Board Game Barrage

We're gluttons for punishment this week, because we're talking about harshness in board games. These are the sort of games where big moves or bad mistakes can be hard to recover from. Harsh games aren't for everyone, so when and why do we find them appealing? Before we grit our teeth, we talk about Wavelength, Genoa, Krass Kariert, and Oceans. 01:02 - Wavelength 05:39 - Genoa 07:30 - Krass Kariert 14:55 - Oceans 23:48 - Harshness in Games 24:24 - Biblios 24:48 - Arboretum 25:52 - Seasons 27:36 - The Estates 28:54 - Troyes 30:02 - Agricola 31:32 - A Feast For Odin 33:23 - Tigris and Euphrates 33:43 - Yellow and Yangtze 36:10 - Diplomacy 39:53 - Medici Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We're reflecting on the past this episode, looking back at the things we said - never wise, by the way. The games of 2019 had a lot of promise, but how young and dumb they seem to our aged eyes. Where are they now? Join us as we cast our minds back to last decade, to reflect on the games we were excited for so many months ago. 02:11 - XCOM: The Board Game 06:41 - Living Planet 13:55 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 14:47 - Heaven & Ale 18:06 - Mystic Market 19:49 - Essen 2019 Look Back 21:11 - The Magnificent 21:52 - Trismegistus: The Ultimate Formula 23:47 - Welkin 24:08 - Rush M.D. 24:22 - Terramara 24:36 - Deep Blue 25:08 - Rome & Roll 25:21 - Paranormal Detectives 25:59 - Offshore 26:13 - Maracaibo 27:19 - Glen More II: Chronicles 27:40 - Kakerlaken Sushi 27:52 - Perserverance: Castaway Chronicles 29:24 - Crystal Palace 29:38 - Babylonia 30:08 - Gen Con 2019 Look Back 30:28 - Conflicting Legends 31:12 - Watergate 31:28 - Welcome to Dino World 32:47 - Tonari 34:21 - Time Chase 34:47 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 36:01 - SHOBU 36:46 - Barrage 37:12 - In the Hall of the Mountain King 37:45 - Seasons of Inis 38:19 - Pipeline 38:42 - Sanctum 39:45 - Black Angel 40:52 - City of the Big Shoulders 41:31 - MegaCity: Oceania 42:22 - Most Anticipated Games of 2019 Look Back 42:40 - TOKYO TSUKIJI MARKET 43:34 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 44:33 - Glorantha: The Gods War (A Sandy Petersen Game!) 46:17 - Pipeline 46:25 - Sabotage 47:39 - Living Planet 48:10 - Barrage 48:22 - Escape Plan 49:08 - Res Arcana 50:11 - On Mars 50:37 - ELO Darkness 51:26 - Black Angel 51:36 - City of the Big Shoulders 51:53 - Warpgate 52:37 - Mezo 53:41 - Best and Worst Guesses of 2019 Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

You only get one chance to play a game for the first time, but sometimes events conspire to make that debut ... less than ideal. We look at some first plays that could've gone better, examine what contributed to them not delivering, and offer advice on how to make sure your brand new game doesn't stumble out the gate. 02:34 - Rumble Nation 10:16 - Neuroshima Hex 12:07 - Macao 14:05 - In the Year of the Dragon 21:24 - It's a Wonderful World 23:46 - Carnival of Monsters 25:51 - 7 Wonders 26:12 - Terraforming Mars 30:28 - Better First Plays 31:00 - Brass: Birmingham 35:18 - Dominion 37:01 - Race for the Galaxy 38:21 - Empyreal: Spells & Steam 42:53 - Endeavor 46:31 - Dixit 49:12 - Awkward Guests Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Mike DiLisio (of The Dice Tower, and Sporadically Board) makes his BGB podcast debut as the Fandango Tank! Mike's trying to sell us on popcorn games. These are games that may or may not be ... critically sound, but nevertheless provide fun experiences that we find ourselves returning to. But why wouldn't we just play something more substantive instead? We investigate. 00:16 - Mike DiLisio, the Fandango Tank! 07:10 - Fresh Fish 14:23 - Sanctum 23:59 - In the Hall of the Mountain King 31:44 - Popcorn Games 35:42 - Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 37:15 - Dragoon 40:24 - Cthulhu Wars 47:40 - Zombicide: Black Plague 51:39 - Meeple Circus 52:45 - The Quacks of Quedlinburg 53:16 - XCOM: The Board Game 53:56 - Magical Athlete 54:19 - Nanty Narking 55:02 - Wiz-War 56:55 - Mission: Red Planet 57:16 - Arcadia Quest Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We're in a post top-fifty world, and it's about time we take this whole 2020 thing seriously. No more looking back, we've got to start looking to the year ahead, and what better way than making promises to ourselves that we're totally going to keep. It's board game resolutions time! 01:33 - Deep Sea Adventure 05:13 - Point Salad 08:48 - Sushi Go! 10:37 - Atelier: The Painter's Studio 14:52 - We're Doomed! 15:22 - The Menace Among Us 16:04 - Wavelength 23:25 - Board Game Resolutions for 2020 24:36 - Neilan's Resolution 26:45 - Fury of Dracula 31:46 - Mark's Resolution 36:17 - Kellen's Resolution 41:48 - The Contest 2020 46:11 - Sanctum 46:40 - BGB Meetups Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Here it is, the episode you've all been waiting for, the grand finale, the culmination of five weeks of episodes. These are our top ten favourite board games of all-time, games that we absolutely adore, and would happily play at a moment's notice. Heck, we'd even play the games on each others' lists ... on, you know, birthdays and special occasions. That's how good they are. 08:41 – Mark #10 – The Estates 11:29 – Neilan #10 – Pictomania 13:46 – Kellen #10 – Coloretto 15:23 – Mark #9 – The Voyages of Marco Polo 17:39 – Neilan #9 – Guards of Atlantis 22:26 – Kellen #9 – Inis 25:26 – Mark #8 – Time's Up! 26:33 – Neilan #8 – Scythe 30:04 – Kellen #8 – The Resistance 32:17 – Mark #7 – Brass: Birmingham 34:24 – Neilan #7 – Times Up! 35:54 – Kellen #7 – Troyes 37:59 – Mark #6 & Kellen #6 – El Grande 40:28 – Neilan #6 – Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization 44:25 – Mark #5 – 1830: Railways & Robber Barons 46:34 – Neilan #5 – Codenames 49:44 – Kellen #5 – Time's Up! 51:17 – Mark #4 – Francis Drake 53:39 – Neilan #4 – Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 57:20 – Kellen #4 – Cosmic Encounter 1:00:50 – Mark #3 – Hansa Teutonica 1:04:00 – Neilan #3 – A Feast for Odin: The Norwegians 1:06:43 – Kellen #3 – Cthulhu Wars 1:09:18 – Mark #2 – Arboretum 1:11:31 – Neilan #2 – Gloomhaven 1:15:16 – Kellen #2 – Archipelago 1:18:31 – Mark #1 – Biblios 1:21:39 – Neilan #1 – The Resistance 1:23:29 – Kellen #1 – Innovation Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

A new year, a new decade, a new podcast, and a new batch of games that we love talking about. It's the fourth in our five part series of our 50 favourite board games of all-time, and appropriately, we're kicking off 2020 by breaking into the top twenty. Synergy. 01:01 - Neilan #20 - Blue Lagoon 03:14 - Kellen #20 - Startups 04:33 - Mark #20 - Imperial 2030 06:00 - Neilan #19 - Taj Mahal 07:41 - Kellen #19 - Genoa 09:09 - Mark #19 - Dominant Species 11:31 - Neilan #18 - Alchemists 13:28 - Kellen #18 - I'm The Boss 15:06 - Mark #18 - 1846: The Race for the Midwest 16:53 - Neilan #17 - Exit: The Game 19:20 - Kellen #17 - Zendo 21:42 - Mark #17 - Cuba Libre 23:51 - Neilan #16 - Watson & Holmes 26:46 - Kellen #16 - Telestrations 28:29 - Mark #16 - Pax Renaissance 30:13 - Neilan #15 - Rising Sun 33:32 - Kellen #15 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 35:23 - Mark #15 - Cthulhu Wars 38:34 - Neilan #14 - Dominion 40:19 - Kellen #14 - Omen: A Reign of War 42:11 - Mark #14 - Caylus 45:01 - Neilan #13 - Inis 47:15 - Kellen #13 - Glory to Rome 50:04 - Mark #13 - True Colors 52:36 - Neilan #12 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 54:49 - Kellen #12 - Codenames 56:01 - Mark #12 - Tigris & Euphrates 59:53 - Neilan #11 - Cthulhu Wars 1:01:30 - Kellen #11 - Diplomacy 1:03:47 - Mark #11 - Archipelago Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It's the season of giving, so our gift to you is more of our favourite board games of all-time! We're only just halfway, so get comfortable in front of the fire, grab an eggnog, and join us for thirty more incredible games. Oh, you got us something too? Ah. Socks. Thanks. 01:45 - Kellen #30 - Splendor 04:38 - Mark #30 - Sol: Last Days of a Star 07:22 - Neilan #30 - Azul 08:54 - Kellen #29 - A Fake Artist Goes to New York 11:06 - Mark #29 - Great Western Trail 12:47 - Neilan #29 - The Quest for El Dorado 14:29 - Kellen #28 - Cockroach Poker 15:50 - Mark #28 - Genoa 17:27 - Neilan #28 - Coloretto 18:36 - Kellen #27 - Hanabi 20:07 - Mark #27 - Le Havre 22:57 - Neilan #27 - El Grande 24:24 - Kellen #26 - Dogs of War 25:40 - Mark #26 - Ra 27:43 - Neilan #26 - Android: Netrunner 30:12 - Kellen #25 - Keyflower 32:16 - Mark #25 - Pictomania 33:53 - Neilan #25 - Decrypto 36:01 - Kellen #24 - A Study in Emerald (second edition) 38:15 - Mark #24 - Rising Sun 40:15 - Neilan #24 - Spirit Island 42:12 - Kellen #23 - Hansa Teutonica 43:46 - Mark #23 - Modern Art 46:32 - Neilan #23 - Patchwork 47:27 - Kellen #22 - Insider 49:15 - Mark #22 - Glory to Rome 50:46 - Neilan #22 - Archipelago 52:47 - Kellen #21 - Decrypto 54:23 - Mark #21 - Lancaster 57:19 - Neilan #21 - Aeon's End Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We're shifting up a gear, the stakes are higher, it's all to play for, and a whole host of other cliches, in the second of our five part series on the top fifty games of all time. Thirty(ish) more incredible board games coming at you, and we're not even halfway done yet. 03:36 - Mark #40 - Blue Lagoon 05:58 - Neilan #40 - Panic on Wall Street! 07:01 - Kellen #40 - Dune 08:36 - Mark #39 - Shipyard 10:30 - Neilan #39 - Kemet 11:37 - Kellen #39 - For Sale 13:21 - Mark #38 - Pipeline 14:19 - Neilan #38 - The Estates 16:04 - Kellen #38 - Crokinole 17:32 - Mark #37 - Bruges 18:41 - Neilan #37 - Alhambra 20:53 - Kellen #37 - Lords of Vegas 22:41 - Mark #36 - Zany Penguins 24:25 - Neilan #36 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 26:06 - Kellen #36 - Blood Rage 27:52 - Mark #35 - Scruples 31:06 - Neilan #35 - Pipeline 32:47 - Kellen #35 - Sixes 35:05 - Mark #34 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 36:24 - Neilan #34 - Agricola 36:41 - Kellen #34 - Agricola 39:22 - Mark #33 - The Great Zimbabwe 42:30 - Neilan #33 - Orléans 43:47 - Kellen #33 - Taj Mahal 47:09 - Mark #32 - Age of Steam 48:42 - Neilan #32 - Werewords 52:08 - Kellen #32 - Imperial 2030 54:05 - Mark #31 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 56:13 - Neilan #31 - Gaia Project 57:39 - Kellen #31 - Fuji Flush Join the discussion at https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We made it! The big one-oh-oh. That's a thing people say, right? We're starting a five episodes series, working our way down each of our top fifty games of all time. We'll discuss what might make a game move up or down our list, celebrate the highs that the hobby has to offer, and talk about a heck of a lot of amazing board games. Buckle up! 08:17 – Neilan #50 – Twice As Clever 09:32 – Kellen #50 – Maskmen 11:28 – Mark #50 – Codenames 12:56 – Neilan #49 – Air, Land & Sea 16:03 – Kellen #49 – Wizard 17:50 – Mark #49 – Carson City 18:59 – Neilan #48 – Innovation 20:27 – Kellen #48 – Ingenious 21:07 – Mark #48 – Wyatt Earp 23:52 – Neilan #47 – The Oracle of Delphi 24:56 – Kellen #47 – Detective Club 27:13 – Mark #47 – City of the Big Shoulders 29:46 – Neilan #46 – Anomia 31:13 – Kellen #46 – Cursed Court 34:24 – Mark #46 – Kemet 35:50 – Neilan #45 – In the Year of the Dragon 37:19 – Kellen #45 – The Game 39:11 – Mark #45 – Panic on Wall Street! 40:51 – Neilan #44 – Dead of the Winter: The Long Night 42:24 – Kellen #44 – No Thanks! 44:42 – Mark #44 – Pax Pamir (Second Edition) 47:19 – Neilan #43 – Grand Austria Hotel 48:57 – Kellen #43 – Diamant/Incan Gold 50:52 – Mark #43 – Innovation 52:58 – Neilan #42 – Letter Jam 55:26 – Kellen #42 – Bruges 56:10 – Mark #42 – Concordia 58:03 – Neilan #41 – Sol: Last Days of a Star 1:01:01 – Kellen #41 – Piñata/Balloon Cup 1:02:19 – Mark #41 – Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant Join the discussion at https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

It's getting close now, can you feel it? Or are you just feeling sore from the game you just lost? We're talking sore losers and sore winners: people who are hard to be around when they lose or win a game. What can you do to avoid being that person, and what games bring out the worst in us? Before we fight our feelings, we talk about Paris: New Eden, Glory to Rome, and No Swap No Pay. 03:35 - Pipeline 06:29 - Paris: New Eden 14:54 - Glory to Rome 20:36 - Mottainai 22:48 - Innovation 24:14 - No Swap No Pay 32:09 - Sore Winners and Losers 37:00 - The Resistance 41:50 - Cthulhu Wars 42:54 - Cosmic Encounter 45:46 - Detective Club 46:13 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 48:16 - Archipelago Join the discussion at https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We're showing our thanks with a surprise podcast about ... well, maybe we'll just let the episode speak for itself. Gobble gobble. 03:23 - ICECOOL 04:46 - Meeple Circus 06:11 - Root 06:42 - Sheriff of Nottingham 07:47 - Fauna 08:22 - Piepmatz 09:07 - Evolution: Flight 09:56 - Gulo Gulo 11:29 - Zany Penguins 12:07 - Funky Chicken 13:56 - Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn 14:51 - Rook 16:19 - Chess 17:36 - Biblios 19:53 - Scythe Join the discussion at https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

We've all got them, whether we'll care to admit it or not, quirks and and biases that might be irrational, but nevertheless affect our judgement of the games we play. This week we're looking at a few of the little things that might weigh a game in or out of our favour, even if they don't necessarily make much sense. Before we exercise extreme prejudice, we talk about Flamme Rouge, The North, and Ragusa. 02:03 - Cursed Court 02:39 - Flamme Rouge 09:28 - The North 15:43 - Ragusa 24:08 - Board Game Biases 25:51 - Vindication 26:08 - Suburbia: Collector's Edition 30:39 - Anachrony 32:15 - Scythe 33:26 - Magical Athlete 36:16 - Pipeline 41:02 - Adrenaline 41:28 - Fog of Love 43:23 - The Battle at Kemble's Cascade 45:05 - Pandemic Join the discussion at https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Uh oh, you're not enjoying the game you're playing. Now what? Is it okay to excuse yourself? Maybe it's better that you just call it rather than continue to have a bad time. This week we're talking about scenarios where some or all of the players of a game might decide it's better to bounce than to wallow in misery. Before we make an early exit, we talk about SEAL Team Flix, Paranormal Detectives, and I'm the Boss. 01:21 - SEAL Team Flix 10:32 - Paranormal Detectives 18:53 - Mysterium 21:37 - Crokinole 22:12 - Cursed Court 23:27 - I'm the Boss! 31:50 - Bouncing off Games 33:49 - Menara 36:37 - Cosmic Encounter 38:45 - The Great Zimbabwe 39:40 - Megacity: Oceania 40:25 - Founders of Gloomhaven 43:52 - Diplomacy 45:22 - Swinging Jivecat Voodoo Lounge 46:08 - Merlin 47:00 - Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 48:54 - LLAMA 49:33 - Nemesis

Where has the year gone?! It's almost time to start packing our bags for various family gatherings, and inevitably the most important question becomes ... what games are we taking? Whether it's specific games for specific people, or games that work in large inexperienced groups, we're here to make your holidays merry and bright. Before we head on home, we talk about Ethnos, Street Masters, Templari, and Carnival of Monsters. 03:02 - Ethnos 08:12 - Street Masters 11:39 - Sentinels of the Multiverse 14:08 - Templari 17:14 - Carnival of Monsters 25:21 - Top Five Games for the Holidays 29:16 - Werewords 30:20 - Letter Jam 30:20 - SHH 31:21 - Ingenious 32:53 - Sushi Go! 34:39 - Fast Forward: FORTRESS 36:01 - Cartographers 37:14 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 38:14 - Cryptid 39:36 - Cursed Court 40:43 - One Night Ultimate Werewolf 42:16 - Coloretto 43:54 - Hanabi Deluxe II 44:56 - Just One 46:46 - Air, Land & Sea 47:51 - Res Arcana 49:13 - Codenames 51:05 - WINK 52:16 - Medium

It took us almost a hundred episodes, but we finally reveal how to have fun with your friends even when you're losing. Specifically, we're talking about games and mechanisms that help us enjoy our losses, because let's face it, we can't all be winners. Before we celebrate our setbacks, we talk about Sierra West, Mansions of Madness: Second Edition, and Black Angel. 01:37 - Sierra West 11:17 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 20:17 - Black Angel 24:02 - Troyes 27:18 - Solenia 35:30 - Q.E. 35:43 - Ponzi Scheme 35:59 - Biblios 38:52 - Aeon's End: War Eternal 40:59 - Ghost Stories 43:56 - Agricola 44:37 - Terraforming Mars 46:31 - Lords of Vegas 47:00 - Diamant/Incan Gold 48:20 - Twice as Clever

Blue Tank's back to talk take-backs, so take that to the bank. It's bound to happen, someone makes a mistake on their turn and desperately wants a do-over - but how do you handle it? It's a delicate balance of making sure everyone at the table is having a good time, and not slowing the game down. So what's fair? Before we undo, we talk about Air, Land & Sea, Menara, and Seasons of Inis. 02:57 - Air, Land & Sea 03:03 - Heroes of Land, Air & Sea 08:43 - Hanamikoji 10:59 - Menara 22:09 - Riff Raff 23:08 - Inis 23:08 - Seasons of Inis 53:31 - Dominant Species

We're joined by the Blue Tank for a quick look back at SHUX, before we dive into a discussion on games that are better than their mechanics suggest. These are games that we might describe as not very good, but somehow still give us incredible experiences that we find distinct and unique. But that makes them good, right? Before we lose all credibility, we talk about Kingdomino Duel, Panic on Wall Street!, and Blood on the Clocktower. 02:22 - SHUX 06:27 - Kingdomino Duel 11:29 - Panic on Wall Street! 18:52 - Blood on the Clocktower 23:48 - The Resistance: Avalon 36:57 - Experiences that transcend mechanics 38:02 - Fuji Flush 38:58 - Happy Salmon 39:40 - True Colors 39:40 - A Question of Scruples 40:32 - Zombicide: Black Plague 41:26 - Hundreds of Horses 49:30 - Loopin' Louie

Shut Up & Sit Down's very own Quintin Smith joins us live on stage at SHUX 2019! We play a rousing game of Hundreds of Horses, discuss some games from the convention, and lay out the unspoken truths of board games - opinions about the hobby we vehemently hold, even if everyone else is too afraid to say it. Before we speak truth to power, we talk about Deep Blue, Curios, Obscurio, and Vast: The Mysterious Manor. 02:51 - Hundreds of Horses 08:05 - Deep Blue 11:44 - Curios 16:03 - Obscurio 20:55 - Vast: The Mysterious Manor 28:07 - Unspoken Truths of Board Games 29:05 - Neilan: Theme and storytelling 32:22 - Flamme Rouge 33:40 - Too Many Bones 34:16 - Kellen: The decline of interactivity 36:40 - Troyes 37:47 - Hansa Teutonica 38:26 - Agricola 38:26 - A Feast for Odin 39:10 - Mark: Playing to win 41:48 - Inis 45:20 - Twilight Imperium 47:55 - Quinns: Reading flavor text 50:03 - Pax Pamir (Second Edition) 50:58 - Scythe

Mark Rosewater, head designer for Magic: The Gathering, defined three player archetypes back in 2002, and we figured it'd be fun to see how we can apply them to, not just board games, but your three beloved hosts. We look into what makes a Timmy, Tammy, Johnny, Jenny, or Spike tick, and try to find some board games each might like. Before we profile ourselves, we talk about FlickFleet, Québec, and Ra. 02:13 - FlickFleet06:19 - Québec09:10 - El Grande10:29 - Tapestry15:00 - Ra21:56 - Magic: the Gathering Player Archetypes31:08 - Gùgōng40:27 - The Voyages of Marco Polo40:55 - Rising Sun41:19 - Crokinole41:47 - Dominion42:47 - Terraforming Mars43:15 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar43:50 - Cosmic Encounter44:47 - Dune45:31 - Glory to Rome

Inspired by BoardGameGeek's new system for classifying board game mechanisms, we give our thoughts on the changes, as well as talk about classification in general. Somehow it always leads to heated discussions, whether it's arguing what a Civilization game even is, or why we need classification at all. I'm sure we'll all agree in the end. Before we taxi into taxonomy, we talk about Piepmatz, Era: Medieval Age, and Cursed Court. 02:45 - Piepmatz 05:05 - Arboretum 08:42 - Irish Gauge 10:38 - Era: Medieval Age 19:00 - Cursed Court 29:43 - Board Game Classification 36:53 - Codenames 51:35 - Tapestry 52:12 - Civilization 53:10 - Scythe 56:55 - Great Western Trail 58:30 - 18Lilliput

Hello, again, Germany! Well, we don't actually ever go to Essen, but boy do we wish we could. There are always so many games that debut at Essen SPIEL that we wish we could play or buy ... and this year is no exception! We're counting down the games we would most anticipate getting our hands on if it weren't so goshdarn far. Before we cross the Atlantic, we also talk about Irish Gauge, Heroes of Terrinoth, and Tapestry. 01:00 - Irish Gauge 08:33 - Heroes of Terrinoth 16:21 - Tapestry 37:50 - The games we want from Essen SPIEL 2019 38:15 - Trismegistus: The Ultimate Formula 39:27 - The Magnificent 40:22 - Welkin 41:46 - Terramara 43:10 - Rush M.D. 44:09 - Deep Blue 44:54 - Paranormal Detectives 46:04 - Rome & Roll 47:07 - Offshore 48:42 - Glen More II: Chronicles 49:38 - Maracaibo 50:33 - Kakerlaken Sushi 51:52 - Crystal Palace 53:29 - Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles 55:12 - Babylonia

No, not that game. We're talking about the life cycles of games, how we acquire them, how we end up moving on from them. Where do we generally get our games from, and how do we typically get rid of them? Things get a little bit existential before the end. Before we, blinking, step into the sun, we also talk about Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne, 18Lilliput, and Tonari. 01:38 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 10:06 - 18Lilliput 15:25 - City of the Big Shoulders 19:56 - Tonari 28:11 - The life cycle of games 29:05 - Exit: The Game 29:30 - Charterstone 35:06 - Piepmatz 35:50 - Nyctophobia 40:40 - Rising Sun 42:52 - Irish Gauge 44:17 - The Resistance: Avalon 45:07 - Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

Look, there's only so much time in the day, so we don't get to play every game we ought to. But some of those missed games hurt more than others, in fact, some of them are downright shameful. This week we're counting down the top five games we're ashamed that we haven't played. Before we atone, we also talk about Kobayakawa, Taj Mahal, and Twilight Imperium (Fourth Edition). 02:07 - Nine Tiles Panic 03:36 - Kobayakawa 07:38 - Taj Mahal 17:47 - Twilight Imperium (Fourth Edition) 33:53 - Games we're ashamed we haven't played 34:29 - Modern Art 36:18 - Kremlin 37:44 - Nothing Personal 38:12 - Ra 39:32 - Caverna: The Cave Farmers 40:50 - Macao 41:57 - Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game 43:37 - Terraforming Mars 45:04 - Indonesia 46:26 - Dungeon Lords 46:26 - Dungeon Petz 47:43 - Seafarers of Catan 47:43 - Catan: Cities & Knights 49:16 - Antike II 49:51 - Trickerion: Masters of Illusion 51:48 - Cyclades 53:37 - Amun Re

Kellen's back, which some might say is too many hosts - apt, because we're an episode of extremes today. We're talking about games that are too simple, too complicated, too short, or too long, that might otherwise have been among our favourites. Before we venture outside the Goldilocks zone, we talk about Q.E., Cartographers, and City of the Big Shoulders. 02:58 - Q.E. 11:52 - Cartographers 19:36 - City of the Big Shoulders 37:25 - Games that are too long 38:36 - Citadels 38:51 - Alien Frontiers 39:04 - Cubist 40:41 - Dead of Winter 41:18 - Robo Rally 41:52 - Skull 43:19 - Mage Knight 43:52 - Forbidden Stars 45:17 - Twilight Imperium 45:51 - Las Vegas 46:17 - Time's Up! Title Recall! 46:55 - Games that are too short 46:59 - Above and Below 47:53 - Clank! 48:15 - Oink Games 49:37 - Agricola 50:15 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 51:05 - Games that are too complicated 51:19 - Burano 53:12 - Keyflower 53:39 - Nemesis 54:03 - Altiplano 54:37 - Escape Plan 55:07 - Skull King 56:36 - Games that are too simple 56:42 - Kingdomino 58:00 - Ethnos 1:02:41 - Bärenpark 1:03:30 - Betrayal at House on the Hill 1:04:56 - 3 Wishes 1:05:30 - Mint Works

Kellen graces us with his absence, which means it's time for Mark and Neilan to start talking numbers. Specifically, player numbers. We're talking about optimal player counts for games, whether games ever mean what they recommend on the box, and how well they scale. Before we count to ten, we talk about Vindication, Royal Palace, Throw Throw Burrito, and Pipeline. 05:40 – Vindication 12:05 – Royal Palace 17:28 – Throw Throw Burrito 21:37 – Pipeline 29:48 – Optimal Player Counts 31:51 – Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 32:50 – Caverna: The Cave Farmers 33:13 – Alien Frontiers 34:19 – Dead of Winter 37:13 – Throw Throw Burrito 38:20 – The Resistance 39:17 – Inis 39:45 – Rising Sun 40:09 – Maria 43:48 – Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant

We're running components through our fingers this week, because we're ranking our favourite games that require dexterity. Whether it's flicking, stacking, or balancing, dexterity games tend to offer a respite from brain burning crunchiness, and a chance to exercise actual muscles. Before our hands tremble, we talk about The Wizard Always Wins, Genoa, and Paku Paku. 01:29 - The Wizard Always Wins 06:36 - Genoa 13:55 - Paku Paku 17:53 - Listener Mail 21:59 - Our Favourite Dexterity Games 22:53 - Riff Raff 25:14 - Flick 'em Up!: Dead of Winter 27:25 - Bugs in the Kitchen 29:31 - Junk Art 31:46 - KLASK 35:44 - Hamsterrolle 37:28 - Animal Upon Animal 38:56 - Meeple Circus 42:18 - Drop It 44:57 - PitchCar 46:42 - Safranito 51:47 - Puzzle Dungeon Fighter 56:08 - Crokinole

We just flew in from Indianapolis, and boy are our arms tired! From carrying all these games. But, more than the games, it's the people you meet that make the memories, so we're recovering from a very long weekend at Gen Con by telling some of our favourite little stories from the floor. Before we revisit our weekend, we talk about Tuki, God of War: The Card Game, and Wits & Wagers Vegas. 01:03 - Tuki 05:41 - God of War: The Card Game 16:34 - Wits & Wagers Vegas 24:08 - Letter Jam 25:09 - Catch the Moon 27:17 - Wooly Whammoth 31:02 - Click Clack Lumberjack 32:14 - Foodies 42:26 - Seasons of Inis 42:48 - City of the Big Shoulders 43:20 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne

Our trilogy of Gen Con podcasts concludes with one final foray between the sheets! Join us on the floor of room [redacted] for the last time, with our thoughts from day three. We talk about Sanctum, Potemkin Empire, MegaCity: Oceania, and Aegean Sea.

Day two is over, but we're just getting started, because it's all about those Gen Con nights. We're up way too late, yet again, to give you the scoops from the floor. We talk about Finger Guns at High Noon, In Front of the Elevators, Realm of Sand, City of the Big Shoulders, and Medium.

Gen Con! It's time yet again for freezer pants, gourmet coffee and going between the sheets. Join us for our quick day one impressions from the floor, and I mean that quite literally. We talk about Gravity Superstar, Wakanda Forever, Mechanica, Mister Face, Nine Tiles Panic, Visitor in Blackwood Grove, and Letter Jam.

Gimmicks are elements of a game that are the fundamental selling point, the core attention grabbing mechanic or experience that the game is built around. This episode, we're breaking down gimmicks in board games, figuring out if they're good or bad for the hobby, and talking about some of the most notable. Before we cave to flashy marketing, we also talk about Are You A Robot?, Jaws, and FUSE. 01:17 - Bärenpark 03:12 - Keyforge: Age of Ascension 05:25 - Are You A Robot? 09:46 - Wingspan 10:37 - Jaws 13:55 - FUSE 18:34 - I don't even know 20:23 - Games with Gimmicks 22:27 - The Adventurers 23:22 - Niagara 24:31 - Shogun 24:31 - Wallenstein 24:59 - Amerigo 25:41 - Mord im Arosa 28:14 - Camel Up 29:18 - Sheriff of Nottingham 30:34 - Via Appia 31:33 - Dice Forge 32:39 - Alchemists 33:13 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 34:38 - Council of 4 35:11 - Mouse Trap 36:13 - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Interactive VCR Board Game - A Klingon Challenge 38:23 - The VCR Quarterback Game 42:01 - Hanabi 42:39 - Planet

This week we're talking about hidden trackable information. That is, information about the game state that could be remembered or recorded, but the game design (usually) assumes that players haven't. Is it okay to memorize or divulge this information? Before we take notes, we also talk about Papà Paolo, Oceanos, and Pax Pamir (Second Edition). 02:10 - Papà Paolo 07:25 - Oceanos 13:32 - Pax Pamir (Second Edition) 26:06 - Bonus episode! 26:30 - Hidden Trackable Information 42:13 - The Resistance 43:59 - Tigris & Euphrates 47:38 - El Grande 48:11 - I'm The Boss! 50:01 - Through the Ages 54:44 - Guards of Atlantis 56:20 - Survive: Escape from Atlantis!

Gen Con 2019 is mere weeks away, and I bet you don't even know what games are going to be there. Fear not, we've got you covered! We're counting down our most anticipated games of the show, having meticulously studied BGG's preview list, and looked at all the pretty pictures. Before we plan our trip, we talk about Cryptid, Two Rooms and a Boom, and Planet. 03:25 - Cryptid 09:05 - Tobago 10:04 - Psychiatrist 11:59 - Two Rooms and a Boom 16:50 - Planet 24:35 - Gen Con 2019 Preview 26:46 - Watergate 28:27 - Welcome to Dino World 30:01 - Conflicting Legends 31:11 - Time Chase 31:53 - Eternal: Chronicles of the Throne 33:14 - Tonari 34:52 - Barrage 36:25 - In the Hall of the Mountain King 38:05 - SHŌBU 39:30 - Pipeline 40:35 - Sanctum 41:31 - Seasons of Inis 43:10 - City of the Big Shoulders 43:56 - MegaCity: Oceania 45:59 - Black Angel

So, you're coming in last. You could sigh, lean back, mutter to yourself about all the things you should've done better ... or you could get back in there, soldier! Back on your feet! This week on the show, we discuss what's worth fighting for in a board game, when you're clearly not going to win. Before we lose with dignity, we talk about Murder on the Cosmic Express, TAMSK, and Diplomacy. 02:52 - Patreon! 10:33 - Murder on the Cosmic Express 18:22 - TAMSK 23:09 - Diplomacy 40:04 - What to do when you're losing 41:22 - El Grande 49:54 - Archipelago

Special guest Paula Deming joins us this week to tell board game stories! We think back to especially funny times we had playing a board game, that were only made possible by the game itself. Before we spin yarns, we talk about Evolution: Climate, Terrible Monster, Sweet Nose, and Dice Throne: Season One. 00:15 - Paula Deming, the Orchid Tank! 07:35 - Claustrophobia 1643 09:10 - Evolution: Climate 13:38 - Terrible Monster 17:21 - Sweet Nose 22:21 - Dice Throne: Season One 29:10 - Paula's Story 29:22 - Modern Art 36:01 - Mark's Story 37:05 - One Night Ultimate Werewolf 41:15 - Kellen's Story 41:40 - Lifeboat 46:44 - Neilan's Story 46:57 - Dark Moon

You don't need no education, but you're getting one anyway. This week we're going to be explaining the meaning of some common but unclear board game words, for we are nothing if not your humble servants. Before we define our terms, we talk about The Shipwreck Arcana, Kingdom Death: Monster, and Vinhos Deluxe Edition. 01:29 - The Shipwreck Arcana 09:05 - Kingdom Death: Monster 19:28 - Vinhos Deluxe Edition 28:13 - Board Game Terminology 28:44 - "Crunchy" 34:40 - "Fiddly" 36:38 - Agricola 37:24 - "Degenerate" vs "Broken" 38:41 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 39:05 - Archipelago 40:13 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 40:46 - Dune 41:56 - Glorantha: The Gods War 43:35 - "Eurogame" vs "Ameritrash" 46:15 - El Grande 48:35 - Scythe 54:07 - Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire

Time is a precious resource, so let's not waste any; we're talking about game length. How long should a game be? Is it worse if a game is too long or too short? We wrestle with the fourth dimension in our search for answers. Before we watch the clock, we talk about Dice Forge, Gulo Gulo, and Millennium Blades. 01:28 - Dice Forge 06:53 - Gulo Gulo 10:53 - Millennium Blades 19:41 - Game Length 23:42 - Dominant Species 25:53 - New Angeles 27:05 - Formula D 27:37 - Robo Rally 28:35 - King of Tokyo 29:05 - Citadels 30:21 - Five Tribes 32:07 - Agricola 34:30 - Indian Summer 35:10 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 35:52 - Above and Below 36:53 - Archipelago 38:09 - Food Chain Magnate

There's nothing sweeter than the softening of a heart, that precious feeling when all of the things you thought you'd dislike, suddenly become endearing. We're counting down our favourite games that we thought we were going to hate, but ended up loving. Before we go full tsundere, we talk about Indian Summer, Richard the Lionheart, and X nimmt! 01:55 - Indian Summer 09:26 - Richard the Lionheart 15:53 - X nimmt! 23:37 - Games we thought we'd hate 24:55 - Shadow Hunters 27:12 - Walnut Grove 28:52 - Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 31:34 - Great Western Trail 32:35 - Blood Rage 33:47 - Formula D 35:32 - Zendo 36:48 - Hansa Teutonica 38:18 - In the Year of the Dragon 39:47 - Majesty: For the Realm 41:21 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 42:25 - Chicken Caesar 44:27 - Yokohama 46:18 - Caylus 49:54 - Blue Lagoon

Somewhere in Germany every year, a specialist team assembles to decide on the best board games ... that released in Germany that year ... that no one has ever heard of. Look, the Spiel des Jahres is a bit weird, and no one ever agrees about the winners, but we're going to talk about the nominees anyway, okay? Before ze Germans get here, we also talk about Glorantha: The Gods War, and Corinth. We also recap our weekend at Strategicon Gamex 2019. 02:05 - Glorantha: The Gods War 11:28 - Cthulhu Wars 20:06 - Corinth 27:27 - Strategicon Gamex 2019 28:52 - Now Boarding 32:25 - Spiel des Jahres 33:40 - Just One 34:44 - Werewords 36:05 - LAMA 38:46 - Who wins the Spiel des Jahres? 41:47 - Wingspan 42:35 - Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game 43:42 - Carpe Diem 44:39 - Who wins the Kennerspiel?

Everyone likes to get the most out of their hard-earned cash, but what is a board game worth? Maybe it doesn't matter what's inside the box, maybe the real value is the friends we made along the way? Haha, just kidding, it's totally all about the miniature total. Before we count components, we also talk about Aerion, Overbooked, Dinosaur Island, and Lancaster. 03:15 - Aerion 05:40 - Overbooked 11:36 - Dinosaur Island 25:08 - Lancaster 34:37 - Value for money 36:50 - A Feast for Odin 38:16 - Scythe 41:09 - Escape Plan 41:36 - Gloomhaven 41:54 - Mechs vs. Minions 42:55 - Terraforming Mars

Letters! You love writing them, and we love reading them! This week, we look at portable and licensed games, why reviewers love social games, and give advice for your first board game convention. Before we break out the letter opener, we also talk about Fool!, Aerion, and Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar. 01:03 - Fool! 05:38 - Aerion 13:06 - Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar 22:24 - Listener Questions 22:48 - Best portable games? 23:29 - Oink Games 23:54 - Sprawlopolis 24:07 - SHH 25:01 - No Thanks! 25:10 - Skull 25:51 - Illusion 26:22 - Are reviewers biased towards more social games? 28:48 - Blood on the Clocktower 32:15 - Cosmic Encounter 33:08 - Convention tips? 34:52 - Nyctophobia 37:47 - Best licensed game? 38:02 - Dune 38:22 - XCOM: The Board Game 38:34 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 39:01 - Play new games or replay old ones? 39:37 - Why does Neilan have the best voice? 41:05 - ?!?!

We're well into May, so it's about time we did some spring cleaning. We talk about the games that have recently left our collection, and why it was their time to go. It's not always an easy thing, but I'm sure they're being loved by someone else on a farm upstate. Before we out with the old, we talk about Space Base: The Emergence of Shy Pluto, Hyperborea, and Clockwork Wars. 02:28 - Space Base: The Emergence of Shy Pluto 09:03 - Hyperborea 20:06 - Clockwork Wars 30:51 - Games that have left our collections 31:03 - Lowlands 34:12 - Key to the City: London 36:33 - Raptor 38:27 - Magic Maze 40:41 - Chinatown 43:32 - Yamataï 44:51 - Things we're looking forward to

Dominant strategies can ruin a game; if there's one clear best way to win, why not use it every time? We discuss these optimal strategies, whether they're always problematic, and how to deal with them at your game table. Before we break the game, we talk about A Feast for Odin: The Norwegians, Lost Cities: Rivals, and Second Chance. 03:16 - PUSH 04:53 - A Feast for Odin: The Norwegians 12:30 - Lost Cities: Rivals 18:12 - Second Chance 26:31 - Dominant Strategies 27:17 - A Feast for Odin 27:57 - A Few Acres of Snow 28:16 - Blood Rage 30:48 - Magic: The Gathering 32:45 - London 34:19 - Great Western Trail 36:39 - Chess 38:18 - Cthulhu Wars 43:36 - Food Chain Magnate 45:22 - Dominion 46:30 - Battle for Rokugan 46:51 - Kemet 48:53 - Ticket to Ride

Slow down. Why're you always in such a rush? Kick off your shoes, join us on the couch and enjoy a nice, tall, refreshing ... board game. We're counting down our five favourite relaxing games, the ones we're drawn to at the end of a long game night. Before we slip into something more comfortable, we also talk about Heaven & Ale, Men At Work, and Yellow & Yangtze. 01:59 - Heaven & Ale 08:30 - Men At Work 14:08 - Yellow & Yangtze 18:18 - Tigris & Euphrates 24:50 - Our Favourite Relaxing Games 26:32 - Lanterns: The Harvest Festival 27:49 - Bärenpark 29:22 - Illusion 30:42 - Dixit 32:34 - Telestrations 34:35 - Crokinole 37:09 - Cottage Garden 38:34 - Karuba 39:54 - Rise of Augustus 41:19 - Between Two Cities 43:58 - Welcome To ... 45:00 - Red7 46:58 - Notre Dame 48:47 - Patchwork 50:15 - Camel Up

We're being serious. Are board games a base line level of fun that we ought to take for granted? We're all together, we're all playing a game, that's better than doing nothing, right? It couldn't possibly be that simple with us. Before we arithmetise entertainment, we also talk about Tiny Towns, Zendo, and Escape Plan. 01:41 - Tiny Towns 07:23 - Zendo 13:24 - Escape Plan 29:52 - Are games fun no matter what? 38:05 - Horse Fever 38:39 - Dominant Species 39:35 - Loopin' Louie 44:46 - One Night Ultimate Werewolf

The train's pulling into the station and you've got a ticket, because this week we're talking all about hype. Why do we get irrationally excited about games we know nothing about? How much should we listen to our overly excited inner selves? Before it's all aboard, we also talk about Reykholt, PUSH, and Great Western Trail. 01:51 - Reykholt 10:13 - PUSH 14:54 - Great Western Trail 30:50 - Hype and anti-hype 32:41 - Res Arcana 33:45 - The 7th Continent 35:32 - El Grande 38:29 - Gloomhaven 38:57 - Brass: Birmingham 40:09 - Blood on the Clocktower 42:43 - Terraforming Mars

It's all well and good playing the newest, hottest games, but that doesn't stop us wanting to go back to some of the old goodies. We're counting down our top five games we want to revisit, to enjoy once more as we did in our youth. Relatively speaking. Before we get all wistful, we also talk about Eye My Favourite Things, On Tour, and Dune. 01:12 - Eye My Favourite Things 06:18 - On Tour 12:28 - Dune 18:40 - Cosmic Encounter 24:44 - Rex: Final Days of an Empire 26:10 - Root 31:55 - Games We Want to Play More 33:00 - Libertalia 34:19 - Ricochet Robots 37:01 - XCOM: The Board Game 39:09 - Ascending Empires 40:16 - Automobiles 42:22 - Kitchen Rush 43:52 - Two Rooms and a Boom 46:17 - Tribune: Primus Inter Pares 48:00 - Seasons 49:53 - Yokohama 50:56 - SpaceCorp 52:50 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 54:19 - Root 55:34 - Container 56:36 - Lords of Hellas

Electronic board games! What will they think of next?! There's been a trend of more and more board games being translated into web and mobile apps, so join us as we make the jump to cyberspace. Before we plug in, we also talk about Heul doch! Mau Mau, Architects of the West Kingdom, and revisit Nusfjord. 01:19 - Heul doch! Mau Mau 05:19 - Architects of the West Kingdom 10:55 - A Feast for Odin 13:44 - Nusfjord 26:26 - Digital Board Games 27:20 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 28:05 - Onirim 29:28 - Concordia 30:56 - Dixit 32:49 - Innovation 33:29 - Ortus Regni 36:41 - The Resistance

We're at the table talking table talk, all the little things that get said while you're playing a board game. Sure, there's plenty to be said in a social deduction or negotiation game, but what about less talky games? What's appropriate and what isn't? Before we say something we regret, we also talk about Everdell, Concordia Venus, and Project: ELITE. 03:58 - Everdell 08:34 - Wingspan 12:07 - Concordia Venus 21:27 - Project: ELITE 25:56 - Escape: The Curse of the Temple 31:13 - Table Talk 37:01 - Codenames