Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

Tom, Trey, Paul, and Ben discuss the 2019 release "Western Empires" as well as "On Mars," "Ticket to Ride," "Viticulture," and "Food Chain Magnate."

Ben and Matt revisit Grand Austria Hotel with the Let's Waltz expansion before doing a deep dive with their initial impressions of the 2022 release John Company, Second Edition by Cole Wehrle.  Afterwards, they discuss the expectations they carry — perhaps unfairly — into a game night.

Now that we've finally notched some in-person plays The Transcontinental and Carnegie, we share our thoughts about what's changed in person versus online.  Plus, we talk about the modular game boards that pique our interest and recent plays of Tzolkin, Fresh Fish, and Ethnos.

00:00:00 Introduction: A discussion of Cossacks and the Steppe 00:04:30 Avalon Poll results and discussion Tom calls our listeners "trolls" and compares them to the "Silent Majority." 00:08:20 Game Night Highly abbreviated Avalon discussion 00:09:30 Wormholes Trajan More highly abbreviated Avalon talk wiithout talking about the actual game. Underwater Cities Ben does a Paul imp...

Ben, Candice, and Paul review "1848: Australia" and then discuss how to demystify the 18xx genre. 0:00;00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Omnigamer Candice and Gamebreaker Paul: Railways of Australia, 1848, 18xx, Avalon, Tank Duel, TI4, Die Macher, Tribune 0:09:07 - This Week’s Game Night: Eclipse; Eclipse: Second Dawn; (TI) Tzolk’in (Tribes expansion) Pax Pamir 2nd ed, The Climbers, (Santi...

Ben and Paul make up for episodes of neglected game sommelier segments with this mega roundup of questions we're overdue to answer. 0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben and Paul  0:04;39 - This Week’s Game Night: 1848, Dice Realms, Taverns of Tiefenthal, (Russian Railroads) 18Ireland  0:23:11 - Board Game Sommelier 0:24:10: Games for an Adult Community: Scrabble, Catan, Wavelength, Tichu, Tele...

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Tom, Candice and Mike 0:09:57 - This Week’s Game Night: Carnegie Deluxe (Gingkopolis, Carson City, Troyes,) Time of Crisis, (Railways of the World) Battle for Rokogon, Dale of Merchants, (El Grande, Babylonia, Wiz War) 0:30:00-  Game News: BGG Con 2022, (Ark Nova, Messina) Cat in the Box, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Undaunted: Reinforcements, (Undaunted: Normandy, Undaun...

Trey is joined by Tom and RPG designer jim pinto to review Root and explore asymmetry in games. 0:00:00 Message about audio quality 0:01:08 Introduction jim pinto at Post World Games A Good Book for Bad GMs Dogs in the Vinyard 0:20:50 Game Night   Clank: A Deck-Building Adventure The Hunger Ricochet Robots The Resistance: Avalon Shadows over Camelot Glass Road Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in T...

Ben, Dmitry, and Paul discuss the 2012 game "Ginkgopolis" as well as its expansion "Ginkgopolis: The Experts."  Plus, what makes us want to give a game a second chance. 0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Philosophical Gamer Dmitry, and Game Breaker Paul. 0:04:29 - This Week’s Game Nights: Avalon, Lowlands, Ark Nova, Time of Crisis, (Food Chain Magnate) Caesar!, (Blitzkrieg!)...

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Game Enthusiast Matt #1, Game BreakerPaul and Game Designer Trey. 0:03:45 - This Week’s Game Night: Perseverance, Crescent Moon (Root, Oath, Pax games) Agricola 0:13:03 - This Week’s Game News: Azul, Master Chocolatier; Origins reinstates mask requirements; Awaken Realms Castles of Burgundy (Castles of Mad King Ludwig); Evergreen (Photosynthesis) 0:28:50 - Games on...

0:00 INTRO 10:33 GAME NIGHT Perseverance Avalon Crescent Moon Crisis Scapegoat Letter Jam Foundations of Rome Nemesis: Lockdown 56:00 GAME NEWS Cardboard Creations Trailblazer The Thing Dragonlance 1:10:00 REVIEW: CRISIS 1:42:48 MEMBER SEGMENT: THE SEMI-COOP GAME 2:09: 30 WRAP-UP

Just a quick note that this week's episode will drop on Wednesday instead of the usual Monday. Thanks for your patience!

Trey is joined by Tom and Dmitry to review Libertalia:Winds of Galecrest and discuss Simultaneous Action Selection. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:05:02 Game Night   Avalon Crisis Lignum (Teotihuacan, Caylus) 0:29:10 Game News Terraforming Mars FREE Desperation (Fiasco, Durance, Winterhorn)  Orenberger Canal (Ora et Labora, Le Havre) Ra Sleeping Gods,: Distant Skies MCDM Monster Book Autobahn Age of Steam...

Ben, Paul, and Candice review "Railways of the World" and then discuss what makes a game "fun-forward." 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:02 - Game Night —00:05:21 - Lorenzo il magnfico —00:09:15 - Avalon —00:09:58 - Crisis —00:15:57 - Forged in Steel —00:18:49 - Survive: Escape from Atlantis —00:20:58 - Tapestry —00:21:43 - 18Ireland 00:23:47 - Game News —00:24:00 - Oranienburger Kanal —...

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Your Host Tom,  Matt, the Game Enthusiast, and Dmitry, the Philosophical Gamer: Agricola, Avalon  0:10:10 - This Week’s Game News: Golden Geek Best Podcast Nomination, Thinker Themer and Viniculture, Autobahn (Kanban, Hanse Teutonica, Calimali, Newton, Darwin’s Journey) Arcs (Oath, John Company, Pax Pamir, El Grande, Taj Mahal, Conduttier) Septima (Brian Boru, Liber...

Ben, Paul, and Elder give their first impressions of the upcoming release, "Hegemony." 0:00:00 - Intro: Welcome Ben, Paul, and Elder: Perseverance, Anachrony, Cerebrea, Trickerion, Iberian Gauge, Crisis,Brick and Mortar, City of the Big Shoulders, New Amsterdam, Dinogenics, Dino Island, 0:21:53 - Early Impressions of Hegemony 1:54:20 - Sign Off: kirbooloni.com Hegemony late pledges

Trey and Matt welcome Lumin Sperling and look at the numbers that drive competitive Agricola play. Agricola Revised Edition Lumin_S on Twitch Agricola on BoardGameArena play-agricola.com Agricola 15 Stats on BGA -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram

Ben, Trey, and Paul review "Arkwright: The Card Game" and then discuss what they look for and want from "card games." 0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Trey, the Game Designer, and Paul, the Game Breaker 0:02:51 - This Week's Game Night: Agricola, Panamax, Hegemony, Le Havre, Evil Stepmother Playtest, Ark Nova, DC's Labyrinth Games FLGS, Roads and Boats, Secret Hitler,...

INTROS: 0:00 GAME NIGHT: 09:07 Ark Nova, Messina 1347, Red Flags Over Paris, Taverns of Tiefenthal, Avalon, Panamax, Wingspan, Imperial Struggle. GAME NEWS: 21:16 Cardboard Creations, Ukranian Game Designers, Tamashii, Twin Palms, Explorers, Eastern Empires. GAME REVIEW: 44:51 Poetry for Neanderthals, Stay Cool, Letter Jam, Inhuman Conditions, So Clover. MEMBER SEGMENT: 1:33:34 Games where you pla...

Ben, Candice, and Dmitry review "Civilization: A New Dawn" with the "Terra Incognita" expansion and then discuss "Ferrari Games." 0:00:00 - Intro: Welcome Candice, the Omni Gamer and Dmitry, the Philosophical Gamer 0:04:48 - This Week’s Game Night: Ark Nova, Messina 1347, So Clover, Just One, Code Names, Decrypto, Avalon, Burn Cycle, Der Spiegelstadt, (Jorgen) Nicea,...

0:00:00 - Intro: Welcome Tom and Jennifer, the Game Pioneer 0:08:57 - This Week’s Game Night: Bitoku, Ark Nova, Gaslands, Watch What Crappens, Barrage, Tichu 0:17:06 - This Week's Game News: Overisles; Unsettled; Trey Parker's Top Ten - Western Legends, Merchants and Marauders, Abomination, Fury of Dracula, Robinson Crusoe, Auztralia, Alchemists, Star Wars Rebellion/War of the Ring, Sub...

Trey, Paul, and Matt review "Terra Mystica" and ask "What makes a game competitive?" 00:00:00 Introduction Watch What Crappens 00:05:15 Game Night -  Agricola    -    EconSean    -    RaniorGames    -    Lumin Sperling -  Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory -  Can't Stop -  Gaia Project -  Clans of Caledonia -  Ark Nova -  Through the Ages -  Modern Art -  Show Manager 00...

Ben, Dmitry, and Paul look at the 2019 game "Art Decko" and then discuss games as social experiences. 0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, the Opinionated Gamer, Dmitry, the Philosophical Gamer, and Paul, the Game Breaker 0:08:39 - This Week’s Game Night: Tichu, Gaia Project, Can’t Stop (Just One, Code Names) Wordle, (Terra Mystica) Hegemony 0:23:30 - Game News: Concordia on Nintendo Swi...

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Tom, Jake, the Casual Gamer, and Dmitry, the Philosophical Gamer. 0:09:36 - This Week’s Game Night - Alien Fire Team Elite, Tichu on BGA, Wordle 0:29:01 - This Week’s Game News, Wavelength App, Barrage New Map, (Hanse Teutonica) Pilgrim, (18xx, Age of Steam, Tokyo Metro, Underground) Libertalia: Winds of Gale Crest (Vasco deGama, Ethnos) 0:42:00 - Review of Furnace:...