Board Game Hot Takes

Latest Episodes:

Top 5 Game Boards Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 183 we each discuss our top 5 game boards as well as discussing a listener poll about what makes a great game board.

We conclude the conversation discussing a couple of game boards that have some very confounding choices in their design.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:50 Poll: What makes a great game board?

12:19 Nunami and Raas: A Dance of Love

16:39 Barcelona

20:22 Pax Pamir 2nd Edition

21:42 Pan Am

25:05 Godspeed

27:31 Smartphone, Inc.

28:50 The Great Wall

32:00 Viscounts of the West Kingdom

36:11 Scythe

37:55 Merchants of the Dark Road

40:58 Evacuation

45:27 Tzolk'in the Mayan Calendar

48:18 Trickerion: Legends of Illusion

51:33 Empires of the Void II

54:22 Windward

56:31 Underwater Cities

57:55 Beyond the Sun

1:00:42 Listener Shoutout

Architects of the West Kingdom Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 182 we provide our hot take review of Architects of the West Kingdom covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on cancellations on game night and then we discuss some board games on our table including *Distilled: Africa & Middle East Expansion, *Distilled: Cask Strength Expansion, and Guards of Atlantis II.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Poll: What do you do when everyone cancels on game night at the last moment?

07:45 Architects of the West Kingdom Description

08:38 Gameplay and Mechanisms

22:21 Production and Theme

30:04 Final Thoughts

34:26 Distilled: Africa & Middle East Expansion and Distilled: Cask Strength Expansion

44:51 Guards of Atlantis II

*These expansions were provided as review copies by the publisher

2023 Lookback and Board Game Awards Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 181 we look back at the games we played in 2023 and talk about our biggest hits, and biggest misses in 2023. This includes games that were published in 2023 but also games that were new to us in 2023. We also talk about our Board Game Revelations - the things that changed gaming for us over the last year.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:28 2023 Awards

01:56 Biggest Surprises in 2023 - Yokohama, Age of Innovation, Frosthaven, Cyclades: Legendary Edition, Vagrantsong, Tichu, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Turing Machine, Apiary, Heat: Pedal to the Metal, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Motor City

15:06 Biggest Disappointments in 2023 - Lords of Ragnarok, Expeditions, Voidfall

22:14 Best New To Us in 2023 - Distilled, The Battle for Rokugan, Cat in the Box, Downforce, Revive

27:42 Best Productions Published in 2023 - Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum, The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition, Robot Quest Arena, Apiary, Expeditions, Lords of Ragnarok

34:32 Look Back at Best Game Published in 2022 - Wonderland's War

37:08 Best Games Published in 2023 - Robot Quest Arena, Nucleum, Sea Salt & Paper, Dune: Imperium Uprising, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory

47:42 Most Played Games of 2023 - Azul, Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization, Tapestry, Obsession, Ark Nova, Azul, Can't Stop, Sea Salt & Paper, Star Realms, Beyond the Sun, Barrage, Star Realms

55:19 Board Game Revelations in 2023

1:02:00 2023 Board Game BGG Ranking Speculations - Nucleum, Apiary, Distilled, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, Darwin's Journey, Earth, Age of Innovation, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Frosthaven, The White Castle, Sky Team, The Witcher: The Old World, Forest Shuffle, Thunder Road: Vendetta, Kutna Hora, Stationfall, Evacuation, Dune: Imperium Uprising, Bloodstones, Envelopes of Cash

Wyrmspan Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 180 we provide our hot take review of Wyrmspan* covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also provide some detailed comparisons with Wingspan, both the difference in mechanisms and the difference in our opinions on them

We discuss a poll on fantastical vs. real-world themes in board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Sol: Last Days of a Star, Mind MGMT, and Turing Machine.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:34 Poll: In general, do you prefer board games to have a real-world theme or a fantastical theme?

07:33 Wyrmspan Description

08:48 Gameplay and Mechanisms

28:57 Production and Theme

39:54 Final Thoughts

48:17 Sol: Last Days of a Star

55:23 Mind MGMT

62:37 Turing Machine

66:11 Listener Shout-out

* Review copy provided by publisher

Turing Machine Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 179 we provide our hot take review of Turing Machine covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on fun in board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Ceres, Clank! Legacy, and Tichu.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:17 Poll: Is 'Fun' an important aspect of a board for you when you purchase it or consider playing it?

10:23 Turing Machine Description

13:04 Gameplay and Mechanisms

26:10 Production and Theme

31:09 Final Thoughts

37:01 Ceres

44:30 Clank! Legacy

50:45 Tichu

58:30 Listener Shout-out

Board Game Dictionary Volume 1 Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

In episode 178, we discuss some hobby specific terms and how our definitions may vary from their original meaning. We also give examples of board games where those definitions are relevant (and also some examples where they aren't).

We kick the conversation off by discussing a listener poll related to board game terminology.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:44 Poll Time: Do you use terminology when teaching or discussing board games that you don't ever use in other areas of your life?

04:42 Worker Placement (A Feast for Odin, Anachrony, Barrage, Orleans, Agricola, Apiary, Architects of the West Kingdom)

17:08 4X (Scythe, Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy, Space Empires 4X, Twilight Imperium, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization)

30:28 Area Control (Blood Rage, Rising Sun, Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Scythe, Wonderland's War, El Grande)

37:49 Engine Building (It's a Wonderful World, Terraforming Mars, Anachrony, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Scythe, Space Base)

44:06 Euro (Trajan, Gaia Project, Viticulture, Catan, A Feast for Odin)

Apiary Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 177 we provide our hot take review of Apiary covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Clank! Legacy, Fractal: Beyond the Void, and Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:34 Apiary Description

1:54 Gameplay and Mechanisms

22:15 Production and Theme

27:51 Final Thoughts

33:09 Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated

39:07 Fractal: Beyond the Void

48:50 Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies

58:38 Listener Shout-out

Top 5 Games We Only Played Once in 2023 Dec 25, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 176 we each discuss our top 5 board games that we only played once in 2023.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:34 Robot Quest Arena

04:04 Egizia: Shifting Sands

07:57 Darwin's Journey

12:12 Revive

13:56 Evacuation

15:32 Ticket To Ride: San Francisco

19:52 Battle for Rokugan

21:48 Boast or Nothing

25:46 The Quacks of Quedlinburg

28:02 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization

29:29 Pulsar 2849

30:55 Cat in the Box

33:25 Hegemony: Lead Your Class To Victory

37:48 Cyclades: Legendary Edition

40:19 Challengers!

Top 5 Games We Want to Play in 2024 Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 175 we discuss the top 5 games we want to play in 2024. We also review last years' lists and look back on the games we got played.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

Last Year

1:02 #5 Adam Last Year - Paperback Adventures

2:45 #5 Tim Last Year - Welcome to the Moon

3:41 #5 Chris Last Year - Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

4:35 #4 Adam Last Year - Forbidden Stars

5:05 #4 Tim Last Year - Scout

5:40 #4 Chris Last Year - Mariposa

6:24 #3 Adam Last Year - Imperial 2030

7:26 #3 Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire

7:59 #3 Chris Last Year - Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods

9:38 #2 Adam - Battle for Rokugan

10:46 #2 Tim Last Year - Revive

12:09 #2 Chris Last Year - Chaos in the Old World

13:45 #1 Adam Last Year - Pessoa

14:21 #1 Tim Last Year - Marrakesh

15:31 #1 Chris Last Year - My Father's Work

This Year

18:40 #5 Tim - Millennium Blades

22:01 #5 Chris - Orleans

24:39 #5 Adam - Turing Machine

28:02 #4 Tim - Trickerion: Legends of Illusion

30:23 #4 Chris - Splendor

32:31 #4 Adam - Fractal: Beyond the Void

35:19 #3 Tim - Creature Comforts

37:01 #3 Chris - Kanban EV

41:44 #3 Adam - Clockwork Wars

44:04 #2 Tim - Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood

46:22 #2 Chris - Cosmic Frog

50:46 #2 Adam - Shogun

52:33 #1 Tim - Apiary

54:37 #1 - Chris - Bonfire/Merlin

58:26 #1 - Adam - John Company 2nd Edition

Dune: Imperium - Uprising Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 174 we provide our hot take review of Dune: Imperium - Uprising covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on the quantity of published board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated, Inis, Exit Advent Calendar: The Mystery of the Ice Cave, and The Quest for El Dorado.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Poll: What do you think about the amount of hobby board games that are being published each year?

13:28 Dune: Imperium - Uprising

14:21 Gameplay and Mechanisms

33:05 Production and Theme

40:06 Final Thoughts

45:25 Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated

47:21 Inis

53:03 Exit The Game Advent Calendar: The Mystery of the Ice Cave

57:59 The Quest for El Dorado