Board Game Hot Takes

Latest Episodes:

Golem May 23, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 93 we provide our hot take review of Golem covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about best time of day to play board games and Chris provides his themed cocktail of the week. Then we discuss some games on our table including Tetris: The Card Game, Tinner's Trail, Carcassonne, and Crusaders: Thy Will be Done.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Poll: Favorite time of day to play games
06:02 Golem Gameplay Description
07:55 Gameplay and Mechanisms
27:28 Production and Theme
38:07 Final Thoughts
47:00 Themed Cocktail of the Week
50:39 Tetris: The Card Game
54:09 Tinner's Trail
58:37 Carcassonne
1:01:40 Crusaders: Thy Will be Done
1:10:00 Listener Shoutouts

Unanimous Takes May 16, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 92 we take a look back at the games we've played together over the last several years and discuss the ones where we think our opinions were unanimous and consider the common elements that may make games work (or not work) for all of us. We also discuss a poll on whether the size of a board game's box may influence your decision to acquire it.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Poll: Box Sizes
07:15 Unanimous Takes
08:18 Marvel United
09:49 Windward
12:39 Whistle Mountain
14:35 Samurai
16:50 Vindication
18:05 Origin of Species
20:43 Capital Lux II
21:32 Merchants of the Dark Road
23:33 Wonderland's War
25:20 Shamans
27:54 Anachrony
29:20 Voidfall
32:27 Smarphone, Inc.
34:50 Gaia Project
36:54 Blood Rage
38:25 Dune: Imperium
41:22 La Granja, Welcome To..., Azul, Cascadia
42:49 Root
44:39 Wrap Up
50:53 Listener Shoutout

PDXCon Coverage - 14 Games May 09, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 91 we discuss all 14 games that we played at BGHT PDXCon over 4 days. We also discuss a poll on selling games that you blinged out.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:51 Poll: Selling games that you upgraded
07:34 Viscounts of the West Kingdom
14:16 Tapestry (w/ Plans and Ploys and Arts and Architecture)
21:00 Return to Dark Tower
34:28 Keyflower
36:22 Wonderland's War
41:22 The Great Wall
55:37 Tzolk'in (w/ Tribes and Prophecies)
1:00:25 Clank! In! Space!
1:03:32 Nemesis
1:22:15 Lost Ruins of Arnak (w/ Expedition Leaders)
1:25:09 Azul: Queen's Garden
1:32:14 Blood Rage
1:36:00 Final Thoughts

Great Western Trail May 02, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 90 we provide our hot take review of Great Western Trail covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about frequency of scheduled game nights. Then we discuss some games on our table including Fallout Shelter and we give our future takes on Viticulture World.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Poll: Game night frequency
06:33 Great Western Trail Gameplay Description
08:05 Gameplay and Mechanisms
24:36 Production and Theme
27:23 Final Thoughts
31:54 Fallout Shelter
39:24 Viticulture World

Wonderland's War Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 89 we provide our hot take review of Wonderland's War covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about backing games on Kickstarter when you know it will be available in retail and Chris provides his themed cocktail of the week. Then we discuss some games on our table including Diplomacy and Viscounts of the West Kingdom and Tim gives his ranking on the entire West Kingdom trilogy and we give our future takes on Maglev Metro and its new expansion and on Septima.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Poll: Backing Kickstarters that will go to retail
09:22 Wonderland's War Gameplay Description
11:13 Gameplay and Mechanisms
29:38 Production and Theme
38:13 Final Thoughts
45:53 Themed Cocktail of the Week
49:38 Diplomacy
54:38 Viscounts of the West Kingdom
1:06:52 West Kingdom Trilogy Ranking
1:09:35 Maglev Metro and Maps expansion
1:12:58 Septima

Top 3 Controversial Mechanisms Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 88 we discuss our top 3 controversial mechanisms in board games. These are mechanisms that seem to be well loved, sometimes even by our co-hosts, or heavily used but we don't like them at all. We share some specific games that use those mechanisms and talk about why they don't (or sometimes do) work for us.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 Poll: Controversial Mechanisms
08:26 #3 Tim - Negotiation (Chinatown, Catan, Inis, Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy)
15:03 #3 Chris - Trick Taking (Brian Boru, Libertalia, Shamans, Spades, Hearts, The Crew, Oh Hell)
23:35 #3 Adam - Deck Milling (Terraforming Mars, Ark Nova, Everdell, Wingspan)
30:08 #2 Tim - Set Collection (Ethnos, Ticket to Ride, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, Champions of Midgard, 7 Wonders, Ra, Sushi Go)
37:12 #2 Chris - Pickup and Deliver (Merchants of the Dark Road, My Little Scythe, Clank!, Now or Never, Wasteland Delivery Service)
42:20 #2 Adam - Lose if you spend the most (Q.E., High Society)
44:35 #1 Tim - Player Determined Endgame (Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars, Scythe, Dune: Imperium, Anachrony, Beyond the Sun)
53:15 #1 Chris - Social Deduction / Hidden Traitor (One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Shamans, Battlestar Galactica, Love Letter, Coup)
1:01:38 #1 Adam - Dice Placement / Dice Mitigation (Wayfarers of the South Tigris, Euphoria, Castles of Burgundy)
1:05:49 Listener Shoutout

El Grande Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 87 we provide our hot take review of El Grande covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about in-game vs. endgame scoring and Chris provides his themed cocktail of the week. Then we discuss some games on our table including Magic Maze and Gizmos and give our future take on Nightmare Cathedral.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Poll: In-game vs. Endgame Scoring
09:42 El Grande Gameplay Description
12:57 Gameplay and Mechanisms
31:00 Production and Theme
31:55 Final Thoughts
35:03 Blood Rage Tangent
38:21 Themed Cocktail of the Week
42:13 Magic Maze
48:57 Gizmos
54:55 Nightmare Cathedral

Wayfarers of the South Tigris Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 86 we provide our hot take review of Wayfarers of the South Tigris covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about unnecessary game boards and Chris provides his themed cocktail of the week. Then we discuss some games on our table including Under Falling Skies, Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization, and Return to Dark Tower.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Poll: Unnecessary Game Boards
06:08 Wayfarers of the South Tigris Gameplay Description
09:59 Gameplay and Mechanisms
28:53 Production and Theme
32:52 Final Thoughts
41:37 Themed Cocktail of the Week
46:04 Under Falling Skies
55:10 Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization
1:00:28 Return to Dark Tower

Anachrony Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 85 we provide our hot take review of Anachrony covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll about learning games and then we discuss some games on our table including Paladins of the West Kingdom, Praga Caput Regni, Rolling Realms, and Res Arcana. We also give our future takes on Motor City and Solar 175.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Poll: Learning Games
09:00 Anachrony Gameplay Description
10:46 Gameplay and Mechanisms
29:42 Production and Theme
37:09 Final Thoughts
47:05 Paladins of the West Kingdom
53:05 Praga Caput Regni
1:05:36 Rolling Realms
1:08:52 Res Arcana
1:12:40 Motor City
1:22:24 Solar 175

Top 5 Action Selection Mechanisms Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 84 we discuss our top 5 favorite action selection mechanisms in board games.

We also discuss poll results on bag building vs. deck building.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:40 Poll: Deck Building vs. Bag Building
05:34 Action Selection Mechanisms
09:08 #5 Chris - Tapestry
12:56 #5 Adam - The Expanse Board Game
15:34 #5 Tim - Underwater Cities
19:07 #4 Chris - Pendulum
23:22 #4 Adam - Dominant Species
26:59 #4 Tim - Scythe
30:57 #3 Chris - Pan Am
34:29 #3 Adam - Smartphone, Inc.
37:07 #3 Tim - Orleans and Paladins of the West Kingdom
43:02 #2 Chris - Clank!
46:50 #2 Adam - Star Wars: Rebellion
50:00 #2 Tim - Bonfire
53:19 #1 Chris - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
56:35 #1 Adam - Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy
1:00:27 #1 Tim - Ark Nova

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