The Innkeeper's Table

Dylan and Bill offer their opinions of The Crew: The Search for Planet 9 , a cooperative trick-taking game!

Hearts. Spades. Bridge. Rook. Trick-taking games are a long-standing staple in the world of card games. So what's the appeal? Why do people enjoy them so much? How do they work? And what new innovations have been made on this genre in recent years?

Ah, Chess. This one's been around a  long time. But what if you're looking for something similar, but with a different spin on it? In this episode, Dylan and Bill discuss some of the many variants that Chess has inspired, as well as a few games that are completely different but might scratch the same itch.

So you've got yourself a nice collection of games—but where do you  keep them?

How important is the theme of a game? What effect does it have on how much you enjoy playing? Is it absolutely necessary? Is it purely cosmetic? Dylan and Bill discuss these questions and more this week.

So we tried something new with this month's Game Spotlight.  Alchemists is a game that Dylan loves, but Bill has never played. For this episode, Dylan tries to sell Bill on the concept of the game and make him want to give it a try. Will he succeed?

So if A equals B and B equals C, and the square root of -1 is  i , then that means the black dog is the biggest, except for on nights with a full moon, when Mr. Johnson turns into a werewolf, and... Logic and deduction games typically entail putting together bits of information, then interpreting them to come to a conclusion. Of course, this can play out differently depending on which game you're...

This episode was supposed to be posted on 10/01/21, but it was delayed a week. Because of that, you get  two episodes this week! Here's the first one... Yahtzee is the granddaddy of the roll-and-write (NOT Roland Wright!) genre. So if you loved this iconic game, what are some other—more modern—games that you might want to try? It's time to roll the dice and find out.

Game nights come in all shapes and sizes... but which size should you choose? Dylan and Bill talk about the pros and cons of larger game nights vs. smaller ones and everything in between.

Ah, the life of an Elvaland—a dwarvish councilmember and warchief from Norse mythology. To defend the realm from the rampaging dragon Fafnir, you need to gather the greatest warriors in the land—a greater collection than your rival Elvalands! And how do you do that, you ask? You pay them the most, of course! In this episode, Bill and Dylan discuss the popular auction game,  Nidavellir .

"Do I hear 5 crystals? 5? Who'll give me 7? I've got seven! 10?" In many board games, the most prized resources are finite, and players are scrambling to get the pieces that will help their strategy. How do you determine who gets those resources? In games with an auction mechanic, they go to the player who wants them most! Or at least... who's willing to pay the most to get them. What are  your  t...

Did you enjoy Jenga? Do you want more games where you need to have nimble fingers or need to build structures without knocking them over? Dylan and Bill make suggestions in this episode for games you may want to check out.

The hosts answer a question from one of our listeners. If you're traveling and need to fit a wide variety of games into as small a space as possible, what's the best way to go about it?

As Kickstarter pledges are now being delivered in earnest, Eric Lang's Ankh: Gods of Egypt has been on everyone's minds lately. The third in a trilogy (and the sequel to Dylan's favorite game,  Rising Sun ) is the focus of our discussion in this episode. (Heads up—this episode is a little bit longer than most!)

The second half of Dylan and Bill's discussion of End of Summer SaltCON 2021 in Layton, Utah.

Dylan and Bill discuss their board gaming experience at End of Summer SaltCON 2021 in Layton, Utah.

What's the difference between a Customizable/Collectible Card Game (CCG) and a Living Card Game (LCG)? Bill and Dylan talk about how they're alike, how they're different, and why different gamers might prefer one over the other.

It's time to talk about Dylan's favorite game! Dylan and Bill discuss the smash hit from Eric Lang, Rising Sun.

The Innkeeper's Table is now a part of The Dice Tower Network! To celebrate, Bill and Dylan discuss some of their favorite content creators when it comes to board-game-related media.

Some games will have you pit your negotiating skills against each other. How do they integrate this into the game, and what are some of the different takes various games have taken on the mechanic?

Bill and Dylan talk about games people who enjoyed 7 Wonders and want more could try out.

What is a math trade? And how do they figure out who's trading what with whom?

Dylan and Bill talk about  Canvas , a short, new game about building artwork.

Set collection is a mechanic that goes back a long way. How has it evolved, and what part does it play in modern games?

Is Ticket to Ride one of your favorite entry-level games? Dylan and Bill discuss other games you might want to check out.