Going Analog Show

Sarah Shah of Board Games in a Minute slows down just long enough to record a podcast with us. We chat about our favorite games centered around animals, our big pet peeves when teaching (or learning) a new board game, and publisher Capstone Games. The games mentioned in this episode: Christina's topic: What are some of your favorite games centered around animals? Everdell Ecos: First Continent God...

This is a special Voltron Podcast episode with Boards Alive's Aaron Cassidy! (Touchy subject) We talk about the recent drama and controversies in the board game biz (and whether we can separate the art from the artists). (And not-so-touchy) On a lighter note, we also discuss video-game-licensed board games and deckbuilding in games we wouldn't call deckbuilding games. Shoe: Board games based on vi...

We're so obsessed with board games, that we enjoy them...even when we're not actually playing them. What are these "play-adjacent" activities that we love so much? And what are our favorite components? And why on earth are we talking about jigsaw puzzles on a board game podcast? The board games we discuss on this episode: Christina's topic: your favorite game components Everdell Tidal Blades Honey...

Party game of the year! Light game of the year! Medium-weight game of the year! Heavy game of the year! We grab two of our social-bubble gaming crew (James Hudson of Skybound and Shoe's co-worker Tom Twedell), and we all give our picks for the #1 games in all those categories for 2020. Plus: What trends did we see in 2020 (and what might we see in 2021? And how did gaming get us through the rough...

Professional comedian Grant Lyon (who also creates board game videos and co-designed Curmudgeon) joins us on the podcast this week. We talk about "old" (pre-2018) games that need more live, mechanics that we seek out or actively avoid, and more party games we love playing. Games mentioned on this episode: Intro: Curmudgeon Christina's topic: "Old" games that don't get enough love Love Letter Lost...

Plaid Hat Marketing Manager Niki Shults and Multimedia Director Donald Shults talk board games -- and tons of D&D -- with us. Our topics: 1. What are some new party games you can play over Zoom or within one average household? 2. Is Catan still the perfect gateway game? If not, what is? 3. What are your best childhood memories of playing board games? 4. House rules: How do you feel about them? Her...

Guest Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan, Mariposas) drops a hint about her next project while we discuss our four new topics: 1. Learning factoids in non-educational games 2. How we can make board gaming more inclusive for everyone 3. Games whose themes have inspired innovative gameplay 4. Designing games and finishing prototypes Games discussed in this episode: Intro: Wingspan Tussie Mussie Mariposas...

Guest Timm Metivier of Meepleville (a board game cafe in Vegas and a channel for board game content) joins us to discuss the top 3 games we can't wait to get to the table, the business of running a board game cafe (you'd be surprised how he works around COVID), how we discover the games we want to buy, and more. The games talked about on this episode: Timm's topic: The top games we can't wait to g...

The big games of the year have been announced. What do we think of them? The Dice Tower's Roy Cannaday joins us to discuss the Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners; if we still use "Euro" and "Ameritrash" to define those genres; video production during quarantine times; and his new, upcoming game, Last Light. The games we talk about on this episode: Intro: Last Light Eclipse Twil...

Game designers Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island) and Ian Moss (Duelosaur Island, Wonderland's War) join us to discuss video games that would make cool board games, what video games have taught them about game design, our ideal gaming group, and how new RPGs make themselves stand out from the crowd. Here are the games covered on the show: Intro Dead of Winter Dinosaur Island Wasteland E...

It's our 50th episode! We celebrate by discussing: Our top 3 games in BoardGameGeek's top 100 Our favorite genres (and our favorite game in that genre) The best moments from our podcast so far The board game that got us into board gaming Here are the games we mention on the show: Mike's topic: Favorite game in our favorite genre Gloomhaven Hansa Teutonica 7 Wonders Libertalia Campy Creatures R (Br...

Two guests! Nick Brachmann (Leder Games) and John de Campos (Terrible Games) join us to discuss their upcoming games (Fort and Token Terrors Battlegrounds, respectively) and our four new topics: Deckbuilding games with a unique twist Our other hobbies that we'd like to see brought to life for tabletop gaming The differences between "design" and "development" Establishing a visual identity for a ga...

We're talking so many "favorites" today: our favorite games where points don't matter, favorite games that revolve around illustrations (not necessarily drawing), favorite board game universes, and favorite game-induced social interactions. Our guest is Eric Slauson, designer of Tattoo Stories, Nerd Words, and the upcoming MonsDRAWsity. Here's a list of the games discussed on the show: Intro Tatto...

What do we really mean when we want to play a "storytelling" game? Designers Sen-Foong Lim and Banana Chan join to discuss this as well as the upcoming Jiangshi RPG, our favorite board game themes, and board game cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion Sea of Legend...

Uber content creator Ruel Gaviola (Geek & Sundry plus a million other things) joins us this week to talk about under-the-radar games that need more love, games we can play outside that won't get blown away, genres we don't like (and exceptions to them), and online communities. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: Games we can play outdoors Heckmeck Pickomino Q.E. Hanabi...

We talk (non-roll-and-write) board games that are perfect for streaming to your friends, and we delve into how a game company like The Op works with so many big-name licenses (Marvel, Harry Potter, and...um, Golden Girls). Plus, what is that X factor that makes a game really great? And Mike Zipkin gives impressions on Nintendo's Clubhouse Games. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: I...

How should game publishers and designers respond to recent political events? We also talk about premium components (the business behind them and how we do our own upgrading) and reissued/remade games like King of Tokyo Dark and Kemet: Blood and Sand. James Hudson, senior director of tabletop gaming at Skybound Games (Sorcerer City, Superfight, Tidal Blades) joins us this week for this discussion....

We talk about Plaid Hat's new storytelling adventure game Forgotten Waters, our other favorite pirate-themed games, and some of the most memorable characters in board gaming. But...is quarantining slowly killing our love for board games? We have three special guests! Video game designer Tim Schafer (whose work on The Secret of Monkey Island influenced Forgotten Waters), and Forgotten Waters co-des...

What are our favorite two-player, solo, and roll-and-write games? Do you want to restart or fail forward when you lose a cooperative adventure? And we all love designer Uwe Rosenberg! With guest Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Wingspan, Tapestry, Scythe). Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Wingspan Viticulture Scythe Euphoria Tapestry Shoe's topic: What are our favorite...

Which games transport us to new places or worlds? What makes a good asynchronous digital game? And how does sheltering in place change how a designer goes about his business? Board game designer Emerson Matsuuchi (Century series, Metal Gear Solid, Specter Ops) joins us to discuss. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Century Metal Gear Solid Foundations of Rome Christina's topi...

The world has changed. How are we playing games now? How has coronavirus impacted the game-publishing business? And why is community more important than ever? We cover these big topics with Nolan Nasser (CEO) and Jacob Way (COO) of Deep Water Games (Welcome To..., Hanamikoji). In lighter news, we go on and on about one of our favorite games of 2020 so far: The Crew. It's so amazing, we guaranteed...

How do we pick which board games to cull when we move? What is gaming life like in the military? What's considered a classic nowadays? And what's our ideal convention experience -- deadly viruses aside, that is? Lizzy Funkhouser (Board Game Spotlight) and Derek Funkhouser (Skybound Games) join us to discuss! Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Medium Q.E. The Walking Dead: Som...

Why we'll never get some of our friends to play board games; the best laugh-so-hard-we-always-cry games; board game movies (our faves and the ones we'd like to see); and whether high-production trailers are good -- and bad -- for Kickstarter campaigns. Games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: board game movies -- the good, the mostly bad, and what we want to see Clue Jumanji Battleship The Castl...

Mike Young (Plan B) explains why game publishing is so tough! Plus, our fave board game franchises and imports. Games mentioned on the show: Shoe's topic: Game franchises Azul Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra Azul: Summer Pavilion Century Century: Golem Edition Chess Othello Ticket to Ride Settlers of Catan Codenames Cottage Garden Indian Summer Spring Meadow Funkoverse Strategy Game Unmatched Androi...

BoardGameGeek just turned 20! Owner/co-founder Scott Alden and Director of Media Lincoln Damerst stop by to talk about the two-decade making of the do-everything board game website, its most underrated games, and much more. Games discussed: Intro & Scott's topic: How did you first hear about BoardGameGeek? Settlers of Catan Manhattan Die Hanse Magic: The Gathering Chess Poker UNO Risk Mahjong Scra...