Going Analog Show

65: What board games have taught us, themes, online sales (guest: BoardGameCo) May 06, 2021

Show notes

YouTube creator and BoardGameCo founder Alex Radcliffe stops by the show! Our picks for topics this week:

Alex (guest): How important is theme? Have you kept mediocre board games purely because of a great theme? And what games do you love despite their theme?
Shoe (producer): What are some interesting facts that we've learned from playing board games?
Christina (host): How did the pandemic affect online retail sales? What gaming trends popped up during stay-at-home?

The games discussed in this episode:

Alex's topic: Theme in board games

Cthulhu: Death May Die
Arkham Horror
Eldritch Horror
Robinson Cursoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
Terra Mystica
Gaia Project
Gentes
Crusader
Surrealist Dinner Party
Ugly Gryphon Inn
Marvel United
Obsession
Photosynthesis

Shoe's topic: Things we've learned from board games

Goa
Keystone: North America
The Search for Planet X
The Crew
Timeline
Wits and Wagers
Terraforming Mars
Brass: Birmingham
Tinners' Trail
Deep Vents
Formosa Tea
Viticulture

Christina's topic: Online retail trends during COVID

Monopoly
Risk
Catan
Splendor
Codenames

Final thoughts:

Red Rising
Fantasy Realms
Viticulture
Zombicide
Valor & Villainy
Drawn to Adventure
Merchant's Cove
Root
Vast
Gods Love Dinosaurs
Ecos

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64: 3-course gaming, culling collections, & evolving tastes (guests: Red Raven Games) Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Husband-wife team Ryan and Malorie Laukat of Red Raven Games (Sleeping Gods, Above and Below, Megaland) stop by with a few gaming topics in hand:

Christina (host): Our ideal "3-course meal" of board games
Malorie (guest): Culling our collections
Ryan (guest): How our gaming tastes have evolved over time

The games discussed in this episode:

Intro:

Above & Below
Near & Far
Empires of the Void II
Eight-Minute Empires
Roam
Sleeping Gods
Megaland
Now or Never
Surrealist Dinner Party

Christina's topic: Ideal 3-course meal of games

Point Salad
A Feast for Odin
Letter Jam
Blue Moon City
Agricola
Caverna
Codenames
Great Western Trail
Race for the Galaxy
Roll for the Galaxy
Jump Drive
New Frontiers

Malorie's topic: Culling games/hoarding games

Yinzi
Arkham Horror
Twilight Imperium

Ryan's topic: How our gaming tastes have changed

Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire
War of the Ring
Arkham Horror
Strozzi
Thunderstone
Lords of Waterdeep
Rising Sun
Sleeping Gods
Roam

Final thoughts:

Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Viscounts of the West Kingdom

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63: Fave game names, tech in games, and conventions (guests: Rose Gauntlet) Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Isaac Vega (designer of Ashes Reborn, co-designer of Dead of Winter and Forgotten Waters) and Lindsey Rode (designer of Labyrinthos) take a quick break from managing their new company, Rose Gauntlet Entertainment, to discuss gaaames!

Our topics: our favorite board game names, mixing technology with tabletop, and how we feel about attending conventions this year.

The games discussed in this episode:

Intro:

Dead of Winter
Forgotten Waters
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn
Keystone: North America
Countdown: Action Edition
Labyrinthos

Christina's topic: Your favorite names for board games

So, You've Been Eaten
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn
Dead of Winter
Abyss
Terra Mystica
Above and Below
Roam
Alice is Missing
Gravwell
Bärenpark
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Campy Creatures
Curious Cargo
Pipeline
The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Frenemy Pastry Party

Lindsey's topic: Technology in board games...what are you excited about and what don't you want to see

Forgotten Waters
The Search for Planet X
Chronicles of Crime
Life After Dungeon
Dread

Isaac's topic: Conventions in a post-COVID world

Atheneum: Mystic Library

Final thoughts:

Keystone: North America

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62: Board games we changed our opinions on, invested the most in, have a hard time getting to the table (guests: Before You Play) Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

Great board game discussions with Monique and Naveen of Before You Play! What games did we change our minds on (either way) after a second play? What games have we invested the most in? And what ones do we find hardest to get to the table...for whatever reason?

Here are the games covered in this episode:

Christina's topic: Games you've invested the most in

Lost Ruins of Arnak
Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein
Killer Bunnies
Dead of Winter
Scythe
Scythe: Rise of Fenris
Wingspan
The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Innovation
Grand Austria Hotel
Kanban EV

Naveen's topic: Games you've changed your mind about after a second play

Root
Medium
Just One
Hansa Teutonica
Ticket to Ride
Terraforming Mars
Loot of Lima
The Search for Planet X
Cryptid
Alchemists

Monique's topic: The hardest games to get to the table

The Gallerist
Lisboa
Vinhos
On Mars
Pandemic Legacy
Sleeping Gods
King's Dilemma
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
Twilight Imperium
Two Rooms and a Boom
Witness

Final thoughts:

Root
Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef

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61: Board games that get you HYPED, our backlogs, livestreaming (guest: Paula Deming) Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

The always fun, always funny Paula Deming from Things Get Dicey joins the podcast this week to discuss:

Board games that really get us riled up (in good and bad ways)
The games in our "shelf of opportunity" that we're most excited to get to
Why we livestream playthroughs -- or not

The games discussed on this episode:

Intro:

Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time

Christina's topic: Games that get you hyped

Dominant Species
Targi
Twilight Imperium
Draw Your Own Conclusions
Telestrations
Escape: The Curse of the Temple
Dungeon Fighter
Flip Ships
The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Wonderland's War
Libertalia
Modern Art

Shoe's topic: What are the games in your backlog that you're most excited to get to (and why haven't you yet)?

Too Many Bones
Sleeping Games
Near and Far
Above and Below
Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower
Space Base
Space Base: The Emergence of Shy Pluto
Machi Koro
Lisboa
Gallerist
Formosa Tea
Great Western Trail
Viticulture
CloudAge
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Clank Legacy
Cutthroat Caverns
Space Park
Herd Mentality
P for Pizza
Gentes
Pioneer Days
Happy Salmon
Power Grid
Blockbuster
MTV: The Throwback Music Party Game

Paula: Playing and live-streaming games online

Hallertau
Fort
Coatl
Targi
Carcassonne
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
Lisboa
Modern Art
Blank Slate
Wavelength

Final thoughts:

The Lost Expedition
Praga Caput Regni
City of the Big Shoulders

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60: Learning/teaching pet peeves, favorite animal-themed games, Capstone Games (guest: Board Games in a Minute) Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

Sarah Shah of Board Games in a Minute slows down just long enough to record a podcast with us. We chat about our favorite games centered around animals, our big pet peeves when teaching (or learning) a new board game, and publisher Capstone Games.

The games mentioned in this episode:

Christina's topic: What are some of your favorite games centered around animals?

Everdell
Ecos: First Continent
Gods Love Dinosaurs
Evolution
Oceans
Endangered
Calico
Isle of Cats
Beez
Honey Buzz
Aqua Garden
Heaven and Ale

Shoe's topic: What are your pet peeves when learning or teaching games?

Innovation
The Mind

Sarah's topic: Capstone Games

New York Zoo
Crystal Palace
Terra Mystica
Gaia Project
The Estates
CloudAge
Coffee Traders
Pipeline
Cooper Island
Renature
Curious Cargo
Watergate
Iberian Gauge
Ticket to Ride

Final thoughts:

Mr. Cabbagehead's Garden
Whistle Mountain
Sleeping Gods
7th Continent

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59: Separating art from artist, video game licenses, deckbuilding (guest: Boards Alive) Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

This is a special Voltron Podcast episode with Boards Alive's Aaron Cassidy!

(Touchy subject) We talk about the recent drama and controversies in the board game biz (and whether we can separate the art from the artists).

(And not-so-touchy) On a lighter note, we also discuss video-game-licensed board games and deckbuilding in games we wouldn't call deckbuilding games.

Shoe: Board games based on video game licenses that you've enjoyed or are excited about

Bloodborne
Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time
Bloodborne: The Card Game
The Witcher
Civilization
Civilization: A New Dawn
X-Com
This War of Mine
Level 7: Omega Protocol
Rampage/Terror in Meeple City
Exceed
BattleCON
Portal
Mechs vs. Minions
Railways of the World
Megaland

Christina's topic: Deckbuilding in games you wouldn't call deckbuilding games

Dune Imperium
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Dominant Species
Dice Throne
The Gallerist
On Mars
Lisboa
Great Western Trail
Newton
Food Chain Magnate
Concordia
Rococo
CloudAge
Mombasa
Blackout Hong Kong
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Luxor
Taverns of Tiefenthal
Shards of Infinity
Ascension

Aaron's topic: Can we separate the artist from the work?

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun
Pax
Bios
High Frontier
Puerto Rico
Great Western Trail
Mombasa
Maracaibo
Lewis and Clark
Teotihuacan: City of Gods

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58: Fave things to do with board games (besides playing them), best components, and...jigsaw puzzles?? Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

We're so obsessed with board games, that we enjoy them...even when we're not actually playing them. What are these "play-adjacent" activities that we love so much?

And what are our favorite components? And why on earth are we talking about jigsaw puzzles on a board game podcast?

The board games we discuss on this episode:

Christina's topic: your favorite game components

Everdell
Tidal Blades
Honey Buzz
Wingspan
Wavelength
Blockbuster
Potion Explosion
Portal
Dragoon
Ascension
Life Siphon
Guts of Glory
Mouse Trap
Trouble
Hungry Hungry Hippos
HeroQuest
Scrabble
Jenga
Junk Art
Fireball Island
Crokinole
Pinnacle
The Climbers
Riff Raff

Shoe's topic: What do you like doing with board games...outside of playing them?

The Castles of Burgundy
Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun

Final thoughts:

P for Pizza
Scapegoat
Air, Land, and Sea
Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Grifters

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57: The 2020 Board Games of the Year episode Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

Party game of the year! Light game of the year! Medium-weight game of the year! Heavy game of the year!

We grab two of our social-bubble gaming crew (James Hudson of Skybound and Shoe's co-worker Tom Twedell), and we all give our picks for the #1 games in all those categories for 2020.

Plus: What trends did we see in 2020 (and what might we see in 2021? And how did gaming get us through the rough patches of last year?

The games covered in this episode:

Intro:

Bloodstone

Tom's topic: Party and Light Games of the Year

Cross Clues
Codenames
P for Pizza
Telestrations: Upside Drawn
MonsDRAWsity
Silver: Dagger
Silver
My City
Santa Monica
The Crew
Calico
D&D Adventures Begin
Fossilis
The Crew
The Mind

Christina's topic: Medium and Heavy Games of the Year

Smartphone, Inc.
Tidal Blades
Dune: Imperium
Lost Ruins of Arnak
The Search for Planet X
Sorcerer City
Dwellings of Eldervale
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
Forgotten Waters
Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Rococo
Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun
Beyond the Sun
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
Alma Mater
The Magnificent

Shoe's topic: Top gaming trends of 2020 and what we are expecting for 2021

MonsDRAWsity
Rolling Realms
Sorcerer City
Tidal Blades
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Dune: Imperium
Dominion
Fort
Honey Buzz
Beez
Queen Bee
Hive Mind
Mariposas

James' topic: How gaming has helped us through rough patches in 2020

Fantastic Factories
Star Wars: Destiny
My City
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0

Final thoughts:

Mage Knight
War of the Rings
Tidal Blades
Valor & Villainy
Wonderland's War

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56: More party games, "old" games that need love, mechanics we seek out or avoid (guest: comedian Grant Lyon) Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

Professional comedian Grant Lyon (who also creates board game videos and co-designed Curmudgeon) joins us on the podcast this week. We talk about "old" (pre-2018) games that need more live, mechanics that we seek out or actively avoid, and more party games we love playing.

Games mentioned on this episode:

Intro: