Board Game Barrage

Well, we've returned, and some of us are a little worse for wear, but if a week off doesn't get us back into gear, nothing will. Gen Con is behind us, and Mark, who sadly couldn't make the con, quizzes us about our highlights of the show. Before we cast our minds back to Indiana, we talk about Cat in the Box, Formosa Tea , and Twilight Inscription . 02:14 - Cat in the Box 08:31 - Formosa Tea 15:32...

Given that we hyped up all those games last week, it's only fair that we prepare ourselves for the aftermath. We look back at some of the most famous and infamous games of yesteryear that were very highly anticipated, and wonder what became of them. Before we relive the comedown, we talk about Master Word , Living Forest , and Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef . 02:00 - Master Word 06:27 - Living F...

Gen Con is a week away! We're headed to Indianapolis (hope to see you there!) but before we do, we're looking down the preview list to get ourselves hyped. These are our five games we're each most excited to see at the show! Before we go Indy, we talk about Vabanque , Orongo , and Blood on the Clocktower . 02:06 - Vabanque 07:25 - Orongo 15:12 - Blood on the Clocktower 23:49 - Our most anticipated...

There's a phenomenon called twin films, where competing studios release very similar movies at the same time. We imagine the same idea in board game land, and highlight some of the biggest board game grudge matches - and judge which game we think came out on top. Before there can be only one, we talk about Viking See-Saw , Dandelions , Codex Naturalis , and Luna . 02:38 - Viking See-Saw 05:32 - Da...

Ambie Valdés, from the excellent podcast Board Game Blitz, joins us to talk about family games, and possibly also the Fast and the Furious franchise. Ambie actually has kids, so might know a little more about this than the rest of us. Kids love Vin Diesel. Before we edutain, we talk about Savannah Park , Cryptid , and Stroganov . 04:43 - Savannah Park 11:26 - Cryptid 17:51 - Stroganov 27:11 - Fami...

Well, we can't play everything, and that was probably more true ten years ago than it is now. So we thought we'd look back at the decade past, and highlight some games that we feel like we missed out on. Before we prolong our backlogs, we talk about Loot of Lima , Yosemite , and Planted: A Game of Nature & Nurture . 02:13 - Loot of Lima 09:17 - Yosemite 14:56 - Planted: A Game of Nature & Nurture...

We're spread across the world and time , so we do the thing we should never do; we put the questions to you. Yes, you! It's a mailbag episode, we're answering a trio, a trilogy, a trichopteran of your questions. Before we put in our hand and pull out a letter, we talk about Caesar!: Seize Rome in 20 Minutes! , Symphony No.9 , and Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen . 03:46 - Caesar!: Seize Rome in 20 Minu...

Yes, you could make the argument that every game is a negotiation game if you try hard enough, but for a lot of games it's more integral to the design. We look at games that we think integrate negotiation mechanics especially well, and ask how much is too much (or too little) when it comes to negotiation. Before we compromise, we talk about Septima , and Kremlin . 02:12 - Septima 18:09 - Kremlin 3...

While we tend to enjoy games across the whole spectrum, there's something particular about sinking your teeth into a really heavy game. But it's not always an easy prospect; conditions have to be just right. So what makes a heavy game worth it? Before things get heavy, we talk about Barony , Bausack , Whitehall Mystery , and Dead Reckoning . 02:14 - Barony 13:17 - Bausack 18:07 - Whitehall Mystery...

There's a lot of discourse lately about the pros and cons of negative board game coverage, and so of course we thought we ought to weigh in. Is there value in negative criticism versus positive, or should there be a balance between the two? Before we take the good with the bad, we talk about Homeworlds , Ave Caesar , and Founders of Teotihuacan . 01:42 - Homeworlds 12:39 - Ave Caesar 18:03 - Found...

It's easy to get lost in mechanical discussions of games, and forget to appreciate them as physical creations. There can be beauty in games, and we're here to get to the heart of it the only way we know, the one on one fight to the death that we call BGBBOB. Before we get skin deep, we talk about First Empires , Mille Fiori , and Foundations of Rome . 01:44 - First Empires 08:25 - Mille Fiori 16:4...

It doesn't happen as much as it does in other industries, but every so often the people at the top demand serialization. We're talking about sequels in board games, when they work, when they (super) don't, and what we'd like to see get the treatment. Before we get franchised, we talk about Next Station: London , Dawn of the Zeds (Third Edition) , and Azul: Queen's Garden . 01:23 - Next Station: Lo...

Metagaming is all about the game that exists within (and without) the game - it's everything that's not written in the rules. Whether that's something that emerges at your table, or in the community at large, it can be a big part of the social experience, and we're all for it. Before we get meta, we talk about Rum & Pirates , Box One , Shamans , and Crescent Moon . 05:00 - Rum & Pirates 11:24 - Bo...

With the middle of the year rapidly approaching, we've acquired our fair share of games that we're really itching to play. We talk about what's recently made its way into our collections that we just can't wait to get to the table. Before we break out the back scratchers, we talk about Ivanhoe , Freshwater Fly , Vindication , and Cryptid: Urban Legends . 02:23 - Ivanhoe 09:13 - Freshwater Fly 17:1...

The Golden Geek results are in for 2021, and to avoid burying the lede ... we won! We're over the moon, naturally, but we couldn't have done it without you. We celebrate by giving our takes on the rest of the awards, how we voted, and what we think about the other categories. Before we bathe in our glory, we talk about Aristocracy , Senators , and Ark Nova . 06:08 - Aristocracy 15:51 - Senators 23...

It's easy to get caught up in the cult of the new, but there are so many amazing games that came out before we were even in the hobby. Mark Bigney of So Very Wrong About Games joins us to look at the games we love from yesteryear, and other older games we really ought to play. And stick around for even more special appearances after the show! Before we go back in time, we talk about Sobek: 2 Playe...

There are many ways that we can accidentally contribute to gatekeeping in the hobby - pushing those who want to embrace it away. Whether it's to those outside, or even, bizarrely, to those already in, we break down the subtle (and unsubtle) ways we do it, whether or not we mean to. Before we find the keymaster, we talk about San Marco , Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion , and Ghosts of Christmas . 02:2...

It doesn't quite work the same, but what do you expect when Neilan's not present? Speaking of presents, it's Mark's birthday so the rest of the crew celebrate with a parade of (don't call them hot) questions, where they invent expansions, and save the planet. Before we get older, we talk about Time Barons , and The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land . 03:57 - Time Barons 13:37 - Hanabi Deluxe II 15...

It's been a little while, but we're back with the next hundred games on BoadGameGeek, and we're drafting a five game collection from them. Who ended up with the best picks? Vote and you could win a $50 gift voucher! Before things get drafty, we talk about Imperium: The Contention , Wonderland's War, and Gentes . 02:19 - Imperium: The Contention 07:20 - Wonderland's War 19:23 - Gentes 33:32 - Quant...

Does the perfect game exist? Probably not, but is that even the point? This week we discuss the elusive 10/10 rating, whether it makes sense to apply it, and what that means for rating games in general. Before we realize pobody's nerfect, we talk about Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage "Game." , Manila,  and Picture Perfect . 02:11 - Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage "Game." 12:14 - Manila 16:55 - C...

Wow, hundreds of you sent in your favourite games, and it was absolute chaos. But we got all the data together, cleaned up the typos, and crunched the numbers via a super secret algorithm, and here we are, your favourite games of all-time! For this year, at least. Before you take the stage, we talk about Schotten Totten 2 , For Science! , and The Bridges of Shangri-La . 02:17 - Schotten Totten 2 1...

There is a joy as equal in receiving a game, as moving it onto another person to enjoy. Especially, if you're Mark, when there's cash involved. We reflect on the many games that got left behind recently. Before we purge, we talk about Imperial Steam , Circus Flohcati , and Dogs of War . 02:33 - Circus Flohcati 09:37 - Imperial Steam 21:22 - Dogs of War 29:33 - Camel Up: Off Season 31:01 - Ciub 31:...

Waiting your turn is so 2021.  Simultaneous play is where it's at now. Fortunately, we got a chance to try A BUNCH of games featuring the mechanism at Dice Tower West! So, before we all hold hands and dive in all at once, we'll chat about Bear Raid , Loco! , Imperium: The Contention , and Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest . 04:30 - Bear Raid 12:18 - Loco! 18:09 - Imperium: The Contention 30:37 - Libe...

We're on the way to Dice Tower West, so we're keeping this one easy breezy with just a hot question. How many games on your shelf do you think you could teach without looking at the rulebook? Before we turn up the heat, we talk about Yokohama, Final Girl,  and Mystic Paths . 03:04 - Yokohama 11:35 - Final Girl 20:27 - Mystic Paths Check out our wiki at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/wiki Join the d...

Return of the Bob! If you don't know what a BGBBOB, boy you've missed out. Twelve games enter, and, well, they all exit, but only once they've been arranged in the appropriate order via a series of one on one fights. And fights are doubly appropriate this week, because we're battling it out in search of the best combat systems. Before we wish for peace, we talk about 7 Wonders: Architects , Kokope...