Shelf Stable: A Board Game Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#56 How to Offload Games Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

Cast your worldly possessions and burn those games. It's eco friendly and nobody would benefit from them anyway. Not even the buffalo that stares you down at the crossroad between life and death.

Games we played:

5:07 - 1830 Railways & Robber Barons (1986, Francis Tresham & Bruce Shelley, Mayfair)

9:30 - Koi Koi (1800, Uncredited, Nintendo)

13:27 - World's Fair 1893 (2016, J. Alex Kevern, Renegade)

19:04 - Cranium Hoopla (2007, Whit Alexander & Richard Tait, Cranium Inc)

100 games before you die:

25:17 - Targi (2012, Andreas Steiger, KOSMOS)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

29:46 - How to Offload Games

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#55 Rulebooks Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

There's a new sheriff in town that is laying down the law. They have a game overview in their holster and reference sheet plastered on their butt. They're wearing underpants made of an appendix and a hat made out of examples and illustrations. Yee-haw! You've made your last misplay Ironhide.

Games we played:

2:12 - Stay Cool (2019, Julien Sentis, Scorpion Masqué)

5:22 - Linko (2014, Wolfgang Kramer, Michael Kiesling, AMIGO)

9:48 - Concept (2013, Gaëtan Beaujannot & Alain Rivollet, Repos)

13:10 - Gemlok (2007, Donald Meyer, Pywacket LLC)

100 games before you die:

17:58 - 7 Wonders (2010, Antoine Bauza, Repos)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

22:32 - Rulebooks

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#54 Balance in Games Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

What up my jellies! We got a paku-spicy episode for paku-you this paku-week! Enjoy cleaning the ticks out of your paku-drinking water! Jelly masters signing off! Richard Garfield, take us to the mooooon!

Scatman cursed remix https://youtu.be/5rCC25N66Dg?feature=shared

Games we played:

6:02 - Paku Paku (2017, Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger)

10:36 - Barrage (2019, Tommaso Battista & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations)

16:01 - The Castles of Burgundy (2011, Stefan Feld, Alea)

20:29 - Iberia (2016, Jesus Torres Castro & Matt Leacock, Z-Man)

100 games before you die:

24:49 - Robo Rally (1994, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Trans 101 for BGG by Som Paris https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/16472/blogpost/177212/trans-101-for-boardgame-geeks

Topic:

30:41 - Balance in Games

The Balancing Act by Richard Garfield https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1/blogpost/169896/the-balancing-act

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#53 ft. Ray Billings, Board Game Nostalgia Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Remember the time Mr. Kellogg put a bag on his head to stop the nut from happening? Neither do we. This week we are joined by Ray Billings, digital content specialist at The OP.

1:44 - Intro: Ray Billings

7:32 - Update on CGE and Devir

Marceline post on CGE update https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/marcelineleiman.bsky.social/post/3lvw5kexn5c2w

Ace of Spades images and thread https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555308/just-some-ole-racist-history-crap

Devir follow up https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3555679/a-message-to-the-community

13:20 - We Have to Know!

Games we played:

22:41 - Schadenfreude (2020, ctr, Studio Turbine)

29:25 - Wizard (1984, Ken Fisher, Amigo)

NL Mottainai clip (thank you Tim) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S1RXtkTwWW4&t=3645s

Topic:

39:31 - Board Game Nostalgia

Where to find Ray: https://bsky.app/profile/raybird.bsky.social

Songs:

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#52 Online Play Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

So Tom kinda just willed Daybreak into Shelf Stable legality and I don't know how I feel about that. On one hand it's an excellent game, but on the other it sets a dangerous precedent a la Beetlejuice. He can just say something enough times and it materializes like some kind of antithetical podcast ghost. I'm going to have to go back to the lab for this one and figure out how to handle future manifestations of this SCP. Maybe a little bit of Jay Leno will help.

Games we played:

5:15 - Babylonia (2019, Reiner Knizia, Ludonova)

9:37 - Brass (2007, Martin Wallace, Warfrog)

16:08 - Linko (2014, Michael Kiesling & Wolfgang Kramer, Amigo)

19:08 - Monikers (2015, Alex Hague & Justin Vickers, CMYK)

100 games before you die (kinda):

22:15 - Response to CGE

Marceline Leiman's zine https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10BUxxRO08jS9ZFnfnt0dnMPEZi5lrwke

Meaning of trans rights https://www.reddit.com/r/asktransgender/comments/11f0pmy/what_do_people_mean_when_they_say_transrights/

Contribute to the BGG discussion

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3553665/blacklist-cge

Topic:

37:15 - Online Games

The medium is the message https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/6343/blogpost/174872/the-physical-game-and-its-digital-implementation-a

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#51 Board Game Black Mirror Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Do you ever get the feeling that we're just living in one big simulation? Like we might just be pawns in a big Game of Life, and we're just being played by hyper-dimensional beings who are complaining about how badly the host taught them the rules? No? Well, you should probably listen to a different episode, then. This week we're crowdsourcing our content to bring you the best and most mind-bending plot synopses possible for a theoretical future wherein Netflix green-lights a version of Black Mirror just for us Tabletop Gamers 😎

Games we played:

2:28 - 1880: China (2010, Helmut Ohley & Leonhard Orgler, Lookout Games)

11:49 - Samurai Swords (aka Ikusa) (1986, Michael Gray, Milton Bradley)

21:31 - Broom Service (2015, Andreas Pelikan & Alexander Pfister, Alea)

28:50 - Captain Sonar (2016, Roberto Fraga & Yohan Lemonnier, Matagot)

100 games before you die:

34:35 - CATAN (1995, Klaus Teuber, Mayfair)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

41:06 - Black Mirror if it was Board Games

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#50 Burnout Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

We've all been there. You want to show your cool high school teacher that Code Geass is a lot like an ancient philosopher's teachings. Then you show the clip for a bit too long and all of a sudden you're watching booty shots and some boys love...

Games we played:

5:43 - Great Western Trail (2016, Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele)

15:03 - The Game: Face to Face (2017, Steffen Benndorf & Reinhard Staupe, Pandasaurus)

22:15 - Shards of Infinity (2018, Gary Arant & Justin Gary, Stone Blade)

31:13 - Millennium Blades (2016, D Brad Talton Jr, Level 99)

100 games before you die:

39:03 - Modern Art (1992, Reiner Knizia, CMON)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

43:13 - Burnout

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#49 Deck of Cards Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

Gatorade is like the LaCroix of LaCroix which is not to be confused with carbonated water which is the Spindrift of LaCroix. Water is mid and the LaCroix of water is obviously [drumroll...] LaCroix. Why do they call it LaCroix when you la croix the cold drink la "cwa" hot drink the drink? Stroke and/or deep cut. Jury is out.

Games we played:

5:03 - Yellow & Yangtze (2018, Reiner Knizia, Grail)

9:16 - Monopoly DEAL (2008, Katharine Chapman, Hasbro)

14:53 - Bohnanza (1997, Uwe Rosenberg, Amigo)

19:22 - Space Base (2018, John D Clair, AEG)

100 games before you die:

24:53 - Memoir '44 (2004, Richard Borg, Days of Wonder)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

31:37 - Deck of Cards

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#48 Mid Year Eval Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

It's like horse racing but the horses are waifus. What's a waifu? Well that's kind of hard to explain. Have you heard of a gatcha? No? NorthernLion? Oh... well I don't know if this is going to work out. Thanks for the interview, I wish you the best of luck in finding a candidate.

Games we played:

3:16 - 51st State (2010, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal)

9:54 - Gizmos (2018, Phil Walker-Harding, CMON)

15:11 - Mottainai (2015, Carl Chudyk, Asmadi)

21:03 - Side Effects (2017, Jen Igartua & Jade Shames & Kat Thek, Pillbox)

100 games before you die:

29:24 - Chinatown (2017, Karsten Hartwig, Z-Man)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

34:12 - Mid Year Eval

Tom's bingo https://imgur.com/a/Of4POTr

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#47 ft. Tom Brewster, Iteration and Innovation Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Lesser Tom is joined by the Tomb Rewster of Shut Up & Sit Down fame this week to talk board games (shock) and video/podcast creation. Listen in on some Type III fun as we get into the nitty gritty of Cuppy Flicky 2. Wait- where is the typical deranged show note synopsis? Not this week buddy. I had a relaxing weekend and wrote this baby up while there was still daylight to spare. Better luck next time you bog-guzzling creep.

9:48 - Intro: Tom Brewster

13:04 - We Have to Know!

Games we played:

53:51 - Innovation (2010, Carl Chudyk, Asmadi)

Fall Out Boy didn't cringe the fire https://youtu.be/2LkVKCWL0U4?feature=shared

Topic:

1:05:38 - Iteration and Innovation

Where to find Tom:

https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/tombrewster.bsky.social

https://www.shutupandsitdown.com

Songs:

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning