Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

Ben and Jordan talk about recent plays of Inventions, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium, Arcs, and Resist.  Plus, discussion about space games — what does the concept of space bring to a game, and what makes a game a SPACE GAME (as opposed to a game set in space). Notations to come.

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Inventions, Terraforming Mars, and City of the Big Shoulders.  Then they do a deep dive about finger etiquette and games: why does it bother us, how do we address bad behavior, and what are the most common mistakes.  Shots will be fired.  Takes will be hot. 00:00 - Intro 02:33 - Inventions 14:47 - Western Empires / Mega Empires 23:25 - Terraforming Mars 29:3...

Tom, Jordan, and Ben discuss games they had shrugged off but later came to love.  Plus, recent plays of Imperium Horizons, Legacies, and El Grande. 00:00 - Intro 00:06 - Legacies 26:11 - Avalon 29:14 - El Grande 34:14 - Franchise 39:31 - Second Wind Games 41:51 - Modern Art 46:26 - Imperium Horizons 54:37 - Dune Imperium: Uprising 01:02:22 - Android: Netrunner 01:08:42 - Black Angel 01:14:26 - A F...

Trey, Ben, and Dmitry review the 2024 release Let's Go To Japan . 0:00:00 Introduction Watch What Crappens wins Best Pop Culture Podcast The Traitors 0:08:48 Games on the Brain Baseball Highlights 2045 on Gamefound Star Wars: Unlimited Try online at Force Table Netrunner at Nullsignal.games Knarr Marrakesh Cuzco 00:51:30 Game Review : Let's Go to Japan Stationfall Santa Monica -  Find Et...

Ben, Matt, and Paul sit down to talk about games they're going deep with (Root), and games that are brutalizing them (Cuzco).  And everything in between. 00:08:04 - Traitors & Avalon 00:14:10 - Root 00:39:34 - Franchise 00:50:36 - Netrunner 01:07:10 - Cuzco 01:25:00 - Dinosaur Gauge 01:29:49 - Legacies 01:36:52 - Lunar 01:38:00 - Tournament at Avalon, Mino Dice 01:40:00 - Boon Lake: Artif...

Special guest Jennifer Schlickbernd joins Trey to review Thunder Road: Vendetta and discuss starter modes in boardgames. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:35 Recent Plays Merkator Arborea Pirates of Maricaibo 20 Strong kCaloria launches on Kickstarter 0:27:10 Game Review: Thunder Road: Vendetta Car Wars (1981) Thunder Road (1986) The White Castle (2023) 0:56:45 Discussion - Learning Modes in Games Evacuat...

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Bloodstones, Bruxelles 1893, and Apiary. Then they try to figure out what's the best way for a group to select a game to play. Is it a democratic process?  A dictatorial one? Or maybe just a roll of the dice. 15:47 - Apiary 19:22 - Horseless Carriage 23:20 - Bruxelles 1893: The Belle Epoque 36:03 - Bloodstones 51:55 - How to choose a game?

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our list of the best boardgames of 2023! 0:00:00 Introduction 0:05:10 Contest Results Sol: Last Days of a Star 0:18:35 Game Brain's Top Boardgames of 2023 0:20:04 T16 Great Western Trail: New Zealand 0:25:20 T16 Inferno Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-1261 0:27:30 T13 Bloodstones 0:29:00 T13 Scholars of the South Tigris 0:32:00 T13 Thunde...

Ben and Paul catch up on the games they played over the 2023 holiday break.  Afterwards they reflect on their favorite play sessions and new-to-them games.  Strangely enough, they seem to gravitate towards their favorite meltdowns, which is a commentary on something, not sure what. Games discussed include Marrakesh, Dude, K2, Age of Steam, and Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight. Timestamps t...

Trey, Tom,  and Ben review Evacuation as we evacuate 2023. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:05:22 Recent Plays Agricola Forbidden Stars Bloodstones Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight Daybreak Enter the contest to win a copy of Sol:Last Days of a Star email us at contact@gamebrainpod.com 0:51:10 Game Review: Evacuation The games of Vladimir Suchý -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook...

Ben, Trey, and Jordan discuss the city-building, dynamic economy game Kutná Hora: The City of Silver.  Plus recent plays of Horseless Carriage, Nucleum, and more.

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our 200th episode and revisit our favorite games from our time on the podcast. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:05:45 BGGCon Report Sol: Last Days of a Star Tabletop Network Daimyo: Battle for Japan Rats of Wistar Kutná Hora: The City of Silver Apiary Space BEES! Evacuation White Castle kCaloria 0:58:00 Other Plays Ur: 1830 BC Septima Evenfall 1:16:05 Our Favorite Ga...

A new Solo Mode has arrived, just in time for Matt to take you down the rabbit hole of Earthborne Rangers and the current LCG renaissance. 

Ben catches up with Ken Kuhn of GMT Games, who talks about his company, what's coming down the pipeline, and of course 18XX (and war games too!).  They also chat about recent plays of Sky Team, Evacuation, 535, Kutná Hora, The Plum Island Horror, Arborea, and 1880. Time codes to come!

Tom and Trey review The White Castle, discuss what makes a game "elegant," and they each give their top 10 Elegant Games.  0:00:00 Introduction Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle BGGCon Tabletop Network Rats of Wistar 0:16:50 Quick Discussion of  Elegance The Gallerist Thunder Road: Vendetta 0:25:45 Game Review : The White Castle 0:56:30 Our Top 10 Elegant Games -  Find Etamar at kirb...

Tom and Elder talk about their early play(s) of Nucleum, and other recent games of note. 

Ben and Trey discuss direct aggression: how does it make them feel, when does it work, and how should it be managed.  Plus, discussions of Coffee Traders, Voodoo Prince, and Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem 0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:35 Games on the Brain Coffee Traders Here I Stand Voodoo Prince Great Western Trail New Zealand Lorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi Conspiracy Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem...

Ben, Candice, and Jordan discuss some early initial impressions of  Voidfall , the new game from Mindclash.  This is not a review - just some thoughts :)  Plus, some chat about recent plays and playtests! 00:02:27 - Trajan 00:10:57 - Age of Innovation & Gaia Project 00:15:06 - Skymines 00:20:48 - Great Western Trail NZ 00:27:11 - 18EUS 00:33:50 - Voidfall 01:19:45 - Here I Stand

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Oathsworn, Here I Stand, and Tortuga 1667.  Then we go deeper with the 2023 English release of The Rich and the Good (formerly Hab & Gut). 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:23 - Oathsworn 00:26:56 - Tortuga 1667 00:35:16 - Age of Innovation update 00:45:31 - Magnate: The First City 00:56:14 - Lorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi Conspiracy 01:05:06 - Here I Stand 01:17:58...

Tom and Trey talk about lots of newer plays, their Strategicon weekend, and review the new Great Western Trail game: New Zealand! 0:00:00 Introduction Strategicon Review Crisis MCDM RPG Ninja Star Games Reputation Anachrony Age of Innovation 0:27:00 Tom's Essen Preview Among Cultists The White Castle Evacuation Reworld Shipyard 2nd Ed. 0:40:30 Review: Great Western Trail New Zealand 1:21:05 F...

Tom, Matt, and Trey go on an epic journey to the Aegean Sea. 0:00:00 Introduction Dune Imperium 0:11:27 Voidfall 0:29:57 Review: Aegean Sea Innovation Glory to Rome -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram

Matt Robinson is back from his summer travels, and he's psyched to discuss his first play of Great Western Trail New Zealand .  Ben follows up with revised thoughts about Skymines. Matt then previews Voidfall , and the two share their initial thoughts on Age of Innovation . Plus:  CoraQuest , Lowlands , and The Rich and the Good . Timestamps to come.

Trey, Tom, and Jordan take a first look at Age of Innovation. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:05:00 Games on the Brain The Crew 10 Days in the USA Dead Last The Barracks Emperors Savage Bowl Le Plateau Tichu (again!) Iocane Productions on Facebook Disney Lorcana Last Light Imperium: The Contention Reacting to the Past 0:51:05 First Impressions: The Age of Innovation Terra Mystica Gaia Project Terra Nova Cl...