Bitewing Games Podcast

How do you publish a board game?  What's all behind the process of taking a Reiner Knizia design and getting it to Kickstarter?  Find out in this behind-the-scenes scoop on the Criminal Capers Collection!

Check out the Kickstarter campaign page for the Criminal Capers Collection by clicking here.

Check out some of the early concept art for Soda Smugglers, Pumafiosi, and Hot Lead by clicking here.

July was quite the dry month for me in more ways than one.  Part of that has to do with me moving from Ohio to the Arizona desert.  The other part, well, let's find out...

0:53 - Crystal Palace
3:36 - Nidavellir: Thingvellir
5:03 - Juicy Fruits
12:05 - Cryo (with comparisons to Crystal Palace)
17:40 - The Red Cathedral

Check out our Kickstarter Campaign Page for Reiner Knizia's Criminal Capers Collection

Watch Soda Smugglers — How to Play
Watch Soda Smugglers — Play-through

Watch Pumafiosi — How to Play
Watch Pumafiosi — Play-through

Watch Hot Lead — How to Play
Watch Hot Lead — Play-through

In this episode, we'll feast our mind's eye on some of the best board game artists in the industry.  Nick shares his 15 favorite artists including his favorite art and favorite games of theirs.  Stick around at the end of the episode for a preview of the podcast schedule for August, where we'll be kicking off our Kickstarter launch with some major insights and interviews!

If you'd like to see some of the art and games from the artists mentioned in this episode, then click here to read the blog post version of today's episode.

Call it a Board Gamer’s Odyssey, Autobiography, History, or whatever you please, but today we’ll be exploring many of the games and moments that made Nick into the designer, publisher, and gamer that he is today.  What games were his favorites at certain times in his life, and why?  Are they still among my favorites, or have they fallen out of favor?  How have his preferences changed over time?  Let’s do the Odyssey!

In celebration of our own auctioning games launching on Kickstarter next month that are designed by the master Auctioneer himself, Reiner Knizia, Nick thought it fitting to explore the many games which have fostered his love for this genre.  The notable titles in this episode are huge reasons why we love auctioning game Hot Lead and quasi-auctioning game Pumafiosi enough to publish them ourselves.

Rather than rank these bidding games in order from Nick's most to least favorite, he decided it would be more fun to award his favorites by category and type.  Hopefully these categories help you to find a new great game that would fit in perfectly with your collection…

1:34 - Meanest Auctioning Game
2:45 - Best Large-Group Auctioning Game
3:25 - Best Small-Group Auctioning Game
4:06 - Best Game with just a hint of Auctioning
5:09 - Best Looking Auctioning Game
5:55 - Best All-Around Auctioning Game
6:38 - Most Unique Auctioning Game
8:38 - Best New(ish) Auctioning Game
9:14 - Best Auctioning Game I Haven't Played (Yet)
9:55 - Most Regret-Filled Auctions
10:40 - Best Auctioning Game of Chicken
11:43 - Best Shared Incentive Auctioning Game
12:29 - Best Overall Auctioning Game
13:09 - Two New Auctioning Games Coming Fresh out of the Oven

Nick's latest first impressions of new board game releases span from ambitious epics to Knizian comebacks...  Let's jump right into it!

0:42 - Equinox
4:18 - Stellar
7:00 - Kemet: Blood & Sand
11:38 - Tutankhamun
18:02 - Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile

We kicked off this year and this podcast with an episode featuring My Most Anticipated Board Games of 2021… twenty games highlighted and hyped, many of which we’ve now had the pleasure of playing.  Few have disappointed, and many more will find their way to the table very soon.  Meanwhile, a whole extra batch of games have been surfacing from the deep unknown sea, landing a spot on my ever growing wishlist.

Due to their striking presentations, intriguing mechanisms, thrilling promises, and/or reliable creators, the following fifteen games have earned a place onto my most anticipated games of 2021 part II...

2:01 - Bear Raid
2:38 - Savannah Park
3:44 - Factory Funner
4:33 - The Great Zimbabwe
5:30 - Ghosts of Christmas
6:15 - The Siege of Runedar
7:37 - Juicy Fruits
8:41 - Radlands
9:30 - Super-Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
10:19 - Riftforce
11:06 - Oltréé
11:56 - Pipeline: Emerging Markets
12:21 - Witchstone
13:05 - Summoner Wars: Second Edition
14:00 - Imperial Steam
14:43 - One More Thing to Hotly Anticipate...

In this episode, Kyle joins Nick to chat all about roll & write board games!  What’s the deal with this genre?  Which roll & writes are the very best?   Are they going out of style or just getting started?  Let’s find out!

Filler games are essential to filling in the cracks and crevices of one’s board game collection, and so Nick has set out to determine the top 10 best recommendations for filler games.  While there are far more than 10 fantastic options to choose from, this list will serve as our most reliable team of fillers for anyone and everyone.

Speaking of fantastic fillers, check out the newly reveal box art for Reiner Knizia's Criminal Capers Collection!

Nick is coming to find that being a Reiner Knizia fan is much like being a fan of eating.  You're constantly hungry for more, and there's always new & exciting flavors to explore.  Today we'll sandwich Nidavellir between these hunks of Reiner bread as Nick shares his first impressions of the following:

0:56 - Whale Riders (the board game)
4:35 - Whale Riders: The Card Game
7:44 - Modern Art Card Game
10:12 - Nidavellir
13:09 - Royal Visit
16:08 - Yellow & Yangtze