Shelf Stable: A Board Game Podcast

We've all been there. You want to show your cool high school teacher that Code Geass is a lot like an ancient philosopher's teachings. Then you show the clip for a bit too long and all of a sudden you're watching booty shots and some boys love...   Games we played: 5:43 - Great Western Trail (2016, Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele) 15:03 - The Game: Face to Face (2017, Steffen Benndorf & Reinhard S...

Gatorade is like the LaCroix of LaCroix which is not to be confused with carbonated water which is the Spindrift of LaCroix. Water is mid and the LaCroix of water is obviously [drumroll...] LaCroix. Why do they call it LaCroix when you la croix the cold drink la "cwa" hot drink the drink? Stroke and/or deep cut. Jury is out.   Games we played: 5:03 - Yellow & Yangtze (2018, Reiner Knizia, Grail) 9...

It's like horse racing but the horses are waifus. What's a waifu? Well that's kind of hard to explain. Have you heard of a gatcha? No? NorthernLion? Oh... well I don't know if this is going to work out. Thanks for the interview, I wish you the best of luck in finding a candidate.   Games we played: 3:16 - 51st State (2010, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal) 9:54 - Gizmos (2018, Phil Walker-Harding, CMON)...

Lesser Tom is joined by the Tomb Rewster of Shut Up & Sit Down fame this week to talk board games (shock) and video/podcast creation. Listen in on some Type III fun as we get into the nitty gritty of Cuppy Flicky 2. Wait- where is the typical deranged show note synopsis? Not this week buddy. I had a relaxing weekend and wrote this baby up while there was still daylight to spare. Better luck next t...

Psst... Hey kid. Get over here. I heard you like games. Get a load of these bad babies. We got all kinds. Dexterity role playing. Social deduction consims. Tom's sexy dice. I tell you what, first one's on me. You take this one home and you play it with your family. Tell 'em old Ken is selling. And if you snitch I'll getcha. Now scram.   Games we played: 4:38 - Filipino Fruit Market (2009, Peer Syl...

Tom may have had some weird takes, but he was a good person. Today we honor his memory as he would have wanted us to: by participating in the unholy ritual he bestowed upon the listenership on that fateful June morning. Please join me in assembling our 7000+ Millennium Falcons and inserting our XXXL Bad Dragons in honor of all that is TOY...   Cold open, map of music genres https://everynoise.com...

Just a hypothetical. Tom and Kenny can neither confirm nor deny that there is an impending robot invasion. Prepare you bodies with meat-grinder-proof materials and essences. Drop the Gloomhavens; too heavy. MREs only for the rest of time. Hope you like veggie lasagna and instant coffee type II.   Games we played: 4:04 - Millennium Blades (2016, D. Brad Talton, Jr., Level 99) 8:44 - Cathedral (1979...

I can't wait for the sick and twisted fan that is going to mash up all the games we talk about on this episode into one big megagame. It takes 72 hours to play and if you die in the game, you die in real life. Bring it on, we were born for this. I'll get my duel disc and we can hit the playground after school. 0-2 players, nose snakes included.   Games we played: 3:04 - Sentient (2017, J. Alex Kev...

Step into the world of fandom. As a child I witnessed the death of my parents at the hands of Twilight Imperium, but avenged them by playing hundreds of games of Netrunner. Now, as an adult, I only wager fair uses of my power by battling in unnecessarily elaborate forum posts. Every time my opponent goes off topic, I reset the thread on them. This is justice. This is... the true fan's world.   Gam...

Kenny and Tom wearing extremely oversized diamond helmets: "if you think your voice or talking point comprehensively captures the beauty and desirability of Monopoly DEAL, send a note to yomomma@gmail.com "   7:21 - Intro: Cole Wehrle 7:50 - We Have to Know! Images mentioned https://imgur.com/a/ZrrpvBA   Games we played: 52:16 - Virgin Queen (2012, Ed Beach, GMT) Rain World https://store.steampowe...

Now you might think that this was a joint sponsorship between IHOP and Grindr, but what if I told you we were receiving $0 from both businesses and just got really fixated on this one bit? Finding it hard to believe? We are too.   Games we played: 6:08 - Stone Age (2008, Bernd Brunnhofer, Z-Man) 10:33 - Carcassonne The Castle (2003, Reiner Knizia and Klaus Jurgen-Wrede, Hans im Gluck) 17:45 - Wave...

Has anyone heard Bad Bunny's lesser known cousin, Not For Me Bunny? They play Killer Bunnies at the Hooters Ranch with all the Hooters Bunnies err... Owls. God, the idea of playing Tentacle Bento with Tom in a Hooters continues to send shivers down my spine.   Games we played: 3:31 - Hey, That's My Fish! (2003, Günter Cornett & Alvydas Jakeliunas, Mayfair) 8:04 - Shaky Manor (2017, Asger Harding G...

The Teach: noun, when Tom and Kenny yell at you while skipping all the important rules. They then proceed to beat you to a pulp with a hand tied behind their back while repeating "get good" over and over. I don't understand why everyone is always complaining about the way we teach games. Kids have it so easy these days. They just watch Tom Vasel advertise his Excedra pain medication and think they...

Playing your unplayed games is fairly simple: Article I, code blue, section A, step / phase 1) determine if said game is still desirable. For determining desirability please reference Appendix 2, section D. For definition of desirability please reference glossary of terms in the D&D monster manual under "anthropomorphic animals". For those who want the tips but can't be bothered to listen: just pl...

Great venue, fun crowd, good topic, Tom burps into the microphone- wait... Tom burps into the microphone? Gather round and listen in agony as we recommend Monopoly Deal to some innocents. Hold on, I think I had another game as a backup for this topic. Actually wait, I had two games as backups for this topic. Never mind, just move on to the next slide please.   Topic: Mass Market Replacements   Son...

Came for the Minecraft villager sex scene, left moved by Dan's message on why our hobby is worth fighting for. Cringe. At the end of the day, aren't we all just adult babies in the making?   8:16 - Intro: Dan Thurot of Space-Biff! Beyond Solitaire episode LARPing the Renaissance with Ada Palmer  https://beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.com/1091807/episodes/16834850-episode-189-ada-palmer-on-larping-the-...

Nothing to see here. Just a perfectly regular episode of Unstable Shelf where Tom and Kenny review some of the latest board game releases. This week, they discuss Kickstarters and why they are the best. Again, nothing to see here. Move along folks... Move along...   Games we played: 9:34 - Rebirth (2024, Reiner Knizia, Mighty Boards) 15:23 - Hubworld Aidalon (2026, Cory DeVore & Michael Boggs, Ear...

Imagine you were Flat Stanley and a scientist experimented on you by branding and perforating your body with Quacks pieces. Now imagine that it's seven years in the future. You've recovered from the horrific event known only as "the incident". You now have a spouse and two beautiful children. A representative from CMYK shows up at your door with a megenta-colored suit and matching sunglasses. They...

What if I told you there was a lifestyle that could make your heart healthier, your brain smarter, your looks smokin', and the world a better place? I mean, there probably is something like that (punch reading? sex charity?) That's about as far as we got with the hypothetical. We're talking board games as usual. But hey, those can be good for you too! This episode features considerably more positi...

Grab a couple of your favorite kids/pets and strap them to you by a warm fire. It's time to get cozy. Or is it? Is cozy a thing? Was it a thing and now it's just blasé? Perhaps even cozé? Kenny pulls a Tom on this one and absolutely rags on cozy games for a good century. Also: the appearance of everyone's favorite Disney animal companion, Aladdin's jolly blue genie.   Games we played: 3:23 - Catla...

In case it's not clear from the recording, Tom destroyed his voice.   Games we played: 3:57 - Res Arcana (2019, Thomas Lemann, Sand Castle) 7:15 - Die Macher (1986, Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Spielworxx) 13:45 - Cat Blues (2024 og1998, Reiner Knizia, Bitewing) 18:58 - Letter Tycoon (2015, Brad Brooks, Breaking Games)   100 games before you die: 23:01 - Magic Maze (2017, Kasper Lapp, Sit Down) https://boa...

If we ever get into professional wrestling, let's call ourselves The Reverse Draft and The Steam Roller. Have we already forgotten Jimmy Carter?!?! Try not to blink as we absolutely derail into rulebooks and forget to talk about the actual game we played.   Games we played: 4:18 - Village (2011, Inka & Markus Brand, Stronghold) 10:49 - The Castles of Burgundy (2011, Stefan Feld, Alea) 17:17 - Hans...

If Ed Sheeran were ever to listen to an episode, this is the one. He'd learn all about loving the shape of games (although only a few dexterity games push and pull via magnets). Unrelated, if somebody could get me a bottle of Ed Sheeran's flesh-colored promotional Heinz bottle I would absolutely adore that. No, I won't let the ketchup inside of it rot in the shrine. I'll make sure to consume it al...

The code word is "Sexy Spiderman in Magic." If you say it three times quickly, any game store employee is legally required to give you a copy of Finspan below retail AND a giant Galactus figure at a discount of $900.   1:09 - Intro Jacob Kinney of Phoenix Fire Games https://www.phoenixfiregames.com   Games we played: 4:43 - Mottainai (2015, Carl Chudyk, Asmadi) 12:42 - Sidereal Confluence (2017, T...

We give the hall of fame three BOOMs all day and a double chocolate cookie. If you're a Blood on the Clocktower fan or a member of the secret society of Knizias, please skip this episode. Speaking of Knizia, did you know they made a tv show based on him where he solves medical mysteries?   Games we played: 4:35 - The Red Cathedral (2020, Isra C. & Shei S., Devir) 9:25 - Hive Mind (2016, Richard Ga...