any dilly dallying. Hits include Forest Shuffle, Arcs, Findorff ... and loads more! 02:14 - 5 Towers 06:57 - Ni
#293: The Great Epochs of Board Gaming
In what could be our most grandiose episode yet, we attempt to tame the wild history of all of board games. We traverse the timeline, unpacking what we consider to be the great epochs of the hobby, in an attempt to explain how modern game design evolved into its present form. Before we unpack the deep lore, we talk about General Orders: World War II, Oak, and Big Boss. Timecodes: 02:36 - General O
#292: Lightning Round
Uh oh, is that thunder? That must mean it's time for a lightning round - we're scooping up all the lovely questions and suggestions that just aren't big enough for the main event, and stuffing them in the blender. This week, it's public spaces, warning labels, gaming tips, and PAX Unplugged. Before we put fingers on buzzers, we talk about Gift of Tulips, Five Three Five, and Anunnaki: Dawn of the
#291: Fantasy Draft: Reiner Knizia
Drafts are back, baby. And not just any old draft, no, but to celebrate the return of the greatest game, we're drafting none other than the best of the only true and living doctor, Reiner Knizia. Who ends up with the best list? Vote for your favourite, you could win a $50 gift voucher! Before we doc it up, we talk about Empire's End, My Favourite Things, and Four Horsemen. Timecodes: 02:33 - Empir
#290: Stuck in the Mid With You
Are board games stuck? Not to be dramatic or anything, but it does seem like we keep circling the same ideas over and over again, right? We speculate on where we think the hobby is headed, and whether or not it needs a shake up. Before we plateau, we talk about Orchard, Hadrian's Wall, Terracotta Army, and Santiago. Timecodes: 03:09 - Orchard: A 9 card solitaire game 06:49 - Hadrian's Wall 13:45 -
#289: Essen SPIEL 2023 Hype List
It's almost time for Essen SPIEL 2023, the great German Mecca of our people - and while we're not going ourselves, that's not going to stop us yearning. We're hear to tell you about all the amazing games available at the show this year that you ought to be excited about. Before we gaze longingly across the Atlantic, we talk about Asara, Skytear Horde, and Dwellings of Eldervale. Timecodes: 02:31 -
#288: Less is More
A little prune, a little embellish, a nip, a tuck, and a flourish, and we can get this thing just how we like it. We're looking at all the little things that we'd like to see more of, all the things we'd like to see less of in the world of board games. Before we giveth and taketh away, we talk about First in Flight, Tramways, and Wandering Towers. Timecodes: 02:39 - First in Flight 11:57 - Tramway
#287: There's a Time and Place for Everything
Timing is everything, which is why it's so important that this episode came out when it did. Had we made it too early, it would have felt dated, and any later, you wouldn't have been ready for it. Before it's about time, we talk about Planet etuC, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Undaunted: Battle of Britain, and Tycoon: India 1981. Timecodes: 01:47 - Planet etuC 07:43 - Undaunted: Stalingrad 10:35 - Undaun
#286: The Worst Duo, Kellen & Mark
I leave for one episode and these idiots are talking about eating board games. Hard hitting questions for hard hitting board game journalists, Kellen & Mark are on the scene reporting in. Before we claw our way back from this, we talk about Power & Weakness, Haggis, and Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game. Timecodes: 02:40 - Power & Weakness 16:28 - Haggis 24:28 - Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game 36:
#285: Starting is Easy, Finishing is Hard
A solid end game trigger can be such an overlooked part of the design of a game. The conventional wisdom for most things is to start strong and finish strong, so we look at some of our favourite ways that games can end. Before we reach the end of the road, we talk about Robot Quest Arena, Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020, and Expeditions. Timecodes: 02:07 - Robot Quest Arena 08:52
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