The Ascent of Board Games

Episode 82, Part 1 - Imaginary Games, Part 1 Aug 1, 2026 3158 Hello everyone! We've spent lo these many months talking about real games - now it's time for us to talk about games that DON'T exist. Although some of them actually do exist now, but didn't originally. Come on along with us - maybe it will make more sense if you give this a listen! Among the games we discuss: Jetan, or Martian Chess - an entirely playable game Rithmomachia (which Frank refers to

Episode 81, Part 2 - Fantasy Flight Games: The Fall Jul 1, 2026 2573 Hi folks! If you listened to last month's episode (or have been following the board game industry for the last decade or so), you probably have a pretty good idea about what's going to happen in this month's episode - the Fall of Fantasy Flight Games. We're not saying that Fantasy Flight's 2014 merger with Asmodee is responsible for the collapse of one of the world's biggest and most respected boa

Episode 81, Part 1 - Fantasy Flight Games: The Rise Jun 1, 2026 2707 Hi folks! We're back (yes, even including Jayson!) with an episode that's a little different than our usual - do let us know what you think! This month and next month, we're doing a different kind of deep dive. Rather than specifically looking at a single game mechanic or designer, we're looking at a game company - in this case, Fantasy Flight Games. Not to give anything away, but the fact that th

Episode 80 - Antoine Bauza Deep Dive May 1, 2026 3541 Episode 80 - who'da thunk it? Thank you so much for sticking with us over (gulp) almost eight years of our nonsense. (Don't do the math - lots of two-part episodes have ruined that.) This month, we take a deep dive into the game designs of Antoine Bauza, a talented designer with an eclectic repertoire that ranges from a few all-time classics (including one that's currently in the BGG top 20) to s

Episode 79.2 - Sandbox Games, Part 2 Apr 1, 2026 3160 We're back to wrap up our discussion on "sandbox games," and this part stretches the definition a bit; there's at least one game here where it's not the map that's bigger than you can explore in one game, but the rule set itself. (Yes, it's a Frank special.) What game does Joe describe as "a beautiful mess"? Frank is doing things in his new obsession and all he can say is "...and apparently, this

Episode 79 - Sandbox Games, Part 1 Mar 1, 2026 2984 This month, we're here to talk about what we're calling "sandbox games" - games that have bigger maps and/or more content than you can possibly explore in a single game, but which aren't built as long campaign or legacy games. Thus, you need to take some notes and carry information - and, in some cases, rules - from one game to the next. Also, one brief apology: Your Humble Editor has been quite s

Episode 78 - Alternate Victory Conditions Feb 1, 2026 4215 HOO boy, this one has been an odyssey. Between computer hardware failures, file corruption, ice storms, and assorted other real-world chaos, it's a bit of a surprise that this episode made it out at all, much less on time. But it's here! Join us as we talk about games where one or more players are looking to win the game in a completely different way from everyone else. Is Joe the first person ev

Episode 77 - Looking Ahead to 2026 Jan 1, 2026 3980 Well, now that THAT's over with (THAT being the year 2025), it's time to see what we're looking forward to in 2026. A list made of our hopes and dreams for the new year, shared with all of our beloved listeners. We've discovered Frank's weakness. (It's Mothra.) Brian really loves early-stage concept art. Frank reveals Mike's perfect game - a Legacy game comprised entirely of stickers. "When in do

Episode 76 - 2025 Year in Review Dec 1, 2025 4674 As we head into the last days of 2025, it's time for our traditional look back at our favorite games and game-related events of the last 12 months. Discussions include: The best game shipping wrapper we've ever seen. A really impressive deck-builder that you can't get for love or money... ...or CAN you? A game box even bigger than last month's! Blood on the Clocktower, but solitaire...and on

Episode 75 Part 2 - Computer Games to Board Games Nov 1, 2025 4746 More opinions on computer games that have been converted into board games! Among our conversations: Which of us played a demo of Civilization: A New Dawn and didn't like it? The answer may shock you! We disagree on many things, but we all agree on...post-apocalyptic child labor? What's up with This Room? A game box that Jayson's doctor won't allow him to lift. What have we missed? What's your fa

Episode 75 - Computer Games to Board Games, Part 1 Oct 1, 2025 3973 Yes, we're back again, this time to talk about board games that were converted from computer games. Some of them are excellent...some are just cash grabs. Listen on to find out which is which! Also, if you want to make this episode a drinking game, take a drink every time we say "...but the minis are gorgeous!" (Not responsible for liver damage.) We discuss: What kind of board game could be based

Episode 74 - Richard Garfield Deep Dive Sep 1, 2025 3615 An episode without Frank? But what about all the history? Well, thankfully, history in this case starts in around 1993, with the publication of Magic: The Gathering, because we're reviewing the career of its designer, Richard Garfield. We discuss: Not one, but two of Garfield's notable ancestors. An interview where he talks about how MtG has drifted away from what he wanted it to be, along with s

Episode 73.2 - Trick-Taking Games, Part 2 Aug 1, 2025 2595 We're back to finish our discussion of trick-taking games, covering the end of the creative surge around 2000 and then the new resurgence of clever designs that we've seen since 2019. Like last month's episode, this one is a bit on the shorter side, but we promise to make up for it next month! We discuss: A game so complicated that Frank can't keep track of what cards have been played - and he (a

Episode 73 - Trick-Taking Games, Part 1 Jul 1, 2025 2555 Why hello there! This month is the first part of our discussion about the wonderful world of trick-taking games, starting with the old classics and covering the first part of their resurgence in the 1990s. The rest of the topic, including the second (current) surge of clever new designs, will come next month. This could realistically have been a single episode, but for various uninteresting logist

Episode 72 - Games With a Message Jun 1, 2025 4524 Welcome back, everyone! This month we're talking about games with a social or political message. It's not JUST because it's Pride Month in the USA, and it's not JUST because tariffs are currently wreaking havoc on the entire board game industry...but it's not NOT because of those things, either. Many links follow: Amabel Holland's great video about, among other things, the REAL origins of Monopo

Episode 71.2 - Role-Playing Games, Part 2 May 1, 2025 4417 We're back, and so is Brian's voice! And we simply have to tell you about a bunch MORE role-playing games that have interesting mechanics. We talk about games where characters don't trust each other, or perhaps do but shouldn't. We give a lot of love to Bully Pulpit Games and Rowan, Rook, & Decard, because they do consistently great work. We talk about a bunch of great GMless, no-prep games,

Episode 71- Role-Playing Games, Part 1 Apr 1, 2025 4246 I know, I know, we said we weren't going to do the Ascent of Role-Playing Games thing. And we're not! But there ARE a bunch of role-playing games that have some interesting mechanics, and we're going to be talking about those this month and next. (If you don't like it, join our Discord server so you can vote against it the next time we run a poll!) Brian's voice is absolutely shot to hell after w

Episode 70 - Auction Games Mar 1, 2025 3704 That's right, folks, it's episode 70! Do I hear 75? No? Episode 70, going once, going twice...sold to the discerning podcast listener! IS Jayson actually Agent 47? Probably not. Forget we said anything. Frank calling out Reiner Knizia within 4 minutes of the episode start "What is fish?" Help us, Jane Austen! Is this the first Eurogame? What happens when you take the auctions out of a game that

Episode 69 - Sex Games Feb 1, 2025 4846 This is episode 69. We're discussing sex games. We're sorry. (Except Joe...Joe isn't sorry at all.) Sandi has joined us to try to provide a little bit of maturity to the topic; we'll let you decide if she succeeded. This is an adults-only episode (and we mean it this time), but we won't be offended if you decide to give this one a miss. Just come back next month, please? I promise we won't do it a

Episode 68 - Looking Ahead to 2025 Jan 1, 2025 3395 Well, we made it to 2025, technically. What new board games are coming out to give us hope for the future? Frank describes one of his choices as "big...sprawling...French..." Joe is unhappy with Mike's love/hate relationship with Tales of the Arabian Nights Has Joe made The Ultimate Crowdfunding Mistake? Will Frank go 3-for-3 on Fantasy Name: Dramatic Subtitle? The delightful Deep Regrets teaser

Episode 67 - Year-End Countdown 2024 Dec 1, 2024 5708 The end of the year draws nigh, so of course we have to do a year-end countdown. All five of us - even the near-mythical Jayson - have prepared a list of our five favorite games from The Year That Was - enjoy! We argue about what a game's name means because of a (missing?) apostrophe Frank teaches Jayson the lore of the Mothman All of Frank's choices are, for once, board games! The same cannot be

Episode 66,2 - Party Games, Part 2 Nov 1, 2024 3029 Happy post-Halloween! Now that everyone's hopped up on sugar (and/or in a sugar crash coma), let's finish our discussion of party games! Come along as we discuss: Mike's greatest weakness - a limited knowledge of Campbell's Soup varieties! What game company was founded because of a flooded salmon boat? "They're Belgian, but that's French enough." (We're sorry.) A mercifully brief digression into M

Episode 66 - Party Games, Part 1 Oct 1, 2024 3293 Hi folks! We're back this month to talk about party games, though the last week or so hasn't been as much fun as we'd like. Between scheduling issues and hurricane-induced power outages, this episode was a bit rushed; as a result, it's ended up a bit on the short side, so we hope you'll forgive us. Also, instead of begging for an iTunes review this month, we'd like to ask that you donate what you

Episode 65 - 2-Player Fighting and War Games Sep 1, 2024 4489 Remember way back in Episode 33, when we talked about two-player games but excluded fighting and war games because there were too many? Now is when we finally talk about the fighty ones! Join us as: Brian's tongue stops working. We talk about chess - good chess channels on YouTube, weird chess games on forums, and absolutely bonkers chess games on the computer. We look back at an early first-perso

Episode 64 - Deep Dive: Vlaada Chvátil Aug 2, 2024 4179 It's time for another deep dive - this time into the collected works of Czech game guru Vlaada Chvátil (whose name we hope we pronounced mostly right most of the time, but no promises). Join us as: We examine some of the...questionable design choices of Vlaada's first board game. We talk about the metallic composition of these famously flimsy early miniatures. We learn that Frank likes Talisman, a

Episode 63 - Turn Order Jul 1, 2024 4040 Hello all! We have a lot of games to get through this month, so everybody please take your turn promptly. But how do we know whose turn it is? Listen and find out! Mike happily admits that he would rather watch crappy anime than good movies and TV. Brian explains the original rules to History of the World about four times, and eventually gets them right. Frank has many game designer shrines in his

Episode 62.2 - Kingdom Death: Monster Deep Dive, Part 2 Jun 1, 2024 3233 Welcome back! This month, we're concluding our deep dive into Kingdom Death: Monster. This episode focuses more on who should consider KD:M (and who shouldn't), the logistics of getting it to the table, and what impacts it's had on the board game industry. Start playing KD:M so you can look forward to building things like this! If you prefer miniatures like this, maybe consider Gatefall instead.

Episode 62 - Kingdom Death: Monster Deep Dive, part 1 May 1, 2024 3297 Buckle in - we decided to try something a little different this month (and next month, because as usual we can't shut up once we get started). We're doing a deep dive on a single game, and we're starting with the legendary Kingdom Death: Monster. If you're interested in the game, you can look forward to two episodes full of discussion and commentary! If not...well, it's a great time to catch up on

Episode 61 - Non-Verbal Communication Games Apr 1, 2024 3507 Let's talk about not talking! This month, we discuss games in which you have to use things other than words to communicate with your teammates. Highlights include: Charades may be older than we thought, but maybe not as old as BGG says it is. Frank's favorite part of Inkognito We delve into the historical era of...2009?...as Frank breaks the rules again to bring us a game that is literally bonkers

Episode 60.2 - Wildlife Games, Part 2 Mar 1, 2024 3384 We're back with more adorable animals (and some that you may not think of as adorable, but that's just, like, your opinion, man). This month's selection includes: Scythe With Wolves, or, The Dangers of Peer Pressure A lovely, solid game that just feels a little...icky Mike gets to make a picture panorama! The fox experiment that inspired The Fox Experiment The search for lost species that inspired

Episode 60 - Wildlife Games, Part 1 Feb 1, 2024 3186 Wildlife games! They're full of adorable meeples, heartwarming themes, and...interesting mechanics (which lead to some differences of opinion between us and the mainstream). Come join us as we talk about: Big chonky animeeples! We stump Frank on a Phil Eklund game, which turns out to not belong in this episode at all. Possibly the most useless insert ever to darken a game box. Contrariwise, here

Episode 59 - Looking Ahead to 2024 Jan 1, 2024 4040 Happy New Year, everybody! To kick things off right, here's an episode looking at all the cool games we're hoping to play in 2024. It's full of plenty of laughter, largely because of the maniacal giggling of Curtis, our newest cohost! Among the things we're laughing at: This map from The Stifling Dark amuses Joe. There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth as we pre-empt each others' picks (althou

Episode 58.2 - 2023 Year-End Wrap-Up, Part 2 Dec 1, 2023 4057 Happy December, everybody! It's time to conclude our year-end wrap-up episode, during which we each count down our top 5 games or game-related things from the year that was, from #5 to #1. We covered our #4 and #5 entries last month, so here are our top 3 from 2023, including several unexpected entries. You'll also hear: Frank continues to assure us that our opinions are wrong. A subtle but deligh

Episode 58 - 2023 Year-End Wrap-Up, Part 1 Nov 1, 2023 3360 Welcome, everybody! It's time once again for our year-end wrap-up episode, during which we each count down our top 5 games or game-related things from the year that was, from #5 to #1. ...or rather, from #5 to #4 this episode, with the rest coming next month, because BOY, do we like to talk about games. Highlights (and/or lowlights) include: Use This One Weird Trick to Diversify Your Damage Portfo

Episode 57 - Hotel Lovecraft Oct 1, 2023 4246 Happy spooky season, everybody! It's October, which means it's time for a horror game playthrough. This time, Frank brings us Hotel Lovecraft, an audio-powered paragraph-style game from Story Master's Tales. We've trimmed the game down to make for a reasonable episode length - and we got a few rules wrong along the way, to be honest - but hopefully you'll find it entertaining! Frank and Sandi's ch

Episode 56 - Vagrantsong Interview with Kyle Rowan Sep 1, 2023 2856 It's time for another game designer interview! Kyle Rowan is the lead game designer at Wyrd Games and the main brain behind last year's smash hit Vagrantsong. In addition to talking about how Vagrantsong came to be and the exciting pair of expansions coming up on Kickstarter, we discuss: The game's esoteric set of inspirations, including the works of Jack Kerouac, the comic book Harrow County, and

Episode 55.2 - Science Games, Part 2 Aug 1, 2023 3399 We're back with even more SCIENCE! The nerdery continues as we discuss more recent science-themed board games, and offer such tidbits as: "BoardGameGeek - full of lies." - Joe Streeky, 2023 A brief digression on the interior starship lighting design of Picard season 3. The cards in Space Race mix English and iconography, but for why? The overarching threat of an all-Phil Eklund episode Frank's las

Episode 55 - Science Games, Part 1 Jul 1, 2023 3424 SCIENCE! It's certainly closer to our areas of expertise than sports. In fact, Mike (a science teacher) says a lot of impressive-sounding science words when discussing various games, which some of you may understand. In addition: Smog plumes! Didja ever notice that most "evolution" boardgames are actually "intelligent design" boardgames? The most terrifying game board - oh, I'm sorry, "math map" -

Episode 54 - Sports Games Jun 1, 2023 4420 WARNING: This episode is cursed. We had to record it (or parts of it) no less than three times, and we still had Frank drop out unexpectedly for a few minutes. (Don't worry, he didn't say anything important.) But it's here now, and it's full of sports games! Rotisserie Baseball! Electric Football!! SO MUCH GOLF!!! Tipp-Kick, still going strong after 100 years! (Here's video of a few professional s

Episode 53.2 - Paragraph Games Revisited, Part 2 May 1, 2023 3333 More paragraphs! More stories! More smart-assery! More great quotes like: "Yay for Finns!" "Like Tales of the Arabian Nights, but much better." (!!!) "The story is a lot more...wordful." "I'm not the final boss..." "Frank gets a point for Arc Knight Miniatures, which I don't know if we even talked about on the episode." Welcome to all of our new listeners, and welcome back to our returning friend

Episode 53- Paragraph Games Revisited, Part 1 Apr 1, 2023 3504 To listen to our new episode, read paragraph 234. To listen to our original paragraph games episode, read paragraph 191. 234: You listen to a podcast in which: Jayson scores 3 points with a single game. Joe's discussion of Awaken Realms games becomes a meditation on time and aging Germany (and KOSMOS, specifically) steal Frank's and Brian's childhoods We learn about "The Adventures of Robin Hood,

Episode 52.2 - Expansions, Part 2 Mar 1, 2023 2645 If this is the expansion to our first expansions episode, does that make it an Expansionception? We find Joe's definition of Hell. Mike and Joe dislike the Venus Next expansion for several reasons, but mostly because they're 12 years old. Frank introduces us to The Death Book, an essential expansion which has no effect on the rules or play of the game. As always, we'd love it if you took the time

Episode 52 - Expansions, Part 1 Feb 1, 2023 3282 Hi folks! Are you enjoying our podcast? Do you want even MORE of our podcast? Good, because here's the first part of our Expansion episode, wherein we talk about the first, worst, and best game expansions in our experience. Discussions include: What was the first expansion? This thread on the Geek suggests that Frank's choice (and thus ours) may be wrong. Joe has trouble remembering the name of a

Episode 51 - Looking Forward to 2023 Jan 2, 2023 5209 Happy New Year! Last month, we took a look back at our favorite gaming things from 2022; this month, we're talking about some of the games we're looking forward to in 2023. Contents include, but are not limited to: Jayson sounds very, very sad post-sinus surgery (but he's doing fine now, promise). Donations of giant mecha or plastic miniatures should be sent to Jayson. Donations of cash should be

Episode 50 - Year-End Wrap-Up 2022 Dec 1, 2022 4074 50 episodes? Who'da thunk it??? Regardless, thank you for your support, whether you've been with us since the beginning or are just joining us for the first time. We wouldn't keep doing this without you! This month, we take a look back at our favorite gaming things from 2022 - mostly, but not exclusively, board games. Among them: Jayson says, "I don't know anything about this game, but I'm gonna w

Episode 49.2 - Batteries Still Included, Part 2 Nov 1, 2022 2655 Happy day-after-Halloween! First off, next month will be EPISODE 50, and we'd love to hear about anything you'd like us to cover in that momentous episode. Whether it's a game or a topic you've always wanted us to cover, or something we're all terribly wrong about, email us and let us know! Or, if you like, record a question or comment, send it to us, and we may include it in the episode! This mon

Episode 49 - Batteries Included Redux, Part 1 Oct 1, 2022 3105 It's a blast from the past with an eye towards the future, as we look back at the new developments in computer-assisted and app-enabled board games since way back in Episode 3. In this episode: Frank risks death...possibly by crossbow. Space. What is the minimum that a board game needs to qualify as "app enabled"? (Joe says "a timer with music, but it gets FASTER.") We posit the existence of mirro

Episode 48 - Roll and Move Games, Part 2 Sep 1, 2022 2622 More rolling! More moving! More Sandi! Less Careers! It's part two of Roll-and-Move Games, wherein you can hear about: "Ice cream and pizza are OP, plz nerf." Frank calls this the best roll-and-move ever made. This picture may help you understand Nizza. "German games have to be based on a city" Spreadsheet wars! Art books! One of Mike's former favorites has not aged well...but Sandi still likes it

Episode 47 - Roll and Move Games, Part 1 Aug 2, 2022 3266 We've threatened it long enough, so we hope you're prepared for this - it's the Roll-and-Move episode! (Well, the first half of it, anyway...we have a lot to say.) Sandi fills in for the absent Joe as we discuss: Careers Careers for Girls ("Most Condescending Game Ever") Careers for World War II British Military RPG Characters Careers for Dinosaurs (in Cinemascope!) Hexentanz - like Pachisi, but y

Episode 46 - Deck Builders Revisited, Part 2 Jul 1, 2022 2843 Hello again! A lot of what's going on in the world right now is Not Fun, but we're going to soldier on and return to our our look at deck-building games and what's happened in the genre since our first episode ever. This one may, at times, sound like the Renegade Games episode, but we promise we're not sponsored by them. (Not that we'd turn down some money from them, mind you...) In this episode,

Episode 45 - Deck Builders Revisited, Part 1 Jun 1, 2022 2832 Hi folks! It's time to jump in the Wayback Machine, revisit our very first episode, and see what's changed in the world of deckbuilders since 2018! Don't worry, we still have plenty of ideas for new episodes, but we're going to look back at older episodes occasionally to see what we missed the first time around and what new hotness has been released in the interim. And, as seems to be usual lately

Episode 44B - Boss Battlers, Part 2 May 1, 2022 3807 And now, the thrilling conclusion of our Boss Battlers episode. Featuring: Even more games that we've talked about a lot before...but also some new ones! What dramatic moment did The Little Mermaid (the Disney movie) borrow from "The Call of Cthulhu" (the Lovecraft story)? A not-Diablo, a not-Shadow of the Colossus, a not-Zelda, and a game that's ACTUALLY based on a video game. What game was recei

Episode 44 - Boss Battlers, Part 1 Apr 1, 2022 3757 Happy April! No fooling from us, just the first half of a loooong episode about Boss Battlers. Featuring: Frank telling us about an obscure game that's long out of print...or is it? Brian revealing his woeful ignorance of anime, which amuses Jayson no end Joe spending the entire episode trolling Frank (with an assist from Jayson) The proud history of farting monsters and the world's oldest known w

Episode 43 - Pick-Up and Deliver Games Mar 2, 2022 4151 Hi folks! We're here again to deliver unto you a podcast episode about pick-up-and-deliver games! In addition to the insightful (?) game information you've come to expect from us, this episode includes: Continued arguments about train games! Mike being woefully uninformed about the transportation standards of the tin industry! Ye Olde Clairol Dwarf! A completely unsolicited publisher promotion! Ja

Episode 42 - Word Games Feb 1, 2022 3307 Welcome to February! In honor of the shortest month, we've created a "lightning round" on the topic of our favorite word games. We hope you find some new favorites, and/or tell us about some of your current ones! Referenced in this episode: Vincent Price (yes, that Vincent Price) does a commercial for a boxed version of Hangman (yes, that Hangman). Another vintage commercial for an obscure yet coo

Episode 41A - The Addendum Jan 22, 2022 968 As promised, here's a little bit of bonus content from our 2021 wrap-up episode, with a little commentary on the games we DIDN'T discuss in that episode, as well as a look ahead games we're especially looking forward to in 2022. Included in this mini-sode: We discuss Jayson's latest obsession, which is now becoming a board game, plus another game he can play with those models if the official one d

Episode 41 - The 2021 Year-End Wrap-Up Jan 2, 2022 3932 Happy New Year! We mean it this time...no, really...please? This month we're taking a look back at the good times in 2021 - yes, there were some - as we discuss our favorite games from the past year. We also have some additional material on the games we DIDN'T discuss, as well as a look ahead to 2022, but Your Humble Editor is tired enough that that's going to be released as a special bonus episod

Episode 40 - Spatial Arrangement Games Dec 1, 2021 4774 Happy winter holiday(s) of your choice! If you're having trouble fitting everything you need to do this month into your calendar, listening to our discussion of spatial arrangement games...well, probably won't help, but hopefully it'll at least be entertaining, and might even provide some last-minute gift ideas. We ask and answer many questions in this episode: How many times (and how many ways) c

Episode 39 - Simultaneous Selection Games Nov 2, 2021 4758 Hi folks! We're back to talk about the cumbersomely-named "simultaneous selection games," which covers everything from Rock-Paper-Scissors (and its ancient antecedents) to Gloomhaven. Your Humble Editor had a pretty rough month, so the audio on this one may likewise be a bit rougher than usual, but hopefully it's not too bad. Thanks for understanding! Featured in this episode: Mike tries to explai

Episode 38 - Time Travel Games Oct 1, 2021 4449 For a lot of us, the past year and a half has been kind of a wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey blur. To celebrate (?) that, here's an episode on some games that use time travel as a mechanic, not just a theme. Sadly, Jayson was not able to join us for recording in this particular timeline, but we talk about him anyway. Learn what game Frank thought was so bad, he destroyed it "for the good of the world."

Episode 37 - Games You Shouldn‘t Play Sep 1, 2021 3683 Hey, you know how we mostly talk about games we like on this show? Well, here's a change of pace for you! That's right, here's an entire episode on games we think you shouldn't play - either because they're unplayable as written, wracked by production errors, or just really, really bad. Don't give up hope, though - we do have recommendations for better games that we think you should play instead.

Episode 36 - Tech Trees and Skill Trees Aug 1, 2021 4136 Hi! It's us again! (Well, "us" minus Mike but plus Sandi.) This month we're talking about tech trees and skill trees, two similar sets of mechanics that Frank has been a little obsessed with lately. There are lots of 4X games and lots of dungeon-crawling campaign games, plus a few others we snuck in here and there. Plus more opinions, sass, and stories about Sandi's crossbow! We've added a bunch o

Episode 35 - Worker Placement Games Jul 1, 2021 5153 It's been a long time, but this episode was recorded with us all live in the same room! In other words, we were all WORKING in the same PLACE, which may give you a hint as to the topic of this episode (if you haven't, you know, read the title already). We learned fun things like what game Sandi would rather bleed from the eyes than play, what game makes Joe feel like "a giant, raging jerk the enti

Episode 34 - Out of the Lockdown Jun 1, 2021 3976 We're playing board games again! In the same physical space as each other! Vaccinations - another win for science! In this episode, we discuss the games that we're most looking forward to playing - on a real physical table in someone's house! Also, we ask timeless questions like: What game does Frank describe as "Wheel of Fortune, the legacy board game"? What game does Brian describe as "the most

Episode 33 - Two-Player Games May 2, 2021 4163 We recorded this back on Valentine's Day, but it's taken us this long to release it, so...well, enjoy some two-player games for Cinco de Mayo, maybe? In this episode: Sandi has a crossbow! Frank tells us about a game that made him bleed. (This is not related to Sandi having a crossbow...yet.) Mike single-handedly revolutionizes the history of agriculture, and thus civilization itself! Brian forget

Episode 32 - Roll and Write Games Apr 2, 2021 4350 Roll and Write games! Yet another surprisingly contentious topic, but we went ahead anyway. This definitely wasn't planned as an April Fool's episode, but I have to admit we get a little foolish at a couple points here. (Also, apologies for Mike's audio, as he was fighting with an uncooperative dishwasher.) Mike reveals the depth of his Avengers lore when he tells us about Thanos and his "Power Ge

Episode 31B - Good Tie-In Games, Part2 Mar 1, 2021 2786 We're back to talk some more about some of our favorite tie-in games (and slightly less about Jodorowsky's Dune). We continue our tradition of not knowing what the heck we're talking about, as an off-mic Sandi corrects Frank's gross misunderstanding of the Witcher's fundamental nature. This episode also encompasses virtually all of Jayson's childhood (and, indeed, adulthood), plus some commentary

Episode 31 - Good Tie-In Games, Part 1 Feb 1, 2021 3480 It turns out we REALLY like talking about the universes and stories that we love. So much so that this episode on book/TV/movie tie-in games has grown to expand into two episodes, mostly because we won't shut up. Hopefully this experiment doesn't drive you too crazy. It also turns out that, while we like these things, we don't know as much about them as we should. For example: Jayson talks about C

Episode 30 - Games with Changing Boards Jan 1, 2021 4629 Happy New Year! Congratulations on surviving 2020 with enough mental fortitude to listen to a podcast about board games! To celebrate the (hopefully positive) change in the calendar, we're talking about games where the board changes as you play. You'll hear us say things like: "Sometimes you just wanna go punch your friends in the face." "In 2003, Mayfair Games produced a tiny little bundle of hat

Episode 29 - 2020 Year-End Wrap-Up Dec 4, 2020 4278 2020 - what a year, huh? After everything else it's thrown at us, it managed to give us a last-minute technical glitch that made this episode several days late. We're sorry - thanks for bearing with us! Amazingly, we were still able to come up with an hour's worth of discussion about good things that happened in 2020, as well as a glimpse at what we're hoping will make 2021 a better year (not that

Episode 28 - Negotiation Games Nov 1, 2020 4608 We'll make you a deal - you download and listen to this episode, and we'll tell you about some of our favorite (and least favorite) negotiation games. As an added bonus, we've gotten our sound quality back to something that should be close to our pre-COVID levels, and we'll throw that in for free. (Thanks to Craig Shipman at the Third Floor Wars podcast for the suggestion that got us there - if yo

Episode 27 - Heartbreakers, Part 2 Oct 2, 2020 3120 We're back, having survived another month of the heartbreak that is 2020, to talk about more of the games that also broke our hearts. The audio continues to be noisy, for which we continue to apologize, but we have a cunning plan in place to improve things for next month. Thank you for your patience, and stay tuned! Some elements of interest from this month: Read the marvelous short story that ins

Episode 26 - Heartbreakers, Part 1 Sep 1, 2020 3294 Hi, folks. This month, we...we... I'm sorry. I'll get it together. Give me a minute. (Blows nose noisily.) This month we're talking about the games that broke our hearts...the ones we really, really wanted to love, but that ended up just making us miserable. (Almost as miserable as our continued COVID-caused audio deficiencies, for which we continue to apologize.) Among our melancholy memories: Br

Episode 25 - Racing Games Aug 2, 2020 3407 Well, we came in last this month, but this episode has finally arrived - time to discuss racing games! (Although, as we mention at the end, almost all games can be defined as racing games in one way or another.) Sadly, we are still limited by lockdown audio quality, but hopefully you still find it listenable. Thanks for bearing with us! In this episode: The world's oldest recorded trash talk. ("

Episode 24 - Real-Time Games Jul 1, 2020 3158 No more taking turns - this month we discuss real-time games! Unfortunately, we are still limited by lockdown audio quality, but hopefully you still find it listenable. Thanks for bearing with us! In this episode: Brian is a little bit punchy and/or stir crazy, and also has a little bit of a cold. (Just a cold, we promise.) A discussion on Zoom meeting etiquette. We discuss Edgar Cayce - clairvoy

Episode 23 - Games in the Time of Coronavirus Jun 1, 2020 3741 With everything that's going on right now, it hardly seems important to post up a podcast of five guys rambling about games, but as the late, great Freddie Mercury sang, the show must go on. So here's our first episode recorded since the coronavirus lockdown began. Sorry about the audio quality - between the lower-quality equipment we had to use and some problems with Zoom's recording process, I'm

Episode 22 - Skirmish Games May 2, 2020 4309 Okay kids, it's time for a good clean fight as we talk about our favorite skirmish games! This is the last episode we recorded before we all went into lockdown, so next month may be a little different...but we'll see how it goes. In the interim, stay safe, wash your hands, and try to get some games in (Tabletop Simulator is a lifesaver in times like these). We discover that the "father of science

Episode 21 - Hidden Traitor Games Apr 1, 2020 3368 Hi folks! We were originally planning to do some April Fools silliness for this episode, but given everything that's going on right now, it didn't really seem like a good time. So relax, stay at home, and listen to us talk about Hidden Traitor games. Oh, and wash your dang hands. Yes, again. We start the episode with a weird television tie-in game, and end it with...well, a weird television tie-i

Episode 20 - Drafting Games Mar 2, 2020 3767 Happy March! It's time to discuss drafts, and not the ones that may be sending winter chills through a not-quite-sealed door. Nope, this is about picking the best options for you from a hand of cards, and then passing your unwanted dross to your neighbor. Richard Garfield shows up at the beginning and the end of the episode We talk about the early history of drafting in card games, as well as an

Episode 19 - Programmed Action Feb 1, 2020 3586 It's February, and we're releasing a new episode, just as we planned to do several months ago. Speaking of planning things in advance, this month we're talking about programmed action games! Join us as... We discuss a smartphone app for a very old game (with a very old-school website) A discussion of Yaquinto's Album Games requires Frank and Brian to explain to the younglings what an "album" is..

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