Board Gamers Anonymous

This week, Anthony and Chris take a deep dive into 10 of their favorite designers, and identify the game that represents them at the peak of their designer game. Plus discussions on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the board gaming hobby right now, and previews of Labyrinth Chronicles and Almighty: The Godliest God Game. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠w...

This week, Anthony and Chris look at 11 games that act as the magical bridge between medium and big, crunchy Euro games. Which heavy games come first? We have you covered. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join us over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgameacademics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Registration is now open for Tabletop Scholars, and the CFP is u...

This week, Anthony and Chris delve into ten games that are not just defined by one central mechanic, but that are as good as they are almost solely because of that mechanic. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join us over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgameacademics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Registration is now open for Tabletop Scholars, and the CFP is up...

This week, Anthony and Chris delve into the five games added to the BGG Hall of Fame this year, with plenty of controversy and concern on display. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join us over at ⁠⁠⁠www.boardgameacademics.com⁠⁠⁠. Registration is now open for Tabletop Scholars, and the CFP is up for Volume IV of the journal. C...

This week, Anthony and Chris are joined by Will and Megan to talk about a whole bunch of games we've all been playing lately, plus some corrections and additions to our board game cinematic universe last week, and a breakdown of how and why so many board games companies are failing all of a sudden. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠...

This week, Anthony and Chris dig into a big list of questions, asking each other some truly impossible ones about what they would rather do, plus discussions of recent games hitting the table and more. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠⁠! Join us over at ⁠www.boardgameacademics.com⁠. Registration is now open for Tabletop Scholars, an...

The year is just getting started and we have a dozen spicy predictions about how it will go in the next eleven and a half months. Check out Anthony and Chris's thoughts for the year ahead, plus new reviews and discussions. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠⁠! Join us over at www.boardgameacademics.com. Registration is now open for Tabl...

It's that time of year again - we're looking at the most anticipated games on the upcoming year's release calendar. Check out more than 50 games, expansions, and rereleases we're excited to see, play, or purchase in the year ahead. If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at ⁠www.boardgamersanonymous.com⁠! If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

It's time for the 2025 BGA Awards, in which we choose our top picks in 10 different categories for the year. Find out which game takes home our game of the year award, plus so much more in this year's Awards! If you haven’t yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at www.boardgamersanonymous.com! If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

We take a look back at all the games we thought would be in the hotness in 2025, discuss the ones we played, the ones we didn't, and the surprises along the way. A great way to recap and prepare for next week's BGA Awards episode! If you haven't yet, check out the recently updated BGA website at www.boardgamersanonymous.com! If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This week, Chris and Anthony dig into the paradox that is AI and how it is impacting and influencing tabletop gaming. We have pros, cons, and a few extra thoughts on the future of AI in our hobby. Roll for Preview: Chess Joker Roll for Review: A Place for All My Books Feature Review: AI in Tabletop Gaming: The Wall-E Paradox If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This week on BGA, Chris and Anthony are joined by Will to talk about conventions and what makes for a killer experience. We bring our favorite experiences, the things that stood out to us over the years, and what we wish conventions could bring in going forward. Roll for Preview: Scales of Fate Roll for Review: SETI: Space Agencies Feature Review: Your Ideal Tabletop Convention: Past Highlights &...

This week, Chris and Anthony are joined by special guests and BGA cohorts Will and Meghan, who attended PAX Unplugged and have a bunch of games to talk about. Roll for Review: Side Effects, Kite, Pillars of Fate Feature: PAX Unplugged vs. BGGCon top library games (lists reviewed from of Hilary Clair and Matt Morgan on BoardGameGeek.com). If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (...

Anthony and Chris are back from PAX Unplugged this year and have a whole bunch of games to talk about, plus some previews and reviews of even more games from before the con. Roll for Preview: The Great Library, Employee Disposal Program Roll for Review: CakoZaurus, Star Trek Lower Decks: Buffer Time The Card Game PAX Unplugged Hotness 2025Fantasy Flight In-Flight Report
Lord of the Rings Room: Dav...

Anthony and Chris are back with another annual holiday gift guide, featuring our top picks in nearly a dozen categories for games, apps, and accessories that fit the gamer in your life. If you're going to PAX Unplugged this weekend, be sure to reach out so we can connect! Roll for Review: Clans of Caledonia: Industria, FlipToons Feature: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide If you haven’t yet, be sure to conne...

This week, Chris is joined by Will Nation to discuss all things dice and defiance, including a preview of next week's Pax Unplugged and some game reviews from recent plays. Roll for Preview: Riftbound: The League of Legends Trading Card Game Roll for Review: Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition, Trash Talk, Flamecraft Feature: Dice, Defiance, and the Tabletop Revolution! If you haven’t yet,...

This week, Anthony and Chris dig into the games that we think have a shot at game of the year for 2025, plus which games from this year we think will eventually make the Top 100 on Board Game Geek and which games we'll still be playing in 10 years. Roll for Preview: The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth – Allies Roll for Review: The Hobbit: There and Back Again Feature: Predictions for 2025...

This week, we take a dive into the hottest games out of Essen SPIEL 2025, looking at the games that drove the hotness on BoardGameGeek and that we're most excited to play when they come stateside. Plus, a review of Ayar: Children of the Sun, and preview of Disney Afternoon Rewind. Roll for Preview: Disney Afternoon REWIND Board Games Roll for Review: Ayar: Children of the Sun Feature: Essen SPIEL...

This week, we hit a big round number (550) and talk about the five games that have had a lasting impact on us both on and off the podcast, the five designers and publishers we most resonate with, and our zero regrets over the last 12 years. If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us on Facebook (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/boardgamersanonymous),⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky (...

This week, Anthony and Chris are looking back at all of the Versus episodes they've done to reflect on which games won, which ones would win today, and all the good gaming that's happened since. Collecting and value in our collections Roll for Preview: Terra Mystica Special Edition, Berserk: The Board Game Feature: Versus: All the Battles, None of the Rules! If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect...

This week, we take a look at the 10 most influential games of the 20th century, fresh off our visit to the Strong National Museum of Play for Board Game Academics' annual conference, plus a whole bunch of fun previews of upcoming games. Magic The Gathering Universes Beyond reveals Roll for Preview: Underwater Cities: Data Era, Academia: A Game of Administrative Bloat, Obsession Big Box, Origin Sto...

This week, we do a deep dive on the games that use deckbuilding most effectively in 2025, plus reflect on our original 2017 list of top 10 deckbuilders (episode 155), and review the expansion materials for Energy Empire. Magic the Gathering Universes Beyond reveals Roll for Preview: Dogs of War, Slay the Spire: Downfall Roll for Review: Manhattan Project: Energy Empire Cold War Feature: Top 10 Gam...

This week, Anthony and Chris revisit a popular topic and update their 2018 list of top 10 heavy euros. See which one stick around and which new games have entered the discussion. Join us at the Board Game Academics Conference at the Strong Museum of Play: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boardgameacademics.com/register/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Roll for Preview: Andromeda's Edge: Genesis, Dinosaur Island:...

Episode 545 is up featuring our rundown of the most funded games of all time on Gamefound, which hold up, and how many we've gotten to the table, plus a rundown of the BGG Hotness for September. Join us at the Board Game Academics Conference at the Strong Museum of Play: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boardgameacademics.com/register/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with us...

This week, Anthony and Chris do a deep dive into the games that rank highest on Board Game Geek in each year of the podcast dating back to 2013. Find out if Chris can guess them all, and which games rank highly for us as well. Join us at the Board Game Academics Conference at the Strong Museum of Play: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boardgameacademics.com/register/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you haven’t ye...