Shelf Stable: A Board Game Podcast

No, it is not the final episode. What are we if not trolls? Reviewing our funniest bits and worst takes has made this all the more apparent. Games we played: 4:58 - Rumble Nation (2017, Yogi Shinichi, Hobby Japan) 7:27 - Cosmolancer (1994, Reiner Knizia, Avalon Hill) 12:03 - Star Wars The Queen's Gambit (2000, Rob Daviau & Alan Roach & Craig Van Ness, Avalon Hill) 21:10 - Outfoxed (2014, Colt Tipa...

Dick Van Dyke and Minecraft Steve sit on a bench together smiling and sharing their 2000s ipod earbuds to listen to the latest episode. It's the middle of the year and we are checking in baby! Bibliography: Olivia Rodrigo first ten top 10 Hot 100 hits in the top 10 https://bsky.app/profile/slothropsmap.bsky.social/post/3mowtudbmrk2a (thanks Josh Buergel for the share) Why do they call it oven http...

Episode 100 is soon! Send us your favorite bits here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrtQ-to5QSWcLu8khKwNa6UhtpAs-DIelNtvMeKG6g5QhmhQ/viewform?usp=dialog June 22nd, abandoned copy of Spirits of the Wild in the alley. Exacto knife to the front of the box. Like someone wanted a keepsake. This hobby is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. 5:45 - Intro: Ruel Gaviola 14:21 - We Have to K...

Episode 100 is soon! Send us your favorite bits here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrtQ-to5QSWcLu8khKwNa6UhtpAs-DIelNtvMeKG6g5QhmhQ/viewform?usp=dialog Monopoly guy better watch out. There's a new boss in town ready to exploit capital gains. Never has iron and coal been so colorful. It's like it was produced by an industrial unicorn. Games we played: 9:06 - Finca (2009, Wolfgang Sentk...

Episode 100 is soon! Send us your favorite bits here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrtQ-to5QSWcLu8khKwNa6UhtpAs-DIelNtvMeKG6g5QhmhQ/viewform?usp=dialog   Sorry for the late episode. We figured it would be better to bring you something that was fun but late instead of optimal but mid. Get ready for Robocop to blow your cop off in "concept purgatory".   The insanity test https://youtu.b...

What do you mean Ark Nova is too difficult for grandma? That's neither a game problem nor a curation problem. Grandma just needs to level up, we're in the 2020s here. Oh great, now she's crying while she shuffles the giant deck all wrong. Half the cards are upside down. Just give it to me; this is hard to watch. Your grandma is the worst.   Psybrid Theory https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgc...

Back in my day, we had to craft our monsters in the Chao Gardens before putting them in our pockets. And the games came in the mail via Del Taco coupons. Ouch, my ol' back.   4:55 - Intro: Marceline Leiman 12:46 - We Have to Know!   Games we played: 39:34 - Go Stop (1889, Uncredited, Public Domain)   Topic: 47:07 - Games That Hurt Achievement Relocked https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262043533/achieve...

Move over Monopoly DEAL. It's all about that Catan life now. We're Catan-maxing now. Welcome to Catan Stable where we talk about Catans that have stood the test of tan.   Games we played: 4:52 - Nokosu Dice (2016, Yusuke Matsumoto, Engames) 12:51 - Skulk (2019, Prospero Hall, Mixlore) 16:15 - Root (2018, Cole Wehrle, Leder) 20:37 - Dinosaur Tea Party (2018, Rob Daviau & JR Honeycutt & Justin D. Ja...

Every game needs a Yugioh-style dueling contraption for your arm so you can game on the go. Gloomhaven would double as a workout. Just imagine how juicy those biceps would get after losing the first scenario for the 10th time on regular difficulty.   Games we played: 5:35 - Friesematenten (2010, Friedemann Friese, Amigo) 9:51 - Shikoku 1889 (2004, Yasutaka Ikeda, Grand Trunk) 16:21 - Brian Boru Hi...

It's a board game edition of Family Feud! Tom shaved his head and grew a caterpillar mustache just so the audio would sound aerodynamic. Listen as our poor host inevitably has to explain the rules multiple times as we blunder through.   Rusi Papazov's BGG Feud https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3665080/we-asked-100-boardgamers joshzcold implementation https://github.com/joshzcold/Friendly-Feud   Top...

Welcome new listeners from BGG. If you're wondering whether this is truly an award nominated board gaming podcast, I assure you, we definitely only talk about board games and we are very serious about it. (Psst, hey if you're reading this, that means you have the special Slophead power. It's like those magic eye puzzles but you can only read it if you've enjoyed Monopoly DEAL. Don't worry, that fi...

Nothing personal Tom. I'm not here to make friends, and you're not here to help my numbers, apparently. Maybe you'll think twice next time about using all the rice as pieces for your Brass DEAL protoype.   10:14 - Intro: Kellie Nalbandian 12:02 - We Have to Know!   Games we played: 22:05 - 7 Wonders (2010, Antoine Bauza, Repos Production)   Topic: 35:35 - It's Just a Game   Where to find Kellie: B...

Gunk? Bee. Bee bee bee. Bee gunk? Rez the gunk. Only rez furries! Furries gunk. Mega gunk.   The annual Golden Geek nominations are open. If you love the cast, consider nominating us! Nominations close Sunday, April 19. https://boardgamegeek.com/goldengeek   Games we played: 9:43 - Babylonia (2019, Reiner Knizia, Ludonova) 12:37 - Lisboa (2017, Vital Lacerda, Eagle-Gryphon) 20:47 - Fast Forward FO...

If you're having second thoughts about that one comfort game your best friend always brings to game night, might I recommend a warm glass of milk? Tip... SPLASH. Oh my goodness no! What have you done? I meant a glass of milk to sip and calm your nerves! How could you just go and destroy best friend's deluxified copy of Splendor? It's signed by the designer and by five of the worlds greatest gem cu...

Sam Altman turns to the crowd and motions. "For 2027, we're revealing our most exicting evolution yet... humanity will be optional." The crowd errupts in applause. The keynote stage fades to black as an electro swing remix of Hi-Ho from Snow White begins blasting at full volume. DISCLAIMER: this episode is satire. Everything we do is human made. We do not cover games that use AI art. We are oppose...

Look, I don't make the rules. Scoop that peanut butter and plop it in your medium roast. No, don't eat the peanuts with a spoon! Gross. Grab yourself one of those boba straws and slurp it up!   1:31 - Intro: Richard Garfield Characteristics of Games (2012, George Skaff Elias & Richard Garfield & K. Robert Gutschera, MIT Press) https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262542692/characteristics-of-games   9:56...

As a mentat myself, I feel like mentats are commonly misunderstood. Not surprising as we are just so far superior in intellect to the average peon. Coincidence that mentat and mensa are such similar words? I think not.   Games we played: 2:39 - Neuroshima Hex (2006, Michał Oracz, Portal) 8:29 - Pandemic Legacy Season 1 (2015, Rob Daviau & Matt Leacock, Z-Man) 12:08 - JUMP HERE FOR SPOILER FREE 15:...

A dark anime cloud deepens in the background as Tom loses yet another game of Food Chain Magnate. I don't want to alarm anyone, but Twilight Sparkle did not approve of this episode. Not even the joyous revolt of Spice8Rack is enought to counter the "I should have won" resonating in Tom's dark psyche. Will our heroes ever find solace in just being bad?   6:31 - Intro: Spice8Rack   8:59 - We Have to...

We gotta record our podcast a thousand times like Tom Lehmann did with Race. Maybe at that point older couples will be playing it before they go to sleep. In the meantime, I guess the pop culture misfires shall continue. I'll take solid bit for $200.   Video Game Jeopardy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NbCOCGQ_Q   Games we played: 7:35 - My Favourite Things (2015, Daiki Nilgiri Aoyama & Pepe_R,...

This episode, we are cone-maxing. Dan Jolin joins us to talk Letterboxd, the opposite of sex, and listening to his spouse's sound advice. Somehow we got through a guest episode without mentioning Monopoly DEAL. Although, Tom still managed to sneak in a brief aside about The A Minecraft Movie.   3:52 - Intro: Dan Jolin Actualol gifts for board gamers https://youtu.be/g3XAlpNtQ_4?si=4bX524oyjjSFP_6t...

Still waiting for the 18 card microgame from Button Shy where you get to milk the alien while Rey watches uncomfortably.   Games we played: 3:37 - PitchCar (1995, Jean du Poël, Ferti) 7:25 - Kobayakawa (2013, Jun Sasaki, Oink) 12:25 - Android Netrunner (2012 og1996, Richard Garfield & Lukas Litzsinger, FFG) 25:04 - Radlands (2021, Daniel Piechnik, Roxley)   100 games before you die: 32:36 - The Ca...

Don't listen to this one in a public setting, it might just make you blush... from all the anger you're experiencing at our incapacity to produce a successful date. It's telling that we're so capable of making dates uncomfortable but can't make a good one happen even when we sit down and brainstorm for half an hour.   Hot Dr Pepper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRnM6s4GNo   Games we played: 3:1...

What if I told you there were more games than just Tiddlywinks and hitting a ball with a stick? Today we explore the wild world of board gaming or "tabletop gaming" as some people "in the hobby" call it. It turns out that board games have gotten pretty interesting and complicated since we were kids. Move over dice and spinners and say hello to Death Note moments and piss cubes. There's a new sheri...

I don't think you're going to like how the bracket goes. Not one bit. But hey, it's Shelf Stable. We're all about antagonizing our lovely, lovely audience. If you got new holes in your walls, new hair off your head, new ulcers in your tummy... you're welcome.   Games we played: 2:23 - Bohnanza (1997, Uwe Rosenberg, Rio Grande) 7:50 - Magical Athlete (2003 & 2025, Takashi Ishida & Richard Garfield,...

We continue our observation of tall serious character and short crazy character in the third part of our study. Short character most definitely thinks everyone should embrace the rolling teach while tall character implores short character to have some empathy. The female spider then consume's the male's head to sustain her body during the birthing of the many thousands of offspring.   Games we pla...