Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

Jordan and Paul review the latest expansions for the classic game of woodland warfare. 

Ben, Trey, and Paul break down recent plays of Railway Boom and Dogs of War. Then the trio launches into the discussion for this week: what does generosity look like at game night, and how do we aspire to be generous?

Matt and Jordan are joined by David and Corluka to discuss the indie TCG, Sorcery: Contested Realm. Is it the greatest thing to happen to TCG's since early MTG? Or is it just another (VERY) pretty face?  How To Play Sorcery: Contested Realm (with Matt and Jordan): https://youtu.be/0voIN8W3CrU?si=o24xvuSmpCdY69W1

Ben, Jordan, and Paul convene in their coziest garb to talk about the coziest game of a very cozy 2026: Nippon Zaibatsu!  Well, cozy except for all the vicious area control and internal sobbing. We're talking about all the changes to the OG Nippon from 2015, and Jordan has a very specific and deserved beef to share.  Plus, Tenby, The Treasure Ship of Zheng He, QE, and [insert spooky music] So...

Matt, Paul and Jordan put on their wetsuits and dive into Feya's Swamp. Do you see what I did there? Dive into. Wetsuits. That's right, it's a swamp joke, ya'll. 

Ben, Trey, & Paul review the 2025 game Stupor Mundi 0:00:00 Introduction Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above.  Keyside The Vibe Detective Club Auf Teufel komm raus (Cabbages & Curses) Terraforming Mars 00:51:50 Game Review : Stupor Mundi Discord link: https://discord.gg/9e7QvC9S (good for only 7 days) -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Instagram

Matt and Paul review the asymmetric heavy deck building game Star Trek: Captain's Chair as well as discuss the differences between CC and the Imperium series.

Ben, Trey, and Paul review the 2025 reimplementation of March of the Ants: Evolved Edition 0:00:00 Introduction 0:03:35 Stupor Mundi 0:14:31 Kingdom Crossing 0:27:47 Agricola Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die 00:35:51 Game Review : March of the Ants: Evolved Edition -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Instagram

Trey, Tom, and Jordan review the 2025 expansion Clans of Caledonia: Industria. 0:00:00 Introduction Year of the Serpent Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Youtube - Play it Again channel 00:08:22 Game Review : Clans of Caledonia: Industria Terra Mystica Age of Innovation Gaia Project: The Lost Fleet -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Instagram

On a very special episode of Game Brain, Matthew, Ben, Trey, Paul and Jordan come together to take you through their Top Ten board games of 2025. 

Ben, Trey, and Paul review the 2024 narrative-driven game "Tales of the Arthurian Knights."  Paul says it's not even a game. Could it possibly be good? (yes)  Also recent plays of "March of the Ants," "Indonesia 3rd Edition," and "Secret Hitler." 00:00 - Intro 11:08 - March of the Ants, Evolved Edition 27:37 - Indonesia, 3rd Edition 41:39 - 18Chesapeake...

Ben, Trey, and Jordan discuss the new action selection minigame speculation bonanza Ayar: Children of the Sun.  Plus discussion of Agent Avenue, Twilight Imperium Thunder's Edge, Silos, and A Place for All My Books. 00:00 - Intro / Traitors 9:20 - Silos 18:46 - Agent Avenue 31:36 - Pacts 35:36 - A Place for All My Books 44:11 - Twilight Imperium Thunder's Edge 57:49 - Ayar: Children of t...

Matt and Jordan review Old King's Crown, the impressive lane battling asymmetric card flipping game from first time designer Pablo Clark. 

Ben and Paul are here to save your holiday season! Need a game to buy for that special someone?  Or even that UNspecial someone? We have some ideas for you. Plus, some strategies for how to teach games to the most stubborn, unfocused, and downright difficult people of all time: your family. 00:00 - Intro 04:00 - Recent Plays 04:12 - Food Chain Magnate 17:17 - Ito 22:36 - Ayar, Shinjuku, and Tag Te...

Matty introduces you to the neat world of Kingdom Death on your compooter. Watch the pod on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q3Bf7JYMhJQ Check the game out here: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/

Matt, Ben, Trey, Tom and Jordan travel to Dallas, Texas for BGG.CON 2025 and don't see the sun for four entire days. Many games were played, all were enjoyed. Well, almost all. 

Ben, Trey, and Paul review the new Vital Lacerda board game Speakeasy. Plus, recent plays of The Old King's Crown and Night Soil. 00:00 - Intro 03:55 - The Old King's Crown 11:16 - Night Soil 18:40 - 18Cuba 19:20 - Speakeasy

It's been two years since the last Solo Mode! How did that happen? Who cares! Stop harping on it. Let's move past it with love and kindness.  Anyhoo here are the 10 Best solo modes I've played since the last Solo Mode Episode. Which was two years ago. We know, Jesus, get over it.

Matt, Trey and Jordan take a look at Matt Leacock's Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship, discuss multiplayer co-ops and dive into this year's Essen crop.  You can also watch this whole episode live on our Youtube channel! https://youtu.be/IbkiM4ZLdNg

Ben and Paul do a deep dive review on the cozy, classic-feeling worker placement game Oranges & Lemons.  Plus, recent plays of Cargo Empire, Spicy, Fromage, Kites, Ito, and Guards of Atlantis II. 00:00 Intro 04:08 Kites 09:35 Cargo Empire 15:49 Guards of Atlantis II 28:02 Spicy 34:56 Fromage 39:50 Ito 48:19 Review game - Oranges & Lemons

Ben and Jordan check in on some recent game sessions - some short, some long, and some VERY long.  Ben has some things to say about hot new games  Lightning Train and  Shinjuku .  Jordan then shares some impressions about  1817  and Defense of Procyon III .  Plus, an epic breakdown of another epic  Twilight Imperium session, and we wrap things up with the game that maybe made us happiest:  Hot Str...

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Eclipse, Scape Goat, and 23 Knives. Plus, the two explore the question: what happens if game night becomes stale?  00:00 Intro 04:50 Eclipse 13:56 Land & Freedom 17:28 Scape Goat 32:39 Man-Eating House 38:31 Gadget Trick 42:15 Age of Innovation 44:10 Ito 47:08 23 Knives 59:42 Dune / Discussion topic: how to revitalize game night

Matt is back on the pod for a very big rundown of some noteworthy game sessions: some amazing, others not so much.  Matt, Jordan, and Ben are going around the horn with a chunky board game roundup. 00:00 Intro 03:12 Daggerheart 18:01 Fiasco 21:08 Transgalactica 30:03 Corps of Discovery / Manifest Destiny 36:55 Oranges & Lemons 45:27 Toy Battle 52:56 Nusfjord 01:01:10 Dune Imperium Uprising 01:...

Ben, Paul, and Trey discuss first impressions of two big games: Moon Colony Bloodbath and Endeavor Deep Sea. Somehow, we all got mad at each other in each game. Fun! We also chat about recent game plays of Dune Imperium and Wavelength, and extra bonus: the return of Games on the Brain! 00:00 Intro 00:57 Game Rooms 08:05 Dune Imperium 21:44 Wavelength 33:49 Ito 41:37 Landmarks of the Lost Atlas 51:...

Ben, Paul, and Jordan go deep on the color-coded agony machine that is Asian Tigers.  Plus, chatter about Ito, We All Take From the River, and Elder Scrolls. 00:00 Intro 05:21 Elder Scrolls 12:59 Ito 33:13 Rail on the Hill 38:19 Founders of Gloomhaven 41:55 Mr. Pai Pai 44:17 Gibberers 53:06 We All Take From The River 01:05:53 Guards of Atlantis, Land and Freedom updates 01:07:33 Asian Tigers revie...