Board Game Barrage

Sometimes you're not looking to win or lose, you're looking for an experience. A lot of games promise to deliver thematic gameplay, but what does that mean for the mechanics? Does it have to be one without the other? Before we set the mood, we talk about Nusfjord, Paper Tales, and Nemesis.

03:25 - Nusfjord 09:43 - Paper Tales 15:25 - Nemesis 25:34 - Thematic Games We Like 26:08 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 29:58 - Nothing Personal 31:16 - Gloomhaven 31:35 - Android: Netrunner 32:05 - Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game 33:19 - Captain Sonar 36:45 - The Resistance 37:48 - The Grizzled 39:19 - Dune

We throw back to our very first episode, with our biggest surprises and disappointments of the year gone by. 2018 was a year of highs and lows, but sometimes you just don't see them coming. The difference between expectation and the final product is what this week's episode is all about. Before we gaze back wistfully, we talk about Akrotiri, Blue Moon City, and This Guilty Land.

01:56 - Akrotiri 05:09 - Innovation 05:27 - Blue Moon City 10:31 - This Guilty Land 16:37 - 2018's Biggest Disappointments 16:57 - Rising Sun 21:29 - The 7th Continent 25:31 - Merlin 32:07 - 2018's Best Surprises 32:21 - Space Base 34:31 - Decrypto 37:18 - Lords of Hellas

Top ten, baby! We finally made it. And thus concludes our five part series of our favourite games of all-time. Frankly, we were changed by the experience, and will never be the same again. We hope you were too.

01:35 - Kalen #10 - Coloretto 03:30 - Mark #10 - True Colors 06:15 - Neilan #10 - Dominion 09:28 - Kalen #9 - Diplomacy 12:45 - Mark #9 - ??? (32:02) 13:10 - Neilan #9 - Guards of Atlantis 16:32 - Kalen #8 - ??? (01:24:54) 16:43 - Mark #8 - Brass: Birmingham 20:27 - Neilan #8 - Scythe 25:32 - Kalen #7 - Troyes 28:07 - Mark #7 - Cuba Libre 31:54 - Neilan #7 - ??? (32:02) 32:02 - Kalen #6 - Time's Up! 35:23 - Mark #6 - ??? (01:07:00) 35:29 - Neilan #6 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 38:57 - Kalen #5 - El Grande 38:57 - Mark #5 - El Grande 42:56 - Neilan #5 - A Feast for Odin 46:09 - Kalen #4 - Cthulhu Wars 50:47 - Mark #4 - 1830: Railways & Robber Barons 53:55 - Neilan #4 - Codenames 56:19 - Kalen #3 - Cosmic Encounter 59:47 - Mark #3 - Francis Drake 01:04:17 - Neilan #3 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 01:07:00 - Kalen #2 - Archipelago 01:11:35 - Mark #2 - Arboretum 01:15:15 - Neilan #2 - Gloomhaven 01:19:37 - Kalen #1 - Innovation 01:23:16 - Mark #1 - Biblios 01:24:54 - Neilan #1 - The Resistance

The end is nigh! If you squint just right you can see it from here. We're almost done counting down our favourite fifty games of all time, so join us in the penultimate part of our five part series.

01:20 - Mark #20 - Caverna 03:18 - Neilan #20 - Archipelago 05:49 - Kalen #20 - Fuji Flush 07:43 - Mark #19 - Troyes 09:22 - Neilan #19 - Aeon's End: War Eternal 12:38 - Kalen #19 - Genoa 14:29 - Mark #18 - Cthulhu Wars 15:40 - Neilan #18 - Alchemists 18:38 - Kalen #18 - No Thanks! 20:09 - Mark #17 - 1846: The Race for the Midwest 22:09 - Neilan #17 - Inis 25:27 - Kalen #17 - Telestrations 27:05 - Mark #16 - Dominant Species 31:19 - Neilan #16 - Exit: The Game 34:20 - Kalen #16 - Inis 35:34 - Mark #15 - Imperial 2030 37:22 - Neilan #15 - Watson & Holmes 40:03 - Kalen #15 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 41:11 - Mark #14 - Tigris & Euphrates 43:15 - Neilan #14 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 45:26 - Kalen #14 - Omen: A Reign of War 46:46 - Mark #13 - Caylus 49:58 - Neilan #13 - Cthulhu Wars 51:15 - Kalen #13 - Dogs of War 53:03 - Mark #12 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 55:57 - Neilan #12 - Pictomania 57:38 - Kalen #12 - Codenames 58:00 - Mark #11 - Rising Sun 58:00 - Neilan #11 - Rising Sun 01:02:04 - Kalen #11 - I'm the Boss!

Okay, we're past the middle. It's all downhill from here, but the good sort of downhill. We're counting down our fifty favourite board games, in part three of what the world is calling our most ambitious endeavour yet! Well, we're calling it that.

01:01 - Neilan #30 - Grand Austria Hotel 02:35 - Kalen #30 - Startups 04:20 - Mark #30 - Pax Renaissance 06:37 - Neilan #29 - Azul 08:57 - Kalen #29 - Imperial 2030 10:37 - Mark #29 - Kemet 11:52 - Neilan #28 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 14:26 - Kalen #28 - A Fake Artist Goes to New York 16:06 - Mark #28 - Castles of Burgundy 18:51 - Neilan #27 - Coloretto 20:53 - Kalen #27 - Hanabi 22:53 - Mark #27 - Blue Lagoon 24:36 - Neilan #26 - Spirit Island 27:03 - Kalen #26 - Cockroach Poker 28:50 - Mark #26 - Age of Steam 30:53 - Neilan #25 - Blue Lagoon 32:10 - Kalen #25 - A Study in Emerald (Second Edition) 34:40 - Mark #25 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 38:11 - Neilan #24 - Alhambra 41:16 - Kalen #24 - Insider 43:16 - Mark #24 - The Great Zimbabwe 47:03 - Neilan #23 - Patchwork 49:24 - Kalen #23 - Splendor 50:11 - Mark #23 - Orléans 51:19 - Neilan #22 - Taj Mahal 52:16 - Kalen #22 - Decrypto 53:33 - Mark #22 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 57:02 - Neilan #21 - Android: Netrunner 01:00:09 - Kalen #21 - Glory to Rome 01:00:09 - Mark #21 - Glory to Rome

Ten down, forty to go ... It's part two of our all-time top fifty lists! What surprises await us in this, the second installment of our historic feature?! Find out with us as we celebrate some fantastic board games!

Kalen #40 – For Sale Mark #40 – Guards of Atlantis: Tabletop MOBA Neilan #40 – Hanamikoji Kalen #39 – Bruges Mark #39 – A Feast for Odin Neilan #39 – In the Year of the Dragon Kalen #38 – Crokinole Mark #38 – Sol: Last Days of a Star Neilan #38 – Kemet Kalen #37 – Taj Mahal Mark #37 – Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 Neilan #37 – Codenames: Duet Kalen #36 – Piñata Mark #36 – A Question of Scruples Neilan #36 – Dead of Winter Kalen #35 – SiXeS Mark #35 – Modern Art Neilan #35 – Agricola Kalen #34 – Lords of Vegas Mark #34 – Decrypto Neilan #34 – Decrypto Kalen #33 – Wiz-War Mark #33 – Terra Mystica Neilan #33 – Sol: Last Days of a Star Kalen #32 – SHH Mark #32 – Le Havre Neilan #32 – Orléans Kalen #31 – Keyflower Mark #31 – Codenames Neilan #31 – Gaia Project

We're counting down to our 50th episode, and what better way than to give our definitive lists of our 50 favourite games of all time?! You've been asking for it, so we've only gone and done it. Brace yourselves, we're just getting started.

01:11 - Mark #50 - Dungeon Fighter 02:51 - Neilan #50 - Werewords 04:36 - Kalen #50 - Agricola 06:28 - Mark #49 - Chronicles of Crime 08:07 - Neilan #49 - Biblios 09:28 - Kalen #49 - Concept 10:55 - Mark #48 - Pictomania 13:02 - Neilan #48 - Mage Knight Board Game 14:54 - Kalen #48 - Hanamikoji 16:27 - Mark #47 - Kanban 17:28 - Neilan #47 - Splendor 19:26 - Kalen #47 - Ingenious 20:40 - Mark #46 - Samurai 22:55 - Neilan #46 - Clank! 25:09 - Kalen #46 - Evolution 27:54 - Mark #45 - ZhanGuo 29:23 - Neilan #45 - Innovation 31:39 - Kalen #45 - Mysterium 33:02 - Mark #44 - Ra 34:21 - Neilan #44 - Puerto Rico 36:48 - Kalen #44 - New Angeles 38:58 - Mark #43 - Wyatt Earp 41:29 - Neilan #43 - The Oracle of Delphi 42:18 - Kalen #43 - The Game 46:23 - Mark #42 - Blood Rage 50:04 - Neilan #42 - Anomia 52:00 - Kalen #42 - Lifeboat 53:51 - Mark #41 - Tzolk'in 55:39 - Neilan #41 - Panic on Wall Street! 57:56 - Kalen #41 - Diamant/Incan Gold

It's question time again! After last week's massive success, we couldn't resist the urge to have you, loyal listener, once more do all the work for us. Before we turn the microphones around, we also talk about Brass: Birmingham, Exodus: Paris Nouveau, and Werewords.

01:52 - Brass: Birmingham 05:48 - Exodus: Paris Nouveau 09:55 - Werewords 15:30 - Listener Questions 15:39 - Should I play the classics? 15:39 - Catan 15:39 - Carcassonne 20:21 - What solo games do you like? 21:08 - Coffee Roaster 21:35 - Scythe 21:45 - A Feast for Odin 21:53 - One Deck Dungeon 22:18 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods 23:35 - Onirim 24:50 - Hot Trivia Question 26:02 - Reviewing games after one play? 36:13 - Cry Havoc 37:49 - More convention showings? 39:32 - How do you pick game night games? 42:40 - YouTube?

It's your time to shine! We field questions from you, our adoring fans, in our first ever Q&A episode. You sent us the important topical issues you've been yearning for our take on, and takes ye shall receive. Before we line up in front of the mic, we also talk about Blokus, Brass: Lancashire, and Teotihucan: City of Gods.

01:42 - Blokus 06:16 - Brass: Lancashire 12:40 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods 19:20 - World Chess Championship 21:51 - Listener Questions 22:10 - Does Kalen hate co-ops? 22:50 - Pandemic 23:24 - Spirit Island 24:23 - Has Kalen played more Spirit Island? 28:16 - Best "bang for your buck" board games? 32:10 - Castles of Burgundy 32:47 - Azul 33:15 - Splendor 33:46 - Taj Mahal 34:40 - Cthulhu Wars 37:27 - Archipelago 39:11 - How are you still friends? 41:23 - Rising Sun 44:36 - Giveaway! (Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra)

We're getting introspective this week, weighing up the mistakes we've made in our collections, and reflecting on our earlier selves. Would you reset your board game collection? What games might you not buy if you had to do it all over again? Before we turn back time, we also talk about Between Two Castles Of Mad King Ludwig, Claustrophobia, and KeyForge: Call of the Archons.

01:39 - Between Two Castles Of Mad King Ludwig 06:17 - Claustrophobia 10:43 - KeyForge: Call of the Archons 21:12 - Resetting your Collection 21:50 - Innovation 22:22 - Patchwork 23:50 - Skull 25:53 - Forbidden Stars 28:10 - Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization 28:55 - Cosmic Encounter 32:05 - Fury of Dracula 33:57 - Rising Sun 34:22 - Blood Rage 35:52 - Cthulhu Wars 54:28 - Giveaway! (Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra)