Board Gamers Anonymous

This week we're talking the BGG hotness as of the end of September. Which games are hot and why? Always a fun discussion. Plus Anthony discusses the process of unpacking and learning Voidfall (it's a lot!) Acquisition Disorders: Evacuation, Flock Together - An Asymmetric Cooperative Game At the Table Reviews: Race to the Raft, Heat: Pedal to the Metal If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us...

This week we're talking about all those Roman Empire games we can't get out of our heads, plus a discussion of the Terraforming Mars AI controversy, and an announcement for upcoming NJ gaming goodness. Acquisition Disorders: Fromage, One Page War At the Table Reviews: Moon, Bullet♥︎, Ra (Deluxe Edition) If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/boardgamersanonymo...

This week we're running through the 10 best games that Simone Luciani has worked on. All the best of meeples on maps and dice for actions.  Question of the Week: In the age of board game sequels, has a new version or sequel truly killed an old game for you? How so? Acquisition Disorders: Planet Nubo, More Terraforming Mars! At the Table Reviews: Number Drop, Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game (solo)...

This week, we're talking about...games that aren't Lorcana! Specifically, we're reminiscing about some of the now defunct CCGs and TCGs that devoured our money in years past. Find out what happened to them and why it seems like every collectible card game that isn't Magic, Pokemon, or Yu Gi Oh eventually folds up shop.  Question of the Week: What's your favorite game to play in public (malls, rest...

We have a special guest this week: Geof Gambill, previously of The Longview Podcast, joins us to discuss all things gaming, including his background in the hobby, some recent reviews, and a rundown of his favorite civilization games. Acquisition Disorders: Obojima Tales from the Tall Grass: A 5E Campaign Setting, Dungeon Kart, Unsettled At the Table Reviews: Mindbug First Contact, Lost Ruins of Ar...

We're in the heart of Essen announcement season, meaning the BGG hotness is loaded with fresh new games with only tidbits of information to tie us over until the fall. Join us as we run through the top 50 on BGG's hotness list for August. Question of the Week: What's changed most about you as a gamer since you entered the hobby? Acquisition Disorders: Grand Austria Hotel: Hochsaison, Fool's Blade:...

My how time flies! It's been ten years since Board Gamers Anonymous launched, and over the course of 437 episodes, we've played a bunch of games, talked about a lot in the industry, and experienced a lot in both life and gaming. This week we're looking back, not just at the last year of episodes (as we do every summer), but at the last decade as a podcast. Thank you to everyone who has helped us g...

Gen Con 2023 was an amazing time, filled with friends, games, academic discussions, and more! Listen to our rundown of the games played, events attended, and academic conferences run during Gen Con 2023 in this week's episode. Games discussed: Terraforming Mars The Dice Game Point City Waffle Time Deep Dive War of the Ring the Card Game Keyforge Lorcana Nucleum Lost Ruins of Arnak expansion If you...

In just a few weeks, we're celebrating our 10th anniversary as a podcast, so we want to look back at the games and events that made headlines over the last decade. This week we're looking at the last ten winners of the Board Game Geek Game of the Year award.  Question of the Week: You just got a game you are super excited about—how do you convince your friends to play it? Acquisition Disorders: Un...

It's back! Our world cup bracket, this time for the Women's World Cup (Go Team USA!). This time around, we're featuring video game IP-based board games, and yes, there are a whole bunch of them. Find out which video game IP translated to cardboard (and plastic) holds up best in 2023. Question of the Week: Favorite player color and why? Acquisition Disorders: Luddite, Stonespine Architects At the T...

We're back with another episode of "Last 10", this week featuring the last 10 winners of the Kennerspiel des Jahres winners. We recorded this before 2023's winners were announced, so find out if we guessed correctly which games would win plus previews of The White Castle and Calimala's 2023 update, and reviews of Expedition and Earth.  =============== Board Game Academics is launching its first ac...

This week we're starting the first in a series of Lookback episodes to reflect on the last ten years in gaming, as we've covered it on the podcast and beyond. First up, the last 10 Spiel des Jahres winners. =============== Board Game Academics is launching its first academic journal this fall, and to celebrate, we’re holding a special one-day event at Gen Con in August. Join us live, or if you’re...

On August 2, we're launching the first ever Board Game Academics conference to celebrate the work of the researchers and academics from a range of fields and specialties. Learn more about the event, who will be speaking and what they'll be discussing in this special episode. =============== Board Game Academics is launching its first academic journal this fall, and to celebrate, we’re holding a sp...

Episode 430 is all about the Origins Game Fair, which took place this last weekend in Columbus, Ohio.  We delve into the online discussion around the event, the games that were released at the event, what new game releases look like in the age of Kickstarter, and the winners of the 2023 Origins Awards.  We also delve into previews of World Wonders and the new edition of Mystery of the Abbey curren...

This week we're looking at 20 of the hottest games and expansions being released in the next 6 months, with a rundown of why we're excited and when they're expected to hit store shelves. =============== Board Game Academics is launching its first academic journal this fall, and to celebrate we’re holding a special one day event at Gen Con in August. Join us live, or if you’re not attending the con...

This week we're looking at the IPs that should have games built around them, but for some reason, still don't, plus what types of games we'd want those to be. =============== Board Game Academics is launching its first academic journal this fall, and to celebrate we're holding a special one day event at Gen Con in August. Join us live, or if you're not attending the convention, signup for a virtua...

This week, we're looking at the top ten games from Days of Wonder, one of the all-time great publishers, both for quality and production of games, and general attention to their fans and customers. Which game comes out on top? * Question of the Week: If you could retheme one of your favorite games with one of your favorite IPs, which game/IP combo would you choose and why? * Acquisition Disorders:...

This week we're looking at the top 10 games you can take with you to the beach, on an airplane, or otherwise shove in your pocket for quick, easy gaming on the go. In addition, we're talking about the recently announced nominees for the Spiel des Jahres, the growing controversy over publisher/reviewer relationships, and a whole lot more. Acquisition Disorders: Metal Gear Solid The Board Game, Cars...

It's that time of the month again; we're back with the hottest of hotness games from BGG, discussing what games are new to the top 50, why they're there, and what to keep an eye out for. - Question of the Week: What's a game that would actually benefit from legacy/campaign treatment that hasn't gotten it yet? - Acquisition Disorders: War of the Ring The Card Game: Against the Shadow, Terrorscape -...

This week, we're looking at ten games that take on unique themes to explore mental health. These games bring awareness to the importance of mental health care, not necessarily games that will help or treat. Question of the Week: What's your favorite tie-breaking mechanism (and why)? Acquisition Disorder: Terraforming Mars Prelude 2, Barcelona At the Table Reviews: Dorfromantik, Horseless Carriage,...

We're closing out our trilogy of game award discussions with a rundown of the recently announced Origins Awards nominees. How did they do this year? Find out, plus reviews of Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game and a revisit to Rebuilding Seattle - Question of the Week: What original board game IP would best support a movie or television series? - Acquisition Disorders: Ark Nova Marine Worlds, Botany...

While we will have to wait another year for our death laser, we're still excited to talk about the 2022 Golden Geek awards nominees, recently announced on Board Game Geek. Check out our thoughts and picks from the ample list of nominees.  Question of the Week – What's your number 1 deal breaker when it comes to games? A mechanic, theme, art style, player count (or something else entirely) that tur...

The Dice Tower award nominations are in, and we're running through them all to discuss what the landscape of 2022 games looked like and which ones we might be leaning toward in the voting. Question of the Week - What's your biggest "stand up and shout" moment when playing games (good or bad)? Acquisition Disorders - Teotihuacan: City of Gods Deluxe Master Set, They Live: The Card Game - Save The C...

This week we're looking at the top 10 board games, card games, and miniature games that reflect Marvel and its comic and cinematic universes. Question of the Week - What's a game you were initially cold on but came around to after multiple plays? Do you feel the game specifically needs multiple plays (and therefore might be underrated broadly), or that you had a rough initial play? Acquisition Dis...

We take a look back at the games that performed best in 2022 in a number of categories. We know what people liked, but what did they actually buy? Plus we remember Klaus Teuber and discuss the success of the Dungeons & Dragons movie. Question of the Week: What's the highest-rated game (or games if you're feeling wordy today) on Board Game Geek that you haven't played yet, and why haven't you playe...