Board Game Hot Takes

Latest Episodes:

Ark Nova Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 73 we provide our hot take review of Ark Nova covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss a poll related to board game strategy guides.

Then we discuss some games on our table including Targi, Viticulture, Welcome To..., Happy Little Dinosaurs, and Just Desserts.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:22 News and Poll: Board Game Strategy Guides
08:46 Description
10:29 Gameplay and Mechanisms
25:53 Production and Theme
35:57 Memorable Moments
39:14 Final Thoughts
44:56 Happy Little Dinosaurs
46:52 Welcome To...
48:38 Just Desserts
49:23 Viticulture
50:36 Targi

Top 5 Games we Want to Play... Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 72 we discuss the top 5 games we want to play but haven't gotten around to... yet. We also look at our lists from last year and review whether we played them and how they landed for us.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction

Last Year
4:27 #5 Chris Last Year - Godspeed
6:00 #5 Jen Last Year - Rajas of the Ganges
7:00 #5 Tim Last Year - Res Arcana
8:25 #5 Adam Last Year - Fossilis
9:54 #4 Chris Last Year - Cthulhu Wars: Duel
10:54 #4 Jen Last Year - Whistle Stop
12:23 #4 Tim Last Year - Obsession
14:18 #4 Adam Last Year - Xia: Legends of a Drift System
15:45 #3 Chris Last Year - Dwellings of Eldervale
17:03 #3 Jen Last Year - Pan Am
17:40 #3 Tim Last Year - Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
18:09 #3 Adam Last Year - Canvas
18:52 #2 Chris and Adam Last Year - Imperium: The Contention
21:13 #2 Jen Last Year - Pandemic
22:40 #2 Tim Last Year - Concordia
23:44 #1 Chris Last Year - Disney: Villainous
25:33 #1 Jen Last Year - Castles of Tuscany
26:26 #1 Tim Last Year - Trajan
26:51 #1 Adam Last Year - Dune: Imperium

This Year
28:10 #5 Chris - Azul
30:00 #5 Jen - Welcome To...
32:04 #5 Tim - Tyrants of the Underdark / The Quest for El Dorado
34:57 #5 Adam - Cryo
36:32 #4 Chris - Rising Sun
40:18 #4 Jen - Kokopelli
42:44 #4 Tim - Rolling Realms
44:40 #4 Adam - Barrage
46:19 #3 Chris - Nemesis
48:15 #3 Jen - Viticulture
53:27 #3 Tim - Sleeping Gods
54:44 #3 Adam - Organism
56:36 #2 Chris - Radlands
59:21 #2 Jen - Catan
1:02:43 #2 Tim - Ark Nova
1:04:53 #2 Adam - Reef Encounter
1:06:34 #1 Chris - Golem
1:09:14 #1 - Jen - Calico
1:12:14 #1 - Tim - Clans of Caledonia
1:14:20 #1 - Adam - Brian Boru: High King of Ireland

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 71 we provide our hot take review of Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss a poll related to storing game expansions.

Chris discusses the Tzolk'in themed cocktail that wasn't and then we discuss some games on our table including Praga Caput Regni and the games we've been playing on Board Game Arena.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Poll: Storing Board Game Expansions
08:21 Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar Description
10:18 Gameplay and Mechanisms
25:12 Production and Theme
29:52 Memorable Moments
34:55 Final Thoughts
39:25 Themed Cocktail of the Week
44:25 Board Game Arena
49:09 Praga Caput Regni

Keyflower Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 70 we provide our hot take review of Keyflower covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss a poll related to buying games that we first played online.

Chris provides a Keyflower themed cocktail and then we discuss some games on our table including Cascadia, Welcome To..., and Obsession.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Poll: Buying games after trying them online
08:25 Keyflower Description
10:51 Gameplay and Mechanisms
25:24 Production and Theme
33:17 Memorable Moments
41:41 Final Thoughts
48:38 Themed Cocktail of the Week
53:24 Obsession
54:39 Cascadia
59:30 Welcome To...

Root Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 69 we provide our hot take review of Root covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss a poll related to asymmetric board games.

Chris provides a Root themed cocktail and then we discuss some games on our table including Risk: Legacy, Azul, and Unsettled.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:29 Poll: Asymmetric Game Play
06:46 Root
08:49 Gameplay and Mechanisms
30:25 Production and Theme
43:55 Memorable Moments
49:26 Final Thoughts
57:46 Themed Cocktail of the Week
1:02:36 Azul
1:04:43 Risk: Legacy
1:12:28 Unsettled

Let it Go - 5 Board Games Leaving our Collections Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 68 we discuss some of the reasons we cull board games from our collections and list 5 games that are leaving and why they aren't going to be sticking around.

We also discuss poll results on how frequently board games are culled.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:39 Poll discussion around culling games
9:17 #5 Adam - Space Corp - 2025-2300AD
12:35 #5 Chris - Calico
15:15 #5 Tim - Wingspan
20:41 #4 Adam - Irish Gauge
22:35 #4 Chris - Lords of Hellas
26:27 #4 Tim - It's a Wonderful World / Maracaibo
29:36 #3 Adam - Android: Netrunner
33:48 #3 Chris - This War of Mine
35:54 #3 Tim - Empires of the Void II
39:02 #2 Adam - On Mars
43:11 #2 Chris - Marvel United
47:10 #2 Tim - Paper Dungeon
49:40 #1 Adam - Spirit Island
54:15 #1 Chris - Twisted Fables
58:20 #1 Tim - Fort
59:43 Culling Final Thoughts

Ankh: Gods of Egypt Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 67 we provide our hot take review of Ankh: Gods of Egypt covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss our big 'renaming' and related poll results.

Chris provides an Ankh themed cocktail and then we discuss some games on our table including Keyflower, Bonfire, and Brian Boru: High King of Ireland.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:32 Poll: Name Change?
04:21 Ankh: Gods of Egypt Description
06:20 Gameplay and Mechanisms
32:34 Production and Theme
39:38 Memorable Moments
43:38 Final Thoughts
49:17 Themed Cocktail of the Week
52:36 Keyflower
1:00:27 Brian Boru: High King of Ireland
1:05:51 Bonfire

Russian Railroads Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 66 we provide our hot take review of Russian Railroads covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game and we discuss some poll results around abstract games.

We then discuss some games on our table including Royal Visit, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, and Patchwork: Halloween Edition and then give our future takes on Age of Galaxy and the Arts and Architecture expansion for Tapestry.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Poll: Do you like abstract games
04:00 Russian Railroads Description
06:38 Gameplay and Mechanisms
20:56 Production and Theme
25:41 Memorable Moments
28:54 Final Thoughts
34:00 Royal Visit
37:24 Patchwork: Halloween Edition
38:37 Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition 1:21:57
45:02 Age of Galaxy
49:13 Tapestry: Arts and Architecture

Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 65 we provide our hot take review of Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy covering the mechanisms, the production, notable moments in play, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a big change coming for Board Game Hot Takes and ask for your input.

We then discuss some games on our table including Paladins of the West Kingdom and the expansion for My Little Scythe - Pie in the Sky and then give our future takes on Brian Boru: High King of Ireland and Wayfarers of the South Tigris.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Big Changes Coming
05:00 Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy
07:36 Gameplay and Mechanisms
30:37 Production and Theme
40:17 Memorable Moments
46:48 Final Thoughts
51:56 Paladins of the West Kingdom
1:04:35 My Little Scythe: Pie in the Sky
1:21:57 Brian Boru: High King of Ireland
1:25:12 Wayfarers of the South Tigris

TimCon Coverage - Part 2 - 8 Games Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 64, we discuss the next 8 games that were played at TimCon where Tim, Adam, Chris, and Steve got together for 5 days of non-stop gaming! We also discuss our biggest disappointments and biggest surprises out of the 22 games played from the entire weekend.

Games covered include Smartphone, Inc., Samurai, Tapestry, Cerebria, Shamans, Outlive, Anachrony, and The Mind.

Follow along as we share the TimCon Championship scoring for the weekend and announce the Champion!

Part 1 was released last week so if you haven't listened to that yet, go check it out!

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:57 Smartphone, Inc.
04:45 Samurai
11:07 Tapestry
15:36 Cerebria
24:13 Shamans
33:05 Outlive
41:41 Anachrony
49:07 TimCon 2021 Champion Announced!
49:45 The Mind
50:17 Games we missed
52:31 Biggest Disappointments
53:22 Biggest Surprises

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