Pick Up and Deliver

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he played for the first time recently. Join us, won’t you? Dracula’s Feast: New Blood  (2020) Glyphics  (2022) A Gest of Robin Hood  (2024) Heat: Pedal to the Metal  (2022) What games have you tried lately? Share your thoughts over on  boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan returns to the “Great Designers” series to talk about two clever Norweigians: Kristian Amundsen Østby and Eilif Svensson. Join us, won’t you? Escape: The Curse of the Temple  (2012) (Østby only) Mammut  (2011) (Østby only) Riverside  (2021) (Svensson et al, no Østby) Revive  (2022) Trails of Tucana  (2019) Rahdo plays Trails of Tucana Kokoro: Avenue of the Kodama  (2017) Avenue  (2016) Cap...

Brendan talks about the books he read in the last three months of 2024. Join us, won’t you? The Penguin Pool Murder Awkward Guests: The Walton Case  (2016) Shakedown Sonar  (2017) Captain Sonar  (2016) Agent to the Stars Visitor in Blackwood Grove  (2018) The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients  (2014) Kingdom Of The Wicked Stuffed Fables  (2018) Zoey Is To...

Brendan shares a little bit about each of several games he dusted off in the last three months of 2024 about which he never had a chance to chat. Join us, won’t you? October 2024 –  Rummy   ( > 10 Years dusty) November 2024 –  Dixit: Journey  (2 Years, 25 Days dusty) –  Kahuna  (2 Years, 9 Months, 26 Days dusty) –  Settlers of Catan  (1 Year, 9 Months, 18 Days dusty) –  Grand Austria Hotel  (1...

Brendan does a deep-dive review of the ‘Haven games. Join us, won’t you? Pick Up & Deliver 84: Gloomhaven (Message from the Deep) ‘Haven games I talk about: Gloomhaven  (2017) Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion  (2020) Frosthaven  (2022) Complex cooperative play Spirit Island  (2017) Aeon’s End  (2016) Great use of Random-to-resolve Star Wars: Rebellion  (2016) Axis & Allies  (2004) Individualiz...

Brendan talks about what games Pisces gamers might like or be good at. Join us, won’t you? Allure.com’s “12 Zodiac Signs: Dates and Personality Traits” Intuitive The Mind  (2018) Mysterium  (2015) The Resistance  (2009) Empathetic / Sensitive Hanabi  (2010) Bärenpark  (2017) A Gentle Rain  (2021) Swimming in Opposite Directions Schotten Totten  (1999) Lost Cities  (1999) Drones vs Seagulls⁠  (2022...

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games and one expansion he played for the first time recently. Join us, won’t you? Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West  (2023) Bomb Busters  (2024) Histrio  (2016) Flash Point: Fire Rescue  (2011) What games have you tried recently? Share your plays over on  boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan looks back at a year of gaming from before he was doing the podcast, and chooses his superlative games and his top 5. Join us, won’t you? Top 5 games: Shipyard  (2009) The Resistance  (2009) Small World  (2009) Arctic Scavengers  (2009) Dungeon Lords  (2009) Superlative games: Best Two-Player Game:  Jaipur  (2009) Coolest Game:  Claustrophobia  (2009) Best Family Game:  Castle Panic  (2009...

Brendan talks about the games he played in February and the games he wants to play in March. Join us, won’t you? February Top of the Stack NEW GAME –  Capital Lux ✓ SHELF CLEARER –  Alien: Fate of the Nostromo ✓ NEW GAME 2 –  Miskatonic School for Boys ✓ Top 50 Choice –  Dungeon Petz Shelf of Opportunity My Top 50 Expand Yourshelf March Top of the Stack NEW GAME –  Resafa SHELF CLEARER –  Clue: Th...

Brendan talks about three games he played for the first time recently. Join us, won’t you? Homeworlds  (2020) Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game  (2024) Revive: Call of the Abyss  (2023) (expansion) ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo  (2021) What games have you been playing recently? Share your thoughts over on  boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan shares his “most-played games” list and talks a bit about memorable plays from last year. Join us, won’t you? Most-played games, online only 33 plays –  Pax Renaissance: 2nd Edition  (2021) 23 plays –  Daybreak  (2023) 23 plays –  Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization  (2015) 22 plays –  Gaia Project  (2017) 20 plays –  Pax Pamir: Second Edition  (2019) Most-played games, on the ta...

Brendan talks about three games he tried recently for the first time. Join us, won’t you? Slide 5  (1980) Connect Four  (1974) Slide 5  (2007) Dream Crush  (2021) Electronic Dream Phone  (1991) Mystery Date  (1965) High Society  (1995) Capital Lux  (2016) Capital Lux 2: Generations  (2020) Have you tried these games? Share your thoughts over on  boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan puts two games from the same designer next to one another and looks for similarities and differences. Join us, won’t you? Praga Caput Regni  (2020) (#23 in my top 50) Underwater Cities  (2018) (#24 in my top 50) Vladimír Suchý What do you think of these two games? Share your thoughts over on  Boardgamegeek in our guild, #3269 .

Brendan talks about three games he tried recently for the first time, and one game he revisited. Join us, won’t you? Drones vs Seagulls⁠  (2022) Schotten Totten  (1999) Risk ‘n’ Roll 2000  (1999) Survive The Island  (2024) Survive: Escape from Atlantis!  (1982) Castle Combo  (2024) What games have you tried lately? Share your plays over on  boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan shares his thoughts on several films he watched in November and December of 2024. Join us, won’t you? Penguin Pool Murder  1932 Awkward Guests: The Walton Case  (2016) Hot Frosty  2024 Santa’s Workshop  (2017) Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up  2023 Holly Jolly  (2021) In a Violent Nature  2024 Last Friday  (2016) The Bourne Supremacy  2004 Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage “Game.”  (2021) The Bou...

Brendan talks about three games he tried for the first time recently, and an expansion too! Join us, won’t you? Ink & Clues: Secrets of the Holloway Manor  (2024) Skyjo  (2015) Expansion:  Obsession: Characters Expansion  (2024) Discworld: Ankh-Morpork  (2011) What games have you played recently? Share your plays over on  Boardgamegeek in guild #3269 .

Brendan looks back at 2023 and reflects on which games are his favorite and which games deserve special recognition. Join us, won’t you? Exempted from Consideration 49.  Evacuation  (2023) Top 5 Games of 2023 Nucleum  (2023) Voidfall  (2023) Septima  (2023) Daybreak  (2023) Forest Shuffle  (2023) Superlative Games of 2023 Best Legacy Game:  Sagrada Artisans  (2023) Coolest Gimmick:  Faraway  (2023...

Brendan shares his gaming stats from January of ’25 in this premiere episode of Season 8. Join us, won’t you? Top of the Stack, January 2025 NEW GAME –  Earth  ✓ SHELF CLEARER –  Space Freaks NEW GAME 2 –  Skyjo  ✓ TRYING AGAIN CHOICE –  Badass Zombie Killer Shelf of Opportunity Expand Yourshelf T op of the Stack, February 2025 NEW GAME –  Capital Lux SHELF CLEARER –  Alien: Fate of the Nostromo N...

Brendan looks back at Season 7 as the year draws to a close. Join us, won’t you? Seven favorite episodes of season seven 636: Why Keep a Game? 617: Weird Scoring Conditions 649: Board Game Experiments 670: Nah, I’m good Top of the Stack episodes Movie Roundups  and  Reading Roundups Look Backs  at years Brendan’s gaming resolutions for season 8 Slow Down Buying Games Play More of My Favorite Games...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? - 5.  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245638 /coimbra (2018) #29 (was 37 in ’19, not present in ’22) - Chris Quilliams (ironically not Miguel Coimbra who did 7 Wonders) - 4.  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192 /wingspan (2019) #31 (down 9 from 22 in ’22) - Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo,...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? 10.  Nanty Narking  (2019) #48 (down 18 from 30 in ’22) Bartek Jędrzejewski, Grzegorz Ryszko, Jakub Skop, Miłosz Wojtasik 9.  Cerebria: The Inside World  (2018) #28 (down 13 from 15 in ’22) Pedro A. Alberto, Toby Allen, Villő Farkas, Jamie Sichel 8.  Brian Boru: High King of Ireland  (2021) #22 (n...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? 15.  Lost Ruins of Arnak  (2020) #34 (new to the list) 14.  Bärenpark  (2017) #40 (down 15 from 25 in ’22) 13.  The Hunger  (2021) #41 (new to list) 12.  Glory to Rome  (2005) #13 (new to list) 11.  Anachrony  (2017) #30 (down 22 from 8 in ’22) Top 2025 Updated 50 list revealed so far: 04.  Ark No...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? 20.  Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game  (2007) #39 (up 3 from 42 in ’22; high 20 in ’15) 19.  London (Second Edition)  (2017) #17 (down 1 from 18 in ’22; high 14 in ‘19) 18.  Res Arcana  (2019) #6 (up 13 from 19 in ’22) 17.  Gloomhaven  (2017) #11 (down 9 from 2 in ’22) 16.  Mottainai  (2015) #...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? 25.  Revive  (2022) (#16, new to list) 24.  Orléans  (2014) (#7, up 10 from 17 in ’22) 23.  Trickerion: Legends of Illusion  (2015) (#5, up 1 from 6 in ’22) 22.  A Study in Emerald  (2013) (#12, up 14 from 28 in ’22; high 1 in ’15) 21.  Ark Nova  (2021) (#4, new to list) Top 2025 Updated 50 list r...

Brendan presents his updated Top 50 games, but in order of how good their art is. Join us, won’t you? 30.  Star Wars: Rebellion  (2016) (#15, up 8 from 23 in ’22; high 5 in ’17) 29.  The Castles of Burgundy  (2011) (#26, up 19 from 45 in in ’22) 28.  Mosaic: A Story of Civilization  (2022) (#33, first time on list) 27.  Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition  (2017) (#35, first time on list) 26.  Altip...