Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 258 we continue the 2025 countdown of our 40 favorite Board Games of all time with choices 11-20. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Chris #20 Obsession 04:18 Adam #20 Stockpile 05:42 Tim #20 Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 06:53 Chris #19 - La Granja 08:44 Adam #19 - Battle for Rokugan 09:58 Tim #19 - Fromage 12:20 Chris #18 - A Feast for Odin 15:33 Adam #18 - Star Wars Rebe...

In Episode 257 Mark Johnson from the Boardgames To Go podcast joins us to discuss Tigris & Euphrates covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on which modern era our favorite games were from and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Tycoon: India 1981 and Castles of Tuscany. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:45...

In Episode 256 we continue the 2025 countdown of our 40 favorite Board Games of all time with choices 21-30. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:54 Chris #30 Outlive 05:09 Adam #30 Brian Boru: High King of Ireland 08:22 Tim #30 Cyclades: Legendary Edition 12:58 Chris #29 - The Guild of Merchant Explorers 16:17 Adam #29 - SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD 18:29 Tim #29 - Scythe 21:37 Chris #28 - Lost Ruins of A...

In Episode 255 we start the 2025 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 31-40. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Favorite Games of All Time - How we made our lists 07:25 Chris #40 Rats of Wistar 11:01 Adam #40 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization 13:16 Tim #40 The Castles of Tuscany 14:49 Chris #39 - Wingspan 16:44 Adam #39 - Rebirth 18:18 Tim #39 - Le Havre 19:51 Chris #38 - S...

In Episode 254 we discuss games that end a little too quickly. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 03:14 Race for the Galaxy 07:23 Newton 09:57 Pirates of Maracaibo 14:10 Mycelia 19:14 Fantasy Realms / Marvel Remix 22:11 Biohack 24:36 Smartphone, Inc. 27:46 Near and Far 37:17 Distilled 42:01 Robot Quest Arena 44:12 Woodcraft / Pulsar 2849 47:13 Thunder Road: Vendetta 53:26 Sol: Last Day of a Star 56:21...

In Episode 253 we give our hot take review on Inis covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on gamer types and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Modern Art, Cribbage, and Bomb Busters. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Poll Time: What type of board gamer do you consider yourself? 08:09 Inis Description 11:50...

In Episode 252 we discuss our favorite wooden figures (meeples) in board games. We also answer a listener's question on which games are great for asynchronous play on Board Game Arena. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Great (and not so great) async BGA games - Lost Ruins of Arnak, Ark Nova, Tapestry, Revive, Harmonies, Gaia Project, Through the Ages, Blood Rage, Rats of Wistar, Azul, La Gr...

In Episode 251 we give our hot take review on Dinogenics covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on favorite publishers and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Masters of Renaissance, Cyclades: Legendary Edition, Endeavor: Deep Sea, and Finspan. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:53 Poll Time: When you listen to...

In Episode 250 we discuss the top 5 board game publishers that are represented on our game shelves. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:52 Top 5 Publishers On Our Game Shelves 06:44 Dire Wolf (Clank! Legacy, Clank! In Space, Dune: Imperium - Uprising) 08:54 Wehrlegig Games (Pax Pamir 2nd Edition, John Company 2nd Edition) 10:47 CMON Games (Blood Rage, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Rising Sun) 12:57 AEG (C...

In Episode 249 we give our hot take review on Finspan covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on favorite publishers and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Sol: Last Days of a Star, Galactic Cruise, and Pirates of Maracaibo. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Poll Time: Do you have favorite publishers? 09:53...

In Episode 248 we discuss all of the games played during the second half of our semi-annual in-person games gathering, this time in Phoenix, AZ. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Gaia Project (with The Lost Fleet) 14:50 Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods 28:36 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 33:24 Stockpile 40:07 Darwin's Journey (with Fireland Expansion) 49:50 Dune: Imperium Uprising (with Blo...

In Episode 247 we discuss all of the games played during the first half of our semi-annual in-person games gathering, this time in Phoenix, AZ. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 04:59 Finspan 08:41 Clank! Catacombs (with Lairs and Lost Chambers) 13:42 Rebirth 19:10 Rebel Princess 26:26 Power Vacuum 32:30 Flip 7 39:01 Sky Team 43:55 Frozen Frontier 51:16 Thunder Road: Vendetta 1:02:10 Cyclades: Legend...

In Episode 246 we look at the games that we feel obligated to play but aren't really excited about. The mandatory assignments that we've missed. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 The unfortunate required coursework of the board game hobbyist 04:33 Twilight Imperium 4th Edition 06:11 Tigris and Euphrates 10:40 The Crew: Deep Sea, The Crew, The Fellowship of the Ring: The Trick Taking Gam...

In Episode 245 we give our hot take review on Pirates of Maracaibo covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on Legacy Games and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Davy Jones' Locker: The Kraken Wakes, Great Western Trail: El Paso, and Crystal Palace. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:30 Poll Time: How do you...

In Episode 244 we discuss the huge number of changes that have been happening to the Board Game Geek Top 100 and what this means for the hobby. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:23 BGG Top 100 Changes 11:02 Games that have recently moved onto the list 31:56 Games that have recently left the list 39:57 What these changes mean for the hobby If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at htt...

In Episode 243 we give our hot take review on the latest expansion for Dune: Imperium, Bloodlines, covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game and discuss what we think is the best way to play Dune: Imperium now between all of the expansions, modules, and multiple standalone games available. We also talk about some games that have been on our tables including Bria...

In Episode 242 Steph Hodge joins us to discuss our top 5 quirky mechanisms in board games. You can find Steph's blog here: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/3802/all-the-meeples-of-the-rainbow and her videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@boardgamersteph Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:12 Top 5 Quirky Mechanisms 08:11 Marrakesh 11:24 Time of Empires 14:00 Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia 17:34...

In Episode 241 we each talk about 3 board games that we've played recently including Windmill Valley, Zoo Vadis, The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-taking Game, Captain Sonar and many more. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:54 No Thanks 09:52 Zoo Vadis 22:12 Black Orchestra 32:37 Captain Sonar 41:35 Torchlit 49:51 Windmill Valley 58:44 Power Vacuum 1:07:11 Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods 1:21:10 The Fel...

In Episode 240 we discuss board games that have gotten a facelift. New productions, 2nd editions, and similar topics. We also discuss a poll about leaving game groups. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:29 Poll Time: Have you ever left a game group? 10:54 Board Games That Get Facelifts 13:45 Recent Examples - Castles of Burgundy, La Granja, Brass, Kemet, Cyclades, Irish Gauge, Ethnos, Acquire, Yoko...

In Episode 239 we each talk about 5 board games that we love but can run a little longer than they should. We also discuss a poll on publicly discussing your board game interests. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Poll Time: How public are you about your board game love? 12:08 Games we enjoy that can outstay their welcome 12:28 Trailblazer: The Arizona Trail 15:51 Kabuto Sumo 19:57 Tapestry 25:...

In Episode 238 we each talk about 5 board games that have the types and level of player interaction that we really like. We also discuss a poll on whether complexity and price should have a correlation. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Poll Time: Do you correlate complexity with price? 14:02 Player Interaction 19:52 Parks (Agricola) 25:35 Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Carnegie) 30:31 Clans of Caledonia...

In Episode 237 we give our hot take review on SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We announce some board game giveaways and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Dinosaur Island, Stockpile, Guild of Merchant Explorers, and Architects of the West Kingdom: Age of Artisans. Timestamps...

In Episode 236 we discuss the decisions you make around setting up a game to make it the best possible experience for your game group including things like changes you make after random setup steps, how you pick asymmetric factions, and what expansions you add in. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Curating board game setup If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patr...

In Episode 235 we give our hot take review on The Guild of Merchant Explorers covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on how tariffs might impact board game buying habits and we discuss some games that have been on our table including Skyrise, Black Forest, Belaad, Oh No Volcano, and Slay the Spire. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Poll:...

In Episode 234 we look back at some hidden gems from 2015-2019. We each name a game that doesn't get discussed much anymore from each of these years and talk about why they deserve more attention. We also discuss some our listeners board game highlights from 2024 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Listeners Top Picks from 2024 06:28 Top 5 Overlooked Games (2015-2019) 09:20 2015 - Chaosmos 12...