Board Game Hot Takes

Latest Episodes:

Inis Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 253 we give our hot take review on Inis covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on gamer types and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Modern Art, Cribbage, and Bomb Busters.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Poll Time: What type of board gamer do you consider yourself?

08:09 Inis Description

11:50 Gameplay and Mechanisms

26:04 Production and Theme

32:39 Final Thoughts

44:27 Modern Art and Cheeky Monkey

51:16 Cribbage

1:00:11 Bomb Busters

1:09:32 Listener Shoutout

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Our Favorite Meeples Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 252 we discuss our favorite wooden figures (meeples) in board games.

We also answer a listener's question on which games are great for asynchronous play on Board Game Arena.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Great (and not so great) async BGA games - Lost Ruins of Arnak, Ark Nova, Tapestry, Revive, Harmonies, Gaia Project, Through the Ages, Blood Rage, Rats of Wistar, Azul, La Granja

11:30 5 Favorite Meeples

19:40 Royal Visit

21:50 Scoville

25:07 Everdell

27:19 Survive the Island

30:25 Root

33:03 Power Vacuum

35:41 Wondrous Creatures

37:57 Circadians: Chaos Order

40:37 Charterstone

43:30 On Mars

45:47 Golem

49:05 Glen More II: Chronicles

49:58 Aqua Garden

52:07 Merchants of the Dark Road

55:02 Gentes Deluxified Edition

57:47 Honorable Mentions: Arcs, Teotihuacan: City of Gods, Parks, Meepile, Luthier, Bonfire

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Dinogenics Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 251 we give our hot take review on Dinogenics covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on favorite publishers and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Masters of Renaissance, Cyclades: Legendary Edition, Endeavor: Deep Sea, and Finspan.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:53 Poll Time: When you listen to board game reviews what are you most interested in hearing about?

07:54 Dinogenics Description

10:01 Gameplay and Mechanisms

26:31 Production and Theme

35:28 Final Thoughts

40:46 Master of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico - The Card Game

47:04 Cyclades: Legendary Edition

48:41 Endeavor: Deep Sea

55:45 Finspan

1:01:05 Listener Shoutout

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Top 5 Publishers on Our Shelves May 26, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 250 we discuss the top 5 board game publishers that are represented on our game shelves.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:52 Top 5 Publishers On Our Game Shelves

06:44 Dire Wolf (Clank! Legacy, Clank! In Space, Dune: Imperium - Uprising)

08:54 Wehrlegig Games (Pax Pamir 2nd Edition, John Company 2nd Edition)

10:47 CMON Games (Blood Rage, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Rising Sun)

12:57 AEG (Cascadia, Calico, Let's Go To Japan)

17:17 Eagle-Gryphon Games and (Baseball Highlight 2045, Xenon Profiteer, On Mars, Clockwork Wars) - Buffalo Games (Planted, Oh No! Volcano)

18:51 Garphill Games (Architects of the West Kingdom, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Legacy of Yu)

22:30 Wise Wizards Games (Star Realms, Star Realm: Rise of Empire, Hero Realms, Robot Quest Arena)

25:13 Cosmodrome Games (Smartphone, Inc., Frozen Frontier, Aquatica)

25:52 GMT Games (Dominant Species, SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD, A Gest of Robin Hood)

30:35 REPOS Production (7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel, Just One, Fun Facts, Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth)

32:07 Awaken Realms (Nemesis, This War of Mine, Lords of Ragnarok, Tainted Grail, Great Wall, Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition)

37:04 Roxley Games (Brass: Birmingham, Radlands, Dice Throne, Skyrise)

38:51 Stonemaier Games (Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest, Scythe, Viticulture, Tapestry, Apiary, Red Rising, Wingspan, My Little Scythe, Pendulum, Expeditions)

44:12 Fantasy Flight Games (Battle for Rokugan, Star Wars Rebellion, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Android Netrunner, Arkham Horror: CCG)

48:26 CGE (T'zolkin: The Mayan Calendar, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Codenames, Pulsar 2849, Under Falling Skies)

50:28 Final Thoughts

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Finspan May 19, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 249 we give our hot take review on Finspan covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on favorite publishers and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Sol: Last Days of a Star, Galactic Cruise, and Pirates of Maracaibo.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Poll Time: Do you have favorite publishers?

09:53 Finspan Description

12:15 Gameplay and Mechanisms

30:29 Production and Theme

38:34 Final Thoughts

42:59 Sol: Last Days of a Star

47:09 Galactic Cruise

54:39 Pirates of Maracaibo

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

BGHT PhoenixCon Coverage Part 2 (9 Games Discussed) May 12, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 248 we discuss all of the games played during the second half of our semi-annual in-person games gathering, this time in Phoenix, AZ.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Gaia Project (with The Lost Fleet)

14:50 Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods

28:36 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

33:24 Stockpile

40:07 Darwin's Journey (with Fireland Expansion)

49:50 Dune: Imperium Uprising (with Bloodlines and Immortality)

57:39 Dungeon Fighter

1:01:34 Biohack

1:09:34 Wandering Towers

1:13:53 Final Thoughts

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

BGHT PhoenixCon Coverage Part 1 (11 Games Discussed) May 05, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 247 we discuss all of the games played during the first half of our semi-annual in-person games gathering, this time in Phoenix, AZ.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:59 Finspan

08:41 Clank! Catacombs (with Lairs and Lost Chambers)

13:42 Rebirth

19:10 Rebel Princess

26:26 Power Vacuum

32:30 Flip 7

39:01 Sky Team

43:55 Frozen Frontier

51:16 Thunder Road: Vendetta

1:02:10 Cyclades: Legendary Edition

1:13:05 Crokinole

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Missing (Board Game) Homework Assignments Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 246 we look at the games that we feel obligated to play but aren't really excited about. The mandatory assignments that we've missed.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:34 The unfortunate required coursework of the board game hobbyist

04:33 Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

06:11 Tigris and Euphrates

10:40 The Crew: Deep Sea, The Crew, The Fellowship of the Ring: The Trick Taking Game

13:19 Food Chain Magnate

15:58 Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

20:47 Caverna: The Cave Farmers

22:41 Puerto Rico

25:25 Concordia, Lisboa

29:55 Android: Netrunner, Magic: The Gathering

36:11 Blood on the Clocktower

37:58 Terra Mystica

40:52 Civilization

43:18 Commands and Colors: Ancients

46:00 Gloomhaven, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Frosthaven

52:44 Diplomacy

54:59 Final Thoughts and Honorable Mentions: Cosmic Encounter, The Great Zimbabwe, Mage Knight, Slay the Spire: The Board Game

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Pirates of Maracaibo Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 245 we give our hot take review on Pirates of Maracaibo covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on Legacy Games and then talk about some games that have been on our tables including Davy Jones' Locker: The Kraken Wakes, Great Western Trail: El Paso, and Crystal Palace.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Poll Time: How do you feel about legacy games?

14:00 Golden Geek Nomination!

16:01 Pirates of Maracaibo Description

20:00 Gameplay and Mechanisms

37:04 Production and Theme

42:40 Final Thoughts

49:31 Davy Jones' Locker: The Kraken Wakes

1:00:09 Great Western Trail: El Paso

1:05:22 Crystal Palace

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes