Play Games, Lose Friends

Yep, still alive, and still recording! Ryan and Ken are back to discuss their long played list as summer gets underway and game time starts becoming even more of a luxury, planned around vacations and activities. The guys explore a fun topic, discussing why we're more prone to play lots of new games once or twice rather than a single title a dozen times or more. Ken's been buying and bac...

The guys had a game day! And then several game nights... This is what happens when no recording happens for a full month. But hey, that's more games to cover! A full lineup gets discussed, and there's a surprise hit in the mix. Ken has all of Tapestry, and all of Tapestry got to the tabletop to be played. First impressions are laid down, but neither Ryan or Ken feel like it's time f...

Want to know more about Mindbug and the Kickstarter campaign for Mindbug Beyond? Well look (and listen) no further, as Ryan and Ken bugged the mind (enough puns, please) of lead designer Marvin Hegen! Marvin dives in and gives an overview of the active campaign, what folks can expect from the new standalone sets, and regales us all with his tales of meeting a childhood game design idol in Richard...

Looking to get someone else into the hobby you hold so dear? Ryan and Ken give their top 5 intro games, and manage to span a whole bunch of board game mechanics in the process. The guys review a great intro game in Draftosaurus, and talk about why it's so approachable. Ryan finds some joy in War of the Ring: The Card Game, but not as much as he expected to. Ken slowed down the crowdfunding bu...

Ryan and Ken are graced by the Wyrd wonder Kyle Rowan! The guys pick Kyle's brain about the masterpiece that is Vagrantsong, and find out Kyle and Ken have more in common than anticipated. In addition, Vagrantsong gets a formal review, and after a long hiatus (yes, we suck), a long list of played games gets released, as well as a whole bunch more acquisitions to the collections. Games Discuss...

Ryan and Ken wrap up their top 50 games of all time, and cover 25 through 1 of the list. There are more crossovers than we predicted, and some real surprises in the top 10 for both.  Check it out, and hit us up with your opinions on the lists. Enjoy! Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/playgameslosefriends , or on Tw...

It's time for a new tradition! Ryan and Ken spent some time rating their top 50 games of all time, and cover 50 through 26 of the list. There are a few surprises on each list, and a few inevitable crossovers as well. Join us and let us know if you would put any of these on your lists as well! Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit us on Instagram at https://w...

It's a new year, which means another year full of games! Ryan and Ken ring in the new year with a recap of the last month's worth of gaming, and review their top 10 releases in 2022, as well as pick their most memorable game of the past year. Some gamer resolutions are in order, although we'll see how closely they're followed. The guys talk holiday purchases and their most disa...

The boys are back from PAX! The final played list is covered, and what a list it is. A certain special trick-taking game was the hit of the show, and a surprise purchase by Joe becomes a new favorite. Show purchases are discussed and both of the guys found some new goodies to enjoy. Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.co...

It's that time of year folks! PAX Unplugged 2022 is nearly upon us, and Ryan and Ken talk a bit about what's coming along in the game bag this year, as well as the titles they're likely to hunt down with fervor. The guys talk about a marathon five-player game of Ankh: Gods of Egypt, and discuss why they're likely to never try that again. Ken talks about his Black Friday spendin...

The Everdell kickstarters have landed! The guys talk about their new additions and why this was worth the money, and the base game of Everdell gets a proper review. Game night happened, and both Dice Realms and Verdant were on the table, so those get a preview of sorts, and both have nits to pick with Dice Realms. More Kickstarters are coming, and Ken didn't buy anything for the first time si...

Why watch a Marvel movie when you can chuck some dice as your favorite superhero? The guys check out Marvel Dice Throne, generously provided by The OP for review. A previously unexplored hatred for eurogames haunts Ken as the guys played Hansa Teutonica. Ryan got a whole pile of two-player titles played, and Ken continues to shop until his bank account drops! Click to listen! Games discussed: Marv...

Trees with knives? You betcha! Ryan and Ken finally review Arboretum, one of the most well-designed card games they've ever played. Both the guys played a ton of games since last episode, so they run down their list, and continue to melt over Vagrantsong. Ken picked up some new goodies, and Ryan is still behaving... for now. Games discussed: Arboretum Dominion Bunny Kingdom Vagrantsong Return...

We are joined by the artisan himself, Adrian Adamescu, to talk all things Sagrada, including the now-funded Sagrada: Artisans legacy game. Ryan and Ken slow down the buying, but up the playing, as the guys managed to get in Dominion, Isle of Cats, Red Rising, and start a group play of Vagrantsong! We review the OG Sagrada and talk about why it's a mainstay in both of our collections. Games di...

Ryan and Ken are joined by the renowned Phil Walker-Harding, designer of such all-time classics as Sushi Go!, Imhotep, and so much more. The guys count down their top five games from his design catalog, and talk a bit about Joey Games, Phil's new sustainable publishing company that focuses on Australian themes. Ken talks about expanding his Kallax collection, and Ryan's been playing Myst...

Ryan and Ken discuss their top 5 backed games that should be fulfilling soon, and the wait is killing them both. Ark Nova is getting an expansion, and there's fish! And water! And probably different fish! Ken got his first Kallax, Ryan is behaving and keeping the wallet away, and the Reincardnated contest ends soon! Get your entries in ASAP! Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for...

We have a guest! Taylor Doolittle from Doolittle Gaming joins us to talk about his first baby, Reincardnated, and discusses a range of topics about the game and design in general, as well as playtesting and Kickstarter. The guys review the game, and one lucky listener will get a chance to win a copy of Reincardnated as well! Listen to the end of the episode to learn the giveaway details, and good...

Now that Gen Con 2022 has come and gone, Ryan and Ken review their top 10 picks from biggest board game expo in the US. The guys review what may refer to as a modern classic in 2019's Wingspan, and Ken continues his spiral into the bargain bins and emerges with some real gems. Ryan discusses some spending regrets with Return to Dark Tower, and we chat about Isle of Cats and Everdell on iOS! W...

Covid and vacations have delayed us, but we have returned! During Ryan's adventures in Virusville, Ken went shopping for 90% of the games on the eastern seaboard. We get to discuss Meadow in our review and share in it's delights, and also discuss our collective disappointment of Sleeping Gods. Ken talks about the vast amount of gaming he managed to squeeze in during the month of June! Me...

Ken played games. A LOT of games. Ryan officially bounces off Sleeping Gods. We finally get a four-player Ark Nova game in, and review our first impressions of the hot zoo-builder everyone's talking about. Brian Boru: High King of Ireland also hit the table and we chat about how great it is. Moonrakers get a review, and we almost hit the same scores! Backed/bought list is small, but mighty, w...

Special guest Jim Felli from Devious Weasel games joins us to discuss game design, Cosmic Frog, and his upcoming two-player game The Mirroring of Mary King! The guys review Cosmic Frog and have quite the backed/bought list. We discuss Cascadia and Reincardnated and get excited for Brian Boru. Devious Weasel Games - https://www.deviousweasel.com/ Cosmic Frog - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29...

The guys review Arcadia Quest, a long-standing classic in both collections. Overproduction is discussed, and whether or not its benefitting the hobby in the long run, or hurting it. Ken finally tests some shrink shelf goodies, and Ryan is obsessed with Wyrd's Vagrantsong. An upcoming interview is teased, so check it out! Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit...

The long-awaited Oath review is finally here! Deeproot Dwellers did not hit their funding goal and Ken is sad. Ryan is the only human being on Earth who did not enjoy Sleeping Gods, but he did love Long Shot: The Dice Game. Ken is about to lose a lot of money to the Unstable Unicorn team, and he's OK with that. Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit us on Ins...

Double-digit episodes! So we're not total frauds (or is it too soon to tell?) The boys get their first taste of what it takes to run a zoo in Ark Nova, and gush over Roxley's Radlands. The alchemical magic of Quacks of Quedlinberg takes the review spotlight, Ryan keeps his cell phone too close to the mic, and Ken chats about his latest Kickstarter deliveries! Visit us at http://www.playg...

After a long month full of technical and scheduling issues, the guys finally play some Kabula! Two games and some first impressions, as well as a great chat with Kabula lead designer Antonio Liga from Stranger Games Studios. Visit us at http://www.playgameslosefriends.com for more episodes, visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/playgameslosefriends , or on Twitter at @PGLFShow ! Hoste...