Play Games, Lose Friends

The temperature is getting hotter outside, and it's heating up in the game room as the guys square off against two worthy opponents in Guards of Atlantis II. Ken introduces Ryan to Alibis, and they finally, FINALLY get to play Abyss. Some older classics are revisited including Fort, Ark Nova and War Chest. Ryan and Ken both fall in love with Rebel Princess. Games Discussed Abyss Startups Guard of...

The guys chat about a huge list of played games, from Root to Doomlings to Finspan! Ryan's got a short update on the status of The Old King's Crown campaign, and Ken shares his healthy haul of spring shopping for new and old games alike. Games Discussed River of Gold Viticulture Root Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 Distilled Vagrantsong Doomlings Finspan Altered The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Ea...

The boys are back and Ryan's basement is nearly complete, so the recording can resume regularly, and the unveiling of Ken's animatronic nightmare game parlor took place! Plenty of new titles were tried, including Altay: Dawn of Civilization, Nocturne, Orchicalcum and more! Listen in to hear what Ken and Ryan thought, including some winners, some losers, and some that really intrigued them. Games D...

Ryan and Ken kicked off 2025 with a slew of games, some old and some new! The guys cover Ra and Arcs in greater detail, and pick apart a few new titles (to them) that they played on two separate occasions with their partners. Ken's youngest continues to enjoy discovering gaming with Dad, and Ryan's excited to show Ken just how good River of Gold is. Games Discussed Ra Arcs Spellbook River Valley G...

It's that time of year again! PAX Unplugged 2024 came and went, and Ryan and Ken share their thoughts on the show, some silly statistics, and recount TWENTY different games played, many of which were new experiences for the group! There were a whole lot of trick takers, some heavy strategy games, and a new tactical masterpiece. Listen in and learn what might be on your holiday shopping list for ne...

Ken and Ryan give a slew of first impressions for a bunch of small-box games they've picked up and played in the last few months, and there are a couple favorites in the bunch. Ryan's absolutely hooked on Dune: Imperium's digital implementation (including the new Rise of Ix expansion) and Ken continues to place in the top of his Lorcana league. The guys also highlight their top five releases that...

After putting it off for far too long, the guys finally play Dune: Imperium and kick themselves for not trying it sooner. Ken shares Delta with the game group, a crowdfunded hand and resource management title from 2023, and the guys share their first impressions. Ryan's Tichu redemption arc starts, and Ken informs on the fact that they may not have been playing by the rules at all! Some interestin...

Ken, Ryan, and the rest of their game group pulled off a game day with five new titles! Ryan was chewing his nails in a close race of Thunder Road: Vendetta, while Ken experienced a Marvel Villainous game he didn't quite bargain for. Ryan was also happy to get Distilled to the table, while Ken introduced the group to an all-time classic trick taker in Tichu. Many beers and Ham Slammies were consum...

Fifty episodes and still going strong! Ryan and Ken finally get to crack open two much-anticipated Leder Games titles in Root and Ahoy and first impressions are discussed. The guys played two games of 3000 Scoundrels and share their thoughts. Ken brings home the gold in his first Star Wars Unlimited: Shadows of the Galaxy tournament, and Ryan picks up Kutna Hora: The City of Silver and gives it a...

Summer is in full effect, and the sweltering weather has driven Ryan and Ken indoors to slam some games! Expeditions gets the official review treatment and the guys are joined by Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games to talk about all things Stonemaier, as well as Jamey's journey to game designer, publisher, and entrepreneur. Some upcoming Stonemaier titles are discussed, and more goodies, so listen...

The boys are back with some new plays, including the infamous Food Chain Magnate! After putting it on his shelf nearly two years ago and being intimidated by it, Ryan got it on the table and the game group ate it up. Ken provides a big Disney Lorcana update, including some once-in-a-nerd's lifetime luck with Enchanted cards. A recently fulfilled Kickstarter game, Mercurial, gets some play and the...

Life finds a way... to destroy our recording schedule! Ryan and Ken are back after a long haitus, and you'll hear why. The top 50 gets wrapped up and the guys discuss the beautiful new art in the Wingspan Fan Art Pack, provided to the show by Stonemaier Games. Welcome back and on to the next! Games Discussed Wingspan Visit us at  https://shows.acast.com/playgameslosefriends  for more epi...

The guys continue to count down their top 50, with some surprising new additions to their lists. Ryan and Ken talk about a new-ish trick taker in Holly Oak, by the masterful Tom Lehmann. Ken falls in love with Honey Buzz by trouncing the group for his first win, and Ryan is happy because Renature finally hit the table surface. Some listener advice hopefully helps those in need when deciding what t...

The list continues, this time covering quite a few changes and new additions from last year's list. Ryan and Ken played quite a bit together to celebrate Ken's birthday, including four new titles, two of which were birthday gifts! Ken really, really disliked Sol: Last Days of a Star, but he was mostly alone in that sentiment. Ryan and Ken fell in love with a new trick-taker and finally find a hidd...

It's a new year and that means it's time to revisit our Top 50 of all time! Ken and Ryan take a look at 50-41, and as expected Ken still hates where Ryan has Wingspan ranked. The guys played a whole slew of new games, including a new crowdfunded buzz game in Bloodstones. Ken shares his feelings on The White Castle, Ryan got some Spirit Island in with his favorite co-op partner, and both share thei...

Ken and Ryan recant the games they loved from 2023, both new releases and their personal favorites from 2023 and past years. Ken laments about lack of time for games, and Ryan pushes BGA to no avail, but has been really enjoying it himself. The guys discuss a long played list and a super solid deckbuilder of the digital variety. On to 2024 and more gaming! Top 5 2023 Releases Ryan The White Castle...

The less-than-dynamic duo went to PAX Unplugged and as usual had a fantastic experience. Ken got skunked on promos but scored a whole bunch of Lorcana, and Ryan came home with all of the games on his must-buy list. Plenty of games were played over the weekend, including some notable new releases, and a few of the 2023-fulfilled Kickstarters also saw some table time. Huge thanks to the PAX folks fo...

It's that time of year again! The guys are heading to PAX Unplugged and have their games ready to go. Shopping lists are discussed and some new predictions are on the table as well. Ken went on an epic Black Friday shopping spree at one of his favorite stores and Ryan held off to save budget to shop on the PAX expo floor. There was some major gaming happening over the Thanksgiving holiday as...

The guys are back and reviewing two games this episode while enjoying some fine brews! Stonemaier Games was kind enough to provide the show with a review copy of Between Two Cities: Essential Edition, and a highly-anticipated Kickstarter copy of Wild Realms arrived and hit the table last game night. A deeper look into Deep Rock Galactic is discussed, Ryan finally got to play Honey Buzz, and the bo...

IT HAPPENED! David Thompson, of War Chest and Undaunted fame, joined Ryan and Ken to let them nerd out over David's work, and find out more about what drives him as a designer and where his love for history in gaming was born. The guys talk about another engaging game of The Old King's Crown, and have some new trick-takers in their midst to play. Ryan's wallet is opening as fast as...

Have you ever crowdfunded a game, waited over a year for fulfillment, bust the shrink once you get it, and then drool a little as you marvel at your new toy? And then promptly shelve the game and wait eagerly for your first play? Yea, we thought so, and welcome to the club. Ryan and Ken commiserate over their current top 5 games they really, REALLY want to play from those shelves, despite the cons...

Ryan and Ken sit down by the castle hearth and chat with Pablo Clark from Eerie Idol Games, lead designer and artist on an upcoming Kickstarter campaign that has both very excited. Pablo shares with us his experiences in designing the game, inspirations of his unique and stunning art style, and shares some details about the upcoming campaign on October 24th, 2023 (go back it!). Ryan started backin...

The guys finally sit down and hash out where on the doll the Eurogames hurt Ken. A Lorcana update helps give an inside view on the pandemonium that has been afoot, and both Ken and Ryan had some separate game time with family and friends and lots of new teaches. Ryan continues to struggle to conquer the Dark Tower, while Ken scored some sweet deals on some modern lightweight classics. Lastly, the...

Ken is taking the plunge into Lorcana through a new league he's joined, and the guys talk about what that means for Ken's time and wallet. Ryan's sick of being burned by crowdfunding and so the inevitable discussion ensues on the merits for, and detriments against, Kickstarter and its ilk. Lots of games were played thanks to an ADGD (All-day Game Day), so listen in and find out whic...

Ken and Ryan and their game group have started a new narrative campaign game for the second half of 2023, and Ken brought Lands of Galzyr to the fray. The guys discuss first impressions of the narrative-driven gameplay, and dive into what makes a campaign game great for them. A Tapestry contest winner gets announced, and there's quite the list of games played! Games Discussed Lands of Galzyr...