Going Analog Show

Latest Episodes:

45: Streamable games, big-name licenses, and that X factor (guest: The Op's Pat Marino) Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

We talk (non-roll-and-write) board games that are perfect for streaming to your friends, and we delve into how a game company like The Op works with so many big-name licenses (Marvel, Harry Potter, and...um, Golden Girls).

Plus, what is that X factor that makes a game really great? And Mike Zipkin gives impressions on Nintendo's Clubhouse Games.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Star Wars: Dark Side Rising
Harry Potter: Death Eaters Rising
Die Hard: The Nakatomi Tower Heist
Monopoly
Yahtzee
Scrabble
Trivial Pursuit
Telestrations
Clubhouse Games
Russian Railroads
Grand Austria Hotel

Christina's topic: Streamable non-roll-and-write games

Blank Slate
Just One
Hues and Cues
Codenames
MonsDRAWsity
Telestrations: Upside Drawn
Telestrations

Shoe's topic: Game design when working with different licenses

Courth of the Dead: Mourner's Call
Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion
The Shining: Escape from Overlook Hotel
Monopoly Hallmark Channel Board Game
Unlock!
Munchkin
Codenames
Match-o-Rama
Quests of Yore: Barley's Edition

Pat's topic: That X-factor in gaming

Russian Railroads
Just One
Codenames
Hansa Teutonica
The Gallerist
Kanban
Terraforming Mars
The Quacks of Quedlinberg
Hues and Cues
Court of the Dead: Mourner's Call
Tiny Towns
Medium

Mike's topic: Nintendo's Clubhouse Games

Clubhouse Games
Chess
Checkers
Yacht Dice
Mancala
Shogi
Go
Connect 4
Uno
Hanafuda
Texas Hold 'Em
Ludo
War
Takoyaki
Air Hockey
Darts
Bowling

Final thoughts

Blank Slate
Court of the Dead: Mourner's Call
The Batman Who Laughs Rising
Plankton Rising
Quests of Yore: Barley's Edition
Forgotten Waters
Era: Medieval Age
The Shipwreck Arcana
Smartphone Inc.

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44: Politics, premium bits, and remakes (guest: James Hudson) Jun 10, 2020

Show notes

How should game publishers and designers respond to recent political events? We also talk about premium components (the business behind them and how we do our own upgrading) and reissued/remade games like King of Tokyo Dark and Kemet: Blood and Sand.

James Hudson, senior director of tabletop gaming at Skybound Games (Sorcerer City, Superfight, Tidal Blades) joins us this week for this discussion.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

The Grimm Masquerade
Guardian's Call
Sorcerer City
Wonderland's War
Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef

Christina's topic: How should game publishers respond to calls for more inclusiveness vs. "less politics" in games?

Dead of Winter
Summoner Wars
Bloodstone
The Grimm Forest
Guardian's Call

Shoe's topic: Board game remakes...do you buy them?

Dune
King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo: Dark
Kemet
Kemet: Blood and Sand
Caylus
Caylus 1303
Tribune
Last Bastion
Ghost Stories
The Castles of Burgundy
Carpe Diem
Egizia
Egizia: Shifting Sands
Tokaido

Mike's topic: What are some premium upgrades you've personally added to games?

The Castles of Burgundy
The Estates
Blood Rage
Rising Sun
Concordia
The Grimm Forest
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
Chaos in the Old World
Dune
Crusaders
The Crew

James's topic: Deluxe components from the manufacturer's perspective

The Grimm Forest
Sorcerer City
Zombicide
B-Sieged
Copenhagen
Ticket to Ride
Blood Rage
Gloomhaven
Gùgōng
Bloodstone
Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
Valor & Villainy
Pebble Rock Delivery Service

Final thoughts

The King's Dilemma
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
Lords of Vegas
Star Trek: Ascendancy
Twilight Imperium

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43: Pirate games, Forgotten Waters, losing interest in the hobby (guests: Plaid Hat, Tim Schafer) May 27, 2020

Show notes

We talk about Plaid Hat's new storytelling adventure game Forgotten Waters, our other favorite pirate-themed games, and some of the most memorable characters in board gaming.

But...is quarantining slowly killing our love for board games?

We have three special guests! Video game designer Tim Schafer (whose work on The Secret of Monkey Island influenced Forgotten Waters), and Forgotten Waters co-designers Isaac Vega and Joe Ellis.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Forgotten Waters
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn
City of Remnants
Dead of Winter
Crystal Clans
Raxxon

Christina's topic: What are our favorite pirate-y games?

Forgotten Waters
Sea of Legends
Tiny Epic Pirates
Sea of Nadia
Jamaica
Sea of Clouds
Libertalia
Citadels
Merchants and Marauders
Pirate's Cove
Loot
Xia: Legends of a Drift System

Joe's topic: Inspirations behind Forgotten Waters

Forgotten Waters

Isaac's topic: What are the most memorable characters you've enjoyed in board games?

Scythe
Scythe: The Rise of Fenris
Magic: The Gathering
Twilight Imperium
Dead of Winter
Mice and Mystics
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Camp Grizzly
T.I.M.E Stories
Star Wars: Rebellion
Dune
Aftermath
Abomination
Takenoko
Forgotten Waters

Tim's topic: How has quarantine affected how we think about board games?

Descent: Journeys in the Dark
The 7th Continent
Sea of Nadia
Smartphone Inc.
Santa Monica
Forgotten Waters

Final thoughts

Forgotten Waters

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42: 2P/solo games, failing co-op, roll & writes, Uwe Rosenberg (guest: Jamey Stegmaier) May 06, 2020

Show notes

What are our favorite two-player, solo, and roll-and-write games? Do you want to restart or fail forward when you lose a cooperative adventure? And we all love designer Uwe Rosenberg!

With guest Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Wingspan, Tapestry, Scythe).

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Wingspan
Viticulture
Scythe
Euphoria
Tapestry

Shoe's topic: What are our favorite two-player and solo games?

Lost Cities
Hanamikoji
Jixia Academy
Onitama
7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders
Shards of Infinity
Shards of Infinity: Shadow of Salvation
SHOBU
Jaipur
War Chest
War Chest: Nobility
Patchwork
Pathfinder: Adventure Card Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Coffee Roaster

Jamey's topic: How do we feel about replaying scenarios vs. "failing forward" in cooperative games?

Forgotten Waters
Gloomhaven
Pandemic Legacy
Legacy of Dragonholt
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth
T.I.M.E Stories
Forbidden Desert
Atlantis Rising
Arkham Horror

Christina's topic: Favorite beginner-friendly and heavy-duty ___-and-writes

Second Chance
Qwixx
Ganz Schon Clever
Fleet: The Dice Game
Rolling Realms
Welcome to...
Silver & Gold
On Tour
Cartographers
Doppelt So Clever
MetroX
Welcome to New Las Vegas

Jess's topic: What are our favorite Uwe Rosenberg games?

Agricola
Patchwork
Caverna: Cave vs. Cave
Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small
Viticulture: Moor Visitors Expansion
A Feast for Odin
Caverna
Caverna: The Forgotten Folk
Bohnanza
Cottage Garden
Fields of Arle
Le Havre
Ora et Labora

Final thoughts

Kingdomino
Pinnacle
Scythe
My Little Scythe
My Little Scythe: Pie in the Sky
Rolling Realms
Euphoria

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41: Async digital games, designing during COVID, and more (guest: Emerson Emerson Matsuuchi) Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Which games transport us to new places or worlds? What makes a good asynchronous digital game? And how does sheltering in place change how a designer goes about his business?

Board game designer Emerson Matsuuchi (Century series, Metal Gear Solid, Specter Ops) joins us to discuss.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Century
Metal Gear Solid
Foundations of Rome

Christina's topic: What are your top board games that help you escape?

Tokaido
Namiji
Tales of Arabian Nights
Hive Mind
King of Tokyo
Mansions of Madness
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
Dead of Winter
Above & Below
Near & Far
Mice & Mystics
Aftermath
Forgotten Waters
Suburbia

Emerson's topic: How important is it for a game to have something innovative?

The Mind
Dead Man's Cabal
In the Hall of the Mountain King
The Castles of Burgundy
Lost Cities
Codenames
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Architects of the West Kingdom

Nick's topic: Asynchronous digital games

The Castles of Burgundy
Lost Cities
Carcassonne
Patchwork
Ticket to Ride
Tokaido
Ascension
Shards of Infinity
Lords of Waterdeep
Kingsburg

Shoe's topic: How does shelter-in-place impact game design work?

Infiltrator

Final thoughts

Just One
Rising Sun

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40: Gaming (and publishing) in a COVID-19 world + The Crew (guests: Deep Water Games) Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

The world has changed. How are we playing games now? How has coronavirus impacted the game-publishing business? And why is community more important than ever?

We cover these big topics with Nolan Nasser (CEO) and Jacob Way (COO) of Deep Water Games (Welcome To..., Hanamikoji).

In lighter news, we go on and on about one of our favorite games of 2020 so far: The Crew. It's so amazing, we guaranteed our guests their money back if they bought it and didn't like it.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Hanamikoji
Realm of Sand
Welcome to...
Fantastic Factories
Spirit Island
New Bedford
Fleet: The Dice Game
The Crew

Jacob's topic: Importance of community during COVID-19

Monstrosity
Diplomacy
Gloomhaven

Christina's topic: What do our board gaming lives look like during shelter-in-place?

Ascension
Shards of Infinity
Patchwork
Tang Garden
Sagrada
Ganz Schon Clever/That's So Clever
Doppelt So Clever/Twice as Clever
Chronicles of Crime
Aftermath
Clank! Legacy
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Glaaxy
Hive Mind
Codenames
Wavelength
Time's Up
Time's Up: Title Recall
Monikers

Nolan's topic: How has COVID-19 affected Deep Water as a company?

Floor Plan
Jixia Academic

Shoe's topic: The Crew

Claim

Final thoughts

Welcome to New Las Vegas

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39: Classic games, culling games, and conventions (guests: Board Game Spotlight) Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

How do we pick which board games to cull when we move? What is gaming life like in the military? What's considered a classic nowadays? And what's our ideal convention experience -- deadly viruses aside, that is?

Lizzy Funkhouser (Board Game Spotlight) and Derek Funkhouser (Skybound Games) join us to discuss!

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

Medium
Q.E.
The Walking Dead: Something to Fear
Herbaceous Sprouts

Derek's topic: What makes an evergreen or classic board game?

Axis & Allies
Azul
Ticket to Ride
Dominion
Settlers of Catan
7 Wonders
Risk
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Nemesis
Terraforming Mars
Twilight Struggle
The Castles of Burgundy
Viticulture
Architects of the West Kingdom
Quacks of Quedlinburg
Tidal Blades
Gloomhaven
Blood Rage
Carcassonne
Monopoly
Scrabble
The Game of Life
El Grande
Wingspan

Christina's topic: What's your ideal convention experience?

MetroX
The Taverns of Tiefenthal

Lizzy's topic: How do you decide which games to cull or keep?

Azul: Summer Pavilion
Herbaceous
Mombasa
Gears of War: The Board Game
Chaos in the Old World
World of Warcraft: The Board Game
StarCraft: The Board Game
T.I.M.E Stories
Small World
Ginkgopolis
Rococo
Orleans
Arboretum
Lords of Hellas

Shoe's topic: What is board gaming like while deployed or in the armed forces?

Magic: The Gathering
The Crew
Skull King
The Resistance
The Resistance: Avalon
Hanabi
Hive Mind
Codenames

Final thoughts

The Godfather: Corleone's Empire

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38: Is there a board game for everyone? Plus: The LOLest games, board game movies, and Kickstarter trailers Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Why we'll never get some of our friends to play board games; the best laugh-so-hard-we-always-cry games; board game movies (our faves and the ones we'd like to see); and whether high-production trailers are good -- and bad -- for Kickstarter campaigns.

Games discussed on the show:

Mike's topic: board game movies -- the good, the mostly bad, and what we want to see

Clue
Jumanji
Battleship
The Castles of Burgundy
Pandemic
Pandemic: Legacy
Settlers of Catan
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Gloomhaven
Root
T.I.M.E Stories
Scythe
Nine Tiles Panic
Mice & Mystics
Aftermath
Above & Below
Near & Far

Christian's topic: Is there really a game for everyone?

Lost Cities
The Mind
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
Crokinole

Christina's topic: What are your funniest board game experiences?

Telestrations
Draw Your Own Conclusions
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Head's Up
Skull
Cards Against Humanity
Funemployment
Hive Mind

Shoe's topic: Are fancy video trailers too fancy? Or are they necessary to stand out?

Unsettled
SHASN
Dogs of War

Final thoughts

Imperial 2030
Cry Havoc
Nokosu Dice

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37: Mike Young (Plan B) explains why game publishing is so tough! Plus, our fave board game franchises and imports. Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

Mike Young (Plan B) explains why game publishing is so tough! Plus, our fave board game franchises and imports.

Games mentioned on the show:

Shoe's topic: Game franchises

Azul
Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
Azul: Summer Pavilion
Century
Century: Golem Edition
Chess
Othello
Ticket to Ride
Settlers of Catan
Codenames
Cottage Garden
Indian Summer
Spring Meadow
Funkoverse Strategy Game
Unmatched
Android: Netrunner
Magic: The Gathering
Mexica
Tikal
Java
Terraforming Mars
Castles of Tuscany
Castles of Burgundy
Blood Rage
Rising Sun
Ankh

Christina's topic: Favorite import games

5211
5 Colors
Aquatica
Modern Art
Nokosu Dice
Orchard Ocean
Let's Make a Bus Route
Sunflower Valley
Great Western Trail
Oh My Goods!
Broom Service
Tybor the Builder
Startups

Final thoughts:

Team3
Nyctophobia
Oceans
Evolution
Tuki
Junk Art
Camel Up
SOS Dino
San Juan
Beez
Era: Medieval Age
Alma Mater
Tzolk'in
Teotihuacan

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36: Celebrating 20 years of BoardGameGeek Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

BoardGameGeek just turned 20! Owner/co-founder Scott Alden and Director of Media Lincoln Damerst stop by to talk about the two-decade making of the do-everything board game website, its most underrated games, and much more.

Games discussed:

Intro & Scott's topic: How did you first hear about BoardGameGeek?