The Discussion Phase

With the holidays coming soon, and gift giving commencing, the age-old question begins, "What board games should I buy for someone?" This week on the Discussion Phase we serve as your board game consultants, and help you come of up with some creative solutions for tricky people to buy games for. We review the newest title from Garphill Games and Shem Phillips, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, and ho...

That's right, we're dropping all the juicy details and talking about our exes, specifically all four of them. This week on the Discussion Phase it's all about 4X games; the good, the bad, and which ones stand out above the rest. We review the recent KS and GenCon release of Northgard: Uncharted Lands; a streamlined 4X game, and how it succeeds at making the 4X experience more accessible. Make sure...

There's a lot of things we love in life, but constantly contemplate whether or not it's worth it. Like how you may really enjoy pizza, but the heart burn and strange dreams may not be worth it. This week on the Discussion Phase we look at some games that we would like to play more, but sometimes the thought of teaching it to new players may not be worth it and causes us to play it less. We share o...

Very rarely do we get things perfect on the first try, and board games are no exception. We've all played games that we felt could use some refining and would benefit from some updates.  This week on the Discussion Phase we list the games we think would most benefit from a "live service" model with ongoing updates, rebalances, and support. We also review recent Kickstarter copies of Campaign...

When we think about some of our favorite games, we know them like the back of our hands. Very rarely do we need to refresh on the rules or use a player aid, they're very straight forward. However, for most others, these games can be quite the challenge and because of this, these games may not get played as much as we'd like. This week on the Discussion Phase we try to tackle the "how" on getting t...

Variety is the spice of life, and we all have our own preferences for play styles and strategies in board games. This week on the Discussion Phase we take another step into the world of miniatures gaming with A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game and how it allows for all of our unique play styles to come together. We review recent plays of Too Many Bones, Bunny Kingdom, and an update on Oathswor...

First impressions matter, and they're hard to forget, but sometimes the reason for the bad experience may be our own. This week on the Discussion Phase we do some self-reflection on games that may have been better than we game them credit for and deserve a second chance. We also highlight the newest release from CMON, Dune: War for Arrakis. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the discuss...

Who ever said "no man is an island" clearly never had strong opinions about board games. This week on the Discussion Phase we pick the games we feel most by ourselves for loving, and other people may make us feel like we're the crazy ones for liking. We review the most recent title from Leder Games in Ahoy, play a game highlighting just how generic of a name some board games have, as well as highl...

Everything around us has been optimized to match us up with things that we like and products we're more likely to buy, but how do we find the right people to play board games with. This week on the Discussion Phase, we find a new tool that helps us find our perfect matches for designers, publishers, and even who to play games with. We also share our initial reviews and impressions of Oathsworn, as...

Okay so maybe not a literal line in the sand, but it makes for a good title. In the world of modern gaming it can be easy for different spheres of gaming to become a "us vs. them" situation, whether that is war gamers, those into collectible card games, role-players, or board gamers. This week on the Discussion Phase we try to identify what makes these groups of modern gamers different, but more i...

Everyone has so many subscriptions and memberships these days with everything from media all the way to food delivery, that it's often hard to keep track of it all; but what if board game publishers start adopting these same membership models? This week on the Discussion Phase we come across a top publisher's new membership program and what it might mean for the future of purchasing games. We also...

Board gaming has long been lauded as a hobby that was accessible to everyone, but have the rising costs of production, shipping, and the crowdfunding model changed that. This week on the Discussion Phase we talk about the price of admission to get into and stay into board gaming, and if it's starting to leave some people out of the party. We also review Guild of Merchant Explorers, Fjords, and Cru...

Many video games give you the opportunity to build rollercoaster theme parks, zoos, and even entire cities, but what would it be like to be responsible for a board game company. This week on the Discussion Phase we step into the shoes of board game publishers and are tasked with putting together the best game possible. We also highlight some of our favorite games and memories from Gen Con 2022. Ma...

Board game conventions are back in swing and the Discussion Phase is headed to Gen Con 2022. We highlight some our most anticipated titles to buy and demo. We also review Stars of Akarios and Age of Atlantis. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the discussion with us! https://discord.gg/WKZkT2DDNs

We can't always be the best at everything, but what do you do when it feels like no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get a win. This week on the Discussion Phase we talk about games we are still able to find enjoyment in that doesn't involve winning. We preview the new space game taking the world by storm, Stars of Akarios, as well as some upcoming Spirit Island releases. Make sure...

In a time where every game seems to need 10 different expansions and heavy complexity games are taking up most of the space on BGG's Top 100 games, simpler games are often quickly forgotten about. This week we highlight some games that give you one action, and just that one action for the entire game, but give you a lot of creative space and decision making that we think make them still worth play...

With the highly anticipated Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power show just around the corner, it had us wondering what games might rule all the others? This week we draft our one game, from many popular categories, that would be "The One Game" that we could only play for the rest of our live. We also review recent plays of Picture Perfect, Gaia Project, and Scythe; as well as share out thoughts o...

No, we're not talking about the Tango or the Waltz this week. We're talking about some of our favorite games that create great back and forth tension between players that starts to become a dance. We review recent plays of War of the Ring and City of the Big Shoulders, as well as talk about must haves in building a gaming space. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the discussion with us!...

There seems to be a trend lately of massively popular hobbyist games, such as Terraforming Mars, Gloomhaven, and now Terra Mystica, getting a "lite" version of their game made to appeal to a more mass market crowd and likely be on the self of large retailers. This week on the Discussion Phase we look at games we think would benefit from having a streamlined alternative to introduce to new or casua...

Many would likely agree that it can be very difficult sometimes to resist the urge to buy the newest expansions, modules, and packs for their favorite games. Because of course the add-ons could only ever make the game better, right? Not all board game expansions are made equal, so this week on the Discussion Phase, we draft some of our favorite expansions. We also review some recent plays of Egizi...

We've all wondered what it would be like for some of our favorite characters from books, movies, and legends to interact with one another. This week we take a look behind the curtain of Unmatched and put together lists of our most wanted characters. We also review recent plays of Magnastorm, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Brass, and Oath. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the disc...

The time has finally come, and another title by Cole Wehrle has hit Kickstarter in Arcs. This week on the Discussion Phase we do a deep dive on the history and design philosophies of Cole Wehrle, and explore what makes his designs unique. We also review recent plays of Cooper Island and Mind MGMT. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the discussion with us! https://discord.gg/WKZkT2DDNs

This week on the Discussion Phase we take up the task of putting some our favorite artists head to head, and crowning the last artist standing! We also review recent plays of 1960: Making of a President, Unmatched, and Babylonia, as well as dive into the world of 3D printing. Make sure to join us on Discord and get in on the discussion with us! https://discord.gg/WKZkT2DDNs

Every one loves a good "who done it" story where the world renowned detective is one the case. This week on the Discussion Phase, Inspector Oblivious and Detective Clueless are on the case of 10 murdered games, and try to figure out who is responsible. We also share our first impressions of Nemesis: Lockdown and Foundations of Rome. Also, you can join on Discord and get in on the discussion with u...

It's said that numbers never lie, so why not listen to what they have to say. This week on the Discussion Phase, we break down how we rate and evaluate games, which games rise to the top, and which ones are firmly cemented at the bottom. We review an epic weekend of board games, share our initial thoughts on Root: Marauder Expansion, and review Clash of Cultures. Make sure to join us on Discord an...