Around the Board

By Andy Barnett, Daniel Connors, Kelly McClaflin, and John TheismanLeisure Games

Around the Board episodes

January 26, 2025 Ep 55 - Best Board Games of 2024
Four Board Game Enthusiast recap their 2024. We talk about the Best Game that came out in 2024, the game that surprised us the most, the game we played the most, and the best new to us game.
Join us Around the Board
0:00 Intro
8:46 FBC Game Con
10:31 Most Played Game
11:47 Marvel Champions
14:31 District Noir
15:58 River Valley Glass Works
18:44 Aquatica
21:32 Skull
24:13 Biggest Surprise of 2024
25:15 Faiyum
29:02 Tapestry
31:29 Faiyum Again
34:56 The Gang
42:29 Best New to Me
44:01 Hegemony
48:39 Gaia Project
52:05 Clans of Caledonia
57:20 Obsession
59:19 Best Game of 2024
01:01:13 Rock Hark 1977
01:03:16 Skyrise
01:07:04 Ezra and Nehemiah
01:10:21 Slay the Spire
1 hr 23 min
December 22, 2024 Ep 54 - 10 Games We Want for Christmas
In this episode, Around the Board, puts together another collective and contentious top 10 list. This time we give a list of 10 games we want for Christmas. Will we agree on the list? Or will it spiral out of control? I am sure you can assume, but there is only one way to find out! Join us Around the Board!
#fantasyflightgames #R&RGames #Zygomatic #flatoutgames #awakenrealms #fantasiagames #kingdomdeath #cmongames #Capstonegames #Roxleygames #Adamapplesgames #KayentaGames #18Wood
Game Boy Geek:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baeCiR0ludc&t=668s

Dice Tower:
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=Ghtr2QbMKBg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzhSQVORM3E
Man vs Meeple
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=Hq4erPKJ8OU&t=3883s
Peaky Boardgamerhttps:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21lCXS5s5Y
0:00 Great Cookie Debate8:08 Times Up Family Edition11:02 Survive17:00 Nemesis20:00 Cascadia 21:30 Blood Bowl Team Manager25:43 Unconscious Mind28:52 Kingdom Death Monster31:50 Blood Rage33:30 ISS Vanguard35:31 Ethnos 2nd Edition39:44 Age of Innovation 41:20 Planet Unknown43:37 X-Men Dice Throne47:23 Obsession50:37 18Royal Gorge 53:40 Broom Service
55:42 Honorable Mentions
1 hr 6 min
December 09, 2024 Ep 53 - 1000 Subscriber Contest
Join Andy, Chris, Daniel, and John as they celebrate reaching 1000 Subscribers on Around the Board! Today they reminisce on some of the best moments from their previous shows while reading comments from their loyal fans. They also provide updates on their thoughts about the games they have reviewed. Additionally, they have an exciting contest announcement that is sure to get their audience buzzing with anticipation. Don't miss out on all the fun and excitement - now join us Around the Board!

00:22 Intro
3:08 18Royal Gorge
6:09 Board Game Judas
8:55 Basement Dwellers
11:00 It's Sting!
12:59 Andy Gets Stood Up
14:56 Challengers Rant
19:17 Contest
24:27 Joe Coleman A-Track
27:21 Stockholm's Syndrome
30:00 Endeavor in Denver
30:56 Top 10 Lists
35:15 Fox Experiment /Andy is Bad at Math
42:30 Daniel is Good at Math
44:46 Star Wars Adjacent
46:21 The Segments that Never Happened
50:00 Jeff "Cardboard" Boxworthy
51:41 Game Length Anxiety - GLA
53:40 Chris Spits
55:30 Good Comments
01:01:55 Cowboys
01:06:25 We are Children
01:10:14 Sign Off
01:11:29 Hansa
1 hr 12 min
November 18, 2024 Ep 52 - All Things Uwe Rosenberg
Welcome to Around the Board. This episode is dedicated to celebrating one of the most beloved game designers in the hobby, Uwe Rosenberg. Today's show is packed with exciting segments! We kick things off with a lively Great Game Debate featuring Bohnanza, followed by a discussion on our gaming preferences: big box games versus small box games. Next up, we delve into a fan favorite segment, Play! Shelf! Trade!, showcasing three of Uwe's iconic games; La Havre, Patchwork, and A Feast for Odin. Last, we premier a new segment, Rosenburg or Rose and Buds, where we decipher if a word is a flower, a Uwe game, or both! Now join us on Around the Board!
0:00 Intro
3:04 Collection Organization
8:16 Bohnanza
23:52 Big Box v Small Box
36:11 Mr. Bucket
36:41 Hansa
40:06 La Havre, Patchwork, Feast for Odin
51:41 Rosenberg or Rose or Bud
1:04:37 Final Say
1:06:19 Relegation

1 hr 11 min
November 04, 2024 Ep 51 - Tom Vasel!!
n today's episode , Tom Vasel from the Dice Tower takes center stage to champion the Dice Tower Awards. As the discussion unfolds, Andy spices things up with a thrilling round of Board Game Theater. John then steps in with a challenging round of Board Game Believe it or Not, testing Tom's knowledge and wit. The show wraps up on an exciting note with a lively game of Play Shelf Trade, featuring Dice Tower Essential Games, Aquatica, Onitoma, and Smartphone Inc.
Now Join us Around the Board!
0:00 Tom Vasel
10:05 Defending the Dice Tower Awards
27:24 Board Game Theaters
38:12 Raptor Rapture
39:15 Believe It or Not
50:46 Onitoma, Aquatica, Smartphone
1:04:21 Final Say
1:05:46 Birthdays
1 hr 11 min
October 27, 2024 Ep 50 - Angles vs Demons
Today, Andrew Lowen, designer of Deliverance, discusses the exciting new Deliverance Expansion, Council of the Fallen, currently on Kickstarter! The episode kicks off with a debate on whether theme or mechanics should come first in game design. Following this, we delve into Play! Shelf! Trade! exploring unique expansions for popular games like Lord of Waterdeep, Wingspan, and Unmatched. We also share our insights on playtesting and wrap up the episode by revealing our top three favorite themes in board games. Don't miss out on this insightful and engaging discussion on game design and expansion content—Join us Around the Board!
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aroundtheboardshow
Find Deliverance on Kickstarter now:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lowenhigh/deliverance-council-of-the-fallen?ref=activity
0:00 Intro
1:33 Deliverance: Council of the Fallen
13:14 Theme First or Mechanics First
25:02 Play Shelf Trade
37:18 Deliverance: Council of the Fallen Commerical
38:44 Play Testing
50:35 Top 3 Themes
1:11:26 Final Say
1:16:12 Birthday
1 hr 20 min
October 14, 2024 Ep 49 - A New Champion
Welcome to today's episode of Around the Board! We are thrilled to announce a new addition to our show - Kelly! She will be sharing the latest Board Game News in Kelly's brand new segment. Get ready as we dive into the details of the trending game Heat: Pedal to the Metal and discuss its exciting features. We will also be addressing the mechanic that doesn't quite hit the mark for us. To top it all off, we're ending the show with a thrilling round of board game Jeopardy. Who will emerge victorious in today's episode? Join us Around the Board to find out and witness the excitement unfold!
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aroundtheboardshow
0:00 Intro
4:31 Board Game News
22:17 Heat: Hot or Not
37:44 The Tri
38:35 Bad Mechanics
55:10 Board Game Jeopardy
1:06:33 Final Say
1 hr 12 min
October 08, 2024 Ep 48 - Top 10 Games to Play with Taylor Swift
Today we attempt to agree on 10 games we think would win Taylor Swift over to the hobby, but we have to be careful! Each host has two veto's to use for very bad picks.
If you don't want to take the word of four middle aged dudes, then at the end we present a list created by an actual Swifty!
Join us for a special episode of Around the Board!
0:00 Intro
8:53 1846
11:10 Rock Hard 1977
13:30 A Message from the Stars
17:35 On Tour
18:54 Pandemic Legacy
21:59 Red 7
24:44 Obsession
28:42 Dance Card
33:25 1st and Roll
36:18 Bohnanza
40:10 Pursuit of Happyness
44:45 Unicorn Glitterluck
47:56 My Father's Work
51:01 Utter Nonsense
54:15 Heart Throb
56:34 Filthy Rich
1:00:00 18MS
1:02:08 Ice Cool
1:03:52 Swifty Top 10
1 hr 12 min
September 23, 2024 Ep 47 Skyrise and Crowdfunding Gems
Join us on Around the Board for an exciting episode as we dive into the world of crowdfunded games with the release of Skyrise in our Hot or Not segment. The Daniel challenges us to question our choices in backing games on crowdfunding platforms. John brings the fun with Board Game: Believe It or Not, keeping us entertained with his intriguing game segments. Lastly, Randy, the Producer, adds a twist with a random task, prompting us to share which crowdfunding game from our shelf is the ultimate favorite. Don't miss out on the latest gaming discussions and insights on our channel - hit the subscribe button now!
1 hr 14 min
September 02, 2024 Ep 43 - Top 10 America Games
Join us for an exciting episode from Around the Board! Our hosts will collaborate to create the ultimate top 10 list of games that say "'Meriuca!". With each host having two vetoes, rest assured that only the top picks will make it to the final list. Stay tuned for some fun discussions, passionate arguments, and insightful game recommendations. Subscribe to our channel to not miss out on this epic showdown of gaming preferences!
1 hr 6 min