Board Game Barrage
313 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days ago - ★★★★★ - 381 ratingsJoin 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.
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Episodes
#161: Mechanically Bullish
February 18, 2021 08:07 - 57 minutes - 40 MBSometimes all it takes is a good designer (and the right game) to take what would otherwise be a mechanic we don't like, and utilize it in a way that feels right. We take a look at some mechanics that we usually don't love, and the games that turned us around on them. Before we see things in a new light, we talk about CloudAge, Mariposas, and Faiyum. 03:04 - CloudAge 12:37 - Mariposas 18:01 - Faiyum 28:27 - Games that rescued a mechanism 28:40 - Performative Clues 29:05 - Time's Up 3...
160: Resolutions and Revisitations
February 11, 2021 01:37 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBLook, when we made those resolutions in episode 105, how were we to know? The world exploded, and here we are, one year later, sheepishly looking back on the goals we set. But we're not beaten yet, we cast our minds forward (always forward, never back) and set our sights on our resolutions for 2021. Before we make promises we definitely will keep, we talk about Sprawlopolis, Bandada, and Terramara. 02:15 - Sprawlopolis 09:06 - Bandada 13:53 - Terramara 23:51 - Revisiting 2020's Resoluti...
#160: Resolutions and Revisitations
February 11, 2021 01:37 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBLook, when we made those resolutions in episode 105, how were we to know? The world exploded, and here we are, one year later, sheepishly looking back on the goals we set. But we're not beaten yet, we cast our minds forward (always forward, never back) and set our sights on our resolutions for 2021. Before we make promises we definitely will keep, we talk about Sprawlopolis, Bandada, and Terramara. 02:15 - Sprawlopolis 09:06 - Bandada 13:53 - Terramara 23:51 - Revisiting 2020's Resoluti...
#159: Picking Favorites
February 04, 2021 05:26 - 47 minutes - 33 MBWe've been doing it a lot lately, so we thought we'd reflect on the ways that we evaluate our favourite games. How do you even begin to compare extremely dissimilar games, some party, some strategy? The process of making and ordering our lists is a fun challenge every year, and one we'd recommend you try too! Before we make hard choices, we talk about Medici: The Dice Game, The Gallerist, and Iberian Gauge. 02:20 - Medici: The Dice Game 09:08 - The Gallerist 14:55 - Iberian Gauge 22:26 ...
159: Picking Favorites
February 04, 2021 05:26 - 47 minutes - 33 MBWe've been doing it a lot lately, so we thought we'd reflect on the ways that we evaluate our favourite games. How do you even begin to compare extremely dissimilar games, some party, some strategy? The process of making and ordering our lists is a fun challenge every year, and one we'd recommend you try too! Before we make hard choices, we talk about Medici: The Dice Game, The Gallerist, and Iberian Gauge. 02:20 - Medici: The Dice Game 09:08 - The Gallerist 14:55 - Iberian Gauge 22:26 ...
#158: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 10-1
January 28, 2021 06:48 - 2 hours - 98.4 MBIt's the big one! We've come at last to the grand finale of the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time ... Top. Ten. Baby. These are our absolute favourite games, forty (thirty?) all together, that we'd just about never turn down a game of. Thanks for joining us on this ride, it's been wild. 09:36 - Christina #10 - I'm the Boss! 12:34 - Kellen #10 - Cosmic Encounter 15:18 - Mark #10 - El Grande 15:36 - Neilan #10 - Codenames 18:09 - Christina #9 - Twice as Clever! 20:48 - Kellen ...
#157: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 20-11
January 21, 2021 08:14 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBWe're moving into the terrible teens of the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time. I learned all I know about American teenagers from TV, so I assume this is where all the sex and drugs come in. Let's get to it then, forty (roughly) more games that we simply adore. As the list goes on, they only get better and better. That is, after all, the premise. 01:46 - Kellen #29 (Correction) - A Fake Artist Goes to New York 05:01 - Kellen #20 - Ingenious 08:06 - Mark #20 - Cthulhu Wars 11:2...
#156: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 30-21
January 14, 2021 06:24 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBIt's the dark middle chapter of the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time. Time to call in a new director, change things up, and get subversive. Well, if there were any directors who'd still work with us. This week, we're barreling through our twenties in what we like to call reverse numerical order. Here's forty (odd) more games that we absolutely adore, and hope you will too. 02:45 - Mark #30 - Container 05:38 - Neilan #30 - Azul 05:46 - Christina #30 - Azul 08:54 - Kellen #30 -...
#155: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 40-31
January 07, 2021 08:44 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBNow we're getting into the thick of it, in fact some are calling it the most ambitious Part II released in any medium. It's the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time! We're in our thirties (even if we wish we weren't) and it's full speed ahead. That's forty(ish) more games, and ten spots closer to the grand finale. Now that we've got this train going, there's no stopping it. 01:06 - Neilan #40 - In the Year of the Dragon 03:19 - Christina #40 - Fuji Flush 05:39 - Kellen #40 - Rumbl...
#154: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 50-41
December 31, 2020 08:22 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBIt's here at last, the big event! Yes, it's the first episode of the yearly ritual we inventively call the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time. And this year, for the first time, the Blue Tank, Christina is weighing in too. That's forty incredible games to kick us off! Join us in the weeks ahead as we sing the praises of our absolute favourite board games, because we're just getting started. 03:20 - Happy Salmon 04:20 - Piñata/Balloon Cup 04:56 - Bruges 05:32 - Air, Land, & Sea ...
#153: Never Look Back at 2020
December 17, 2020 10:17 - 58 minutes - 40.6 MBHeads set firmly forward, we reflect on what's been a completely wild year. Despite our complete inability to play a lot of them, board games did happen, so we take a bit of time to talk about the biggest surprises and disappointments. Finally, we cast our mind ahead to the games we're looking forward to playing in 2021. Before we try to forget, we talk about Paris, The Fox in the Forest, and Cthulhu Wars: Duel. 02:27 - Paris 12:12 - The Fox in the Forest 16:58 - Cthulhu Wars: Duel 29:1...
#152: Bob's Holiday Gift Guide
December 10, 2020 02:43 - 1 hour - 45.7 MB'Tis the season, and if you're me, your first thought around this time of year is, "How many people can I just buy board games for?" But not all board game gifts are created equal! No, no, no, we need to find the best. So, of course, we put BGBBOB on the case. Before we start stocking stuffings, we talk about Pandemic: Fall of Rome, and Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers. 06:07 - Pandemic: Fall of Rome 13:31 - Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers 18:18 - Rajas of the Ganges 20:23 ...
#151: Your Attention Please
December 03, 2020 09:50 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBThere's so much going on in board game land all of the time that it can be hard to know where to focus your attention. So, this week, we each give an example of people, publishers, and sites that we've been keeping an eye on, that we think you might want to as well. Before we turn your gaze, we talk about New York Zoo, Targi, Throne and the Grail, and The Red Cathedral. 02:07 - New York Zoo 02:40 - Bärenpark 10:36 - Targi 14:36 - Throne and the Grail 18:47 - Imperial Struggle 20:33 - ...
#150: Revenge of the Ghost Turkey
November 26, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBGobble gobble, you got got! We wouldn't leave you hanging when there's important work to be done. Happy Thanksgiving! 02:54 - Marco Pollo: Sultry Poultry Edition 04:01 - Startups 05:33 - New York Zoo 06:49 - Hang on Harvey 09:27 - Fast Sloths 11:43 - ICECOOL 13:47 - Root: The Underworld Expansion 15:21 - Mariposas 16:25 - Fafnir 17:52 - Pokémon Trading Card Game 20:19 - Loopin' Louie 21:55 - Biblios https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord
#149: Have You No Shame?
November 19, 2020 10:45 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBBoy, what a year it's been for accumulating games that we can't play. The shelf of shame, the collection of games we own that are yet to see a single play, has been steadily growing, and it's about time we pruned it. We check in on the games most deserving of that first play. Before we take a walk of shame, we talk about Sonora, Troyes Dice, Macao, Quantum, and Rurik: Dawn of Kiev. 01:49 - Sonora 04:17 - Troyes Dice 07:14 - Macao 08:22 - The Castles of Burgundy 09:41 - Quantum 16:30 -...
#148: Your Comfort Zone
November 12, 2020 05:43 - 1 hour - 51.3 MBPut on your thick socks, wrap yourself in a blanket, and get comfortable with us in front of the fire. We're using our patent pending formula (aka BGBBOB) to find the best heart warming comfort games. Twelve board games enter, and ... twelve leave, but arranged in the scientifically correct order. Before we get comfortable, we talk about The Castles of Tuscany, Cooper Island, and SCOUT! 02:41 - The Castles of Tuscany 12:32 - Cooper Island 20:02 - SCOUT! 31:02 - Dominion 32:12 - Lost Ci...
#147: The Great Compromise
November 05, 2020 05:21 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBAt least in some things, you've got to give a little to get a little, but what would you give to get what you want? We're coming up with our big board game compromises, the things we'd happily trade away to fix some of our biggest frustrations. Before we deal with the devil, we talk about Lost Ruins of Arnak, Ohanami, and Beyond the Sun. 01:49 - Lost Ruins of Arnak 02:39 - Dune: Imperium 13:47 - Ohanami 13:47 - The Game 21:53 - Beyond the Sun 22:42 - Innovation 27:52 - Through the A...
#146: Essen SPIEL 2020 Hype List
October 29, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBEssen SPIEL is the latest of the conventions in 2020 to go digital, which is convenient for us, because we weren't about to fly to Germany any time soon. We perused the upcoming games that were showcased as part of the event, and picked our favourites to talk about. It's a top 5! Before we virtually convene, we talk about Babylonia, Veiled Fate, and Dune: Imperium. 02:29 - Babylonia 15:09 - Veiled Fate 25:37 - Dune: Imperium 35:35 - Essen SPIEL 2020 Preview 37:58 - Paris 40:05 - Paleo...
#145: Zero to One Hundred: $100 Collection Triple Triumph
October 22, 2020 08:04 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBWe weren't going to let Kellen have the last word on what makes the perfect $100 collection, so the 139 squad is here to finish it out. Forgot the premise? You've lost all your board games, and only have $100 to rebuild it; what do you buy first? Before we make every penny count, we talk about Cosmic Encounter Duel, Hundreds of Horses, Billionaire Banshee, and Floor Plan. 03:45 - Cosmic Encounter Duel 11:53 - Hundreds of Horses 14:21 - Billionaire Banshee 17:50 - Floor Plan 23:08 - Mar...
#144: Zero to One Hundred: Red Tank’s $100 Collection
October 15, 2020 09:49 - 54 minutes - 38 MBIt's an awful notion, but bear with me. What if you lost your entire board game collection, and had to rebuild it from scratch? Here's the catch, you only have one hundred dollars. We try to predict what the Red Tank would do, before he talks us through what makes the cut, and why. Before we rebuild, we talk about 5211, Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan, and Cóatl. 03:10 - 5211 10:35 - Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 10:35 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 21:13 - Cóatl 26...
#143: Pace Yourself
October 08, 2020 08:08 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBSlow and steady might win the race, but it doesn't make for an exciting board game. Pacing is a vital component of most entertainment mediums that doesn't often get applied to board games, so we're going to climb and climb and climb and climb ... and then rapidly descend down the roller-coaster of emotion that makes for some of our favourite games. Before we set the pace, we talk about Bus, The Game: Quick & Easy, and Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun. 02:27 - Bus 21:40 - The Game: Quick & Eas...
#142: Play Me a Memory
October 01, 2020 08:14 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBBlessed are the forgetful, because they don't have to play memory games? After all, games with a strong memory component often get a bad rap in the hobby. We look at some of the reasons why very few games want to test your memory, and just to be otherwise, we discuss some of our favourite games that do. Before we walk our mind palaces, we talk about Fort, Under Falling Skies, and Tellstones: King's Gambit. 01:47 - Fort 10:15 - Under Falling Skies 17:56 - Tellstones: King's Gambit 29:37...
#141: Expectations Great and Small
September 24, 2020 01:25 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBWe often build up the idea of what a game will be before we play it, whether for bad or good, and the reality of the game itself might deliver something we weren't expecting. We take a look at what often leads to our expectations being shattered, and mention some of the games that most defied them. Before we expect the unexpected, we talk about SHŌBU, Pan Am, and Planet Unknown. 02:35 - SHŌBU 08:55 - Pan Am 17:58 - Planet Unknown 25:46 - BGB Perpetual Math Trade 27:02 - Board Game Exp...
#140: All About Auctions
September 17, 2020 10:33 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBWe return to our much loved feature from 2018, all about our favourite mechanics. This week, a mere two years later: auctions! We look at the good and bad sides of auction mechanics, and discuss our favourite games that feature them. Before we inflate the bid, we talk about Fleet: The Dice Game, Iwari, and Modern Art. 04:57 - Fleet: The Dice Game 11:02 - Welcome to Dino World 13:47 - Iwari 21:53 - Modern Art 33:10 - Auction Board Games 36:25 - Archipelago 38:18 - Biblios 39:03 - Wa...
#139: Bugbear Brawl
September 10, 2020 07:44 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBIt's an unprecedented trio of hosts, but we're no less heated about our biggest board game bugbears. In fact, we're so upset about these little annoyances, that we couldn't help but order them in a list for your amusement ... BGBBOB style. Before we get bugged by bears, we talk about Calico, Telestrations: Upside Drawn, and Pendulum. 01:42 - Calico 09:05 - Telestrations: Upside Drawn 13:14 - Pendulum 25:17 - BGBBOB: Board Game Bugbears 28:54 - Merchants & Marauders 32:03 - Archipelag...
#138: Life's Lessons Learned
September 03, 2020 07:14 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBIt would be hard for us to be as invested in this hobby as we are, if we didn't think there was something important underlying it. We share some of the lessons we have learned from board gaming, and some of the ways in which it has genuinely changed our lives. We also talk about Tyrants of the Underdark, The Quest for El Dorado: The Golden Temples, and Nemo's War. 02:28 - Tyrants of the Underdark 08:00 - The Quest for El Dorado: The Golden Temples 14:48 - Nemo's War (Second Edition) J...
#137: Past Its Prime
August 27, 2020 07:02 - 54 minutes - 38 MBSome games are built to last, and no, we're not just talking about the ... R-word. For others, the high highs of early games must give way to the dawning realization that all is not well. We look at reasons we might end up moving past games we once held in high regard. Before we overstay our welcome, we talk about Sandstone, Ctrl, The Fox in the Forest Duet, and Unmatched. 02:41 - Sandstone 11:09 - Ctrl 14:12 - The Fox in the Forest Duet 18:42 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 19:...
#136: H-h-h-hot Hot Hot
August 20, 2020 07:51 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBHot days call for hot questions! To counter the California heat wave, we get breezy with a round of hot questions. We take a long hard look at games we love, but don't play, and give our takes on the theme to end all themes. Before we get heated, we talk about Ctrl, New York Zoo, and Renature. 01:40 - Ctrl 07:06 - New York Zoo 15:24 - Renature 18:23 - Blue Lagoon 26:11 - OLWLG Math Trade 28:01 - Hot Questions! 28:17 - Can you have a favourite game you don't play anymore? 30:14 - Th...
#135: Social Climbing
August 13, 2020 05:35 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBIt's a Social Deduction BGBBOB! For those that don't know what that means, it's a Board Game Barrage Battle of (the) Board...games, where we pit all of the best social deduction games against each other in a fight to the DEATH! Or at least, a fight to be on our definitive ranked list. Before we release our social butterflies, we talk about Gemblo, and Quest. 02:54 - Gemblo 07:16 - Quest 15:46 - Camp Capstone 17:33 - BGBBOB: Social Deduction Games 20:11 - The Thing: Infection at Outpos...
#134: CHAOS!
August 06, 2020 06:42 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MBSome board games (and board game podcasts) thrive on chaos, which absolutely isn't the same thing as randomness. All of this has happened for a reason, it's just ... hard to tell what those reasons are exactly. Before we blame the butterfly, we talk about Path of Light and Shadow, Jixia Academy, and Chaos in the Old World. 00:47 - Chaos in board games 03:44 - Innovation 05:54 - Guards of Atlantis 07:21 - 6 nimmt! 11:06 - Path of Light and Shadow 21:30 - Chaotic board games 21:42 - B...
#133: Light It Up
July 30, 2020 06:12 - 45 minutes - 31.7 MBThings got a bit heavy last week, so let's take things down a notch by exploring the other end of the scale. Light games are just as important for a board game collection, after all. We discuss what light games offer that heavier games don't, and mention some of our recent favourites. Before we lighten the mood, we talk about Reef, Clans of Caledonia, and Tutankhamun. 02:34 - Reef 09:18 - Clans of Caledonia 15:00 - Tutankhamun 22:01 - Light Games 23:48 - Werewolf 25:37 - Vast: The Cry...
#132: Heavy Duty with Monique from Before You Play
July 23, 2020 00:25 - 1 hour - 47 MBMonique from Before You Play is with us to get heavy. We're discussing the allure of heavy games, and who better to talk us through them than a Vital Lacerda fan who loves to not just play them, but teach them? We dig into why we enjoy the occasional heavy game, and why you should too! Before we play, we talk about DURIAN, Animal Kingdoms, and Brass: Birmingham. 02:01 - Introducing the Lavender Tank! 10:03 - DURIAN 16:25 - Animal Kingdoms 23:40 - Brass: Birmingham 31:45 - Heavy Board G...
#131: But At What Cost?
July 16, 2020 05:31 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBEven if the price is right, it might not be right for you. We all have different thresholds where a board game we're interested in crosses from, "maybe I'll wait for a sale" into "sure why not" territory, but where is that magical line? Has what we're willing to pay for games changed over time? Before we get sticker shock, we talk about Twin Tin Bots, Ticket to Ride: New York, Whale Riders, and Dead Reckoning. 02:20 - Twin Tin Bots 07:37 - Ticket to Ride: New York 14:36 - Whale Riders 2...
#130: And the Award Goes To ...
July 09, 2020 09:02 - 53 minutes - 37.2 MBIt's award season when we say it is, so we're looking back at the Golden Geek Awards, The Dice Tower Awards, and the Spiel des Jahres nominees. We offer our thoughts on their picks, and how wrong they are. I mean, Wingspan winning "Best Four-Wheel Drive SUV" just seems a bit much. We also talk about Battlestar Galactica, Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small, Paladins of the West Kingdom, and The Boss. 01:56 - Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game 08:09 - Agricola: All Creatures Big and Sm...
#129: Fight for Your Right to Party
July 02, 2020 09:14 - 1 hour - 45.8 MBBGBBOB, party edition! For those not keeping up, that's BGB Best of Board Games, which is definitely not the final name (but also maybe is) for our recurring feature where we duel rank games into an incontestable ordered list. This week we confer, fight, and bargain our way to the best fifteen party games. Before we spike the punch, we also talk about Twice As Clever, Wavelength, and 6 nimmt! 01:38 - Twice As Clever 05:17 - Wavelength 05:58 - 6 nimmt! 10:43 - BGBBOB: Party Games 12:28 ...
#128: The Means of Production with Richard Simpson
June 25, 2020 07:50 - 1 hour - 46.4 MBWe're joined by Richard Simpson of We're Not Wizards, who is definitely not a magician, Victorian or otherwise, to talk about the line between game design and production. Should production values be an integral part of the discussion of a game's merits, or should we learn to separate the two? Before we get productive, we talk about Doughnut Dash, Cities, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, and L.L.A.M.A. 07:25 - Doughnut Dash 17:10 - Cities 21:37 - Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra 31:01 - L.L.A...
#127: No Stupid Questions
June 18, 2020 05:06 - 57 minutes - 40 MBWe asked for your questions, and you provided! Some of you used Instagram, some of you used voicemail, but however you reached out, your voice was heard. We chose only a few to answer (quality notwithstanding), but we'd love to keep doing this, so keep sending them in! Before we corral your correspondence, we talk about Gloomhaven, Terra Mystica, Bloom Town, and Starlink. 03:25 - Gloomhaven 06:44 - Terra Mystica 09:03 - Bloom Town 18:16 - Starlink 27:20 - Listener Questions! 33:35 - C...
#126: So Very Wrong About Games
June 11, 2020 06:49 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBI know this is going to come as a shock, but sometimes we get things wrong. As we've worked our way through the hobby, we've discovered that some positions we once held, aren't ones we still do. So it's time to revisit our past transgressions and come clean. Before we admit our mistakes, we talk about Tang Garden, Fast Forward: FORTRESS, and Race for the Galaxy. 02:45 - Tang Garden 14:12 - Fast Forward: FORTRESS 21:04 - Race for the Galaxy 30:51 - Board Game Barrage Math Trade: Part II!...
#125: REwrite the Stars
June 04, 2020 10:40 - 45 minutes - 31.8 MBOnce loved board games will often circle back into the limelight with reprints, but we're also starting to see a lot more get remasters and remakes too. We take a look at this trend, and discuss some re-imaginings our favourite board games, whether it's a full on new version, or just a new coat of paint. Before we re-re-re-repeat, we talk about Cities: Skylines, Colorful, and Maharaja. 03:29 - Cities: Skylines 08:25 - Colorful 15:36 - Maharaja 25:36 - REmasters, REemakes and REimagining...
#124: Constraints You Can See
May 28, 2020 08:48 - 57 minutes - 40 MBWhile all games have some restrictions, some games are more willing than others to let you go off the rails. For instance, some leave the economy entirely in the hands of the players, free to tank it if they please. We look at how games do (or don't) use player constraints to deliver unique experiences. Before we rein ourselves in, we talk about Tournay, Bullet♥︎, Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Amazons, and Container. 01:46 - Tournay 01:57 - Troyes 07:10 - Bullet♥︎ 10:44 - Wonder Woman:...
#123: Filler Up
May 21, 2020 09:52 - 1 hour - 42.3 MBSometimes you have a little gap of time between larger, heavier games, and what you need is a palate cleanser, which brings us to the realm of games we lovingly call "fillers". We kick off the very first Ranked Duel Battle of the Boards (definitely not the final title) by ranking our favourite filler games! Before we pass the time, we talk about Aerion, Ingenious, The One Hundred Torii, and Taluva. 04:49 - Aerion 09:54 - Ingenious 10:56 - The One Hundred Torii 14:07 - Taluva 22:02 - Ca...
#122: Strongest Starter
May 14, 2020 04:37 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MBWhen you're playing a game for the first time, and barely know what you're even doing, how do you even begin to strategize? That's what we're asking ourselves this week, as we explore some of our approaches to first plays, how we evaluate the game space, and well, win. Before we push levers, we talk about Orléans: Invasion, Zoned Out, Santorini, and Mini Express. 02:03 - Orléans: Invasion 09:48 - Zoned Out 16:42 - Bronze Age 17:54 - Santorini 23:28 - Mini Express 32:40 - How We Approa...
#121: FANTASTIC Four with Mike Walker from So Very Wrong About Games
May 07, 2020 06:45 - 57 minutes - 39.9 MBMike Walker from So Very Wrong About Games joins us to talk about games that we add to our collection, not for ourselves, but (gasp) for others. Sometimes you do what you have to placate your so-called friends, and their awful taste. Before we begrudgingly acquire games, we talk about The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, Solo, Renegade, and Horrified. 00:15 - A New Tank Appears! 03:53 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 06:15 - Innovation 07:54 - Nemesis 12:21 - Castles of Burgundy ...
#120: Light on the Horizon
April 30, 2020 06:58 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MBWe all need something to look forward to, so this episode we're eagerly anticipating all the good things in the world of board gaming that are yet to come in 2020. Some of it might be a ways off, but where's the harm in getting the hype train rolling early? Before we cast our eyes ahead, we talk about Splendor, Qwirkle, Bronze Age, and Guards of Atlantis II. 02:40 - Lost Cities 02:53 - Coloretto 03:39 - Splendor 05:03 - Bugs in the Kitchen 06:29 - Qwirkle 10:47 - Bronze Age 14:24 - G...
#119: The Seven Week Itch
April 23, 2020 09:06 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBLook, digital gaming is great and all, but there are some games that either don't lend themselves well to the format, or aren't available. Whatever the reason, there are lots of games that we're itching to play once the world returns to normal. It's a top five countdown! Before our heart grows fonder, we talk about Exit: The Game - Sunken Treasure, Pandemic: Rapid Response, and Stockpile. 05:27 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 06:45 - Exit: The Game - Sunken Treasure 08:39 - Roll for ...
#118: Of the Utmost Importance
April 16, 2020 09:21 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBWhat could be a more important topic than importance itself? This week, we're talking about the most important board games of the last decade, and what it even means for a board game to be worthy of the label. To us, at least. Before being earnest, we talk about Prêt-à-Porter, Riff Raff, Adventure Games: The Dungeon, and Innovation: Echoes of the Past. 03:09 - Prêt-à-Porter 09:59 - Riff Raff 16:20 - Scythe 19:16 - Adventure Games: The Dungeon 28:13 - Innovation: Echoes of the Past 30:...
#117: All Decked Out
April 09, 2020 07:43 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBIt's time for another "What we love, what we hate", and this time we're looking at deck builders! Its been twelve years since Dominion blew things up, and since then you don't have to look very far to see a game that uses the mechanic. We look at the highs and lows of deck building as a mechanic, and discuss some of our favourite games that use it. We also talk about Bruxelles 1897, Elysium, and Can't Stop. 01:07 - Golden Geek Award Nominations 03:46 - Bruxelles 1897 11:31 - Elysium 18:...
#116: The Cyber Reloaded
April 02, 2020 09:22 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBTo make it through quarantine, we take another look at digital games in a time when it might just be our only option. We've got to get our board game fill somehow! We investigate how our relationship to the electronic side of the hobby has changed, and give our recommendations for the many options. Before we plug in, we talk about Remember Our Trip, Castell, and Caylus 1303. 01:58 - Remember Our Trip 08:16 - Castell 14:45 - Pipeline 15:44 - Caylus 1303 18:40 - Caylus 26:18 - Voicemail...
#115: Gone But Not Forgotten
March 26, 2020 12:08 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MBThere's only so much space on our shelves, so games don't always stick around forever, but that doesn't always mean that we don't like them. There are many reasons that a good game might get the boot, so let's talk about them. We count down our top five favourite games we got rid of! Before we pay our respects, we talk about Through the Desert, Lords of Hellas, Troyes, and Watergate. 01:48 - Through the Desert 07:51 - Lords of Hellas 13:13 - Troyes 20:45 - Black Angel 22:01 - Watergate...
#114: Let It Grow
March 19, 2020 10:20 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBSome games put their best foot forward on the first play, eager to have most players feel good right out of the box. Other games are content to take their time. This episode we're focusing on the latter, games that we've only come to appreciate as we've given them more time and more plays. Before we grow together, we talk about Ginkgopolis, Time Chase, and Food Chain Magnate. 01:31 - Ginkgopolis 08:46 - Time Chase 15:22 - Food Chain Magnate 26:58 - Games that grow on you 30:35 - Brass:...