Board Game Barrage

This week, we explain and expound our experiences with expansions. Improvements, tweaks, variability: the benefits are clear, but what does tacking more onto a game mean for all your players? Is it always a good thing? How much is too much? Before we get there, we discuss Altiplano, Omen: A Reign of War, Felicity: The Cat in the Sack, and A Feast for Odin.

Timecodes:

01:41 - Omen: A Reign of War
09:39 - Altiplano
18:58 - A Feast for Odin
28:11 - Felicity: The Cat in the Sack
30:56 - Expansions

This week, we explain and expound our experiences with expansions. Improvements, tweaks, variability: the benefits are clear, but what does tacking more onto a game mean for all your players? Is it always a good thing? How much is too much? Before we get there, we discuss Altiplano, Omen: A Reign of War, Felicity: The Cat in the Sack, and A Feast for Odin.

Timecodes:

01:41 - Omen: A Reign of War 09:39 - Altiplano 18:58 - A Feast for Odin 28:11 - Felicity: The Cat in the Sack 30:56 - Expansions

Why is everything so heavy? Well, we all played Dominant Species together, and so we're in a heavy sort of mood. There's a very vocal subset of the community that'll insist a game isn't worth playing unless it's mechanics are punching above a certain weight. But, surely there's room in a collection for the light games, the easy games, the so-called gateway games? We hash it out, but before we get into Dominant Species and games of its ilk, we revisit Codenames, Pictomania, Clank! and take a first look at The 7th Continent.

Timecodes:

01:37 - Codenames 02:28 - Clank! 08:52 - Pictomania 12:27 - Dominant Species 28:20 - The 7th Continent 37:37 - Heavy Games

Why is everything so heavy? Well, we all played Dominant Species together, and so we're in a heavy sort of mood. There's a very vocal subset of the community that'll insist a game isn't worth playing unless it's mechanics are punching above a certain weight. But, surely there's room in a collection for the light games, the easy games, the so-called gateway games? We hash it out, but before we get into Dominant Species and games of its ilk, we revisit Codenames, Pictomania, Clank! and take a first look at The 7th Continent.

Timecodes:

01:37 - Codenames
02:28 - Clank!
08:52 - Pictomania
12:27 - Dominant Species
28:20 - The 7th Continent
37:37 - Heavy Games

Did you know that sometimes the internet is wrong? Thankfully we're here to tell you what's up, and right the wrongs that BoardGameGeek hath wrought. You see, there are some games in their database that are just ranked way too low for how good they are. So, to fix these injustices, we each count down our top five games that BoardGameGeek got wrong, and we got right. Skip the timecodes if you don't want spoilers!

Timecodes:

00:46 - Azul Contest
01:13 - Games That BGG Got Wrong
02:16 - Safranito
05:13 - Sixes
07:56 - Anomia
10:11 - Quo Vadis?
13:27 - Fuji Flush
15:56 - Watson & Holmes
20:52 - Ugg-Tect
23:49 - Piñata
26:41 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
31:30 - True Colors
35:13 - CrossTalk
38:20 - Panic on Wall Street!
41:01 - Scruples
44:14 - I'm the Boss!
48:46 - Guards of Atlantis

Did you know that sometimes the internet is wrong? Thankfully we're here to tell you what's up, and right the wrongs that BoardGameGeek hath wrought. You see, there are some games in their database that are just ranked way too low for how good they are. So, to fix these injustices, we each count down our top five games that BoardGameGeek got wrong, and we got right. Skip the timecodes if you don't want spoilers!

Timecodes:

00:46 - Azul Contest 01:13 - Games That BGG Got Wrong 02:16 - Safranito 05:13 - Sixes 07:56 - Anomia 10:11 - Quo Vadis? 13:27 - Fuji Flush 15:56 - Watson & Holmes 20:52 - Ugg-Tect 23:49 - Piñata 26:41 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 31:30 - True Colors 35:13 - CrossTalk 38:20 - Panic on Wall Street! 41:01 - Scruples 44:14 - I'm the Boss! 48:46 - Guards of Atlantis

Legacy. What is a legacy? It's podcasting in a studio you don't get to see. And now that I've drawn in all the Hamilton fans, let's talk about board games! Specifically, board games that have campaigns or legacy components. Is it a gimmicky trend, or does it add something meaningful to an experience? We also talk about Alchemists, Inis, and Through The Desert ... and on top of all that, we have a special announcement!

Timecodes:

00:18 - Contest! 02:24 - Alchemists 11:04 - Inis 20:25 - Through The Desert 27:18 - Campaign and Legacy Games 52:15 - The 7th Continent 52:58 - The Flow of History 54:32 - Omen: A Reign of War

Legacy. What is a legacy? It's podcasting in a studio you don't get to see. And now that I've drawn in all the Hamilton fans, let's talk about board games! Specifically, board games that have campaigns or legacy components. Is it a gimmicky trend, or does it add something meaningful to an experience? We also talk about Alchemists, Inis, and Through The Desert ... and on top of all that, we have a special announcement!

Timecodes:

00:18 - Contest!
02:24 - Alchemists
11:04 - Inis
20:25 - Through The Desert
27:18 - Campaign and Legacy Games
52:15 - The 7th Continent
52:58 - The Flow of History
54:32 - Omen: A Reign of War

Trapped on a desert island and forced to bring only five board games? We've all been there. And we're going back. To the island. The board game island. It's a question as old as time itself, a favourite philosophical discussion of great minds immemorial; if you had to pare your collection down to just five board games, to play for a very long time, which would they be? Avert your eyes from the timecodes if you want to listen unspoiled, but let's just say that you might be able to guess one or two.

Timecodes:

02:25 - Cthulhu Wars
04:29 - A Feast for Odin
07:31 - Cuba Libre
10:19 - Spirit Island
14:12 - Age of Steam
16:21 - Troyes
19:21 - Codenames
23:00 - Arboretum
27:51 - Cosmic Encounter
32:34 - Gloomhaven
36:44 - Innovation
38:50 - The Resistance
42:40 - Biblios

Trapped on a desert island and forced to bring only five board games? We've all been there. And we're going back. To the island. The board game island. It's a question as old as time itself, a favourite philosophical discussion of great minds immemorial; if you had to pare your collection down to just five board games, to play for a very long time, which would they be? Avert your eyes from the timecodes if you want to listen unspoiled, but let's just say that you might be able to guess one or two.

Timecodes:

02:25 - Cthulhu Wars 04:29 - A Feast for Odin 07:31 - Cuba Libre 10:19 - Spirit Island 14:12 - Age of Steam 16:21 - Troyes 19:21 - Codenames 23:00 - Arboretum 27:51 - Cosmic Encounter 32:34 - Gloomhaven 36:44 - Innovation 38:50 - The Resistance 42:40 - Biblios