Board Game Barrage

We'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 - How We Choose Favourites 26:02 - Tigris & Euphrates 28:04 - Power Grid 28:04 - Fresh Fish 32:53 - Telestrations 34:52 - Crokinole 36:28 - The Resistance 37:58 - Nanty Narking 39:22 - The King's Dilemma 40:04 - Beyond the Sun 41:33 - Eclipse 42:18 - CoraQuest 43:52 - CloudAge 44:21 - Board Game Barrage T-Shirts! 45:22 - Listener Top 20 Submissions! Submit your top 20 games at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/top20 Get a Board Game Barrage T-shirt at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/store Check out the Kickstarter for CoraQuest: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cabbagedan/coraquest Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 #9 - Coloretto 23:56 - Mark #9 - Time's Up! Title Recall! 24:20 - Neilan #9 - Pictomania 28:46 - Christina #8 - Blood Rage 33:38 - Kellen #8 - The Resistance 33:50 - Mark #8 - 1830: Railways & Robber Barons 35:58 - Neilan #8 - Guards of Atlantis 39:14 - Christina #7 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 42:28 - Kellen #7 - Inis 50:25 - Mark #7 - Brass: Lancashire 53:44 - Neilan #7 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 55:36 - Christina #6 - Troyes 55:45 - Kellen #6 - El Grande 55:57 - Mark #6 - The Estates 59:51 - Neilan #6 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 01:05:38 - Christina #5 - Archipelago 01:06:10 - Kellen #5 - Time's Up! Title Recall! 01:06:19 - Mark #5 - Fresh Fish 01:10:24 - Neilan #5 - Time's Up! Title Recall! 01:10:36 - Christina #4 - El Grande 01:16:56 - Kellen #4 - Troyes 01:21:56 - Mark #4 - Hansa Teutonica 01:24:49 - Neilan #4 - Gloomhaven 01:29:37 - Christina #3 - Cthulhu Wars 01:29:37 - Kellen #3 - Cthulhu Wars 01:35:10 - Mark #3 - Caylus 1303 01:38:56 - Neilan #3 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 01:44:00 - Christina #2 - Time's Up! Title Recall! 01:47:55 - Kellen #2 - Archipelago 01:53:31 - Mark #2 - Arboretum 01:56:22 - Neilan #2 - The Resistance 02:03:01 - Christina #1 - Innovation 02:03:01 - Kellen #1 - Innovation 02:10:20 - Mark #1 - Biblios 02:12:54 - Neilan #1 - A Feast for Odin https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We'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 11:27 - Neilan #20 - Blue Lagoon 15:01 - Christina #20 - Food Chain Magnate 18:47 - Kellen #19 - Genoa 23:26 - Mark #19 - Archipelago 25:53 - Neilan #19 - Dominion 28:51 - Christina #19 - Taj Mahal 32:32 - Kellen #18 - I'm the Boss! 36:33 - Mark #18 - Tigris & Euphrates 28:55 - Neilan #18 - Taj Mahal 39:44 - Christina #18 - Mezo 45:23 - Kellen #17 - The Game 47:16 - Mark #17 - Dominant Species 49:48 - Neilan #17 - Alchemists 52:31 - Christina #17 - Babylonia 56:50 - Kellen #16 - Telestrations 59:08 - Mark #16 - 1846: The Race for the Midwest 01:00:56 - Neilan #16 - Rising Sun 01:04:59 - Christina #16 - Castles of Burgundy 01:08:30 - Kellen #15 - Decrypto 01:11:43 - Mark #15 - Barrage 01:14:26 - Neilan #15 - Exit: The Game 01:16:30 - Christina #15 - The Quest for El Dorado 01:18:05 - Kellen #14 - Omen: A Reign of War 01:20:07 - Mark #14 - Lancaster 01:21:53 - Neilan #14 - Inis 01:25:31 - Christina #14 - Hanabi 01:27:10 - Kellen #13 - Glory to Rome 01:29:43 - Mark #13 - True Colors 01:31:26 - Neilan #13 - Watson & Holmes 01:33:19 - Christina #13 - SiXeS 01:35:12 - Kellen #12 - Hansa Teutonica 01:36:33 - Mark #12 - Francis Drake 01:38:23 - Neilan #12 - Cthulhu Wars 01:39:36 - Christina #12 - Telestrations 01:39:57 - Kellen #11 - Diplomacy 01:42:19 - Mark #11 - Bus 01:43:54 - Neilan #11 - Scythe 01:45:37 - Christina #11 - Kemet https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 - Zendo 11:42 - Mark #29 - Age of Steam 13:37 - Neilan #29 - Coloretto 15:12 - Christina #29 - Beyond the Sun 20:03 - Kellen #29 - Hanabi 22:52 - Mark #28 - Pax Renaissance 25:20 - Neilan #28 - Archipelago 28:03 - Christina #28 - Hansa Teutonica 30:02 - Kellen #28 - Krass Kariert/Dealt 32:50 - Mark #27 - Maracaibo 35:46 - Neilan #27 - Twice as Clever! 39:05 - Christina #27 - Glory to Rome 41:41 - Kellen #27 - Taj Mahal 44:49 - Mark #26 - City of the Big Shoulders 47:25 - Neilan #26 - Werewords 49:22 - Christina #26 - Modern Art 51:02 - Kellen #26 - Startups 53:19 - Mark #25 - The Great Zimbabwe 55:06 - Neilan #25 - Aeon's End 56:21 - Christina #25 - Chaos in the Old World 59:23 - Kellen #25 - Keyflower 01:01:57 - Mark #24 - Pax Pamir: Second Edition 01:03:38 - Neilan #24 - Spirit Island 01:05:30 - Christina #24 - Rumble Nation 01:07:33 - Kellen #24 - A Study in Emerald (Second Edition) 01:09:22 - Mark #23 - Glory to Rome 01:09:58 - Neilan #23 - The Quest for El Dorado 01:13:18 - Christina #23 - The Crew 01:14:40 - Kellen #23 - Codenames 01:15:58 - Mark #22 - Modern Art 01:16:58 - Neilan #22 - Patchwork 01:18:44 - Christina #22 - Coloretto 01:19:54 - Kellen #22 - Insider 01:20:43 - Mark #21 - Imperial 2030 01:22:58 - Neilan #21 - Decrypto 01:24:29 - Christina #21 - Lost Cities 01:29:08 - Kellen #21 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Now 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 - Rumble Nation 06:55 - Mark #40 - Pipeline 09:00 - Neilan #39 - Orléans 11:04 - Christina #39 - Cheating Moth 13:28 - Kellen #39 - Eye My Favorite Things 15:28 - Mark #39 - A Question of Scruples 17:26 - Neilan #38 - Hansa Teutonica 18:52 - Christina #38 - Carnival of Monsters 21:16 - Kellen #38 - Maskmen 22:22 - Mark #38 - Genoa 24:27 - Neilan #37 - Agricola 25:48 - Christina #37 - Ohanami 27:10 - Kellen #37 - Throne and the Grail 29:20 - Mark #37 - Ricochet Robots 31:59 - Neilan #36 - Yellow & Yangtze 34:15 - Christina #36 - Splendor 35:15 - Kellen #36 - Dogs of War 37:28 - Mark #36 - Great Western Trail 39:20 - Neilan #35 - Android: Netrunner 40:47 - Christina #35 - Dune 40:47 - Kellen #35 - Dune 43:57 - Mark #35 - Sol: Last Days of a Star 45:27 - Neilan #34 - Kemet 47:43 - Christina #34 - Startups 49:55 - Kellen #34 - Agricola 51:59 - Mark #34 - Rising Sun 54:36 - Neilan #33 - Brass: Birmingham 56:33 - Christina #33 - Anomia 59:13 - Kellen #33 - Hanabi 1:00:37 - Mark #33 - Ra 1:02:34 - Neilan #32 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 1:04:14 - Christina #32 - Fafnir 1:05:52 - Kellen #32 - Imperial 2030 1:07:48 - Mark #32 - Troyes 1:09:07 - Neilan #31 - Gaia Project 1:10:41 - Christina #31 - Biblios 1:15:04 - Kellen #31 - Fuji Flush 1:07:17 - Mark #31 - The Voyages of Marco Polo https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 06:55 - Christina #50 - Clank! 08:36 - Kellen #50 - Root 11:14 - Mark #50 - Innovation 12:58 - Neilan #50 - Modern Art 14:36 - Christina #49 - Fresh Fish 15:51 - Kellen #49 - Cursed Court 18:19 - Mark #49 - Blue Lagoon 21:02 - Neilan #49 - Sol: Last Days of a Star 22:53 - Christina #48 - Diamant/Incan Gold 25:24 - Kellen #48 - Wizard 26:49 - Mark #48 - Chaos in the Old World 28:07 - Neilan #48 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 30:06 - Christina #47 - Decrypto 32:10 - Kellen #47 - Blood Rage 33:54 - Mark #47 - Pictomania 36:56 - Neilan #47 - Nova Luna 38:56 - Christina #46 - True Colors 41:10 - Kellen #46 - Detective Club 42:48 - Mark #46/Christina #45 - Fast Sloths 45:15 - Neilan #46 - Innovation 48:18 - Kellen #45 - Nusfjord 49:30 - Mark #45 - Anomia 51:39 - Neilan #45 - Gùgōng 53:03 - Christina #44 - Krass Kariert/Dealt 54:46 - Kellen #44 - Smartphone Inc. 56:29 - Mark #44 - Dungeon Fighter 59:44 - Neilan #44 - Letter Jam 1:01:47 - Christina #43 - Battlestar Galactica 1:04:35 - Kellen #43 - Lords of Vegas 1:05:46 - Mark #43 - Cuba Libre 1:07:28 - Neilan #43 - Panic on Wall Street! 1:09:22 - Christina #42 - Ethnos 1:10:52 - Kellen #42 - Bruges 1:12:19 - Mark #42 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 1:14:33 - Neilan #42 - The Oracle of Delphi 1:16:12 - Christina #41 - Air, Land, & Sea 1:19:00 - Kellen #41 - Splendor 1:20:15 - Mark #41 - Wyatt Earp 1:21:36 - Neilan #41 - Pipeline https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Heads 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 29:14 - Reflections on 2020 36:02 - 2020's Best Surprises 36:54 - Beyond the Sun 39:47 - The Red Cathedral 41:02 - Nova Luna 43:22 - 2020's Biggest Disappointments 44:16 - Tang Garden 44:45 - Troyes Dice 45:13 - Crystal Palace 46:41 - Sanctum 48:55 - Games to Play in 2021 49:21 - My City 49:56 - Dwellings of Eldervale 51:26 - Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road 51:42 - Dominant Species: Marine 52:20 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 53:39 - Ankh: Gods of Egypt Check out Kellen's review of Cthulhu Wars: Duel here: https://boardgamebarrage.com/2020/12/10/cthulhu-wars-duel-a-sandy-petersen-game-review https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

'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 - BGBBOB: Board Game Gifts 21:39 - SHH 23:11 - Codenames 26:38 - Just One 27:00 - The Quest for El Dorado 29:31 - Modern Art 30:21 - Werewords 33:38 - Insider 35:38 - Unmatched 38:44 - Biblios 41:19 - Illusion 46:33 - Azul 48:40 - Fast Sloths https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

There'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 - The Red Cathedral 28:13 - Things to pay attention to 28:32 - Dire Wolf Digital and Paul Dennen 33:06 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 35:11 - New Release Lists 45:00 - Kramer & Kiesling 45:52 - Riverboat 53:40 - Paris Check out Steph Hodge's blog: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/3802/all-meeples-rainbow https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Gobble 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

Boy, 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 - Rurik: Dawn of Kiev 30:55 - Shelf of Shame update 40:12 - Star Wars: Rebellion 40:59 - Maracaibo 42:04 - Stock hold'em 45:25 - Bioshock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia 47:10 - Antike II https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Put 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 Cities 36:16 - Patchwork 36:42 - Telestrations 38:50 - Wizard 40:06 - The Game 43:09 - Coloretto 44:05 - San Juan 45:43 - Scrabble 47:52 - Sushi Go! 52:25 - Biblios 55:11 - Splendor https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

At 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 Ages 38:38 - Board Game Compromises 39:22 - Cthulhu Wars (aka Squares vs. Circles vs. Triangles) 42:49 - Kemet 46:14 - A Feast for Odin 48:14 - Brass: Lancashire 48:14 - Brass: Birmingham 48:47 - Nemesis 49:20 - Biblios https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Essen 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 41:32 - Beez 43:06 - Venice 45:11 - Clever hoch Drei 46:44 - Coyote 48:33 - The Red Cathedral 50:05 - Master Word 51:56 - Troyes Dice 53:05 - Faiyum 54:32 - CloudAge 55:55 - Krazy Pix 57:34 - Anno 1800 59:52 - Polynesia 01:01:10 - Beyond the Sun https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We 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 - Mark's $100 Collection 23:53 - Biblios 24:40 - Arboretum 25:49 - The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine 26:34 - Race for the Galaxy 27:31 - The Estates 28:30 - Are You A Robot? 30:37 - Christina's $100 Collection 31:14 - Innovation 32:28 - Coloretto 33:24 - SiXeS 34:31 - Hanabi 36:00 - Troyes 39:54 - Neilan's $100 Collection 40:35 - Blue Lagoon 41:59 - Twice as Clever! 43:17 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 44:43 - The Resistance: Avalon Check out our $100 Collection Geeklist, and add your own: https://bit.ly/37vKztK Mark & Kellen playing Hundreds of Horses at AwSHUX: https://bit.ly/3ocjeCS Christina & Neilan playing Billionaire Banshee at AwSHUX: https://bit.ly/3klA002 Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 26:15 - Sagrada 26:47 - Reef 29:37 - Ghost Turkey Registration 30:43 - Board Game Barrage Merch! 31:33 - Zero to One Hundred: Red Edition 36:16 - Azul 36:16 - Splendor 37:02 - Codenames 38:58 - Innovation 41:06 - Dune 44:32 - Hansa Teutonica: Big Box 46:17 - Telestrations 47:50 - Oink Games Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Slow 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 & Easy 28:34 - Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun 41:50 - Teotihuacan 45:45 - Pacing in Board Games 50:53 - Fast Sloths 52:20 - The Estates 53:39 - Taj Mahal 54:03 - Kemet 54:29 - Rising Sun 55:22 - Food Chain Magnate 55:46 - Archipelago 57:47 - Escape Plan 58:39 - Troyes 1:01:28 - Splendor 1:01:58 - Dogs of War 1:01:58 - Cursed Court 1:03:07 - Time's Up 1:04:08 - The Voyages of Marco Polo Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Blessed 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 - Ghost Turkey 2020 32:52 - Memory as a Game Mechanic 38:43 - Carnival of Monsters 39:38 - Inis 42:01 - El Grande 45:51 - Modern Art 47:50 - Tigris & Euphrates 48:43 - Time's Up! 51:09 - Cthulhu Wars 53:08 - Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 56:03 - Aeon's End 57:24 - Dune Check out Optimal Play's Tellstones playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3x7oZRfCs0 Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We 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 Expectations 27:37 - Terra Mystica 28:14 - Brass: Birmingham 32:56 - Macao 36:02 - Railroad Rivals 36:26 - Ragusa 37:02 - Sanctum 38:33 - Unmatched 40:38 - The 7th Continent 47:07 - Stamps 47:41 - Square on Sale 48:33 - Glory to Rome Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We 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 - Watson & Holmes 39:51 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 40:35 - Power Grid 42:06 - Santiago 43:26 - Genoa 44:23 - Square on Sale 45:49 - Taj Mahal 51:29 - The Estates 51:29 - Container 53:05 - No Thanks! 54:32 - Bausack 55:06 - Fresh Fish Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 - Archipelago 32:53 - Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 40:26 - Broom Service 42:50 - Race for the Galaxy 46:19 - Power Grid 49:25 - Decrypto Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It 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) Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Some 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 19:54 - Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One 24:16 - Dice Throne 32:27 - Games Getting Worse with Time 38:50 - Innovation 39:47 - Mysterium 40:20 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 41:18 - Camel Up 43:05 - Shadow Hunters 43:38 - Container 45:52 - Five Tribes 47:32 - Mark's Menagerie Mixup 48:20 - Dungeon Fighter 48:20 - Tumblin-Dice 48:20 - Coconuts Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Hot 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 - The Resistance 32:36 - Cosmic Encounter 37:19 - What's the theme to end all themes? 39:52 - Sabotage Thanks to Guanye for sending us the Jixia Academy pronunciation clip. Watch us play New York Zoo and Renature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4qab78TtUw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihutcOJmCwc Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 Outpost 31 22:06 - Timebomb/Don't Mess with Cthulhu 26:48 - Two Rooms and a Boom 28:02 - Detective Club 30:27 - A Fake Artist Goes to New York 32:01 - Insider/Werewords 35:01 - The Resistance/Avalon 35:35 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 39:05 - Spyfall 43:26 - One Night Ultimate Werewolf 45:33 - Shadow Hunters 48:26 - Saboteur 1:01:12 - The Final List Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Some 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 - Broom Service 23:05 - Wiz-War 26:33 - Space Alert 28:49 - Jixia Academy/Hanamikoji 34:34 - Chaos closing thoughts 35:05 - Cosmic Encounter 35:52 - Mission: Red Planet 37:12 - Colt Express 38:02 - Libertalia 40:26 - Scythe 41:59 - Chaos in the Old World 43:50 - Cthulhu Wars Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Things 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 Crystal Caverns 26:28 - Ingenious 27:21 - The Quest for El Dorado 30:40 - Twice As Clever 33:24 - Dice Fishing: Roll and Catch 36:11 - Cacti 37:35 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 38:04 - Deep Sea Adventure 38:49 - Flamme Rouge "Complexity bias in BGG" by Dinesh Vatvani: https://dvatvani.github.io/BGG-Analysis-Part-2.html Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Monique 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 Games 42:13 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 43:46 - A Feast for Odin 46:02 - 18XX 47:42 - On Mars 52:07 - Escape Plan 54:49 - Lisboa 55:32 - Vinhos Deluxe Edition 56:38 - Archipelago 1:04:04 - Scythe Check out Before You Play at: https://www.youtube.com/BeforeYouPlay Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Even 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 22:55 - Dead Reckoning 39:30 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods 41:38 - Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 45:30 - Food Chain Magnate 48:15 - An Infamous Traffic 48:57 - This Guilty Land 49:33 - Oink Games 50:17 - DURIAN Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 Small 12:45 - Nusfjord 14:01 - Paladins of the West Kingdom 19:48 - The Boss 25:03 - Board Game Awards 2019 25:13 - Golden Geek Awards 26:10 - Through The Ages: New Leaders and Wonders 27:35 - Dune 28:35 - Wingspan 29:40 - Marvel Champions: The Card Game 30:55 - The Crew: Quest for Planet Nine 33:01 - PARKS 34:30 - Tapestry 35:08 - Spiel des Jahres Nominees 36:16 - Plumber Pants 38:30 - The King's Dilemma 40:10 - My City 40:38 - Pictures 41:27 - The Dice Tower Awards 42:30 - Detective: City of Angels 43:37 - Slide Quest 47:22 - Letter Jam Check out Kellen playing Battlestar Galactica over at Optimal Play: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/662734157 Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

BGBBOB, 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 - True Colors 13:17 - Anomia 16:27 - The Resistance 17:13 - Scruples 20:52 - Balderdash 22:10 - Krazy Wordz 24:38 - Happy Salmon 25:53 - Telestrations 28:17 - Pictomania 28:52 - Codenames 30:33 - Time's Up! 32:30 - Wavelength 35:06 - SiXeS 36:03 - Panic on Wall Street! 38:48 - Detective Club 1:00:48 - The Final List Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We'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.M.A 35:25 - The Power of Production 35:34 - The Quacks of Quedlinburg 41:35 - The Last of Us Part II 47:15 - GKR: Heavy Hitters 49:24 - Cthulhu Wars 53:33 - Warhammer 40k 55:03 - Castles of Burgundy 55:29 - Container 56:10 - Tang Garden 58:09 - Krazy Wordz 59:23 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant Check out We're Not Wizards at: https://werenotwizards.podbean.com Check out Kellen on We're Not Wizards Here: https://werenotwizards.podbean.com/e/boardgamebarrage/ Check out Neilan on We're Not Wizards Here: https://werenotwizards.podbean.com/e/neilan/ Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We 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 - Cyclades, Inis & Kemet 41:28 - Hive Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

I 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! 34:15 - When We Were So Very Wrong About Games 51:06 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 A big tip of the cap to our friends at So Very Wrong About Games. Listen to their podcast if you aren't already!! Special thanks goes to What Does It Eat? for hopefully not being upset that we borrowed a snippet of their most excellent song F.O.S. before our theme. You can find them at whatdoesiteat.com. Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Once 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 REimaginings 29:13 - Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham 31:04 - Kemet 32:53 - Caylus and Caylus 1303 34:31 - Terra Mystica and Gaia Project 36:22 - Through the Ages and Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 37:22 - Dune 40:30 - The REsistance Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

While 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: Challenge of the Amazons 17:15 - Container 28:30 - Games with and without constraints 28:51 - Food Chain Magnate 31:14 - Sidereal Confluence : Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 39:24 - Power Grid 40:01 - Flamme Rouge 42:25 - Startups and Zogen 43:02 - Diamant 43:28 - Crokinole 45:56 - Tigris and Euphrates 49:15 - The Estates Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Sometimes 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 - Call for voicemail! 22:50 - Ranking our favourite fillers 30:08 - Coloretto 30:24 - Istanbul 31:11 - Shards of Infinity 31:45 - Arboretum 32:14 - Biblios 32:14 - No Thanks! 33:14 - Splendor 33:24 - For Sale 35:08 - Startups 35:30 - Blue Lagoon 37:33 - Zany Penguins 37:45 - The Game 39:09 - 6 nimmt! 39:38 - Twice As Clever 40:49 - Karuba Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

When 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 Approach First Games 37:53 - Troyes 38:47 - 7 Wonders 45:26 - Kemet 48:06 - Barrage 50:05 - No Thanks! 51:13 - Ra Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Mike 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 12:50 - Trieste 14:03 - Watergate 15:20 - Watergate Retheme? (Patent Pending, TM, etc...) 17:51 - Solo 20:47 - Renegade 26:48 - Horrified 34:55 - Catering Games to Your Game Group 40:17 - Ankh Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We 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 - Guards of Atlantis II: Tabletop MOBA 25:40 - Things We're Excited for in 2020 31:52 - Ankh Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Look, 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 Adventure 10:18 - Pandemic: Rapid Response 14:01 - Stockpile 22:59 - Games We're Itching to Play 25:00 - Awkward Guests 26:25 - Nusfjord 28:22 - Flotilla 29:32 - Kemet 31:13 - Insider: Black 33:16 - 1889 34:35 - Maracaibo 35:39 - Pipeline 37:00 - Brass: Birmingham 37:58 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 40:07 - Special Tank Appearance! 44:01 - Dune 45:09 - Cooper Island 46:21 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 48:08 - Square on Sale 48:58- The Crew Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

What 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 30:46 - Important Games of the Last Decade 36:40 - Pandemic Legacy 40:13 - Kemet 41:35 - Chaos in the Old World 43:20 - Zombicide 45:02 - Codenames 47:45 - Splendor 50:31 - Scythe 53:57 - TIME Stories and Escape Room Games Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It'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 18:16 - Coffee Roaster 18:55 - Adventure Games: The Dungeon 19:23 - Hansa Teutonica 25:22 - Can't Stop 31:00 - What I Love, What I Hate about Deck Building 33:07 - Star Realms 34:32 - Clank! 35:05 - Dominion 35:50 - Sorcerer City 38:36 - Vikings Gone Wild 41:41 - Great Western Trail 42:20 - A Study in Emerald (Second Edition) 47:04 - The Quest for El Dorado 47:29 - Aeon's End 48:54 - Automobiles 49:58 - The North 50:15 - SPQF/Fort 51:33 - Friday Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

To 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 from Isla 28:57 - Digital games in quarantine 37:30 - Cthulhu Wars 38:12 - Bärenpark 42:29 - BGB Digital Game Night! Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

There'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 29:12 - The best games we got rid of 29:45 - Yamataï 31:07 - Power Grid 32:37 - Indian Summer 34:23 - CrossTalk 35:20 - Agricola 36:27 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 38:22 - Dominion 39:50 - Terraforming Mars 40:47 - Forbidden Stars 43:10 - Glorantha: The Gods War (A Sandy Petersen Game!) 44:23 - Spirit Island 46:00 - Mage Knight 47:35 - Arcadia Quest 49:34 - Gloomhaven 51:03 - Terra Mystica Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Some 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: Lancashire 31:28 - Agricola 32:24 - Biblios 33:57 - Wits & Wagers 35:13 - Bohnanza 36:35 - Tigris & Euphrates 37:07 - Yellow & Yangtze 38:08 - Nova Luna 41:17 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine 41:53 - 18xx 43:31 - Just One Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Area control is the first subject of our new recurring feature, "What we love, what we hate", where we deep dive into a single mechanic and describe ... well, exactly that! We tend to enjoy games that have you fighting over territory, but what is it that specifically gets us excited about them? And what are the downsides? Before we assume direct control, we talk about The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, Stay Cool, and Mezo. 02:00 - The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine09:03 - Hanabi 11:55 - Trickerion 13:55 - Stay Cool19:39 - Linkee 22:10 - Mezo34:24 - Rising Sun 36:30 - Scythe 39:30 - Inis 40:45 - Mezo 42:24 - Cthulhu Wars ... sorry Mr. Cthulhu45:10 - Dominant Species 45:30 - Tigris & Euphrates 45:40 - Twilight Struggle 46:00 - Pax Pamir (Second Edition) 46:30 - Risk 46:56 - Inis 48:38 - Diplomacy Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Let me set the scene: It's a late night at a hotel in Nevada, we're sprawled on the floor around a microphone, and we're flexing our tired hands after three days spent playing so many board games. Coming at you from Dice Tower West, we report on what we've been up to, and all the games we played. Before we're leaving Las Vegas, we talk about Don't Get Got!, Kemet, Master of Respect, and Nova Luna. 03:54 - Don't Get Got! 19:44 - Kemet 25:23 - Master of Respect 30:50 - Rumble Nation 35:07 - A War of Whispers 36:05 - Hearts of AttrAction 42:10 - Nova Luna Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We've learned a thing or two about game nights and conventions over the years. The hobby has changed, and we've had to change with it! This episode, we talk about what's different with how we approach large meetings of board gamers in 2020, and offer what advice we can. Before we pack our game bags, we talk about Fast Sloths, Birdie Fight, Sorcerer City, Electropolis, and Isle of Cats. 01:44 - Fast Sloths 10:05 - Birdie Fight/Songbirds 11:03 - Sorcerer City 11:44 - Electropolis 18:07 - Isle of Cats 20:04 - Terraforming Mars 26:12 - Game Night and Convention Lessons 39:20 - Don't Get Got! 40:43 - Antike II 41:11 - 1920 Wall Street 42:08 - TOKYO TSUKIJI MARKET Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Sometimes a game is hitting all the right notes, and you want to recommend it wholeheartedly ... but there's just one tiny blemish you can't overlook. It's not enough to make a great game bad, but, man, just imagine if it someone had fixed that. This week we're looking at games that almost nail it. Before we smooth the last crease, we talk about Chaosmos, Subtext, On a Scale of One to T-Rex, and Empyreal: Spells & Steam. 01:26 - Krass Kariert 03:22 - Chaosmos 11:40 - On a Scale of One to T-Rex 16:52 - Subtext 20:58 - Empyreal: Spells & Steam 29:46 - Games with One Small Issue 31:44 - Kemet 36:06 - Root 37:28 - Cthulhu Wars 39:39 - Gloomhaven 42:14 - Decrypto 43:35 - Azul 44:53 - Point Salad 45:32 - Concordia Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord