Board Game Barrage

We're not going to Essen, and frankly, may never, but that won't stop us from wishing we were going. From the mountain of games we won't get to play in person, we've mined for the diamonds that we think you should keep your eyes on. Before we get to digging , we talk about Hanami,   Brink,  and Railway Boom . 02:14 - Hanami 12:06 - Brink 24:22 - Railway Boom 38:16 - 1st CEO 39:24 - Robo Run 40:56...

It's a designer spotlight, which means we're turning the focus away from us, and putting it on some prestigious designers instead! This week it's Inka and Markus Brand, whose story apparently has a whole enemies to lovers angle I did not see coming.  Before we power duet, we talk about Party House: The Deckbuilding Game , Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War , and Baba Is You: Th...

We're downsizing, imagining a brighter future where we don't have hundreds of games to fret about not playing, but a very slight, extremely manageable twenty . Some say it can't be done, but that's never stopped us before. Before we get low, we talk about  After you, Betobeto-san , Skull Queen , and Star Trek: Captain's Chair - To Boldly Go . 01:53 - After you, Betobeto-san 09:11 - Skull Queen 17:...

We love a good old game - there are a lot that of games over a decade old that we'd happily sing the praises of, but if we were being brutally honest, how many of them do we think would make it in today's markets? How much have tastes really moved on since these games were in their prime? Before we let nostalgia get the better of us, we talk about I'm Out , Evenglow , and Trials of Maya . 03:08 -...

We play a lot of games. Which is great, because a lot of games get made, and we get to play them ... but it does come at the cost of always having to learn (and teach) something new, grappling with rules, and gets in the way of enjoying the game. Would it be better if we just devoted ourselves to one game? Before we join a Mahjong club, we talk about Wingspan Pocket , Greylune , and Marrakesh . 01...

We're back to collaborate (and listen) to figure out  together what the best games of 2017 were. Are? It's a collaborative draft, and if you haven't heard one of these before, get ready for an honest to goodness mess. Before we draw up treaties, we talk about Prosciutto and Melon Game , and Steel Driver . 03:00 - Prosciutto and Melon Game 12:24 - Steel Driver 22:26 - Best games of 2017 25:35 - Cal...

Gen Con is Gen Coming, so we're looking in our wizard's glasses to tell you what's what. Whether you're going or not, you're gonna want to know what the hot games are, and we've got you covered. Before we Indianapolize, we talk about Koinobori , Compania , and Mood Swings . 02:32 - Koinobori 09:50 - Compania 19:52 - Mood Swings 25:39 - Gen Con preview 24:57 - Prague Unseen 28:27 - Triangulation 30...

There are two board game mechanisms you just can't escape, they're on everyone's mind, flooding the discourse. That's combat, and card draw mitigation. Everyone won't stop talking about them. So we had to weigh in too, not just with what we feel are the best examples of games that have done them best, but some other quirky takes on them too. Before we mitigate our card draws, we talk about Rolling...

It's been a while since we've plumbed the depths of the bottomless chasm we call "fanmail", so this week we're reaching our hands as far as we can and pulling out some questions that have yet to see the light of say. Before we dig too greedily and too deep, we talk about Politrickers, Marvel Champions: The Card Game , and Banana Governance . 02:19 - Politrickers 10:47 - Marvel Champions: The Card...

The people demand takes, so get 'em while they're hot. We're weighing in on some possibly bad, certainly edgy opinions, and deciding where we land (spoiler: we're always right). Before we get heated, we talk about Diplomacy: The Golden Blade , and Cozy Stickerville . 01:46 - Diplomacy: The Golden Blade 12:33 - Cozy Stickerville 25:41 - Hot takes! 26:11 - Co-op games are just single player games wi...

We had such fun collaboratively coming up with our definitive Top 50 list back in December, that we've decided to do it again. In the spirit of award season, we're celebrating the games of yesteryear, or yester-ten-years to be precise. It's the definitive best games of 2016, as decided cooperatively by us! Before we come together, we talk about  Shady Lady , In the Shadows: Resistance in France 19...

It's long been said that we're the foremost experts in knowing which way the awards winds blow, so we're putting our talents to use guessing, nay, predicting, nay, deciding who the winners in the Golden Geeks are going to be. Before we geek out, we talk about Chronicles of Crime: 2400 , Quarto , and Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon . 04:07 - Chronicles of Crime: 2400 12:00 - Quarto 16:13 - S...

There are big spiky moments that happen in the meta that is the board game hobby, and the Brass: Pittsburgh crowdfunding campaign feels like one of them. It is after all, a successor to the #1 ranked game on BGG. That's something! Enough so that it sent Mark into a bit of an existential spiral, and we're here to talk him down. Before we catch a falling Wallace, we talk about Hummingbirds , Fendo ,...

Oh man, oh man, it's time that we ask you (yes, you) to tell us (yes, us) what your favourite games are, because for one time a year, it doesn't matter what we think about games, but you better be ready to tell us what you think about games. A lot of you did, so here it is, the listener top 20! Before we ask you to do all the work, we talk about  Emberheart , Gods & Mortals , and Feya's Swamp . 01...

We made it back in one piece, and all told I think we did pretty well! We got through a heck of a lot of what we wanted to play, and we're here to tell you all about it - including Dark Pac t, Totally Human , and Banana Governanc e, and more! 02:36 - Totally Human 14:04 - Dark Pact 20:56 - Gold Country 28:21 - Staked! 32:58 - Secret Tribe 41:34 - Habemus Papam 50:11 - 3 Chapters 55:22 - Banana Gov...

By the time you're listening to this, we're probably already in Vegas for Dice Tower West! We're going to hang about all day playing games - which naturally leads to the question of what we're going to play? These are the games we came up with! Before we bite off more than we can chew, we talk about  Ghost Lift, Cities, and I, Napoleon . 02:31 - Ghost Lift 08:13 - Cities 14:06 - I, Napoleon 24:40...

I think it's fair to say that we crushed this last year (although some of us better than others), so it's only correct and right that we should return to do it again. What are the best games of 2026 going to be? Well, only we know, but we're willing to part with that information. Get your fat stacks ready. Before we set ourselves up for failure, we talk about  Alibis , Mosaic: A Story of Civilizat...

All of this has happened before and will happen again. Everything comes back around, including games you could swear you've played before. Whether they're remakes, reimplimentations, or rejuvenations, we're tackling the world of board game revivals. Before what's old is new, we talk about  Agent Avenue, 7 Empires , and Stellar Ventures . 02:24 - Agent Avenue 07:25 - 7 Empires 18:26 - Stellar Ventu...

Sometimes you know the type of game you want to play, just not exactly which game quite fits the bill. Is that heavy Euro too heavy? That deck builder not builder-y enough? Before we sit down with Goldilocks, we talk about Rise and Fall, and JOYRIDE: Survival of the Fastest. 01:09 - Rise and Fall 12:53 - JOYRIDE: Survival of the Fastest 25:08 - Games that are Just Right 29:30 - Hanabi 29:57 - Wilm...

Well, we started this thing, so I guess we ought to finish it, as ill-advised as that might be. This is where all the chickens come home to roost, where we learn how badly we've set ourselves up to fail - but you never know, it might just all work out! It's the top ten greatest board games ... of all-time! 06:29 - #10 - Codenames 13:56 - #9 - The Resistance 18:15 - #8 - Age of Steam 23:09 - #7 - T...

Happy new year! We're back to continue the very peaceful, collaborative, kind endeavour that is coming together to harmoniously assemble our top 50 games. It's been nothing but chill, friendly vibes, and we expect that to continue into 2026. It's the next twenty games on our definitive top 50 board games... of all-time! 01:20 - #30 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 06:43 - #29 - Dominion 09:36 - #28...

Okay, things are a bit different this year. In honour of our 350th episode (a very important milestone), we're going to combine forces, like ... Voltron. I'm the head, and my left and right feet are here with me to collaboratively (yes, you heard right) compile Board Game Barrage's definitive (definitely definitive) top 50 board games... of all-time! 06:27 - #50 - Zoo Vadis 08:32 - #49 - Splendor...

Remember way back at the beginning of the year when we took some bets on what we thought the games of the year were gonna be? Well, all those good and bad decisions are back to help or haunt us, as we tally up where things stand with the end of the year results. Before we find a winner, we talk about Wriggle Roulette , Whale Street , and Scales of Fate . 04:45 - Wriggle Roulette 11:32 - Whale Stre...

Somehow Ghost Turkey returned. And you never saw it coming! That might be because we forgot to remind people that it's Thanksgiving, but never mind that, the important thing is you're fools . Not us though, we're back with yet another juicy, cranberry soaked list of bird gaming goodness. Gobble gobble! 00:00 - ??? Get added to the BGB community map at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/map Send us topi...

BGBBOB is back, and it's been long enough that you might need a reminder. Ten game designers enter the ring, and through the arduous process of one vs one battles, we arrive at our (and not just our, but  the ) definitive ranked list of ... these particular designers. It's science . Before we fight it out, we talk about Iliad , The Old King's Crown , and Franchise . 03:29 - Iliad 13:56 - The Old K...